Why do they separate the boosters from the first stage if 1-2 sep is at the same time? To make sure there is no thrust imbalance? But then S1 does have 4 engines, too, 4 engines should rather help to level these.
Quote from: pippin on 09/29/2011 01:33 pmWhy do they separate the boosters from the first stage if 1-2 sep is at the same time? To make sure there is no thrust imbalance? But then S1 does have 4 engines, too, 4 engines should rather help to level these.Separation of the boosters takes place at T+155s and first stage separation takes place at T+159s
So far nothing on CNN or its website about the launch.Strange?
This new version of the LM-2F rocket uses lengthened liquid boosters with a higher propellant load (the boosters for the original LM-2F separates at ~T+140s), and probably the engineers decided not to fix the boosters to the first stage, since it would require in-depth investigation on the effect of series staging (if it ain't broke, don't fix it).
Quote from: Satori on 09/29/2011 01:39 pmQuote from: pippin on 09/29/2011 01:33 pmWhy do they separate the boosters from the first stage if 1-2 sep is at the same time? To make sure there is no thrust imbalance? But then S1 does have 4 engines, too, 4 engines should rather help to level these.Separation of the boosters takes place at T+155s and first stage separation takes place at T+159sOK, but why? I mean: it's an additional separation event and I don't think these 4 seconds will make a significant difference in payload/delta-v so there has to be some reason why they add a complex separation mechanism.
Did anybody get the orbit parameters? There was one of the controllers reading them out in Chinese and the commentator was translating them, but I did not get it all because of small breaks in the webcast. All I heard was "...gee of 350km and inclination of 42.75 degrees." So, what is actual apogee and perigee?
At separation, height was 199 or 200 km, so I believe that's the perigee.