Author Topic: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2  (Read 2965207 times)

Online chawleysnow

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5020 on: 07/06/2015 12:45 am »
I drove over to San Pedro earlier today to see Marmac 303 for myself.  I don't have too much to add, other than there's one Thrustmaster sitting on the aft deck behind the blast wall that I didn't see in any of the reddit pictures (pardon the fence).  There were also four of the yellow generator containers grouped together sitting nearby; I didn't get a closeup of those  :-\

Offline OxCartMark

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5021 on: 07/06/2015 01:10 am »
JIT processing

The generator light tower (aka, battlefield illumination system) indicates to me it'll be done sooner rather than later.

OT: Anyone notice the similarity between the business end of the Thrustmaster and a snow gun?
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Offline CJ

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5022 on: 07/06/2015 02:34 am »
I drove over to San Pedro earlier today to see Marmac 303 for myself.  I don't have too much to add, other than there's one Thrustmaster sitting on the aft deck behind the blast wall that I didn't see in any of the reddit pictures (pardon the fence).  There were also four of the yellow generator containers grouped together sitting nearby; I didn't get a closeup of those  :-\

Great pics, thank you!

My take; they aren't going to pause, they're going to finish fitting out this ASDS. (and yup, this is contra my opinion of only a few hours ago...).

Looks to me like they are going to do the work there. They'll need a crane though, because they'll have to attach the wings before they do much else.

The generator light tower (aka, battlefield illumination system) indicates to me it'll be done sooner rather than later.

I think you're right. Those lights sure indicate an intent to work at night.

OT: Anyone notice the similarity between the business end of the Thrustmaster and a snow gun?

You really don't think that's a coincidence, do you? Throw enough snow on water, and you get ice. A square mile of so of thick ice would make an ideal, and very stable, F9 landing pad.  :)

Offline Wonger

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5023 on: 07/06/2015 05:21 am »
JIT processing

The generator light tower (aka, battlefield illumination system) indicates to me it'll be done sooner rather than later.

OT: Anyone notice the similarity between the business end of the Thrustmaster and a snow gun?

Okay, it's clear work is about to start.  You've persuaded me to come over from the JIT dark side.  The ASDS work contracts were probably signed before the CRS-7 launch so that the job deadlines are probably based upon the most recent (non-delayed) Jason 3 launch timetable. 

edit for spelling
« Last Edit: 07/06/2015 05:21 am by Wonger »

Offline wdobner

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5024 on: 07/06/2015 07:48 am »
Apologies if this has been posted before, I'm afraid I haven't quite kept up with this thread:

Google effectively killed their native support of 45 degree oblique photos with their new Google maps implementation.  But that imagery appears to have been updated and can still be accessed through other sites, among them this site: http://gokml.net/maps

Unfortunately I can't find a way to directly link to individual images.  But the view of what I'm guessing is OCSILY at the Jacksonville Port Authority, with Carnival Celebration south of it appears to be poorly retouched.  It's possible that's where two images were stitched together, but it seems odd that they happened to do that right there.  Rotating the view to show images taken from the north, east, and west have no obscuration.

So I guess my question is what are we looking at in these images?  Is there some way of knowing which iteration of the ASDS this is, prior to which mission?  Is there something new to be learned from this new angle?  Or is this old information, and these were seen before Google Maps was ruined?

Offline CJ

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5025 on: 07/06/2015 08:20 am »
Apologies if this has been posted before, I'm afraid I haven't quite kept up with this thread:

Google effectively killed their native support of 45 degree oblique photos with their new Google maps implementation.  But that imagery appears to have been updated and can still be accessed through other sites, among them this site: http://gokml.net/maps

Unfortunately I can't find a way to directly link to individual images.  But the view of what I'm guessing is OCSILY at the Jacksonville Port Authority, with Carnival Celebration south of it appears to be poorly retouched.  It's possible that's where two images were stitched together, but it seems odd that they happened to do that right there.  Rotating the view to show images taken from the north, east, and west have no obscuration.

So I guess my question is what are we looking at in these images?  Is there some way of knowing which iteration of the ASDS this is, prior to which mission?  Is there something new to be learned from this new angle?  Or is this old information, and these were seen before Google Maps was ruined?

Great find.

That's definitely not OCISLY, It's Just Read the Instructions, and taken before the storm damage (on the Discovr attempt) because there are no bow walls.  I'm not quite sure whether this is before or after CRX 5.




Offline Ohsin

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5026 on: 07/06/2015 08:32 am »
Apologies if this has been posted before, I'm afraid I haven't quite kept up with this thread:

Google effectively killed their native support of 45 degree oblique photos with their new Google maps implementation.  But that imagery appears to have been updated and can still be accessed through other sites, among them this site: http://gokml.net/maps

Unfortunately I can't find a way to directly link to individual images.  But the view of what I'm guessing is OCSILY at the Jacksonville Port Authority, with Carnival Celebration south of it appears to be poorly retouched.  It's possible that's where two images were stitched together, but it seems odd that they happened to do that right there.  Rotating the view to show images taken from the north, east, and west have no obscuration.

So I guess my question is what are we looking at in these images?  Is there some way of knowing which iteration of the ASDS this is, prior to which mission?  Is there something new to be learned from this new angle?  Or is this old information, and these were seen before Google Maps was ruined?

What you are seeing is very old(relatively) aerial imagery of Marmac 300 when it just arrived at Jacksonville. This was before it was named 'Just Read The Instructions'(23 Jan 2015) even before installation of hold down pillars(20 Dec 2014).If you go to Google earth you can see these images were used to create a 3d scene. You are seeing wing attachments being installed.

Thanks for photographs chawleysnow :) look at that thruster hiding! it seems they have just settled with the two tiny two beefy thruster config. Interesting to look at blast wall so closely too! Is that an I beam on top? And what is that thing to the right of thruster and left of HPU?

Edit: It seems when it was passing Panama canal the HPU was still there.
« Last Edit: 07/06/2015 09:21 am by Ohsin »
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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5027 on: 07/06/2015 01:46 pm »
Looks to me like they are going to do the work there.

I just can't get my head around the idea of them doing work there.  Sure, if the engine stops you pull over to the side of the road, open the hood, and fiddle with things right there on the side of the road, but when you have a tune up or other planned work you go to a garage and do it, not by the side of the road.  My current theory is something along the lines of - My preferred spot isn't ready yet (legally or physically) and / or the E3 crew just wanted to park it as quickly as possible in a spot that had fewer immediate hassles so they could get offa the tug they'd been on for a month and enjoy the holiday weekend on shore.  They had equipment delivered there just as a temporary spot, they'll put it on the deck when they move to the final spot.  Yea, that's the theory I'm clinging to.
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Offline JamesH

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5028 on: 07/06/2015 03:32 pm »
Looks to me like they are going to do the work there.

I just can't get my head around the idea of them doing work there.  Sure, if the engine stops you pull over to the side of the road, open the hood, and fiddle with things right there on the side of the road, but when you have a tune up or other planned work you go to a garage and do it, not by the side of the road.  My current theory is something along the lines of - My preferred spot isn't ready yet (legally or physically) and / or the E3 crew just wanted to park it as quickly as possible in a spot that had fewer immediate hassles so they could get offa the tug they'd been on for a month and enjoy the holiday weekend on shore.  They had equipment delivered there just as a temporary spot, they'll put it on the deck when they move to the final spot.  Yea, that's the theory I'm clinging to.

Well, the barge is big enough to take its garage with it, so why not? I presume all the welding equipment and parts etc are all there somewhere.

Offline Wonger

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5029 on: 07/06/2015 04:27 pm »
Looks to me like they are going to do the work there.

I just can't get my head around the idea of them doing work there.  Sure, if the engine stops you pull over to the side of the road, open the hood, and fiddle with things right there on the side of the road, but when you have a tune up or other planned work you go to a garage and do it, not by the side of the road.  My current theory is something along the lines of - My preferred spot isn't ready yet (legally or physically) and / or the E3 crew just wanted to park it as quickly as possible in a spot that had fewer immediate hassles so they could get offa the tug they'd been on for a month and enjoy the holiday weekend on shore.  They had equipment delivered there just as a temporary spot, they'll put it on the deck when they move to the final spot.  Yea, that's the theory I'm clinging to.

Where ever the crane appears, that'll be the spot.  That assumes, of course, that they do the wings first.

Offline Ohsin

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5030 on: 07/06/2015 04:41 pm »
That space next to warehouse in Altasea phase 3 looks too 'rough' for our barge to safely berth and have work done. Compare it to berth at Jacksonville. The current parking space doesn't even belong to Altasea does it? But there is more than enough room to have work done it appears. Any latest images of Altasea phase 3 region next to warehouse?

Image is from Dec 2013 article.

« Last Edit: 07/06/2015 04:43 pm by Ohsin »
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Offline Wonger

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5031 on: 07/06/2015 04:59 pm »
That space next to warehouse in Altasea phase 3 looks too 'rough' for our barge to safely berth and have work done. Compare it to berth at Jacksonville. The current parking space doesn't even belong to Altasea does it? But there is more than enough room to have work done it appears. Any latest images of Altasea phase 3 region next to warehouse?

Image is from Dec 2013 article.



Agreed.  It does look rough over on the main channel side.  I did a Google Street View stroll down Miner Street toward the SS Lane Victory and you can see there are places for people to moor their boats already.  Where they are now in the East Channel it's like tying up at a pier. 

But a Google Earth look at the AltaSea location shows just rocks like you would find on a breakwater.  I don't know if you can work there temporarily or not.  Like I said, look for the crane.

OT - the poor quality of the Google Street View (down Signal Street) of the Warehouse 1 building reminds me of the apartment house in Blade Runner.  Creepy.
« Last Edit: 07/07/2015 06:30 am by Wonger »

Offline OxCartMark

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5032 on: 07/06/2015 07:18 pm »
Where ever the crane appears, that'll be the spot.

Yup.  Something to look for if we have anyone else touristing through that neighborhood.
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Offline ClayJar

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5033 on: 07/07/2015 12:53 am »
I'm going to pretend I don't want to comment on the idea of a pykrete ASDS.  ;)  (Well, I mean, with pykrete, you could likely make it durable enough to host a full launch pad, and then *everyone* would agree it's a big deal. ;D)

Instead, let me comment on winging up a MARMAC.  At the site in Morgan City where all three were hanging out before they headed their separate ways, they were doing to 304 what they're going to be doing to 303.  They had a large crane for handling the wing sections, obviously.  Also present was a small barge not much wider than a wing extends; welders were working from it.  There really wasn't much of anything else that appeared notably significant.  (The little tiny crane on deck that looked almost like a slightly overbuilt Subaru Baja with an arm on top is not likely a long pole in winging a MARMAC, but I *so* want one.)

Obviously, you can't just snug up against a rock pile breakwater, but the requirements for sites capable of wing attachment seem minimal.  You need to get a crane and the barge in proximity, but since the pieces are stowed on deck, it doesn't seem like you'll need much dry land at all.  A little rented utility barge shouldn't be hard to come by.

Offline Ohsin

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5034 on: 07/07/2015 11:33 am »
TheKrimsonKing from Reddit has taken few really amazing shots! Here's drone footage.



Edit:

Those things on deck next to HPUs and front of thruster appears to be mounts for thrusters and you can also see tucked under blast wall a pair of DuraSea air condensing units that will be installed later on communication containers.
« Last Edit: 07/07/2015 12:21 pm by Ohsin »
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Offline OxCartMark

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5035 on: 07/07/2015 01:23 pm »
(Well, I mean, with pykrete, you could likely make it durable enough to host a full launch pad, and then *everyone* would agree it's a big deal. ;D)
;D


TheKrimsonKing from Reddit has taken few really amazing shots! Here's drone footage.

That thing I said about this not being the long term spot - yea, let's forget I said that.
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Offline Ohsin

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5036 on: 07/07/2015 11:47 pm »
Few extra photographs of Altasea phase 3 region and some equipment closeup shots. #5 is from signal street.#6 and #7 a bit north on miner street. Altasea site looks unchanged.
« Last Edit: 07/07/2015 11:48 pm by Ohsin »
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Offline Helodriver

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5037 on: 07/08/2015 03:38 pm »
Just back from a month in Florida and an aborted attempt to catch an ASDS at sea, I met up with the Marmac 303 yesterday in the Port of Los Angeles to give it a good look over.

I was able to obtain some good views from angles not yet seen.

Not much activity there yesterday save for a contracted security guard who said the barge was docked "temporarily" and would be moving along soon, although I suspect he is not particularly keyed in to SpaceX plans.

Shots attached show details of the bow and stern blast walls, the Thrustmaster laying on the deck, the removal of the rub rails and chines in preparation of wing attachment, the under deck structure of the wings, and the Rhea tug.

NRC quest has not yet been moved from its dock at American Marine.

Should this berth be the actual base of operations SpaceX uses for rocket unloading and Dragon recoveries, it should provide ample opportunity for great views of their operations from multiple vantage points so long as they don't close off the public roads in the area.

Offline cscott

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5038 on: 07/08/2015 03:45 pm »
I believe that funny little hut on deck was erected for the canal crossing.  I remember reading in the Canal operations manuals how a certain amount of visibility was required for every vessel transiting the canal.  I wouldn't be surprised if that's what caused the hold up at the entrance to the canal, actually.  I bet a local inspector decided to insist that the rules be followed to the letter, and the crew had to erect that little pilot's hut on stilts to comply.

Offline Helodriver

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Re: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #5039 on: 07/08/2015 03:45 pm »
Was also able to shoot some very high resolution 100+ megapixel composites of the Marmac 303 from an oblique view and directly centered amidships.

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