Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-23 : S/N 1021) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage  (Read 126259 times)

Offline RocketGoBoom

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #20 on: 04/20/2016 02:37 am »


Watch: Extremely Southern Guy Narrates Falcon 9 Rocket's Trip Back to SpaceX's Launchpad

"There it is, he's gon reuse that thang!"

https://www.inverse.com/article/14521-watch-extremely-southern-guy-narrates-falcon-9-rocket-s-trip-back-to-spacex-s-launchpad

« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 02:48 am by RocketGoBoom »

Offline meberbs

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #21 on: 04/20/2016 04:28 am »
It looks like Musk has further recalibrated his timeline since the post-launch conference: 3-4 months until re-flight (which I count as July-August time frame) This is much more believable to me given the 10 static fires, and there being no precedent for this.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/722637629351686144
Quote from: Elon Musk
Aiming for relaunch in 3 to 4 months, pending detailed examination and 10X refiring of a returned booster
« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 04:31 am by meberbs »

Offline Lars-J

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #22 on: 04/20/2016 04:37 am »
Elon just tweeted the attached picture of ORBCOMM-2 and CRS-8 side-by-side in 39A's HIF:
...
Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.

With the engines removed it easier to see the "cells" each engine sits in, which helps to protect neighbor engines if something goes boom...

Yes, we've never seen the 1.1/FT octaweb from that angle before. Each combustion chamber is nested pretty deep inside its own pocket with some sturdy looking dividers.
« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 04:42 am by Lars-J »

Offline wannamoonbase

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #23 on: 04/20/2016 05:00 am »
Why 10 static fires?  After the first static fire, what is the purpose of the remaining 9?  Have other stages been subject to 10 static fires?

Well no one has ever done this before, so they can kind of make up their own rules based on some judgement. 

10 is a lot but with that much data they may learn how many fires are reasonable.  1,2,3 who knows.

Also, I suspect the Elon knew this would be at 39A and that it would be advantageous if they run their shiny new pad through that many cycles as well. 

Length of burns would be interesting.  Will it be a few seconds like a usual Static fire or will it be longer?
Wildly optimistic prediction, Superheavy recovery on IFT-4 or IFT-5

Offline woods170

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #24 on: 04/20/2016 07:14 am »
Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.
And that would be the natural thing to do for the very first returned booster. Take it apart and examine every important system in detail to see how it coped. This examination provides SpaceX with loads of data to feed into their development-and-improvement cycles.

Offline pospa

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #25 on: 04/20/2016 08:19 am »
Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.

And that would be the natural thing to do for the very first returned booster. Take it apart and examine every important system in detail to see how it coped. This examination provides SpaceX with loads of data to feed into their development-and-improvement cycles.

That's for sure, but why on Florida in bright new hangar? I'd expect the test facility or manufacturing plant to be more suitable (diag equipment & personnel) for such detailed inspection/examination. Don't you think?
Any clue why they inspect 5 engines right there in HIF? Or are they elsewhere?

Offline SoulWager

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #26 on: 04/20/2016 08:25 am »
Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.
And that would be the natural thing to do for the very first returned booster. Take it apart and examine every important system in detail to see how it coped. This examination provides SpaceX with loads of data to feed into their development-and-improvement cycles.
I'm guessing they're doing further inspections on the landing engine, the boostback engines, and a couple more either chosen at random, or chosen based on telemetry or static fire test data.

Offline JamesH65

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #27 on: 04/20/2016 09:36 am »
Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.

And that would be the natural thing to do for the very first returned booster. Take it apart and examine every important system in detail to see how it coped. This examination provides SpaceX with loads of data to feed into their development-and-improvement cycles.

That's for sure, but why on Florida in bright new hangar? I'd expect the test facility or manufacturing plant to be more suitable (diag equipment & personnel) for such detailed inspection/examination. Don't you think?
Any clue why they inspect 5 engines right there in HIF? Or are they elsewhere?

Remove engine, put in truck, drive to wherever you want to. Easier than driving the whole stage anywhere.


Offline Brick_top

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #28 on: 04/20/2016 11:19 am »
It looks like Musk has further recalibrated his timeline since the post-launch conference: 3-4 months until re-flight (which I count as July-August time frame) This is much more believable to me given the 10 static fires, and there being no precedent for this.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/722637629351686144
Quote from: Elon Musk
Aiming for relaunch in 3 to 4 months, pending detailed examination and 10X refiring of a returned booster

Noticed he says
Quote
a returned booster

maybe they are already doing modifications to other boosters according to returned booster data ?
« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 11:20 am by Brick_top »

Offline Kaputnik

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #29 on: 04/20/2016 11:32 am »
Yes ai noticed that too. Which suggests that the questin is still open as to which boost will be reflown first. I believe OG2 was ruled out so it could be CRS8 or any of the next few.

This would potentially point to a pattern of: recover first booster and thoroughly strip down; recover second booster and put through multiple firings; recover third booster and refly.
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline mvpel

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #30 on: 04/20/2016 11:53 am »
Yes ai noticed that too. Which suggests that the questin is still open as to which boost will be reflown first. I believe OG2 was ruled out so it could be CRS8 or any of the next few.

I have it on good authority that they are making preparations to put the first recovered booster on display in Hawthorne.

Edit: @ricmsmith: I forgot the ;)
« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 12:27 pm by mvpel »
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Offline ricmsmith

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #31 on: 04/20/2016 12:20 pm »
Yes ai noticed that too. Which suggests that the questin is still open as to which boost will be reflown first. I believe OG2 was ruled out so it could be CRS8 or any of the next few.

I have it on good authority that they are making preparations to put the first recovered booster on display in Hawthorne.

Yes, Elon said as much in the CRS-8 post launch briefing as I recall.

Offline MattMason

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #32 on: 04/20/2016 12:26 pm »
Elon just tweeted the attached picture of ORBCOMM-2 and CRS-8 side-by-side in 39A's HIF:
Quote
Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk 6:30 PM - 19 Apr 2016
By land and sea
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/722598287396605953

Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.

I think this is the first public look inside the active, completed LC39A HIF, correct?
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Offline Kaputnik

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #33 on: 04/20/2016 12:50 pm »
Elon just tweeted the attached picture of ORBCOMM-2 and CRS-8 side-by-side in 39A's HIF:
Quote
Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk 6:30 PM - 19 Apr 2016
By land and sea
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/722598287396605953

Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.

Bezos may have a 'rare' used rocket stage, but Musk has a breeding pair :)
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline Jim

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #34 on: 04/20/2016 01:05 pm »

That's for sure, but why on Florida in bright new hangar? I'd expect the test facility or manufacturing plant to be more suitable (diag equipment & personnel) for such detailed inspection/examination. Don't you think?
Any clue why they inspect 5 engines right there in HIF? Or are they elsewhere?

because it is empty and available and the same checkout equipment used in the factory is used in the HIF
« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 01:06 pm by Jim »

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #35 on: 04/20/2016 01:23 pm »
Elon just tweeted the attached picture of ORBCOMM-2 and CRS-8 side-by-side in 39A's HIF:
Quote
Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk 6:30 PM - 19 Apr 2016
By land and sea
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/722598287396605953

Looks like ORBCOMM-2 has undergone some additional inspections post-static fire as five of the engines are missing.

I think this is the first public look inside the active, completed LC39A HIF, correct?

Nope, we have seen ORBCOMM-2 in the LC-39A HIF before

Offline mvpel

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #36 on: 04/20/2016 01:31 pm »
They appear to have redesigned the aft end's hoisting ring so that it will fit over folded legs. It's a different design than the one which attaches to the hold-down points that we saw in photos like this:



Or maybe it's just that the ring on the left booster is designed for the "log-rolling" cradle.
« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 01:56 pm by mvpel »
"Ugly programs are like ugly suspension bridges: they're much more liable to collapse than pretty ones, because the way humans (especially engineer-humans) perceive beauty is intimately related to our ability to process and understand complexity. A language that makes it hard to write elegant code makes it hard to write good code." - Eric S. Raymond

Offline Semmel

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #37 on: 04/20/2016 01:31 pm »
I cant help to notice that the missing engines on the ORBCOMM-2 booster are 3 in a row, one next to the three and one on the side as far away from the three in a row as possible. That might be random but if it is not, there might be a pretty good explanation for that particular choice.

The three engines in a row missing are the three re-lit boosters for boost back, reentry and landing. The two other missing engines might be for reference measurements. One that was mounted right next to a running engine and one that was mounted further away from the running engines. So they might take these engines apart and look for fractures, material degradation, influence of re-entry heating and stresses and so on. I find it interesting what they have done with these engines.

Offline Meltro

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #38 on: 04/20/2016 01:40 pm »
They appear to have redesigned the aft end's hoisting ring so that it will fit over folded legs. It's a different design than the one which attaches to the hold-down points that we saw in photos like this:

Or maybe it's just that the Orbcomm ring on the left booster is designed for the "log-rolling" cradle.

That was driving me nuts, but looking back OG-2 had the same (or similar) apparatus. The current ring is not the one it came to the HIF on.

« Last Edit: 04/20/2016 01:43 pm by Meltro »
Right you are, Ken

Online abaddon

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 9 (F9-S1-0023) KSC Reuse Testing Coverage
« Reply #39 on: 04/20/2016 02:38 pm »
Length of burns would be interesting.  Will it be a few seconds like a usual Static fire or will it be longer?
Definitely interesting.  Worth noting that this will be the first flame trench that is rated for Falcon Heavy so 3x the thrust of a single stage.  Don't really know how that translates (or doesn't) to a longer thrust period with a single stage.

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