Author Topic: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 1424272 times)

Offline cscott

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Jim pointed out in the fairing recovery thread that Go Searcher seems to have no specialized equipment aboard, other than a single generator/welder.  Is it really very useful as a fairing recovery ship without even a telemetry antenna or crane?  I think go searcher actually has a crane, though I don't see it in Jim's picture.  Is it possible some of the antennas above the cockpit are SpaceX equipment?  What other use might a "naked" ship be?

Offline CameronD

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Jim pointed out in the fairing recovery thread that Go Searcher seems to have no specialized equipment aboard, other than a single generator/welder.  Is it really very useful as a fairing recovery ship without even a telemetry antenna or crane?  I think go searcher actually has a crane, though I don't see it in Jim's picture.  Is it possible some of the antennas above the cockpit are SpaceX equipment?  What other use might a "naked" ship be?

IMO, Go Searcher is most likely a pure support vessel - a backup, if you like - used for transferring personnel and any gear or consumables that might be required to and from the Landing Zone, thus allowing Go Quest to be out there for extended periods, and assisting with the ASDS tow back either if the weather gets nasty or if Go Quest breaks down.

A crane on either vessel could transfer supplies.. we don't need to invent one if it isn't there.  A clear aft deck is exactly what you want under those circumstances.
 
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline DatUser14

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras
« Last Edit: 05/19/2016 09:00 pm by DatUser14 »
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Offline Scylla

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Quote
New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras

Look more like some sort of protrusions casting shadows.
I reject your reality and substitute my own--Doctor Who

Offline Jim

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras


how about water deluge nozzles, "turtles".   

Also, the "shoes" that were going to be welded over the legs looks like they transformed into tie down brackets that are welded on.

Also I wouldn't put much into what R/SpaceX has to say.
« Last Edit: 05/19/2016 09:33 pm by Jim »

Offline gadgetmind

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras

Look more like some sort of protrusions casting shadows.

The holes/marks/whatever just inside the white circle don't look like that to me,

Offline matthewkantar

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The project requiring those circular marks may is likely incomplete. The feeble stream from the fire fighting equipment shown in the last landing webcast added to the post landing fires are enough to make Jim's guess about turtles compelling. They look more like holes than projections to me.

Matthew

Offline Scylla

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras

Look more like some sort of protrusions casting shadows.

The holes/marks/whatever just inside the white circle don't look like that to me,
Except every object has a light/shiny side in the direction of the sun and a slightly elongated dark feature on the opposite side in the same direction as every other shadow being cast on deck.

I also favor a new water deluge system.
I reject your reality and substitute my own--Doctor Who

Offline CameronD

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I also favor a new water deluge system.

Well.. allow me to be one who doesn't.  ;D

The amount of work involved in running pressure piping under-deck through the walls of sealed ballast tanks and through the side of the hull around below the wings structure and back through the hull and more sealed ballast tanks to connect in to the fire main system would be enormous!! Maybe they've done it sneakily whilst we weren't watching (lots of tiny little elves with gas axes and confined-space entry permits) or whilst we were watching someplace else (whilst they had the deck open to fish out that stray octaweb) ..but I do doubt it.

Cameras are a possibility, but fixing-points for guy wires to help steady a returned stage for the return journey makes more sense to me.   ..but for your sakes, I hope I'm wrong. ;)


EDIT:   FWIW, IMHO if you wanted to run a water deluge system like that, the way to do it would be to strap down to the deck a ring of 1/2" steel tube fitted with spray nozzles and connect that in above-deck, where you can access it.  Paint it black if you like, but it wouldn't be high enough to be a trip hazard (just a low bump on deck), could be easily inspected and repaired (when crushed by a stay Falcon Foot), would be far cheaper and easier to install and wouldn't compromise the integrity of the Marmac's ballast tanks.
« Last Edit: 05/19/2016 11:16 pm by CameronD »
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline Lars-J

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras

Look more like some sort of protrusions casting shadows.

The holes/marks/whatever just inside the white circle don't look like that to me,

If you look at the "holes" on the right, and pay attention to the the light direction, you'll see that they are protrude up from the surface instead of being holes.

Offline Lar

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we are what, 3 or 4 days away from OCISLY needing to depart to catch the next stage, right?
"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 Kabloona

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we are what, 3 or 4 days away from OCISLY needing to depart to catch the next stage, right?

Current practice seems to be departure 5 days in advance of a GTO launch. So the real question is when Thaicom-8 is scheduled to depart. If you believe the NET of the 26th, then OCISLY is NET 21st.
« Last Edit: 05/20/2016 02:02 am by Kabloona »

Offline dorkmo

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could be lights? to make the deck look cool?

Online Herb Schaltegger

Camera pods for a VR edit of landing footage?
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Offline CameronD

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could be lights? to make the deck look cool?

Camera pods for a VR edit of landing footage?

There are no visible wires, pipes or anything else running to these protrusions.  If they're electronic, they'd need to be battery-powered and remote-controlled..  Possible but highly unlikely IMO.
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline Wolfram66

To me it looks like reflectors or lights that demarcate the landing circle in the dark. Or as others have posited that may be for 360 degree cameras like they used to film The Matrix.

Online envy887

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could be lights? to make the deck look cool?

Camera pods for a VR edit of landing footage?

There are no visible wires, pipes or anything else running to these protrusions.  If they're electronic, they'd need to be battery-powered and remote-controlled..  Possible but highly unlikely IMO.

GoPro on a timer fits that bill. Lights need wires and deluge needs pipes. Any possible reason for 25 guy wires? They only use 4 on land.

Offline John Alan

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Speculation...  ;)
Brackets to mount custom made armored video cameras pointing upward...
Little short WiFi antennas to start them all in sync...
Big enough SD card inside to let it run from liftoff... till almost out of memory...
Custom controller and software inside...
Collect them all dockside (post landing) and FedEx em to Hawthorne...
Take em apart and put all the video thru post processing and edit...
Just saying...  :D

on edit...
To add water, etc... they would likely install a raised false deck with the piping in the sandwich...
You could run alot of stuff in a 4 inch gap... done right...
Just my opinion...  :P

 
« Last Edit: 05/20/2016 03:54 am by John Alan »

Offline Ohsin

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras
Were visible on deck during CRS-8 return coverage as well.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40002.msg1520225#msg1520225
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Offline woods170

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New image of OCISLY taken on May 16th, appear to show 25 circular holes that are new. People over on R/SpaceX think they are either hold down points or cameras
Were visible on deck during CRS-8 return coverage as well.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40002.msg1520225#msg1520225
Yup. Definitely not new. And most decidely not part of a water deluge system.

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