Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 5 : March 30, 2018 @ Vandenberg : Discussion  (Read 89633 times)

Offline envy887

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8142
  • Liked: 6799
  • Likes Given: 2963
that's not an Iridium NEXT satellite

The black cylinder looks like an Iridium dispenser though...

It's a set of Iridium satellites already on the dispenser, and a very terrible picture.

You're right... the perspective throws everything off, making the closer sats look huge compared to the dispenser in the background.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 47936
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81286
  • Likes Given: 36776
It's a set of Iridium satellites already on the dispenser, and a very terrible picture.

Yes, the satellite is in the foreground but angle almost makes it look like it's further back and huge!

Matches satellites in (library?) image attached that Iridium has just tweeted.

Edit: ninja'd!
« Last Edit: 03/12/2018 01:28 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline Kaputnik

  • Extreme Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3078
  • Liked: 721
  • Likes Given: 819
With this being the first re flight of a B4, and both missions being LEO, it surely must be a candidate for becoming the first core to fly three times? Or is B5 going to a big enough improvement, and coming soon enough, that that's unnecessary?
(Ok I know nobody can answer these questions, just wanted to judge people's opinions on it)
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline Jakusb

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1207
  • NL
  • Liked: 1215
  • Likes Given: 637
With this being the first re flight of a B4, and both missions being LEO, it surely must be a candidate for becoming the first core to fly three times? Or is B5 going to a big enough improvement, and coming soon enough, that that's unnecessary?
(Ok I know nobody can answer these questions, just wanted to judge people's opinions on it)

As far as I understand it, they currently do not expect to refly non-block-5 cores more then once.
But if they cannot get back up to speed in producing the coming block 5 cores soon, they might be forced to reconsider this approach...
That might be enough incentive to do fly a block 4 a third time...
For now that seems plan-B at best...

Offline wannamoonbase

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5399
  • Denver, CO
    • U.S. Metric Association
  • Liked: 3104
  • Likes Given: 3853
We should be creeping up on a Static Fire, any word on that schedule?

Edit: Any word on fairing recovery attempt on this mission?  If so has the parafoil been resized since last month?
« Last Edit: 03/23/2018 01:44 pm by wannamoonbase »
Wildly optimistic prediction, Superheavy recovery on IFT-4 or IFT-5

Offline Norm38

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1696
  • Liked: 1272
  • Likes Given: 2316
Pretty quiet for a launch in 5 days.

Offline rockets4life97

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 798
  • Liked: 538
  • Likes Given: 365
Pretty quiet for a launch in 5 days.

Pretty normal for a Vandenberg launch. We usually don't hear about the static fire until it is over.

Offline cppetrie

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 792
  • Liked: 552
  • Likes Given: 3
Claimed Iridium, not SpaceX, patch:

https://twitter.com/ticklestuffyo/status/975943975386324992?s=21

Is the patch from Iridium. Posted on their twitter.
https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/976458898461876224?s=20
Hidden meaning, huh?

Surely it’s more hidden than the 5 white stars of the 8 making the Big Dipper represents launch 5 of 8 for Iridium NEXT.

Any other speculation of hidden meaning(s)?

Edit: 5 of 8
« Last Edit: 03/24/2018 11:52 pm by cppetrie »

Offline groknull

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 227
  • U.S. West Coast
  • Liked: 431
  • Likes Given: 1013
Seven stars in the (actual) Big Dipper.

Orange is the new green? (clover)

Red horseshoe.

Offline Joffan

Claimed Iridium, not SpaceX, patch:

https://twitter.com/ticklestuffyo/status/975943975386324992?s=21

Is the patch from Iridium. Posted on their twitter.
https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/976458898461876224?s=20
Hidden meaning, huh?

Surely it’s more hidden than the 5 white stars of the 8 making the Big Dipper represents launch 5 of 8 for Iridium NEXT.

Any other speculation of hidden meaning(s)?

Edit: 5 of 8

I guess this is a phoenix rising from the fire of the rocket launch. Does this mean that they consider Iridium NEXT as now fully "live"?

The black bands on the Falcon 9 along the frame look a bit block-5-ish, although the representation is not close to accurate.

Interesting that the arctic ice pack is shown like it's land (that's the Bering Strait under the V).

I'll start a rumour that the crest of the bird is Matt Desch's signature :)
Getting through max-Q for humanity becoming fully spacefaring

Offline cppetrie

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 792
  • Liked: 552
  • Likes Given: 3
Claimed Iridium, not SpaceX, patch:

https://twitter.com/ticklestuffyo/status/975943975386324992?s=21

Is the patch from Iridium. Posted on their twitter.
https://twitter.com/IridiumComm/status/976458898461876224?s=20
Hidden meaning, huh?

Surely it’s more hidden than the 5 white stars of the 8 making the Big Dipper represents launch 5 of 8 for Iridium NEXT.

Any other speculation of hidden meaning(s)?

Edit: 5 of 8

I guess this is a phoenix rising from the fire of the rocket launch. Does this mean that they consider Iridium NEXT as now fully "live"?

The black bands on the Falcon 9 along the frame look a bit block-5-ish, although the representation is not close to accurate.

Interesting that the arctic ice pack is shown like it's land (that's the Bering Strait under the V).

I'll start a rumour that the crest of the bird is Matt Desch's signature :)
I took those as gray bands of soot for re-used booster.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 47936
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81286
  • Likes Given: 36776
Mr Steven has been out for a little excursion today, now heading back to port.

Some last minute testing/practising before getting ready for the Iridium launch?

Offline input~2

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6804
  • Liked: 1536
  • Likes Given: 567
PACIFIC OCEAN.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 291327Z TO 291502Z MAR,
ALTERNATE 1327Z TO 1502Z DAILY 30 MAR THRU 02 APR
IN AREA BOUND BY:
28-04N 119-51W, 28-05N 121-19W,
31-00N 121-19W, 30-59N 119-52W.
2. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 291548Z TO 291639Z MAR,
ALTERNATE 1548Z TO 1639Z DAILY 30 MAR THRU 02 APR
IN AREA BOUND BY
27-59S 147-19W, 27-54S 144-30W,
28-37S 142-08W, 72-32S 131-35W,
73-05S 146-38W.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 021739Z APR 18.//

Authority: WESTERN RANGE 131208Z MAR 18.

Date: 250333Z MAR 18
Cancel: 02173900 Apr 18


Online ZachS09

  • Space Savant
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8405
  • Roanoke, TX
  • Liked: 2343
  • Likes Given: 2057
From the looks of Area1.jpg, the SpaceX bullseye should indicate that there will be another fairing recovery attempt.
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline gongora

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10183
  • US
  • Liked: 13845
  • Likes Given: 5915
Tweet from Matt Desch:
Quote
This is one of the better articles lately by @allen_bernard1 on our growing success with satellite IoT. The SpaceX webcast "package" that explains the satellite customer during Thursday's L-5 webcast will focus on IoT to better explain the opportunity.

[IoT Agenda] Iridium Next satellites to bring broadband IoT to every corner of the globe

With the only exception that the editor put a non-Iridium NEXT satellite in the banner for the article...  Oh well, the article is good.

Offline Pete

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 767
  • Cubicle
  • Liked: 1028
  • Likes Given: 395
Pretty quiet for a launch in 5 days.

Sorry, Vandenberg launches are not categorized as "spectator sport".

Offline envy887

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8142
  • Liked: 6799
  • Likes Given: 2963
So Iridium CEO's Twitter account just had a statement that launch is slipping to NET 3/31 or into next week due to issue with 1 of the 10 sats.  Tweets has since been deleted.  Posting here so everyone has the heads up.

CONFIRMED:

Quote
@IridiumBoss
We are having an issue with 1 of the 10 satellites in prep for #Iridium5.  Our supplier and launch team is resetting for NET 3/31, with potential to shift into next week, if not resolved quickly. Launch success is priority #1! Will provide more info as available

Let's preempt some questions:
1. Odds of this effecting CRS-14 = Almost no chance
2. Station will take priority for Visiting Vehicle schedule
3. 2 days btw 2 launches is totally doable.

Could they launch back to back or even the same day? If the same day they would be ~8 hours apart due to launch windows.

Offline ChrisGebhardt

  • Assistant Managing Editor
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7842
  • ad astra scientia
  • ~1 AU
  • Liked: 7877
  • Likes Given: 853
So Iridium CEO's Twitter account just had a statement that launch is slipping to NET 3/31 or into next week due to issue with 1 of the 10 sats.  Tweets has since been deleted.  Posting here so everyone has the heads up.

CONFIRMED:

Quote
@IridiumBoss
We are having an issue with 1 of the 10 satellites in prep for #Iridium5.  Our supplier and launch team is resetting for NET 3/31, with potential to shift into next week, if not resolved quickly. Launch success is priority #1! Will provide more info as available

Let's preempt some questions:
1. Odds of this effecting CRS-14 = Almost no chance
2. Station will take priority for Visiting Vehicle schedule
3. 2 days btw 2 launches is totally doable.

Could they launch back to back or even the same day? If the same day they would be ~8 hours apart due to launch windows.

They've said ~48hrs-ish is the minimum turnaround time right now.
« Last Edit: 03/27/2018 07:58 pm by ChrisGebhardt »

Offline Tomness

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 660
  • Into the abyss will I run
  • Liked: 289
  • Likes Given: 737
So Iridium CEO's Twitter account just had a statement that launch is slipping to NET 3/31 or into next week due to issue with 1 of the 10 sats.  Tweets has since been deleted.  Posting here so everyone has the heads up.

CONFIRMED:

Quote
@IridiumBoss
We are having an issue with 1 of the 10 satellites in prep for #Iridium5.  Our supplier and launch team is resetting for NET 3/31, with potential to shift into next week, if not resolved quickly. Launch success is priority #1! Will provide more info as available

Let's preempt some questions:
1. Odds of this effecting CRS-14 = Almost no chance
2. Station will take priority for Visiting Vehicle schedule
3. 2 days btw 2 launches is totally doable.

Could they launch back to back or even the same day? If the same day they would be ~8 hours apart due to launch windows.

I would think with two launch teams & two different coasts they should be able to launch back to back and on same day. NASA gets priority but my as well show boat to customer launch in timely manner and clear out the launch back log. But who knows but SpaceX.

Offline ChrisGebhardt

  • Assistant Managing Editor
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7842
  • ad astra scientia
  • ~1 AU
  • Liked: 7877
  • Likes Given: 853
So Iridium CEO's Twitter account just had a statement that launch is slipping to NET 3/31 or into next week due to issue with 1 of the 10 sats.  Tweets has since been deleted.  Posting here so everyone has the heads up.

CONFIRMED:

Quote
@IridiumBoss
We are having an issue with 1 of the 10 satellites in prep for #Iridium5.  Our supplier and launch team is resetting for NET 3/31, with potential to shift into next week, if not resolved quickly. Launch success is priority #1! Will provide more info as available

Let's preempt some questions:
1. Odds of this effecting CRS-14 = Almost no chance
2. Station will take priority for Visiting Vehicle schedule
3. 2 days btw 2 launches is totally doable.

Could they launch back to back or even the same day? If the same day they would be ~8 hours apart due to launch windows.

I would think with two launch teams & two different coasts they should be able to launch back to back and on same day. NASA gets priority but my as well show boat to customer launch in timely manner and clear out the launch back log. But who knows but SpaceX.

Except they've said before that's not possible right now.  West coast launches still receive the same support from Hawthorne as east coast launches.  There are two different launch prep teams, but significant overlap in the team at Hawthorne.

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1