Author Topic: Falcon 9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion  (Read 486921 times)

Offline Jcc

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #600 on: 04/28/2018 12:12 pm »
The potential revenue and engineering value of 1 Block 5 booster is huge.

Unless required by contract, I don't see SpaceX expending a Block 5 unless it is at its End of Life.

They should have that booster penciled in to the manifest for it's next flights.

Also, being the first Block 5 they will want to inspect this one thoroughly once it's flown.

I suspect that there will be zero intentionally expended Block 5 cores.  Going to have to get used to landing zone weather being one of the launch criteria*.


* Yes, I know that this is not the way it's done... payload is all that matters... etc. 
Get used to a new way.

Nothing new here. If the weather was good at the pad, but not at an emergency landing site, the Shuttle didn't launch.

The shuttle's payload always included a crew, and the Orbiter was approaching $2B to replace.
But yes, we're kinda back to those days again.

This might be the case with crew Dragon and Starliner as well, considering the landing areas in case of an in-flight abort.

Offline envy887

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #601 on: 05/01/2018 08:57 pm »
New GAO report with a couple pages on Commercial Crew and Block 5. I don't think there's anything new here for Block 5, but it confirms that qualification testing should be complete Q1 2018.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #602 on: 05/03/2018 03:47 pm »
Another great article by Eric Berger:

Quote
Block 5 rocket launch marks the end of the beginning for SpaceX
Elon Musk seems to be happy with the nine-engine booster—so, he's moving on.

Eric Berger - 5/3/2018, 2:10 PM

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/05/block-5-rocket-launch-marks-the-end-of-the-beginning-for-spacex/

Edit 13/05/2018: now with Elon’s seal of approval

Quote
Good piece by Ars

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/995461033958424576
« Last Edit: 05/13/2018 08:57 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline dglow

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #603 on: 05/03/2018 04:41 pm »
Question about Block 5: do we know how many COPVs are in the upper stage?

IIRC, AMOS 6's failure was partially attributed to higher pressures in the COPVs. There was speculation (perhaps it was established) that SpaceX had attempted to reduce the number of COPVs by one, ostensibly to save weight, with the remaining COPVs picking up the slack. After the pad incident, SpaceX returned to its previous COPV configuration.

First: do I have this right? Second: if so, does COPV 2.0 allow for a return to fewer and/or more highly-pressurized bottles?

Online gongora

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #604 on: 05/03/2018 05:35 pm »
From what I recall the number of COPVs has always been variable, and the AMOS-6 incident was caused by changes in the loading procedures for LOx and helium.

Offline smndk

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #605 on: 05/03/2018 07:34 pm »
From what I recall the number of COPVs has always been variable, and the AMOS-6 incident was caused by changes in the loading procedures for LOx and helium.

But one of the short term fixes was to add a COPV and slowing down the loading procedure - if I remember correct.

Offline ZachF

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #606 on: 05/03/2018 09:11 pm »
Closeup of Block 5 rolling out
artist, so take opinions expressed above with a well-rendered grain of salt...
https://www.instagram.com/artzf/

Offline The Vorlon

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #607 on: 05/03/2018 09:27 pm »
Is it me, or does the interstage change diameter?

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #608 on: 05/03/2018 09:32 pm »
Is it me, or does the interstage change diameter?

I noticed that too, and I'm not sure. It does look like it contracts a tiny bit above the tanks, and then expands to a larger radius for S2. Something under the hood there that we don't know about?

Offline HVM

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #609 on: 05/03/2018 09:35 pm »
Optical illusion; black make you look slimmer ;)
« Last Edit: 05/03/2018 09:41 pm by HVM »

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #610 on: 05/03/2018 10:04 pm »
Optical illusion; black make you look slimmer ;)

I don't think so; it looks like it actually does have a lower diameter interstage.

Online gongora

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #611 on: 05/03/2018 10:19 pm »
Hopefully we'll get better pictures when the launch photographers go to set up their cameras, that image is heavily compressed.

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #612 on: 05/03/2018 10:21 pm »
Hopefully we'll get better pictures when the launch photographers go to set up their cameras, that image is heavily compressed.

There are bands of highlight and shadow that are visually consistent with a diameter change as well. I don't think those are image compression artifacts.

Online gongora

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #613 on: 05/03/2018 10:34 pm »
Hopefully we'll get better pictures when the launch photographers go to set up their cameras, that image is heavily compressed.

There are bands of highlight and shadow that are visually consistent with a diameter change as well. I don't think those are image compression artifacts.

They might be if there are slightly different shades of black running around the interstage.

Offline Lars-J

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #614 on: 05/03/2018 11:04 pm »
Nope, same diameter. (see image)  Don't be fooled by the racetracks that add apparent (but not real) diameter.

When are people going to stop doing attempted image analysis on tiny JPEGs with terrible compression?
« Last Edit: 05/03/2018 11:05 pm by Lars-J »

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #615 on: 05/03/2018 11:06 pm »
Nope, same diameter. (see image)  Don't be fooled by the racetracks that add apparent (but not real) diameter.

When are people going to stop doing attempted image analysis on tiny JPEGs with terrible compression?

Probably at the same time people stop using similarly terrible images for the counterpoint.  ;D

Offline Lars-J

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #616 on: 05/03/2018 11:07 pm »
Nope, same diameter. (see image)  Don't be fooled by the racetracks that add apparent (but not real) diameter.

When are people going to stop doing attempted image analysis on tiny JPEGs with terrible compression?

Probably at the same time people stop using similarly terrible images for the counterpoint.  ;D

? You might want to schedule an appointment with an optician.

So you stand by your belief?
« Last Edit: 05/03/2018 11:08 pm by Lars-J »

Offline RotoSequence

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #617 on: 05/03/2018 11:09 pm »
Nope, same diameter. (see image)  Don't be fooled by the racetracks that add apparent (but not real) diameter.

When are people going to stop doing attempted image analysis on tiny JPEGs with terrible compression?

Probably at the same time people stop using similarly terrible images for the counterpoint.  ;D

? You might want to schedule an appointment with an optician.

So you stand by your belief?

No, I don't stand by it, I was trying to make a joke. It looks like the original image's appearance is an artifact caused by an unresolved, smaller raceway at the "top" of the vehicle in its horizontal orientation.

Offline Craig_VG

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #618 on: 05/04/2018 12:24 am »
Hopefully we'll get better pictures when the launch photographers go to set up their cameras, that image is heavily compressed.

Oh we will  ;)

Offline zhangmdev

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Re: F9 Block 5 Updates and Discussion
« Reply #619 on: 05/04/2018 03:54 am »
Consider how difficult staging with that huge 2nd stage engine nozzle is, shrinking the interstage, even slightly, is a bad idea.

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