Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 4 : December 22/23, 2017 : Discussion  (Read 151140 times)

Offline AncientU

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"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
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Offline jpo234

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You want to be inspired by things. You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great. That's what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. It's about believing in the future and believing the future will be better than the past. And I can't think of anything more exciting than being out there among the stars.

Offline Comga

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https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/iridium-next-4-december-launch-vandenberg/
Quote
Iridium NEXT-4 is scheduled to launch from SLC-4E on Vandenberg Air Force Base No Earlier Than (NET) 22 December 2017 at an instantaneous launch time of 17:32 PST (01:32 UTC on 23 December).

So SpaceX held that NET launch date for most of a month at least.
An improvement from their general track record
A fourth flight of its type on a "flight proven" booster
This bodes well for working through their backlog.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline kdhilliard

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...
So SpaceX held that NET launch date for most of a month at least.
...

Try "for over two months"!
And the presser is out:
...

MCLEAN, Va. – October 19, 2017 - Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) announced today that the fourth Iridium NEXT launch has been targeted by SpaceX for December 22, 2017 at 5:26 p.m. PT [1:26 a.m. UTC on Dec. 23], from Vandenberg Air Force Base.  ...

...
This bodes well for working through their backlog.

Yes indeed!  Though, as much as SpaceX has accomplished in the last year, 3 September 3016 wasn't so long ago.  I share the thoughts of those folks in the FH thread expecting to hold their breath until those boosters are well clear of 39A, but truth be told, my face turns blue just about every launch.
« Last Edit: 12/31/2017 03:32 pm by kdhilliard »

Offline Kaputnik

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This is incredible:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/remarkable-time-lapse-video-more-11772088

I love how the media report on space stuff. This article says that the Falcon 9 'aircraft' will soon require less refurbishment between flights- without mentioning that the mere idea of reflying a rocket was still unknown less than a year ago.
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline Norm38

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Haven't seen this one posted yet. The LA skyline in the distance gives a nice sense of scale.

Offline Machdiamond

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This was posted in the update thread, see "drone footage" in reply #270 with a link to the original video from Doug Ellison.

It wasn't imbedded so it was easy to miss though.

Definitely one of the best.

Offline catdlr

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This was posted in the update thread, see "drone footage" in reply #270 with a link to the original video from Doug Ellison.

It wasn't imbedded so it was easy to miss though.

Definitely one of the best.

and the original by Doug is in 4K.
Tony De La Rosa, ...I'm no Feline Dealer!! I move mountains.  but I'm better known for "I think it's highly sexual." Japanese to English Translation.

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