Author Topic: Rebuilding SLC-40  (Read 355968 times)

Offline vanoord

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 693
  • Liked: 450
  • Likes Given: 106
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #500 on: 09/13/2017 12:07 pm »
A brief comments from Gwynne Shotwell, speaking in Paris, reported by spaceflightnow.com

"I was frankly more worried about Launch Complex 40, where we’re finishing up."

"We had a lot of equipment, lots of piping to be welded, and I’m a little bit more worried about that. That won’t hold up a launch in the near-term, but we’re waiting to get that information back ... I don’t anticipate it being an issue though"

edit/gongora:  Always give the source of your quotes!  (There is some other good info in that article.)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/13/launch-operators-expect-minimal-delays-from-hurricane-irma/
« Last Edit: 09/13/2017 03:53 pm by gongora »

Offline Space Ghost 1962

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2780
  • Whatcha gonna do when the Ghost zaps you?
  • Liked: 2925
  • Likes Given: 2247
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #501 on: 09/13/2017 10:28 pm »
edit/gongora:  Always give the source of your quotes!  (There is some other good info in that article.)
https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/13/launch-operators-expect-minimal-delays-from-hurricane-irma/
Thank you gongora!

Offline Gotorah

  • Member
  • Posts: 21
  • New Mexico
  • Liked: 11
  • Likes Given: 1483
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #502 on: 09/20/2017 05:48 pm »
Note the new TEL on pad 40 from Google Earth.

Offline old_sellsword

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 632
  • Liked: 531
  • Likes Given: 470
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #503 on: 09/20/2017 05:57 pm »
Note the new TEL on pad 40 from Google Earth.

Old TE, I believe this was discussed upthread already.

Offline SPITexas

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 436
  • Liked: 191
  • Likes Given: 8
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #504 on: 09/20/2017 06:06 pm »
SpaceflightNow had set The Cape launch date on October 14th for
KoreaSat 5a is that correct.  40 was supposed to launch
SES11/ Echostar but LC-39A took that. Now there probably launching KoreaSat.

Offline RDMM2081

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 295
  • Liked: 287
  • Likes Given: 595
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #505 on: 09/20/2017 06:15 pm »
Note the new TEL on pad 40 from Google Earth.

That looks "different" than the other TELs to me.  Not sure if it is some sort of weird "3d-ifying" type thing that Google sometimes does to their images, or if its melted (indeed, if it is the old one) or if this is yet another iteration of advancing the design of the TEL for decreased turnaround times.

Offline the_other_Doug

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3010
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • Liked: 2191
  • Likes Given: 4620
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #506 on: 09/20/2017 06:31 pm »
I will be interested to see if the TEL(s) built for Boca Chica strongly resemble any of the existing three, as well.

Somehow, it feels like whenever SpaceX has a chance to build a new TEL, they throw out all the old designs and pull out clean sheets of paper.  I understand that at least the one at 39A is designed to support either F9 or FH, but it just, from looking at them, seems that each of the existing TELs has its own particular design features, both gross and in detail...
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

Offline old_sellsword

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 632
  • Liked: 531
  • Likes Given: 470
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #507 on: 09/20/2017 06:37 pm »
I will be interested to see if the TEL(s) built for Boca Chica strongly resemble any of the existing three, as well.

Somehow, it feels like whenever SpaceX has a chance to build a new TEL, they throw out all the old designs and pull out clean sheets of paper.  I understand that at least the one at 39A is designed to support either F9 or FH, but it just, from looking at them, seems that each of the existing TELs has its own particular design features, both gross and in detail...

SLC-40’s original TE and SLC-4E’s TE were the same design, but different sizes.

SLC-40’s new TE and Pad 39A’s TE are the same design, but different sizes.

Offline Lar

  • Fan boy at large
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13463
  • Saw Gemini live on TV
  • A large LEGO storage facility ... in Michigan
  • Liked: 11864
  • Likes Given: 11086
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #508 on: 09/20/2017 06:50 pm »
Size difference? Horizontally or vertically or ?
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline old_sellsword

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 632
  • Liked: 531
  • Likes Given: 470
Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #509 on: 09/20/2017 06:53 pm »
Size difference? Horizontally or vertically or ?

Difference in the width of the reaction frames (and the bottom of the strongback). Both versions of SLC-40’s TE are single stick width, while SLC-4E and Pad 39A are three cores wide for FH.

But my point is that there have only really been two designs. Originally they were open trusses with a traditional fall-back mechanism, and now they’re paneled trusses with the throwback mechanism.
« Last Edit: 09/20/2017 06:54 pm by old_sellsword »

Offline the_other_Doug

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3010
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • Liked: 2191
  • Likes Given: 4620
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #510 on: 09/20/2017 07:08 pm »
Oh, sure -- I meant to say that I understand the difference between a TEL designed to support FH, and one designed just to support F9.

My point was that the old TEL at LC-40 had more of an open framework design than the other two, had sort of kludgey-looking blast shields placed over certain critical lines but otherwise had propellant, air and electrical/command lines snaking all through it.

The TELs at 39A and SLC-4 are each designed in a more, I don't know, finished manner, with mostly enclosed structures that contain the various feed lines that run up and down the TEL.  But the one at 39A, just from memory, looks different from the one at SLC-4, the latter being more enclosed and having almost no open framework, while 39A's has more open framework.  And, IIRC, the TEL at SLC-4 uses a somewhat different hydraulic setup for erection than the ones at the Cape, and these two TELs have different retract protocols just before and just at launch.

Again, similar designs to do the same functions, but some features of the basic frameworks seem different, and many of the apparent ways in which the feed lines, etc., are run through them seem particular to each TEL.  I mean, I get the fact that the one at LC-40 was their first attempt, and as such it likely sort of "growed like Topsy".  But again, just sort of wondering if we are seeing fresh design teams being put to work on each successive TEL, or if this is simply aggressive iteration of the design, to the point that each new TEL is significantly different from the last...
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

Offline stcks

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 252
  • Liked: 266
  • Likes Given: 312
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #511 on: 09/20/2017 07:26 pm »
Note the new TEL on pad 40 from Google Earth.

That looks "different" than the other TELs to me.  Not sure if it is some sort of weird "3d-ifying" type thing that Google sometimes does to their images, or if its melted (indeed, if it is the old one) or if this is yet another iteration of advancing the design of the TEL for decreased turnaround times.

This has come up a few times already. That image is extremely old. The flame trench you see there is circa 2014

Online Ronsmytheiii

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 23394
  • Liked: 1879
  • Likes Given: 1023
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #512 on: 09/20/2017 07:38 pm »
so one specific thing that I think will happen is that SpaceX will install a third hydraulic arm to pivot the strongback. As you can see from the screenshot of the hydraulic arms/tel from CRS-7 attached here, the pad previously only used two. When you look at imagery from Terraserver up until 14th Feb, you can clearly see two trenches where the hydraulic arms rested. In the latest update from 10th of August, there are now three trenches, hence why I think there will be three hydraulic arms.

Terraserver link is : https://www.terraserver.com/view?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search_text=&searchLat=&searchLng=&lat=28.56352&lng=-80.57815&bbox=&center=

Online Ronsmytheiii

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 23394
  • Liked: 1879
  • Likes Given: 1023
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #513 on: 09/23/2017 11:07 am »
So this might be something, I compared the Planet imagery from 1 September with the 20th, and one work tent is not there any more. I know they took them down for the hurricane, however with one not reappearing might be a sign that work is starting to finish up?

https://www.planet.com/explorer

Online Chris Bergin

Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #514 on: 09/25/2017 11:54 pm »
L2 report the SLC-40 TEL - being built in the SLC-40 HIF - has a fair amount of work to go:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/09/spacex-realign-manifest-double-launch-salvo/
Support NSF via L2 -- Help improve NSF -- Site Rules/Feedback/Updates
**Not a L2 member? Whitelist this forum in your adblocker to support the site and ensure full functionality.**

Online Comga

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6466
  • Liked: 4572
  • Likes Given: 5136
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #515 on: 09/26/2017 08:48 pm »
Quote
Tweet from Stephen Clark
SpaceX sets Oct. 7 & 9 launch dates for next two Falcon 9 flights from East and West Coasts. Koreasat 5A in late Oct. confirmed from pad 39A
That says that the "fair amount of work" left on LC-40 is at least a month's worth.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Zingpc

  • Member
  • Posts: 30
  • Christchurch New Zealand
  • Liked: 4
  • Likes Given: 1
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #516 on: 09/27/2017 03:11 am »
They should have dismantled the TEL on the west coast and carted it east.

Offline IanThePineapple

Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #517 on: 09/27/2017 03:19 am »
They should have dismantled the TEL on the west coast and carted it east.

Then all the Iridium missions, FORMOSAT, and other missions would have been pushed back by about a year. Also take into account that it takes time and money to dismantle and rebuild the TEL.

Offline wannamoonbase

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5413
  • Denver, CO
    • U.S. Metric Association
  • Liked: 3112
  • Likes Given: 3862
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #518 on: 09/27/2017 04:16 am »
They should have dismantled the TEL on the west coast and carted it east.

It’s clear that they are limited by how many staff they have working on launch facilities.  LC39 took longer than quoted.  LC40 largely waited till 39 was done and almost nothing happening in Boca Chica.

I think it’s fine, they can control construction costs and have more control over the whole venture.

As long as 39A is still launching then SpaceX is making money on the east coast.

They need 40 but a month or two isn’t the biggest problem they’ve ever faced.
Wildly optimistic prediction, Superheavy recovery on IFT-4 or IFT-5

Online envy887

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8144
  • Liked: 6801
  • Likes Given: 2965
Re: Rebuilding SLC-40
« Reply #519 on: 09/27/2017 01:22 pm »
They should have dismantled the TEL on the west coast and carted it east.

Then all the Iridium missions, FORMOSAT, and other missions would have been pushed back by about a year. Also take into account that it takes time and money to dismantle and rebuild the TEL.

Also the SLC-4E TEL is sized for Falcon Heavy, I don't think it would fit in the HIF on on the pad at LC-40.

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1