Quote from: wannamoonbase on 07/13/2018 07:23 pmThe pictures of the new net deployed are incredible. Can't wait.It will be very interesting to see if and when we see 2 ships and fairings being reflown.End of this year is coming quick but maybe there is an outside shot at that.Launch cadence suggests they will have plenty of chances to get it right. There are at least 2 FH launches scheduled before 1st of Jan 2019
The pictures of the new net deployed are incredible. Can't wait.It will be very interesting to see if and when we see 2 ships and fairings being reflown.End of this year is coming quick but maybe there is an outside shot at that.
If one half of the fairing loitered at altitude for as long as possible while the other half descended as quickly as practical, then after catching the quickly descending fairing half, would there be enough time to lower the net, stow the first half fairing and raise the net to catch the second half fairing?
Quote from: john smith 19 on 07/15/2018 07:37 amQuote from: wannamoonbase on 07/13/2018 07:23 pmThe pictures of the new net deployed are incredible. Can't wait.It will be very interesting to see if and when we see 2 ships and fairings being reflown.End of this year is coming quick but maybe there is an outside shot at that.Launch cadence suggests they will have plenty of chances to get it right. There are at least 2 FH launches scheduled before 1st of Jan 2019I think you missed the point.FH is not what he is talking about.I think wannamoonbase means two fairing halves from any Falcon launch being recovered, which takes 2 ships, and then be reflown on a single flight.edit: But you are right that they will have plenty of chances
Just have two nets. First fairing lands, drop the net towards the deck (big pads on deck, could go all the way down), 'roll' a new net over the top. As long as the first net can drop enough to give clearance for the second, it's then just a matter of unloading at your leisure.
Quote from: JamesH65 on 07/17/2018 11:06 amJust have two nets. First fairing lands, drop the net towards the deck (big pads on deck, could go all the way down), 'roll' a new net over the top. As long as the first net can drop enough to give clearance for the second, it's then just a matter of unloading at your leisure.I think you seriously underestimate the amount of time to hoist a second net in place.Once catching a fairing is proven you will find that a second fairing-catcher ship will be commissioned real soon.Each fairing-catcher ship will, per mission, catch one fairing half, at best.
They will need 4, two on each coast. As long as flight rate is OK that might be cost effective, but remember, they cannot really do anything else between flights with all that hardware bolted on, so once modified that's all they are good for.
Edit: Although at 'only' $10-12M each, plus lets say $1M for the arms, plus whatever running costs are incurred, probably not too much of a hit to have 4.
Quote from: JamesH65 on 07/17/2018 01:12 pmEdit: Although at 'only' $10-12M each, plus lets say $1M for the arms, plus whatever running costs are incurred, probably not too much of a hit to have 4. Is that the price of the ship new? Elon likes buying used equipment and re-purposing.
Quote from: JamesH65 on 07/17/2018 01:12 pmEdit: Although at 'only' $10-12M each, plus lets say $1M for the arms, plus whatever running costs are incurred, probably not too much of a hit to have 4. Is that the price of the ship new? Elon likes buying used equipment and re-purposing.The benefits of fairing recovery likely wouldn't work at a low flight rate, but at 24+ flights a year it seems to make sense.If, Starlink becomes a real thing and they need to launch a few hundred F9's to LEO then it really adds up.
They could also put a high tension rope in the middle of the current net once they get really good at catching to separate the net into two halves.But it is possible to hoist a new net in a few minutes if designed properly with pulleys. That's enough time separation.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 07/17/2018 12:30 pmThey could also put a high tension rope in the middle of the current net once they get really good at catching to separate the net into two halves.But it is possible to hoist a new net in a few minutes if designed properly with pulleys. That's enough time separation.No, it isn't. Both fairing halves are coming down in the same flight profile. They are hitting the water less than half a minute apart. And the lateral separation upon splash-down is larger than Mr. Steven can cover in that time, due to anti-collision considerations.
IMO, if SpaceX was able to get multi-minute delays on fairing touchdowns by just adjusting the parachutes and timings, then they would have caught a fairing already. The ability to fly a "delayed drop" fairing so that it splashes down close enough to the original to allow catching it with the same vessel requires the same tech to be able to drop one in a very small dropzone. If they could control them so precisely, they would have already caught one or at least not needed the arm/net expansion.
Remember that positioning the ship is about more than just getting to spot X by a certain time. To have the best chance of catching the fairing they will need to be moving as well. So, they'll do catch attempts like flying a bombing run. Get the ship to a staging point by the time the fairing is at a certain altitude and flying a set direction (likely into the wind). Then motor forward underneath, slipping sideways as needed, to eventually catch it. To lower the net and manhandle the fairing into a safe stowage position on deck while also traveling at high speed to preposition the ship for the second run in the short amount of time potentially available is a lot to ask. Personally, I'm convinced they'll need a second ship in order to catch both fairings from a single launch.
While SpaceX does not have a dedicated East Coast recovery ship, and therefore cannot catch the fairing before it hits the water, the company should be able to guide the fairing halves to a soft splashdown and then fish them out of the water.
Any news on the fairing recovery for today's Telesat launch?According to this article:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/07/spacex-falcon-9-telstar-19v-launch/QuoteWhile SpaceX does not have a dedicated East Coast recovery ship, and therefore cannot catch the fairing before it hits the water, the company should be able to guide the fairing halves to a soft splashdown and then fish them out of the water.
Quote from: Dave G on 07/22/2018 12:29 pmAny news on the fairing recovery for today's Telesat launch?According to this article:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/07/spacex-falcon-9-telstar-19v-launch/QuoteWhile SpaceX does not have a dedicated East Coast recovery ship, and therefore cannot catch the fairing before it hits the water, the company should be able to guide the fairing halves to a soft splashdown and then fish them out of the water.They've done the same on at least one prior launch using one of the east coast GO vessels. If nothing else, it at least gives them some more practice with the controlled/guided descent portion of the fairing recovery attempts. The only costs being the hardware on the fairings and the operations expenses for sending the extra ship out.