Author Topic: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion Thread 1  (Read 790318 times)

Offline Shanuson

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #100 on: 10/26/2017 06:31 am »
X-posting from KoreaSat Updates:
TEL is now back in the HIF. There are also reports that all three FH cores are in there as well, I'm sure it's nice and cozy!

Offline envy887

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #101 on: 10/30/2017 12:18 pm »
From the SpaceX photos on the KoreaSat thread. Was it public that the outside east and west holddowns were installed? I remember seeing that the outside north side ones were installed, but can't find that picture now.

Offline woods170

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #102 on: 10/30/2017 12:55 pm »
From the SpaceX photos on the KoreaSat thread. Was it public that the outside east and west holddowns were installed? I remember seeing that the outside north side ones were installed, but can't find that picture now.
The previous image that supposedly showed the outside west hold-down installed in fact showed a shadow: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41015.msg1735121#msg1735121

The new Koreasat image however clearly shows that the east and west outside hold-downs are now installed.
« Last Edit: 10/30/2017 12:58 pm by woods170 »

Offline envy887

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #103 on: 10/30/2017 03:11 pm »
Hopefully the webcast will show the south side holddowns installed as well :)

Offline cppetrie

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #104 on: 10/30/2017 06:26 pm »
All three FH cores confirmed as being in the hanger during processing of today’s KoreaSat mission.

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #105 on: 10/30/2017 07:13 pm »
From Koreasat webcast, FH cores to the left and right

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #106 on: 10/30/2017 07:14 pm »
And the Launch mount modifications with new TSMs

Offline cppetrie

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #107 on: 10/30/2017 07:20 pm »
Is this one of the south side hold downs or light effect?

Offline envy887

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #108 on: 10/30/2017 07:51 pm »
Is this one of the south side hold downs or light effect?


It is a south side holddown, but it's the center one used for F9.

Offline cppetrie

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #109 on: 10/30/2017 08:07 pm »
Is this one of the south side hold downs or light effect?


It is a south side holddown, but it's the center one used for F9.
Can’t be. It isn’t inline with the booster on the TEL. Center south would be hidden by the erector arm in that pic and not visible.

Edit: I think see what you’re suggesting. That what I circled is the side panel of the center south hold down. Not totally convinced, but maybe.
« Last Edit: 10/30/2017 08:09 pm by cppetrie »

Offline zubenelgenubi

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #110 on: 11/01/2017 03:57 pm »
Operational question:
If the launch campaign for Falcon Heavy Demo is such that the vehicle is ready for launch during the "holidays," would it be better for the launch campaigners' managers to delay scheduling the launch until after New Year's Day?
(That is, for a launch that does not need to meet a celestial mechanics launch window or a national security imperative.)

To specify:
Are there substantial additional staff costs that would arise from attempting a launch from KSC between Saturday, December 23 and Monday, January 1, inclusive?

Or morale costs?
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Offline Chris Bergin

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Offline russianhalo117

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #112 on: 11/01/2017 04:12 pm »
Is this one of the south side hold downs or light effect?


It is a south side holddown, but it's the center one used for F9.
Can’t be. It isn’t inline with the booster on the TEL. Center south would be hidden by the erector arm in that pic and not visible.

Edit: I think see what you’re suggesting. That what I circled is the side panel of the center south hold down. Not totally convinced, but maybe.
All South Side TSM's have been installed. That is what is circled. Only the South side Hold Downs and North side TSM's await installation which should be done before ZUMA launches. Then its all of the Plumbing, Data, and wiring for the reaction frame and the final kitting out of the TEL that has to be done for FH-01 to fly.

Offline Rocket Science

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #113 on: 11/01/2017 09:29 pm »
Thanks for the great article Chris G with Nathan's eye candy. Looks like we might be in for a great Christmas present! 8)
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Offline robbak

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #114 on: 11/01/2017 11:37 pm »
One question being bandied about on the reddit - the 2-engines-at-a-time start procedure - is that two engines per stack (so, 14 different start delays), or 2 engines per core, or 5 start delays? The 2-per stack might be smoother overall, but it does lead to off-center loads on each stack that are avoided if they light 2 per core at a time.

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #115 on: 11/01/2017 11:44 pm »
One question being bandied about on the reddit - the 2-engines-at-a-time start procedure - is that two engines per stack (so, 14 different start delays), or 2 engines per core, or 5 start delays? The 2-per stack might be smoother overall, but it does lead to off-center loads on each stack that are avoided if they light 2 per core at a time.
AFAIK it is 2 per core.

Offline Norm38

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #116 on: 11/02/2017 02:35 am »
What does that mean?  They start 9 at a time now right?

Offline Tomness

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #117 on: 11/02/2017 02:46 am »
Status Update, including L2 info - by Chris Gebhardt:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/spacex-aims-december-launch-falcon-heavy/
Awesome Chris G and Chris B... so close... like to have shout out to all the men and women who are working tirelessly to make this FH come true...is going be awesome!

Online rsnellenberger

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #118 on: 11/02/2017 04:36 am »
Nice article. 

The info about the staggered startup was interesting, but I would have liked to see some mention or discussion of any testing that SpaceX has done to support that kind of startup.  Before AMOS-6, I could have imagined them trying it for the first time on 39A during the static test - it’s hard to believe that they’d try that now.

Online ugordan

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Re: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : early 2018 : Discussion
« Reply #119 on: 11/02/2017 06:26 am »
One question being bandied about on the reddit - the 2-engines-at-a-time start procedure - is that two engines per stack (so, 14 different start delays), or 2 engines per core, or 5 start delays? The 2-per stack might be smoother overall, but it does lead to off-center loads on each stack that are avoided if they light 2 per core at a time.
AFAIK it is 2 per core.

To expand on this a bit, how certain are we that they're not already employing a staggered start for single stick F9 cores?

They definitely are employing a staggered shutdown as can be seen in all the footage plus I always got the impression that there is more than 1 TEA/TEB flash during pad ignition, but several rapid ones instead, at least in post v1.0 vehicles.

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