Quote from: Jim on 12/30/2014 10:51 pmQuote from: OxCartMark on 12/30/2014 08:42 pmApproximately zero ports east of CCAFS.Not saying it isn't the case that they'll move on, I just think that your argument is full of water.Well, you thought wrong and it is your argument that is all wet. There is a port at CCAFS, which would be more accessible and more practical for those launches vs Jax.Need I remind you that SpaceX has a habit of doing things NOT always the way you expect them to do? Need I remind you of the fact that SpaceX often deviates from what you think is the most logical course of actions?You seem to be forgetting that your frame of reference for anticipating actions from aerospace companies is not entirely applicable to SpaceX. Your frame of reference has been shaped in the past decades by working for aerospace companies with a somewhat traditional/conservative way of doing things. Events in recent years have shown that SpaceX very much does not work in a traditional/conservative way.
Quote from: OxCartMark on 12/30/2014 08:42 pmApproximately zero ports east of CCAFS.Not saying it isn't the case that they'll move on, I just think that your argument is full of water.Well, you thought wrong and it is your argument that is all wet. There is a port at CCAFS, which would be more accessible and more practical for those launches vs Jax.
Approximately zero ports east of CCAFS.Not saying it isn't the case that they'll move on, I just think that your argument is full of water.
Quote from: woods170 on 12/31/2014 07:02 pmQuote from: Jim on 12/30/2014 10:51 pmQuote from: OxCartMark on 12/30/2014 08:42 pmApproximately zero ports east of CCAFS.Not saying it isn't the case that they'll move on, I just think that your argument is full of water.Well, you thought wrong and it is your argument that is all wet. There is a port at CCAFS, which would be more accessible and more practical for those launches vs Jax.Need I remind you that SpaceX has a habit of doing things NOT always the way you expect them to do? Need I remind you of the fact that SpaceX often deviates from what you think is the most logical course of actions?You seem to be forgetting that your frame of reference for anticipating actions from aerospace companies is not entirely applicable to SpaceX. Your frame of reference has been shaped in the past decades by working for aerospace companies with a somewhat traditional/conservative way of doing things. Events in recent years have shown that SpaceX very much does not work in a traditional/conservative way.Well, in all fairness if you go back a few pages, you'll read Jim clearly acknowledge that SpaceX plans for many eventualities and has no problem altering course and/or using then abandoning infrastructure/plans as needed.
Most customers will regard the legs as a liability and until well proven would not allow them to be on their mission. Those early flights would have been sold as not having legs, and approval to add legs must come from the customer. If required SpaceX will have the same set-up at Canaveral where they can tie the barge up.
Maybe SpaceX being right next to the Carnival dock was a deliberate PR move, because if they have a stage mounted there for a few days they will get a horde of tweets from the passengers.
This is a fun thread... Almost makes me happy the launch was postponed... And I wonder what SpaceX folks are calling the barge. I don't think it is called "the barge" internally.
Maybe SpaceX being right next to the Carnival dock was a deliberate PR move, because if they have a stage mounted there for a few days they will get a horde of tweets from the passengers. And if putting in these mounts is easy enough, and they can get port space for not too much a month, they'll do this at several ports. Back at Canaveral, sure. And maybe PR and who knows where else.
Quote from: PhilW on 12/30/2014 12:51 pmGood find. Nice detail. Any idea what the white/alum jig is for?It should be for alignment of the hold points; hold points at the four corners of the square frame
Good find. Nice detail. Any idea what the white/alum jig is for?
Quote from: Roy_H on 01/01/2015 12:57 amMost customers will regard the legs as a liability and until well proven would not allow them to be on their mission. Those early flights would have been sold as not having legs, and approval to add legs must come from the customer. If required SpaceX will have the same set-up at Canaveral where they can tie the barge up.There's no evidence for any of that. As far as we know, SpaceX doesn't give customers the option of legs or no legs, they just always put legs on unless the payload is so close to the edge of what F9 can do that they need to leave them off.
Quote from: cambrianera on 12/30/2014 03:13 pmQuote from: PhilW on 12/30/2014 12:51 pmGood find. Nice detail. Any idea what the white/alum jig is for?It should be for alignment of the hold points; hold points at the four corners of the square frameIMHO this is a crane traverse for the first stage itself.
Well, only five days missing to see unloading of the barge and be sure of it (hopefully )
Quote from: cambrianera on 01/01/2015 08:27 pmWell, only five days missing to see unloading of the barge and be sure of it (hopefully )Even if the stage lands on the barge about 6:30am EST on January 6th, I think it unlikely we will see the stage on the Carnival-Cam for another day or two after that. Providing it lands on target. Providing it doesn't tip over before they can secure it.Which begs another question: will they secure the stage precisely where it lands, or will they try to center it on the barge before securing the legs firmly? Do they care?
Sea State forecast for Monday Night through Tuesday morning calls for winds shifting from NE to E at 10 to 15 knots, with seas at 5-7 feet and occasionally up to 8 feet in a mixed NE and SE swell, with possible showers. Not terrible, but far from ideal. http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/AM/470.htmlThe ASDS is pretty big, but in that kind of sea state the sea can be up to 16 feet higher at one end/side of the vessel than the other. I'll guess that the thrusters and ballast on board the ASDS can address pitch and roll of the vessel as well as horizontal position. Nevertheless, even though the sea state could be much worse, it's still going to make for a sporty landing.
Regarding the issue of using Jacksonville as home port for the ASDS (which IMHO really, really needs a catchier name);I've been in and out of Port Canaveral several times, on both yachts and cruise ships. The port to seaward of the bridge is not large; there are docking facilities along the south side of the channel, and three large embayments on the north side. The easternmost of the embankments is, I think, military. The middle one is at least mostly military territory as well. The western one is the cruise ship port. I think that rules out porting the barge on the north side,
Quote from: CJ on 01/01/2015 10:08 pmRegarding the issue of using Jacksonville as home port for the ASDS (which IMHO really, really needs a catchier name);I've been in and out of Port Canaveral several times, on both yachts and cruise ships. The port to seaward of the bridge is not large; there are docking facilities along the south side of the channel, and three large embayments on the north side. The easternmost of the embankments is, I think, military. The middle one is at least mostly military territory as well. The western one is the cruise ship port. I think that rules out porting the barge on the north side,Not true, commercial vehicles use the many of the northern embarkments (especially the middle one), see Delta Mariner. The NASA ET barge used it too.