Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 - Iridium NEXT Flight 1 DISCUSSION (Jan. 14 2017)  (Read 441974 times)

Offline jcm

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Will S2 conduct another engine firing to deorbit itself or will it keep going until its orbit decays on its own?

It will do a deobrit burn and splashdown in the southern Pacific, very near Antartica.

Can you confirm this? There is an 11th object cataloged in the deployment orbit, with TLE epoch of 2030 UTC (launch plus 2h30, 1 orbit after deployment complete). Possibly a late TLE for second stage if it made 1.5 orbits and got a catalog number before the deorbit burn.
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Offline Robotbeat

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Does anyone have an edited highlights version of the launch?
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

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Offline old_sellsword

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Will S2 conduct another engine firing to deorbit itself or will it keep going until its orbit decays on its own?

It will do a deobrit burn and splashdown in the southern Pacific, very near Antartica.

Can you confirm this? There is an 11th object cataloged in the deployment orbit, with TLE epoch of 2030 UTC (launch plus 2h30, 1 orbit after deployment complete). Possibly a late TLE for second stage if it made 1.5 orbits and got a catalog number before the deorbit burn.

Raul says S2 has already deorbited.

Offline envy887

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Will S2 conduct another engine firing to deorbit itself or will it keep going until its orbit decays on its own?

It will do a deobrit burn and splashdown in the southern Pacific, very near Antartica.

Can you confirm this? There is an 11th object cataloged in the deployment orbit, with TLE epoch of 2030 UTC (launch plus 2h30, 1 orbit after deployment complete). Possibly a late TLE for second stage if it made 1.5 orbits and got a catalog number before the deorbit burn.

Raul says S2 has already deorbited.

That's not a confirmation that it actually happened, just a link to the NOTAM warning to look out for raining 2nd stage bits over the South Pacific around 20:00 GMT.

Offline old_sellsword

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Will S2 conduct another engine firing to deorbit itself or will it keep going until its orbit decays on its own?

It will do a deobrit burn and splashdown in the southern Pacific, very near Antartica.

Can you confirm this? There is an 11th object cataloged in the deployment orbit, with TLE epoch of 2030 UTC (launch plus 2h30, 1 orbit after deployment complete). Possibly a late TLE for second stage if it made 1.5 orbits and got a catalog number before the deorbit burn.

Raul says S2 has already deorbited.

That's not a confirmation that it actually happened, just a link to the NOTAM warning to look out for raining 2nd stage bits over the South Pacific around 20:00 GMT.

I provided confirmation that there was a planned S2 deorbit burn (as was requested), and noted that others said it was already deorbited as some extra info.

Offline Flying Beaver

Matt Desch on Twitter:

Great picture of our launch today.  Next time (April) they'll make sure Iridium NEXT logo on fairing pointed my way!

https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/status/820422206228340736

Watched B1019 land in person 21/12/2015.

Offline Brovane

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Just got back home from watching the launch.  Was able to meet-up with Alex (Manoweb) while there, saved him a spot behind my car right near Ocean and 13th street.  I am in the black Stargate jacket in the picture. 

It was a good turn-out including several Model X's putting on a show with their gull-wing doors. 

I was able to track the rocket with my 20xBinoculars up through staging.  Sorry about the pictures just have my camera phone, don't have a real camera. 
« Last Edit: 01/15/2017 03:49 am by Brovane »
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Offline Rocket Science

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Does anyone have an edited highlights version of the launch?
Will this do...?

Found another... ;D
« Last Edit: 01/15/2017 12:07 am by Rocket Science »
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
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Offline darkenfast

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Question: did the water deluge in the flame duct cut out earlier than has been usual for these launches?  The pad 's water system looked the same as at the Cape, but the exhaust coming out the duct changed from largely steam to flame and smoke, more like the new static test stand in Texas. 
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Offline kevin-rf

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It was a good turn-out including several Model X's putting on a show with their gull-wing doors. 
 

The Model X was first thing I noticed in your pictures....
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Offline jcm

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Will S2 conduct another engine firing to deorbit itself or will it keep going until its orbit decays on its own?

It will do a deobrit burn and splashdown in the southern Pacific, very near Antartica.

Can you confirm this? There is an 11th object cataloged in the deployment orbit, with TLE epoch of 2030 UTC (launch plus 2h30, 1 orbit after deployment complete). Possibly a late TLE for second stage if it made 1.5 orbits and got a catalog number before the deorbit burn.

Raul says S2 has already deorbited.

That's not a confirmation that it actually happened, just a link to the NOTAM warning to look out for raining 2nd stage bits over the South Pacific around 20:00 GMT.

I provided confirmation that there was a planned S2 deorbit burn (as was requested), and noted that others said it was already deorbited as some extra info.

This is strange, because this morning JSPoC is still tracking 11 objects in orbit from the launch. If the 11th object is not the second stage, perhaps it is a small piece of debris of some kind, but it doesn't seem to be decaying rapidly.
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Offline AncientU

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Could it be one of SpaceX's test sats for their constellation?

There would be nothing forcing them to announce it in advance, right?
« Last Edit: 01/15/2017 01:21 pm by AncientU »
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Offline Herb Schaltegger

Could it be one of SpaceX's test sats for their constellation?

There would be nothing forcing them to announce it in advance, right?

The FAA launch license and/or an FCC broadcast license would have to authorize it. Space-based RF emitters and ground-based tracking, telemetry and control stations are very highly regulated.
Ad astra per aspirin ...

Offline jcm

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Could it be one of SpaceX's test sats for their constellation?

There would be nothing forcing them to announce it in advance, right?

The FAA launch license and/or an FCC broadcast license would have to authorize it. Space-based RF emitters and ground-based tracking, telemetry and control stations are very highly regulated.

I would be rather surprised if it were a payload. The three plausible explanations are (1) small debris piece
(something fell off stage 2 or there is a deliberate ejection of some widget associated with the satellite dispensing process); (2) stage 2 didn't deorbit;  (3) JSpOC are confused and there are really only 10 objects but they accidentally 'created' an 11th by matching say  sat no. 1 on orbit 1 with sat no. 5 on orbit 2 - easy to do.
Should be able to tell in a few days once the satcat gets properly updated
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Offline Brian45

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Didn't see any comment on this so I thought I'd ask.

Watching the launch yesterday I noticed the number 29 on the lower part of the rocket, just above the octoweb. Does anyone know what that number is? The 29th rocket?

Offline Robotbeat

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Is it just me or did the landed stage seem to be less on fire after landing than previous stages?
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline old_sellsword

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Didn't see any comment on this so I thought I'd ask.

Watching the launch yesterday I noticed the number 29 on the lower part of the rocket, just above the octoweb. Does anyone know what that number is? The 29th rocket?

It is booster 1029. However this was the 30th Falcon 9 launch (F9-030). I assume the reason that the booster s/n is lower than the flight number is because they changed the s/n syntax with the introduction of Block 2.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Is it just me or did the landed stage seem to be less on fire after landing than previous stages?

I thought the same. Someone reported a call out of no fire on the ASDS so I'm hoping that SpaceX have made some improvements that are having a positive effect.

Offline gongora

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Could it be one of SpaceX's test sats for their constellation?

There would be nothing forcing them to announce it in advance, right?

I don't think they even have FCC approval yet for the test sats (assuming they're not going to launch the first simpler pair that was approved).

Offline Reflectiv

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Is it just me or did the landed stage seem to be less on fire after landing than previous stages?

I thought the same. Someone reported a call out of no fire on the ASDS so I'm hoping that SpaceX have made some improvements that are having a positive effect.
That call out was regarding Launch Complex, Youtube Technical webcast 33:31

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