SpaceX Falcon I Launch III - Build-up Thread

[collectSPACE]

Okay, I spoke with SpaceX about an hour ago and they said an official notice as to the launch window will be forthcoming soon. I'll share it when I receive it...

[Chris Bergin]

"soon". Could mean anything.

All *seems* to be pointing to that day's notice for a Saturday attempt.

We'll create a new live update thread for the launch when we know.

[edkyle99]

A note on time.  Kwajalein is 12 hours ahead of Universal Time.  A 23:00 UTC 8/2/08 launch time would correspond to 11:00 8/3/08 Kwajalein time (MHT).  It is already tomorrow, approaching 8 AM local time Saturday in Kwajalein, as I type this message.  So while we've been wondering about launch times for the past few hours, those folks in the Marshall Islands have been sleeping!

- Ed Kyle

[nobodyofconsequence]

Heard this weekend too - but could slip. Not surprised by SpaceX being coy about announcing. What advantage do they gain, verses the downsides of being wrong?

[G-pit]

that link takes me to a blank page on the spacex website... anybody else get the same thing?

[amon]

I can get the text all right, but the video is unreachable by every means I have tried. By clicking on the link I get:

Totem could not play 'mms://a705.v221659.c22165.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/705/22165/v0001/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/9_Engine_VTS3-017.wmv'.
There is no input plugin to handle the location of this movie

I have also tried using command line mplayer directly on the mms: location but also to no avail. Any one have any better luck?

[clongton]

I can get the text all right, but the video is unreachable by every means I have tried. By clicking on the link I get:

Totem could not play 'mms://a705.v221659.c22165.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/705/22165/v0001/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/9_Engine_VTS3-017.wmv'.
There is no input plugin to handle the location of this movie

I have also tried using command line mplayer directly on the mms: location but also to no avail. Any one have any better luck?

I couldn't open it using either ceedo or foxfire.
But IE6 opened the video right up in windows media player with no problem.

[G-pit]

Cool! Between this and the upcoming launch, now we know what this guy meant when he said "exciting things happening at the company I work for": http://twitter.com/mwalkerii

[toddbronco2]

Too quiet, Elon spoke at the royal aeronautical society, nothing informative about Flight 3.

I read "somewhere" (I thought it was a post in this thread but can't find it) that there was to be an article in a texas paper/media this past weekend about Spacex and its future plans.  Am I "losing it" or was it posted? 
jb
BTW I hate getting old

I don't think I've seen the article posted yet, so here it is: http://www.kcentv.com/news/c-article.php?cid=1&nid=16144

A week ago I was told that SpaceX was going to be doing a 9 engine cluster test tomorrow (Thursday).  Has anybody else heard anything about this?

Take a look at the last paragraph in the article linked in the post immediately prior to yours:
 http://www.kcentv.com/news/c-article.php?cid=1&nid=16144

It implies they 9 engine test has slipped until September.

Yeah I didn't believe that September date for the 9 engine test.  Cool how SpaceX just slips that test in too.  I'm glad to see they're working full steam toward Falcon 9 and not stopping to wait to see how Falcon 1 flight 3 goes.

[G-pit]

The webcast is acting wierd... What I see is a partial image of the screen of a computer running Mac OSX Lepard, with a quicktime file called "testlaptupMulticast" on the desktop. It also looks like quicktime is open to something called "live broadcast - paused." Wierd.

[toddbronco2]

so if you try to watch the live webcast right now, is everybody else seeing the desktop of some Mac with a quicktime window partially visible in the foreground?  Really? Their international webcast is just some screen capture of their feed?  I guess the simplest solution tends to be the best, but I'm still surprised.

update: Somebody's cursor just moved the quicktime video back into view and it's playing something now

[Martin FL]

Let's wait for Chris to give the info. If anyone is going to provide news first, it's him.

[amon]

btw, what webcast link were some of you talking about? On either testcast.php or webcast.php I just get the test animation.

[Dalon]

I can get the text all right, but the video is unreachable by every means I have tried. By clicking on the link I get:

Totem could not play 'mms://a705.v221659.c22165.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/705/22165/v0001/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/9_Engine_VTS3-017.wmv'.
There is no input plugin to handle the location of this movie

I have also tried using command line mplayer directly on the mms: location but also to no avail. Any one have any better luck?

To view streams like this in Linux, I've found VLC (Video Lan) is the best tool.

Open VLC media player.
Select File/ Open Network Stream
In the "Customize" area, paste the above link (without quotes). (paste over or delete the existing "UDP://@" text)
Click "OK".
The video should start playing

[Chris Bergin]

SpaceX PAO: "We will provide advance notice…stay tuned."

So almost certain to be tomorrow at the earliest.

[Orbiter]

Actually, I misread something (Oops)
Tomorrow, Launch Window 7 PM - 12 AM EDT.

(THIS IS UNOFFICIAL INFORMATION - ONLY SPACEX CAN CONFIRMED - James.)

[Bubbinski]

EST - that starts the first Sunday in November, the clocks "fall back". 

Good luck to SpaceX and let's hope they get to orbit.

[landofgrey]

I also heard 7pm Sat (Eastern time). That comes from an "authoritative source", but in the absence of an official announcement from SpaceX, I'll defer to them and advise that, coming secondhand from me, count it as hearsay. Lord knows there are enough rumors that fly around from time to time and I'd hate to contribute to a Fox News syndrome.

Be patient. Monitor here or the SpaceX website. They'll announce when the time comes. Unless......

I feel like in the movie when the guy comes running down the hall and through the door... "They just launched Sputnik!" I hope we don't have a surprise launch.

[G-pit]

I hope we don't have a surprise launch.

Considering the fact that they have a test of a live webcast on their home page and how they handled the past two launches, don't worry about the possibility of a surprise launch... They will give us advanced notice, and live coverage.

[landofgrey]

They will give us advanced notice, and live coverage.

Very true, I was just kidding. SpaceX has always been good about information. They don't just toss information out willy-nilly (read: prematurely) but when there is something definite, they'll let the world know.