It'd be much easier to accentuate the positive if so many people weren't trying to eliminate the negative. "Look at how far we've come" should always be tempered with how far there is still to go.
Maybe SBIRS saw it's heat signature... Oh those SpaceX folks must be trying something new again...
Sounds like the hydraulic system was likely made inoperable on one or two of the thrusters. Which would mean they'd be stuck in the down position. I guess they'll have to spend some time dealing with that. Might just connect new hyd hoses to quest temp and fold them up?
Quote from: Ohsin on 01/08/2015 09:42 pmSo many questions..Lightning protection? Is there any? , Are 'tie downs' ballast tank hatches?, What is the exclusion area around ASDS? If its 10miles do they let it go out of this radius and then it covers distance and station keep unassisted? Were they just topping off the tanks or they really needed refueling , how much fuel it can consume during each outing as delays can really mess up recovery operation if it needs to be refueled frequently.. we know how much those thrusters can consume, how much those two generators may burn....etc etcI can probably answer one of those:The plan was to weld plates over the landing pads to secure them to the deck.Now if they are to tie down the stage from higher up, they can simply weld plates with U-bolts or shackles to the deck and attach cables at some pre-determined attach point. but I doubt that's needed.
So many questions..Lightning protection? Is there any? , Are 'tie downs' ballast tank hatches?, What is the exclusion area around ASDS? If its 10miles do they let it go out of this radius and then it covers distance and station keep unassisted? Were they just topping off the tanks or they really needed refueling , how much fuel it can consume during each outing as delays can really mess up recovery operation if it needs to be refueled frequently.. we know how much those thrusters can consume, how much those two generators may burn....etc etc
Quote from: robertross on 01/09/2015 02:06 amQuote from: Ohsin on 01/08/2015 09:42 pmSo many questions..Lightning protection? Is there any? , Are 'tie downs' ballast tank hatches?, What is the exclusion area around ASDS? If its 10miles do they let it go out of this radius and then it covers distance and station keep unassisted? Were they just topping off the tanks or they really needed refueling , how much fuel it can consume during each outing as delays can really mess up recovery operation if it needs to be refueled frequently.. we know how much those thrusters can consume, how much those two generators may burn....etc etcI can probably answer one of those:The plan was to weld plates over the landing pads to secure them to the deck.Now if they are to tie down the stage from higher up, they can simply weld plates with U-bolts or shackles to the deck and attach cables at some pre-determined attach point. but I doubt that's needed.There might be pre-existing tie-down points if they plan to tie the stage down before starting welding. Welding might be pretty quick, but tying down is even quicker, and they might want the stage as secure as possible before starting the welds.
Quote from: dorkmo on 01/10/2015 02:14 pmSounds like the hydraulic system was likely made inoperable on one or two of the thrusters. Which would mean they'd be stuck in the down position. I guess they'll have to spend some time dealing with that. Might just connect new hyd hoses to quest temp and fold them up?If you're taking this from Musk's tweet about running out of hydraulic fluid, he was referring to hydraulic fluid on the stage, not on the ASDS.
Hey, http://www.vesselfinder.com/?mmsi=367017460seems to be from a few hours ago - am I reading it right?EDIT: from the coordinates, it was about 120 miles out at the time, should be less than 100 by now.EDIT2: So if they'll continue at the current speed, they'll hit port early morning. Please let there be someone with a camera on the HWY 295 bridge.
Quote from: meekGee on 01/11/2015 04:36 amHey, http://www.vesselfinder.com/?mmsi=367017460seems to be from a few hours ago - am I reading it right?EDIT: from the coordinates, it was about 120 miles out at the time, should be less than 100 by now.EDIT2: So if they'll continue at the current speed, they'll hit port early morning. Please let there be someone with a camera on the HWY 295 bridge.Interesting they are going 6-7 knots. Just a little faster than before.
Any takers on guessing what rocket pieces are on board?0-9 engines, plumbing, octaweb, tanks?
I'll throw my guess in then...Because of the loss of the grid fins, the divert maneuver had to be very aggressive. The rocket touched down with a horizontal velocity component, and at an angle (trying to stop), and skidded off. Very little was salvaged.So hope to be wrong.
Quote from: meekGee on 01/11/2015 05:17 amI'll throw my guess in then...Because of the loss of the grid fins, the divert maneuver had to be very aggressive. The rocket touched down with a horizontal velocity component, and at an angle (trying to stop), and skidded off. Very little was salvaged.So hope to be wrong.I think the control system was meant to use the grid fins all the way down. I don't think it had a mode where it realized the fins weren't working and switched to gimbaling of the M1D and/or cold gas thrusters. I think when the grid fins were lost, the rocket became uncontrollable. Perhaps the engine even switched off.I think if it had switched to a non-fin control mechanism, it very likely either would have missed the barge entirely or landed safely.
At this pace, the ship should arrive at the St. Johns River around 6 to 7pm in the evening.
Quote from: ChrisWilson68 on 01/11/2015 05:26 amQuote from: meekGee on 01/11/2015 05:17 amI'll throw my guess in then...Because of the loss of the grid fins, the divert maneuver had to be very aggressive. The rocket touched down with a horizontal velocity component, and at an angle (trying to stop), and skidded off. Very little was salvaged.So hope to be wrong.I think the control system was meant to use the grid fins all the way down. I don't think it had a mode where it realized the fins weren't working and switched to gimbaling of the M1D and/or cold gas thrusters. I think when the grid fins were lost, the rocket became uncontrollable. Perhaps the engine even switched off.I think if it had switched to a non-fin control mechanism, it very likely either would have missed the barge entirely or landed safely.The grid fins lose authority as it slows down. The final maneuver has to be GH-style, using the engine.Also, if the good lord gave you both hands and feet (control mechanisms on both ends of the rocket), you'd be pretty impertinent to shrug one of them off just because you've got the other :)