Spacecom: Our Amos-6 telecom sat, w/ HTS payload for Eutelsat/Facebook, scheduled for launch by SpaceX Falcon 9 at 03h ET (07h GMT) Sept 3.
NAVAREA IV 712/2016 (11,26) WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.ROCKETS.1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 030655Z TO 030929Z SEP, ALTERNATE 040655Z TO 040929Z SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 28-34N 080-36W, 28-36N 080-36W, 28-38N 080-35W, 28-34N 079-38W, 28-29N 079-38W, 28-31N 080-33W. B. 28-21N 075-49W, 28-23N 074-27W, 28-03N 072-00W, 27-55N 072-00W, 28-02N 074-28W, 28-16N 075-49W.2. CANCEL THIS MSG 041029Z SEP 16.( 290608Z AUG 2016 )
Launch day probability of violating launch weather constraints: 50%Primary concern(s): Liftoff Winds and Thick Cloud Layer RuleDelay day probability of violating launch weather constraints: 40%Primary concern(s): Cumulus Cloud and Thick Cloud Layer Rules
William Harwood @cbs_spacenews 2m2 minutes agoUS EVA37: Twitter user Ian Dawson posts this shot:
William Harwood @cbs_spacenews 2m2 minutes agoUS EVA37: Reliable source at KSC reports: "It appears ... the entire rocket exploded. We heard a very large explosion...
William Harwood @cbs_spacenews 1m1 minute agoUS EVA37: ... "and a number of secondary explosions. There's a big fire and a lot of black smoke in the air."
William Harwood @cbs_spacenews 1m1 minute agoUS EVA37: There are no reports of any injuries at this point; pad normally evacuated for hotfire test
Scott Gustin @ScottGustin 5m5 minutes agoWow. Photo shows one of the explosions at #SpaceX: http://i.imgur.com/rml8QZ5.jpg (Reddit/mtrevor123)
Do they usually test with the P/L already placed on the launcher?
Multiple reports that second stage?? & payload hadn't been attached.
Helio overflying the pad reports suppression system working and containing the fire, but there were at least 3 spot fires.
Ben Brockert @wikkit 15m15 minutes ago~10 pieces of debris from the Falcon 9 found in the parking lot of KSC Pad A, "would fit in a shoebox". Lot is 1.8 miles from the F9 pad.
Parabolicarc.com @spacecom 12m12 minutes ago California, USAHearing from a source that whatever went wrong happened very quickly. Windows blown in at KSC before pad fire alarm sounded #SpaceX #Falcon9
QuoteParabolicarc.com @spacecom 12m12 minutes ago California, USAHearing from a source that whatever went wrong happened very quickly. Windows blown in at KSC before pad fire alarm sounded #SpaceX #Falcon9https://twitter.com/spacecom/status/771381094092410881
SpaceX explosion didnt involve intentional ignition - E Musk said occurred during 2d stage fueling - & isn't covered by launch insurance.
Spacecom insured Amos-6 for $285M in marine cargo market, not space insurance market. Launch +1 yr policy would kick in at rocket ignition.
September 2, 9:00am EDTStatement from SpaceX President and COO, Gwynne Shotwell:“We deeply regret the loss of Amos-6. Our number one priority is to safely and reliably return to flight for our customers, and we will carefully investigate and address this issue. We are grateful for the continued support that our customers have expressed to us.”
September 2, 6:45pm EDTSpaceX has begun the careful and deliberate process of understanding the causes and fixes for yesterday's incident. We will continue to provide regular updates on our progress and findings, to the fullest extent we can share publicly.We deeply regret the loss of AMOS-6, and safely and reliably returning to flight to meet the demands of our customers is our chief priority. SpaceX's business is robust, with approximately 70 missions on our manifest worth over $10 billion. In the aftermath of yesterday's events, we are grateful for the continued support and unwavering confidence that our commercial customers as well as NASA and the United States Air Force have placed in us.Overview of the incident:- Yesterday, at SpaceX's Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, an anomaly took place about eight minutes in advance of a scheduled test firing of a Falcon 9 rocket.- The anomaly on the pad resulted in the loss of the vehicle.- This was part of a standard pre-launch static fire to demonstrate the health of the vehicle prior to an eventual launch. - At the time of the loss, the launch vehicle was vertical and in the process of being fueled for the test. At this time, the data indicates the anomaly originated around the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Per standard operating procedure, all personnel were clear of the pad. There were no injuries.To identify the root cause of the anomaly, SpaceX began its investigation immediately after the loss, consistent with accident investigation plans prepared for such a contingency. These plans include the preservation of all possible evidence and the assembly of an Accident Investigation Team, with oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration and participation by NASA, the United States Air Force and other industry experts. We are currently in the early process of reviewing approximately 3000 channels of telemetry and video data covering a time period of just 35-55 milliseconds. As for the Launch Pad itself, our teams are now investigating the status of SLC-40. The pad clearly incurred damage, but the scope has yet to be fully determined. We will share more data as it becomes available. SpaceX currently operates 3 launch pads – 2 in Florida and 1 in California at Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX's other launch sites were not affected by yesterday's events. Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base is in the final stages of an operational upgrade and Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center remains on schedule to be operational in November. Both pads are capable of supporting Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. We are confident the two launch pads can support our return to flight and fulfill our upcoming manifest needs.Again, our number one priority is to safely and reliably return to flight for our customers, as well as to take all the necessary steps to ensure the highest possible levels of safety for future crewed missions with the Falcon 9. We will carefully and thoroughly investigate and address this issue.
There's an important detail, that a lot of us here (myself included) missed:SpaceX gave costumers the choice to keep the satellite on the rocket for the test fire or not. Spacecom *chose* to keep it on top.See: http://spacenews.com/qa-spacecom-ceo-it-took-a-minute-to-realize-the-guys-under-the-smoke-are-us/
SpaceX’s decision to put satellites on the rocket before the standard static-fire test prelaunch, a policy that began only this year, allows the customer to agree or not to do this. Some have said no, others have said yes. You said yes: Could you explain that?This was a decision made by IAI engineers. We were of course not just guests in the theater, but the front-line engineers were from IAI and SpaceX. I think they looked back on the latest launches to perform the engineering analysis.I learned one thing years ago: Engineering is not mathematics.It seemed a prudent decision, and I am not sure the decision would have been different even now. We don’t know the cause of the failure. There are many engineering configurations that need to be analyzed. I have not yet come to any conclusion that would lead me to question the decision.I can tell you that no price or cost decisions were involved in the decision. And we were not the first to do the static with the satellite. Everybody will look at this now of course.
Elon Musk @elonmusk 8s8 seconds agoStill working on the Falcon fireball investigation. Turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years.
Elon Musk @elonmusk 35s35 seconds agoImportant to note that this happened during a routine filling operation. Engines were not on and there was no apparent heat source.
Elon Musk @elonmusk 4m4 minutes agoSupport & advice from @NASA, @FAA, @AFPAA & others much appreciated. Please email any recordings of the event to [email protected].
Elon Musk @elonmusk 16m16 minutes agoParticularly trying to understand the quieter bang sound a few seconds before the fireball goes off. May come from rocket or something else.
AJ @ashwin7002 34m34 minutes ago@elonmusk @NASA @faa @AFPAA there are some videos on YouTube claiming something hit the rocket. Any reality there?
Elon Musk Verified account@elonmusk: @ashwin7002 @NASA @faa @AFPAA We have not ruled that out.
SpaceX President Shotwell: We anticipate return to flight in November, meaning down for three months. Next flight from CCAFS, then to VAFB.
Peter B. de Selding @pbdes 4m4 minutes agoSpaceX's Shotwell: We have been told that the Sept. 1 anomaly will not affect Falcon 9's insurance rates. So we expect no impact.
Peter B. de Selding @pbdes 4m4 minutes agoSpaceX's Shotwell: Nov return to flight is our best hope. We still haven't isolated the cause or whether its origin was rocket or ground.
Quote from: MarekCyzio on 09/26/2016 02:54 pmPer SpaceX:[Updated 09/24: At this time, the cause of the potential breach remains unknown.] Source: http://www.spacex.com/news/2016/09/01/anomaly-updatesIs that a bad link? I don't see any 9/24 update (and I'm surprised they did one on a Saturday anyways?)
Per SpaceX:[Updated 09/24: At this time, the cause of the potential breach remains unknown.] Source: http://www.spacex.com/news/2016/09/01/anomaly-updates
Musk: F9 anomaly investigation still top priority; “most vexing and difficult thing.” Ruled out all the obvious possibilities. #IAC2016
“We’ve eliminated all of the obvious possibilities” for the anomaly, he said. “So what remains are less probable.”
“SpaceX has obviously spent some time investigating the reasons behind their recent launch failure,” Inmarsat Chief Executive Rupert Pearce said in a conference call with investors. “We believe they now have found a root cause that is fixable quite easily and quite quickly. So they should be able to return to flight in December.”
Peter B. de Selding @pbdes 19m19 minutes agoSpaceX statement late Nov 3 responding to customer Inmarsat saying root cause of Sept 1 explosion found & Falcon 9 returns to flight in Dec:"We're continuing to make progress with the investigation into our Sept. 1 anomaly and we are working to safely and reliably return to flight at the earliest possible date. Inmarsat is a long-term partner, and we remain committed to working with them to meet the needs of their business and customers."
Sigh, I have a bad feeling I'm going to be covering a SpaceX launch during my annual Christmas party again
December 7, 10:30am EDTWe are finalizing the investigation into our September 1 anomaly and are working to complete the final steps necessary to safely and reliably return to flight, now in early January with the launch of Iridium-1. This allows for additional time to close-out vehicle preparations and complete extended testing to help ensure the highest possible level of mission assurance prior to launch.
Report was filed a while back, but the big deal will be when there's an announcement....and we believe it's coming imminently, per the Iridium launch.
January 2, 2017, 9:00am ESTOver the past four months, officials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with several industry experts, have collaborated with SpaceX on a rigorous investigation to determine the cause of the anomaly that occurred September 1 at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This investigation team was established according to SpaceX's accident investigation plan as approved by the FAA. As the primary federal licensing body, the FAA provided oversight and coordination for the investigation.Investigators scoured more than 3,000 channels of video and telemetry data covering a very brief timeline of events – there were just 93 milliseconds from the first sign of anomalous data to the loss of the second stage, followed by loss of the vehicle. Because the failure occurred on the ground, investigators were also able to review umbilical data, ground-based video, and physical debris. To validate investigation analysis and findings, SpaceX conducted a wide range of tests at its facilities in Hawthorne, California and McGregor, Texas.The accident investigation team worked systematically through an extensive fault tree analysis and concluded that one of the three composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) inside the second stage liquid oxygen (LOX) tank failed. Specifically, the investigation team concluded the failure was likely due to the accumulation of oxygen between the COPV liner and overwrap in a void or a buckle in the liner, leading to ignition and the subsequent failure of the COPV.Each stage of Falcon 9 uses COPVs to store cold helium which is used to maintain tank pressure, and each COPV consists of an aluminum inner liner with a carbon overwrap. The recovered COPVs showed buckles in their liners. Although buckles were not shown to burst a COPV on their own, investigators concluded that super chilled LOX can pool in these buckles under the overwrap. When pressurized, oxygen pooled in this buckle can become trapped; in turn, breaking fibers or friction can ignite the oxygen in the overwrap, causing the COPV to fail. In addition, investigators determined that the loading temperature of the helium was cold enough to create solid oxygen (SOX), which exacerbates the possibility of oxygen becoming trapped as well as the likelihood of friction ignition.The investigation team identified several credible causes for the COPV failure, all of which involve accumulation of super chilled LOX or SOX in buckles under the overwrap. The corrective actions address all credible causes and focus on changes which avoid the conditions that led to these credible causes. In the short term, this entails changing the COPV configuration to allow warmer temperature helium to be loaded, as well as returning helium loading operations to a prior flight proven configuration based on operations used in over 700 successful COPV loads. In the long term, SpaceX will implement design changes to the COPVs to prevent buckles altogether, which will allow for faster loading operations.SpaceX is targeting return to flight from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) with the Iridium NEXT launch on January 8. SpaceX greatly appreciates the support of our customers and partners throughout this process, and we look forward to fulfilling our manifest in 2017 and beyond.