Author Topic: SpaceX FH : Falcon Heavy Demo : Feb 6, 2018 : Discussion Thread 2  (Read 584548 times)

Offline gongora

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NSF Threads for Falcon Heavy Demo : Updates / Discussion Thread 1 / Discussion Thread 2 / Member Meetup / Cape Canaveral Launch Viewing / FH Demo Mission Payload Discussion / FH Demo Discussion and Speculation / FH Demo Payload Speculation / L2 Coverage November-December - January-February / ASDS / Party

NSF Articles for Falcon Heavy Demo :
   [April 12, 2017] Falcon Heavy build up begins; SLC-40 pad rebuild progressing well
   [April 25, 2017] SpaceX Static Fire spy sat rocket and prepare to test Falcon Heavy core
   [Nov. 1, 2017] SpaceX aims for late-December launch of Falcon Heavy
   [Dec. 30, 2017] Falcon Heavy preparing for Static Fire test
   [Jan. 24, 2018] Falcon Heavy comes to life as SpaceX conduct Static Fire test
   [Feb. 5/6, 2018] SpaceX successfully debuts Falcon Heavy in demonstration launch from KSC
   [Feb. 9, 2018] Falcon Heavy success paves the way for open access to space beyond Earth

Successful launch Feb 6th at 1545 EST/2045 UTC from LC-39A at KSC carrying Tesla Roadster with Starman mannequin (mass around 1200 kg?).  Launch vehicle used a new center booster (1033) and reused side boosters (1023.2, 1025.2).  The side boosters successfully landed back at LZ-1 and LZ-2 at CCAFS.  The center core crashed into the ocean very close to the ASDS.



Now that we're starting to see hardware flow for the first FH, let's keep discussion in this new mission thread a bit more focused.  Discussion here should be about stuff we actually know about the mission.  Any speculation about Dragons carrying school buses made of cheese will be deleted.  There is still a thread you can use for speculation.

We're waiting for photos, but Gary for L2 McGregor is reporting FH side booster on the test stand! :)



Other SpaceX resources on NASASpaceflight:
   SpaceX News Articles (Recent)  /   SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews)
   SpaceX Dragon Articles  /  SpaceX Missions Section (with Launch Manifest and info on past and future missions)
   L2 SpaceX Section
« Last Edit: 02/11/2018 03:31 pm by gongora »

Offline mikelepage

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A couple of questions:

Now that static fire is complete, is the current understanding that the time when FH is considered most likely to fail is the lead up to Max Q?

Also, I assume it's been discussed elsewhere, but do we have an estimate of the timing of when the side boosters will separate? (are we expecting about the same time as the ~2'20" stage separation of F9's?)

Offline Formica

This NET date implies some serious confidence in the vehicle, the GSE, and the procedure. It feels like many gremlins have been exorcised over the last month. Very exciting  :D I wonder if there's a second static fire in the offing; from my lay perspective it seems unlikely given the current schedule? I will also be very curious to see if the community's hypothesis about startup - center core all at once, then staggered pairs on the boosters - turns out to be true. Very much looking forward to finding out!

Offline RocketLover0119

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No, no second SF is expected, due to the NET date, that would be cutting it close, and just to add the "Beast" is off the pad, so no more testing required till launch hopefully....

This NET date implies some serious confidence in the vehicle, the GSE, and the procedure. It feels like many gremlins have been exorcised over the last month. Very exciting  :D I wonder if there's a second static fire in the offing; from my lay perspective it seems unlikely given the current schedule? I will also be very curious to see if the community's hypothesis about startup - center core all at once, then staggered pairs on the boosters - turns out to be true. Very much looking forward to finding out!
"The Starship has landed"

Offline envy887

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A couple of questions:

Now that static fire is complete, is the current understanding that the time when FH is considered most likely to fail is the lead up to Max Q?

Also, I assume it's been discussed elsewhere, but do we have an estimate of the timing of when the side boosters will separate? (are we expecting about the same time as the ~2'20" stage separation of F9's?)

Side booster sep should be about the same time as F9, limited by how fast 9 Merlins can pump the tanks down.

Offline IanThePineapple

I heard each booster's center engine will continue firing after separation to keep control before the flip and boostback, is this still true, or is it outdated?

Offline Lars-J

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I heard each booster's center engine will continue firing after separation to keep control before the flip and boostback, is this still true, or is it outdated?

That was speculation. We don't know enough to either confirm or disprove it.

Offline Boost

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Quote from: Craig_VG
- $195 for the Apollo/Saturn center
- $115 from Shuttle Atlantis
- $75 from rocket garden
- $35 from ATX center
What about Playalinda road for roughly the same (some say better) viewing conditions as from the Saturn V Center and for... (almost) free ? The spot where Chris G captured the SF looks perfect.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Interesting, quote is from a tweet by VP Pence’s chief of staff:

Quote
The White House seems interested in the Falcon Heavy launch
“Major (positive) ramifications for US space industry if this goes according to plan.”

by Eric Berger - Jan 27, 2018 7:15pm GMT

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/01/the-white-house-seems-interested-in-the-falcon-heavy-launch/

Offline Star One

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Interesting, quote is from a tweet by VP Pence’s chief of staff:

Quote
The White House seems interested in the Falcon Heavy launch
“Major (positive) ramifications for US space industry if this goes according to plan.”

by Eric Berger - Jan 27, 2018 7:15pm GMT

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/01/the-white-house-seems-interested-in-the-falcon-heavy-launch/

As opposed to the rather neutral statement from the office of Robert Lightfoot featured in that article.

Offline Michael Baylor

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Interesting situation: If GovSat is delayed (weather is only 40% go right now), will GO Quest and GO Searcher have to return to port before FH? They are currently heading out for GovSat. At least one of the boats will likely need to support FH recovery operations, and it takes a couple days to travel out and back.

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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It probably depends on their supply situation and whether there would be greater schedule pressure if you had one or both have to transit back to Port Canaveral and then back to station before 2/6.
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Offline Torbjorn Larsson, OM

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I will also be very curious to see if the community's hypothesis about startup - center core all at once, then staggered pairs on the boosters - turns out to be true. Very much looking forward to finding out!

Was that not found out 01/24/2018 by OneSpeed? [For some reason I cannot do a NSF quote of comments in that thread any longer:]

Quote from: OneSpeed on 01/24/2018 09:16 PM
Here are the audio waveforms at the ignition of a typical F9 and the FH static fire. The F9 engines all appear to start simultaneously, but as advertised, the FH ignitions appear staggered over about 0.32 seconds, with 9 distinguishable events. Perhaps the engines were ignited 3 at a time, one on each core? I've also attached the audio files in case you want to do your own analysis.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=42705.msg1776641#msg1776641

Offline AncientU

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Interesting, quote is from a tweet by VP Pence’s chief of staff:

Quote
The White House seems interested in the Falcon Heavy launch
“Major (positive) ramifications for US space industry if this goes according to plan.”

by Eric Berger - Jan 27, 2018 7:15pm GMT

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/01/the-white-house-seems-interested-in-the-falcon-heavy-launch/

As opposed to the rather neutral statement from the office of Robert Lightfoot featured in that article.

Yup. 
Still thinking in terms of "contributions from US private sector and international partners."

Established paradigms are hard to kill.
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
-- SpaceX friend of mlindner

Offline sanman

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Quote
Elon Musk‏
@elonmusk

Aiming for first flight of Falcon Heavy on Feb 6 from Apollo launchpad 39A at Cape Kennedy. Easy viewing from the public causeway.

1:15 PM - 27 Jan 2018
« Last Edit: 01/28/2018 12:21 am by sanman »

Offline Ronpur50

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I have not read anything here, but now I read a claim that the Tesla was not in the fairing during static fire.  I look at the dates of things we have seen and this looks to be ridiculous.  Anyone know for sure??

Offline CJ

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Would anyone happen to know if NASA TV will broadcast the Falcon Heavy launch? I can't seem to find an answer using google.

I'm hoping that, due to the use of a KSC pad, they will.

The reason I'm hoping for NASA TV is that at the currently scheduled launch time I'll have access to a TV that carries NASA TV, but I won't have internet access. 

Offline IanThePineapple

Would anyone happen to know if NASA TV will broadcast the Falcon Heavy launch? I can't seem to find an answer using google.

I'm hoping that, due to the use of a KSC pad, they will.

The reason I'm hoping for NASA TV is that at the currently scheduled launch time I'll have access to a TV that carries NASA TV, but I won't have internet access.

Probably not, NASA hasn't broadcasted any commercial SpaceX launches.

But since it's such an important launch, maybe(?)
« Last Edit: 01/28/2018 02:56 am by IanThePineapple »

Online DaveS

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Would anyone happen to know if NASA TV will broadcast the Falcon Heavy launch? I can't seem to find an answer using google.

I'm hoping that, due to the use of a KSC pad, they will.

The reason I'm hoping for NASA TV is that at the currently scheduled launch time I'll have access to a TV that carries NASA TV, but I won't have internet access.

Probably not, NASA hasn't broadcasted any commercial SpaceX launches.

But since it's such an important launch, maybe(?)
Nothing on the schedule: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html
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Offline the_other_Doug

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I have not read anything here, but now I read a claim that the Tesla was not in the fairing during static fire.  I look at the dates of things we have seen and this looks to be ridiculous.  Anyone know for sure??

Only SpaceX employees would know for sure.  But it strikes me as just as ridiculous as it strikes you.  There would seem no point to open up the fairing, take out the roadster, close the fairing up, run the static fires, then open 'er up again and re-load the roadster.

Besides, Elon is on record as half-expecting this first FH to fail before clearing the tower; he can get more roadsters where that came from, I'm sure.

Final analysis, they're not going to follow post-AMOS 6 rules about doing static fires without exposing their customers' expensive spacecraft to a potentially hazardous static fire environment when it's just a relatively inexpensive Tesla roadster inside the fairing, after all...
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

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