Author Topic: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 1424005 times)

Offline cscott

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So---is Go Searcher still in port?

Yup. Brunching at Fishlips.
So "fairing recovery role" theory not disproven yet.

Offline Ohsin

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Hans just said in presser they are looking to refine their drone ship landing as it is part of their long term plan also next 2-3 flights will go for drone ship landing. He also mentioned it is harder compared to land landings due to movements.

Edit1: Also said a third of future missions could land on land.

Edit2: Hans said operating Drone ship is expensive. Also adds to refurbishment work "Wash off the salt".
« Last Edit: 04/08/2016 02:05 am by Ohsin »
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Offline gadgetmind

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Hmm, "refine", now there's a word. Trying to eliminate those last pesky traces of exploding on impact, falling over and exploding, punching big holes in the deck, and other miscellaneous minor refinements.

Offline Kabloona

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Hmm, "refine", now there's a word. Trying to eliminate those last pesky traces of exploding on impact, falling over and exploding, punching big holes in the deck, and other miscellaneous minor refinements.

With apologies, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid:

OCISLY: What's the matter with you?!
Falcon 9: I can't swim!
OCISLY: [laughing] Why, you crazy — the fall'll probably kill ya!

But this time I bet they both survive the fall, just like in the movie.  ;)
« Last Edit: 04/07/2016 09:04 pm by Kabloona »

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Offline llanitedave

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Such a tiny vessel, such a big ocean!  I'm always amazed that the booster finds it.
"I've just abducted an alien -- now what?"

Offline CameronD

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Out to sea

Looks like a nice day for a landing.  :)
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Online JamesH65

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Such a tiny vessel, such a big ocean!  I'm always amazed that the booster finds it.

It doesn't. The droneship finds the booster.

Offline rpapo

Such a tiny vessel, such a big ocean!  I'm always amazed that the booster finds it.

It doesn't. The droneship finds the booster.
No, they set a date for a specific time and place, and then both keep it.  In this case, though, you really want the Falcon to "stand up" the date.   ::)
Following the space program since before Apollo 8.

Offline Mader Levap

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Such a tiny vessel, such a big ocean!  I'm always amazed that the booster finds it.
It doesn't. The droneship finds the booster.

Er, no. Both of them want to reach certain coordinates very, very much. If both of them are at those coordinates with correct speed and other parameters, it results in stage standing on barge.

They managed to do just exactly that already once. ...
Be successful.  Then tell the haters to (BLEEP) off. - deruch
...and if you have failure, tell it anyway.

Online JamesH65

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Er, no.

The booster has a predefined landing point (based mostly on launch mass)*. The barge has to make it to that point. The booster has no option but to hit the predefined landing point. If the barge isn't there, splash. The booster has no option but to hit its predefined landing point (if you want to land correctly). Therefor its the barges responsibility to be at that point.


* this can be varied of course, there is some cross range capability due to grid fins etc. But the point IS predefined.

Offline ChrisC

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Can we just skip the inevitable semi-informed bickering about this that will take up three pages, and then peter out or get shut down by a mod?

Oh, wait, this is a discussion thread.  Carry on.
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Offline cscott

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* this can be varied of course, there is some cross range capability due to grid fins etc. But the point IS predefined.
I trust you understand that your postscript undermines your whole point.

Offline Kabloona

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Ahem. On another subject, GO Searcher is still in port. So it's fairly certain she will not be joining the armada at sea. We think because there's no payload fairing to track/chase on this flight.

Offline OxCartMark

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If Go Searcher had been launched would it have had to find the fleet out at sea or would the fleet find it or would they have met at a designated spot?   ::)


Going crosspostal for a moment, here is a nice summary of the ASDS landing attempts so far:

All of the 4 barge landing attempts would have failed on land, too.

1) Came in hot, no directional control (grid fins ran out of hydraulic fluid)
2) Came in hot, little directional control (sticky engine/TVC valve)
3) Came in perfectly, toppled over (leg didn't latch)
4) Came in incandescent, poked hole in barge (low thrust on one engine)

So, the barge appears to be concentrating on eliminating failure modes.......
« Last Edit: 04/08/2016 02:07 pm by OxCartMark »
Actulus Ferociter!

Offline gadgetmind

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If Go Searcher had been launched would it have had to find the fleet out at sea or would the fleet find it or would they have met at a designated spot?

A relative of mine was once granted the use of a Royal Navy vessel so he could meet up with a ship from another territory for a "diplomatic handover".

He gave the Captain the agreed coordinates and asked how long the trip would take. On being told "just over seven hours" he did what any Brit would do under the circumstances and went to bed for a nice long sleep.

The next day, he was tucking into breakfast when it struck him that the ship was very quiet and surrounded by nothing but blue sea. He casually asked if there was any sign of the other party and someone speculated with a smirk that it was more than likely that the other party was at the agreed coordinates.

It seems that military types don't like being messed around by government types, and if you tell them to go somewhere, then they'll do exactly that. What they won't do without being asked is to hold station, so they'd been drifting with the wind and waves for an hour or so while said relative was performing his morning ablutions and tucking into his breakfast.

Offline billh

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Out to sea

Looks like a nice day for a landing.  :)
Partly cloudy and a chance of boosters!

Offline CyndyC

Ahem. On another subject, GO Searcher is still in port. So it's fairly certain she will not be joining the armada at sea. We think because there's no payload fairing to track/chase on this flight.

If Go Searcher had been launched would it have had to find the fleet out at sea or would the fleet find it or would they have met at a designated spot?   ::)

Could be SpaceX is wanting to keep Go Searcher hanging back and on alert in case Dragon itself needs recovering, within the 20 mile range approved by FAA for emergency landing with the new parachutes. Easy to see why SpaceX might want to take such a precaution, with CRS-7 probably re-echoing somewhere in their minds about now.
"Either lead, follow, or get out of the way." -- quote of debatable origin tweeted by Ted Turner and previously seen on his desk

Offline ClayJar

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Quoting from the Launch Viewing thread:
Just chatted with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel and SpaceX BD Josh Brost about launch costs.

ASDS can tilt up to six degrees and still support a landing. Million pounds of ballast water also means that the rate of change is dwarfed by the speed of the landing.
That gives us a bit more to go by when we're debating how flat and quiescent an ASDS must be for landing.  A bit over a 10% grade is a decent tilt for a football field/pitch.

Offline Ohsin

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Quote
Screen cap from the stern cam of droneship "Of Course I Still Love You"
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/718532302154833920
"Well, three cheers to Sharma, but our real baby is INSAT."

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