Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 (RazakSat) - July 13/14  (Read 355123 times)

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #20 on: 03/04/2009 05:18 pm »

until you get to Albatross.  ;)


A bird that is more at home in the air than on the land is the perfect name.

Just like the supper intelligent eagle eyed turkey is the perfect name for an image recon bird :) The Virginia Big Eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) is the perfect name for an elint or radar payload (Though they are big, quite ugly, and temperamental, then I repeat myself about NRO payloads ;) (http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/bats/va_big_eared_bat.htm), pip's are cuter).

Like I said we have much heritage in the US to pull names for rockets and payloads from, why do we have to go to Europe for names?
« Last Edit: 03/04/2009 05:21 pm by kevin-rf »
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Offline ugordan

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #21 on: 03/04/2009 05:23 pm »
Falcon is a real bird type.  Dragon can be a mythical "bird" if it has wings.

Yet, by some sources Falcon got its name not off a real bird, but the Millenium Falcon so...

Offline William Barton

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #22 on: 03/04/2009 05:25 pm »
When it comes to naming Dragon spacecraft, there's plenty to draw from there, since mythological and fictional dragons often have personal names. I named the two fiction Dragon spacecraft in one of my stories Fafnir (from Norse mythology) and Smaug (from "The Hobbit"). A space traveler could also name rockets and spacecraft after rocketships from literature. My favorites from childhood were Star Spear (Tom Swift, Jr. 3-stage LEO spaceplane) and Polaris (Tom Corbett's Solar Guard nuclear space cruiser).

Offline antonioe

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #23 on: 03/04/2009 05:29 pm »

I don't like roman numerals either.  If we could agree to read the roman numerals (i.e. Eye-Ex instead of IX) then we would stop using them in minutes as everyone heard how bizarre it is.

Good luck SpaceX.


Don't you mean "Space10"?


Star or constellation names (Cygnus, Draco, Hercules, Orion, Pegasus, Taurus, etc.) would seem to offer an abundant set of naming options.  http://www.naic.edu/~gibson/starnames/starnames.lst

 - Ed Kyle

Except Pegasus was named after a Spanish sports car of the 1950's...
« Last Edit: 03/04/2009 05:30 pm by antonioe »
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Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #24 on: 03/05/2009 09:29 am »
I may be wrong, but over on the Space-X Q&A thread, I was lead to understand that Elon Musk has said that Falcon-1/RazakSat launch will definately be carried out before Space-X starts working on launching the Falcon-9 prototype.  Has this changed, or are you simply making a guess?
« Last Edit: 03/05/2009 06:42 pm by Andy USA »
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Offline ugordan

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #25 on: 03/05/2009 10:38 am »
Has this changed, or are you simply making a guess?

Without knowing which people do what at SpaceX in launch campaigns, he's making a guess. Beginning with F1 payload arrival and integration (2 weeks before launch), or even system readiness review (4-6 weeks prior), it's a relatively short amount of time compared to what still needs to be done at the Cape. There's gonna be at least some two months between two launches. Assuming F1 gets off mid May and F9 mid July (optimistic).

There's plenty of stuff that still needs to be done at the Cape - pad checkouts, wet dress rehearsals before a launch campaign is initiated that I don't believe 20-odd people required for F1 preps need to spend all their time there during the period. My opinion is F1 launch campaign should have little or no direct impact on F9 campaign, not any more than say testing in McGregor had on F1 flight 4.
« Last Edit: 03/05/2009 10:41 am by ugordan »

Offline ugordan

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #26 on: 03/05/2009 12:38 pm »
The engines tested in F9 multiple engine firings were ran at full rated thrust so they're qualified. Two throttled-down Merlins already flew on F1 so they have flight history as well.

Offline Nate_Trost

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #27 on: 03/05/2009 04:46 pm »
As far as I can discern, the breakdown is as follows:

Merlin 1C (original turbopump)
Falcon 1 - downrated
Falcon 9 block 1 - full thrust

Merlin 1C (turbopump upgrade, supposed to be ready for 2010)
Falcon 1e
Falcon 9 block 2

Online wannamoonbase

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #28 on: 03/05/2009 05:06 pm »
Antonioe, the X in SpaceX means exploration I hope.  If it is a 10 then I will call then Space10.

Interesting note on Pegasus' name.  I would have though star or mythical creature.
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Offline kraisee

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #29 on: 03/05/2009 05:46 pm »
Space-X = Space EXploration Technologies Corporation.

R.
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Offline Andy USA

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #30 on: 03/05/2009 06:45 pm »
Posts such as "I think SpaceX is the best thing since God." and "I think SpaceX sucks, I love ULA. GO Denver!" = deletion. That's because this thread is specific to this launch and this payload, pending confirmation.

We could probably set up a "I think..." thread, but it would not reflect all that well on the site's community if that thread gained more posts and views than actual update threads, so we probably should not show encouragement for that.

Offline PlanetStorm

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #31 on: 03/05/2009 06:50 pm »
Space-X = Space EXploration Technologies Corporation.

R.

Maybe not. "X" appears in lot of things Musk has been involved with. e.g. X.com, etc. "X" just seems like one of his signatures, rather than having any specific meaning.

Offline William Barton

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #32 on: 03/05/2009 06:52 pm »

I don't like roman numerals either.  If we could agree to read the roman numerals (i.e. Eye-Ex instead of IX) then we would stop using them in minutes as everyone heard how bizarre it is.

Good luck SpaceX.


Don't you mean "Space10"?


Star or constellation names (Cygnus, Draco, Hercules, Orion, Pegasus, Taurus, etc.) would seem to offer an abundant set of naming options.  http://www.naic.edu/~gibson/starnames/starnames.lst

 - Ed Kyle

Except Pegasus was named after a Spanish sports car of the 1950's...

Well, there goes my hope of seeing it one day launch a satellite named Bellerophon...

Offline HMXHMX

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #33 on: 03/05/2009 11:19 pm »

I don't like roman numerals either.  If we could agree to read the roman numerals (i.e. Eye-Ex instead of IX) then we would stop using them in minutes as everyone heard how bizarre it is.

Good luck SpaceX.


Don't you mean "Space10"?


Star or constellation names (Cygnus, Draco, Hercules, Orion, Pegasus, Taurus, etc.) would seem to offer an abundant set of naming options.  http://www.naic.edu/~gibson/starnames/starnames.lst

 - Ed Kyle

Except Pegasus was named after a Spanish sports car of the 1950's...

Well, there goes my hope of seeing it one day launch a satellite named Bellerophon...

Antonio doesn't know this, but many years ago, when I foolishly thought it might be worth competing with Pegasus, the internal code name for my conceptual vehicle design was...Bellerophon...the hero who tamed/broke Pegasus.  I've loved the name since Forbidden Planet came out.

I came to my senses and realized there was no market.

Of course, this has nothing to do with the upcoming SpaceX launch, except that today I listened to a luncheon speaker from SpaceX stating that F1 number 5 will fly at the end of April and was just shipped to Kwaj.

Offline peachman

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #34 on: 03/06/2009 02:40 am »
Don't you mean "Space10"?

He was playing off a joke earlier in the thread about the use of Roman numerals. So no, its SpaceX.

And someone else said they thought the X in SpaceX was just a signature of Elon Musk because he had a company called X.com. He might have abbreviated it as a signature, who knows, but the X actually does mean eXploration technologies.

Offline ugordan

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #35 on: 03/06/2009 08:29 am »
today I listened to a luncheon speaker from SpaceX stating that F1 number 5 will fly at the end of April and was just shipped to Kwaj.

Finally, a snippet of actual news concerning flight 5. Thanks, HMXHMX.

Did that speaker by any chance mention anything F9-related?

Offline antonioe

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #36 on: 03/06/2009 04:38 pm »

Antonio doesn't know this, but many years ago, when I foolishly thought it might be worth competing with Pegasus, the internal code name for my conceptual vehicle design was...Bellerophon...the hero who tamed/broke Pegasus.  I've loved the name since Forbidden Planet came out.

Uhh.. wasn't the Bellerophon destroyed by the invisible monster created from Dr. Morbius' sub-conscious by the Krell machine?  Man, you should choose you names more carefully...

Quote
I came to my senses and realized there was no market.

A wise man!  Certaily wiser than the rest of us...

Don't you mean "Space10"?
He was playing off a joke earlier in the thread about the use of Roman numerals. So no, its SpaceX.

Gee, thanks... I didn't know that... :o
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Offline HMXHMX

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #37 on: 03/06/2009 06:19 pm »

Antonio doesn't know this, but many years ago, when I foolishly thought it might be worth competing with Pegasus, the internal code name for my conceptual vehicle design was...Bellerophon...the hero who tamed/broke Pegasus.  I've loved the name since Forbidden Planet came out.

Uhh.. wasn't the Bellerophon destroyed by the invisible monster created from Dr. Morbius' sub-conscious by the Krell machine?  Man, you should choose you names more carefully...

Er, yes, yes it was.  I thought you might overlook that...but she was also the ship of the line to which Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered and was transported to St. Helena.

BTW, for some of us the "Krell" have entered the engineering lexicon.  As in: "...behold the launch erector of the Krell" said in relation to the SeaLaunch Zenit erector.  You get the idea.

Offline HMXHMX

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Re: SpaceX Falcon 1c Launch 5 - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #38 on: 03/06/2009 06:31 pm »
today I listened to a luncheon speaker from SpaceX stating that F1 number 5 will fly at the end of April and was just shipped to Kwaj.

Finally, a snippet of actual news concerning flight 5. Thanks, HMXHMX.

Did that speaker by any chance mention anything F9-related?

Just the usual: on course, on track, fair wind at our back...  ;)

More seriously, at one point he mentioned a June/July launch and then I thought I heard him say September later on in the presentation.  I wasn't paying close attention so could well be mistaken about the later date, or it may have been a misstatement on his part.

Interestingly, no mention of F9 recovery attempts during early flights, far as I could tell.  Maybe he just overlooked mentioning it.  He also claimed that the only thing necessary to convert the cargo Dragon to crewed Dragon was the addition of some "minor" ECLSS, avionics and the escape tower.  I didn't have a chance to ask if they intend to develop the tower in-house.  It would have been a fair question since virtually every slide referenced the business strategy of not using outside vendors and the wisdom of being vertically integrated.  (A bit of wisdom I don't share, based on decades of hard experience...) 

I also wanted to ask about the after effects, if any, of the fire at their test site, and if it affected qualification firings of the second stage.  I note there have been no reports of any such integrated stage two firings.  But no opportunity.

Offline Cretan126

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Re: SpaceX Falcon I Launch V - May, 2009 (RazakSat)
« Reply #39 on: 03/06/2009 11:04 pm »
Re: The thread title. 

It is "Falcon 1", not "Falcon I", per SpaceX.

And "Launch V"?  SpaceX identified the most recent launch "Flight 4". 

Common usage of Roman numerals ended in the 15th Century, after the fall of Constantinople!

 - Ed Kyle
Thanks for clarifying that, edkyleIC!

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