Author Topic: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 1424205 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Quote
X marks the spot (freshly painted too) to where the center core of Falcon Heavy will land on OCISLY next month.

https://twitter.com/nasa_nerd/status/947515057650352128

Offline speedevil

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Cool new ASDS?


I came across http://www.ship-technology.com/projects/christophe-de-margerie-class-icebreaking-lng-carriers/ - and found it interesting in that what would be needed for a somewhat independent ASDS-BFR, with fuel almost exists.

This is an icebreaking capable ship which can carry  enough cryogenic propellant for around thirty launches of BFR/BFS.

It is however $300M - but puts some of the questions of future ASDSs into context.

Offline D_Dom

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Article states the steel cutting ceremony was Sept 2015, launched January 2016, ice trials first quarter 2017. WOW!
Space is not merely a matter of life or death, it is considerably more important than that!

Offline vanoord

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'Hawk' is back in Port Canaveral as of this morning.

'Elsbeth III' is in the Gulf of Mexico, so that probably answers the question of what's going to be on OCISLY duties for the next recovery / recoveries.

Offline Ronsmytheiii

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OCISLY photo-bombing a tourists video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeOgDeAFCNj/

Offline pb2000

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Anyone got eyes on to see if she's getting dressed up to head out on a date in the next 48 hours or will 1032 be stood up in favour of the sexier 1033?
Launches attended: Worldview-4 (Atlas V 401), Iridium NEXT Flight 1 (Falcon 9 FT), PAZ+Starlink (Falcon 9 FT), Arabsat-6A (Falcon Heavy)
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Offline Jim

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Anyone got eyes on to see if she's getting dressed up to head out on a date in the next 48 hours or will 1032 be stood up in favour of the sexier 1033?

Next launch is a non recovery

Offline Kabloona

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GO Searcher and GO Quest  left Port Canaveral yesterday (Sat 27th), heading due east. Searcher left around 1:00 pm local followed by Quest at around 3:30 pm.

Probable fairing recovery attempt on GovSat, then maybe loitering at sea (speculation) for FH center core recovery attempt if FH launch schedule holds.

OCISLY + Hawk  should leave port around Friday 2nd/Saturday 3rd for an FH launch on the 6th.



« Last Edit: 01/28/2018 03:09 pm by Kabloona »

Offline Kabloona

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Drone ship coordinates for FH core recovery attempt:

29.0055 N
77.1319 W

This is only about 215 miles offshore...

Edit: distance correction
« Last Edit: 02/03/2018 02:53 am by Kabloona »

Offline ChrisC

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Drone ship coordinates for FH core recovery attempt:
29.0055 N
77.1319 W
This is only about 100 miles offshore, much closer than usual for F9 recovery attempts

Indeed.  According to Raul's map (blue pins), the closest ASDS landing so far was CRS-8's 295 km (183 miles) downrange.  (FYI, it looks like Raul is still showing the original landing location from the FCC application.)

Any reason that they couldn't come in a LOT closer?  Staying clear of leisure boat traffic / shipping lanes so that their range isn't spoiled?

EDIT: whoops, Kabloona miscalculated the downrange distance, it's actually 215 miles. Raul may very well be showing the correct location.  Nevermind :)  Well, my question still stands I guess ...
« Last Edit: 01/30/2018 01:23 pm by ChrisC »
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Offline stcks

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FYI, it looks like Raul is still showing the original landing location from the FCC application.

Where is the new application? I think I've missed it somewhere in the noise.

Offline John Alan

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So... boostback burn and the boat waiting 100 miles out to catch it...

Keeps most gawkers away...
Out of the ship and airway corridor offshore...
Should make it back "less crispy"
Must of had the spare prop to do it...
I like it...  :)

Offline Jim

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So... boostback burn

Where is that stated?

Offline Kabloona

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FYI, it looks like Raul is still showing the original landing location from the FCC application.

Where is the new application? I think I've missed it somewhere in the noise.

Here. It was posted earlier by gongora in the FH Demo thread. And no, I don't know why the application refers to an F9 launch instead of FH. But they seem to do a lot of cut-and-paste in those FCC applications, using a previous application as a template for the next one and just changing the relevant bits, so it's entirely possible someone just forgot to change F9 to FH. We've seen similar cut-and-paste errors in past applications.

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=80084&RequestTimeout=1000
« Last Edit: 01/30/2018 03:45 am by Kabloona »

Online OneSpeed

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Probably no boostback burn. If you look in the FH Demo thread at OneSpeed's excellent trajectory analysis, it's likely a highly lofted trajectory that leaves stage one landing just 100 miles downrange with no boostback.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44778.msg1779029#msg1779029

Thanks. Yes, the STA gongora referenced is here:

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=80084&RequestTimeout=1000

If the STA is still correct, the ASDS would be 342kms downrange, or 212 miles.

Edit: For the core stage to land such a short distance downrange from 3km/s I suspect it will require a boostback burn.
« Last Edit: 01/30/2018 06:26 am by OneSpeed »

Offline deruch

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So... boostback burn

Where is that stated?

It hasn't been.  I think it's a deduction based on the downrange distance at which the ASDS landing is going to take place.  That location is specified in SpaceX's application for temporary spectrum usage from the FCC.
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Offline Kabloona

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Drone ship coordinates for FH core recovery attempt:
29.0055 N
77.1319 W
This is only about 100 miles offshore, much closer than usual for F9 recovery attempts

Indeed.  According to Raul's map (blue pins), the closest ASDS landing so far was CRS-8's 295 km (183 miles) downrange.  (FYI, it looks like Raul is still showing the original landing location from the FCC application.)

Any reason that they couldn't come in a LOT closer?  Staying clear of leisure boat traffic / shipping lanes so that their range isn't spoiled?

Sorry, I miscalculated the ASDS downrange distance. It's about 215 miles, not 100 as I said.

Thanks to OneSpeed for pointing that out.
« Last Edit: 01/30/2018 11:53 am by Kabloona »

Offline mgeagon

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Since 1032.2 (GovSat 1) tested a 3 engine landing burn, what would have been the damage to OCISLY if it had been in place. We have seen high energy landings before end up in “toasty” conditions; imagine what 3 times the raptor output would do. Also, is there a thread somewhere for other recovery ships, specifically Go Quest? I’d love to hear thoughts on how they plan to tow the booster back to port. Is there support equipment that can grapple the rocket and lift it out of the water?

Mark Eagon

Offline Req

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Since 1032.2 (GovSat 1) tested a 3 engine landing burn, what would have been the damage to OCISLY if it had been in place. We have seen high energy landings before end up in “toasty” conditions; imagine what 3 times the raptor output would do. Also, is there a thread somewhere for other recovery ships, specifically Go Quest? I’d love to hear thoughts on how they plan to tow the booster back to port. Is there support equipment that can grapple the rocket and lift it out of the water?

Mark Eagon

The only time they've tried a 3-engine suicide slam on an ASDS, they landed hard and put a hole in the deck, which required some lengthy repair work.

There is a thread about the support ships:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=38111.0

However the coverage of this return is most likely to be in the update and discussion threads for this mission:
Updates:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=44691.0
Discussion:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=36807.0

Edit - The exhaust isn't the concern, no problems there.  The engines and octaweb going through something like an 18g deceleration burn and hitting the deck precisely with 0 vertical velocity is the challenge.
« Last Edit: 02/01/2018 04:57 am by Req »

Offline cscott

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The Go twins have been used to recover fairing parts, so they have some limited ability there.  Reviewing my pictures, I couldn't see a crane large enough for a full stage on deck. I don't know if they've been called upon to tow before; maybe they will just secure the core and wait for Hawk or another tug to come out and attempt the actual tow.  It seems like you might want to secure some extra flotation devices to the core; those would probably have to be brought out to port along with divers to secure them.

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