Author Topic: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 1424348 times)

Offline woods170

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Two panoramas from yesterday around 6:30 PM. No activity - either they are done with all repairs, or they are not going to use ASDS for CRS-8.
The images of 2 or 3 days ago showed her still sitting high on the water with a notable tilt towards the bow. The latest pictures show her level and at depth. No tilt.

Offline Mike_1179

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Elsbeth III left port about this time yesterday traveling at ~5 knots, meaning she's towing something. I always say this, but isn't that a bit early to head out?

Looks to me like she's heading toward the landing area, not just a test run off shore.

Offline John Alan

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Pics up above hint they test ran the thrusters in port using one of the GO boats to hold it back...
My opinion is they decided, based on that all was good, any "test run" off shore was likely to be fine...
Go to sea it was decided... EIII headed out...  8)

Offline cscott

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Is it just EIII or is there a "fairing recovery" ship this time as well?  (That one might leave later, since it doesn't have to tow a barge.)

Offline Lar

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Is it just EIII or is there a "fairing recovery" ship this time as well?  (That one might leave later, since it doesn't have to tow a barge.)

Since Dragon doesn't have fairings, that would be rather odd.
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline southshore26

Is it just EIII or is there a "fairing recovery" ship this time as well?  (That one might leave later, since it doesn't have to tow a barge.)

Go Quest departed Port Canaveral at 10:40pm last night... not fairing recovery but support ship to the ASDS.

Offline OxCartMark

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Go Searcher is stationary on the Fishlip side next to American Champion.
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Offline Kabloona

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Is it just EIII or is there a "fairing recovery" ship this time as well?  (That one might leave later, since it doesn't have to tow a barge.)

Since Dragon doesn't have fairings, that would be rather odd.

GO Searcher is still in port, and that fact combined with the lack of fairings on this flight is consistent with our suspicion that Searcher was indeed tracking/chasing fairings on previous flights.

Offline cscott

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Is it just EIII or is there a "fairing recovery" ship this time as well?  (That one might leave later, since it doesn't have to tow a barge.)

Since Dragon doesn't have fairings, that would be rather odd.

GO Searcher is still in port, and that fact combined with the lack of fairings on this flight is consistent with our suspicion that Searcher was indeed tracking/chasing fairings on previous flights.
Thanks for turning my stupid question into real insight.  I agree, this is good circumstantial evidence for a fairing chaser role for Go Searcher.

PS. And reasonable evidence *against* that theory if Go Searcher stirs herself to dash out and join the flotilla before the launch.  Good theories are falsifiable!
« Last Edit: 04/06/2016 04:29 pm by cscott »

Offline Kaputnik

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From a document posted (in a western niche of) the Eastern Range topic...

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Boost-Backs and Landings of Rockets at Vandenberg Air Force Base
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/03/31/2016-07191/takes-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-specified-activities-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to

Quote
In the event that a contingency landing action is required, SpaceX has considered the likelihood of the First Stage missing the barge and landing instead in the Pacific Ocean, and has determined that the likelihood of such an event is so unlikely as to be considered discountable. This is supported by three previous attempts by SpaceX at Falcon 9 First Stage barge landings, none of which have missed the barge.

That would be a pretty big miss...
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Offline Lar

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From a document posted (in a western niche of) the Eastern Range topic...

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Boost-Backs and Landings of Rockets at Vandenberg Air Force Base
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/03/31/2016-07191/takes-of-marine-mammals-incidental-to-specified-activities-taking-marine-mammals-incidental-to

Quote
In the event that a contingency landing action is required, SpaceX has considered the likelihood of the First Stage missing the barge and landing instead in the Pacific Ocean, and has determined that the likelihood of such an event is so unlikely as to be considered discountable. This is supported by three previous attempts by SpaceX at Falcon 9 First Stage barge landings, none of which have missed the barge.

That would be a pretty big miss...
for Cape launches yes, but this was from a doc about Vandy...
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline dorkmo

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Searcher has been known to leave later though right?

Offline Kabloona

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Searcher has been known to leave later though right?

Yes, Searcher left about 2 days after Quest last time around.

Offline CameronD

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Searcher has been known to leave later though right?

Yes, Searcher left about 2 days after Quest last time around.

IIRC, one of the key "fixes" following the CRS-7 attempt was changes to the flight software to allow Dragon to free itself from a failing stack on the ride uphill and splashdown under it's own parachutes into the keep-out zone near shore.

Perhaps potential 'early' Dragon recovery operations (if required)?
« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 01:58 am by CameronD »
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline Johnnyhinbos

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(Technically the Dragon _does_ have fairings, but not the kind worth recovering...)
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Offline woods170

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(Technically the Dragon _does_ have fairings, but not the kind worth recovering...)
More specifically: they are un-recoverable, as those fairings (for the solar arrays) burn-up upon reentry.
« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 08:28 am by woods170 »

Offline Req

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(Technically the Dragon _does_ have fairings, but not the kind worth recovering...)
More specifically: they are un-recoverable, as those fairings (for the solar arrays) burn-up upon reentry.

And to be pedantic: They simply aren't worth something more complicated money-wise, whether that be fixed doors that actuate(or something else that never detaches from the dragon) or fairings with an ACS and/or whatever else may be required to survive re-entry and subsequently be recovered.

Edit - Also, does DV2 even have solar fairings?  Aren't all of the solar panels on the trunk?
« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 11:35 am by Req »

Offline gadgetmind

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I bet the drone crews are packing more spare underwear this time around!

Offline cscott

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So---is Go Searcher still in port?

Offline Kabloona

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So---is Go Searcher still in port?

Yup. Brunching at Fishlips.
« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 03:23 pm by Kabloona »

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