Author Topic: SpaceX: Falcon 9 Hotfire Updates (Read 92660 times)

kraisee · « **Reply #80 on:** 03/09/2010 05:48 pm »

Quote from: stockman on 03/09/2010 05:40 pm

Quote from: Lars_J on 03/09/2010 05:36 pm
Looks like water and/or white smoke in the flame trench... Purging gases?

for reference the white smoke being referenced is circled in red...

If you look closely at the clear pictures now, you'll see there is a big tube there -- this side of the propellant tank (actually quite a way away from it, but the camera angle doesn't show that).

That big tube is one of the main exhaust channels designed to take flame & smoke away from the Pad safely at launch. Seeing smoke from there is to be fully expected in such a test.

In fact, I would have expected to see a lot more.

Ross.

NYC777 · « **Reply #81 on:** 03/09/2010 05:48 pm »

If the rocket is still venting are they going to try another hot fire attempt?

Oberon_Command · « **Reply #82 on:** 03/09/2010 05:48 pm »

Is it possible that this was a planned abort, maybe to test the abort systems? If I were launching a rocket, I would want to know that I could abort the whole thing if something went wrong prior to liftoff.

stockman · « **Reply #83 on:** 03/09/2010 05:49 pm »

heres a before and after - you can see the scorching being talked about

kraisee · « **Reply #84 on:** 03/09/2010 05:49 pm »

Security aircraft and helicopters seem to be heading back to Patrick now, which tells me this test is over for today.
Ross.

ugordan · « **Reply #85 on:** 03/09/2010 05:49 pm »

Never mind the scorch marks, Delta IV chars like a barbecue, as long as there was no damage done to the vehicle. What struck me was that immediately at abort the stage vented, but the 2nd stage appeared to hold flight pressurization for quite some time. And that black smoke from the base of the rocket...

Robson68 · « **Reply #86 on:** 03/09/2010 05:49 pm »

Maybe why they left that shoddy paint job

Quote from: marshallsplace on 03/09/2010 05:47 pm

Quote from: braddock on 03/09/2010 05:46 pm
Yes, there seems to be a vertical scorch mark on the base, about where I saw a lick of flame. I don't see it in the earlier posted frames, but the quality is pretty bad to say for sure.

FinalFrontier · « **Reply #87 on:** 03/09/2010 05:52 pm »

Quote from: PahTo on 03/09/2010 05:43 pm

er, shUtdown...

"There was no confirmation that the engines fired for the expected 3.5 seconds."
Computer aborted ignition sequence. Why is the question............I see more delays.....

Norm Hartnett · « **Reply #88 on:** 03/09/2010 05:54 pm »

Quote from: stockman on 03/09/2010 05:49 pm

heres a before and after - you can see the scorching being talked about

Nice bit of work there stockman, thanks.

Now we wait for the press conference/news release.

Ben the Space Brit · « **Reply #89 on:** 03/09/2010 05:56 pm »

Quote from: FinalFrontier on 03/09/2010 05:52 pm

"There was no confirmation that the engines fired for the expected 3.5 seconds."

Computer aborted ignition sequence. Why is the question............I see more delays.....

There could be a thousand and one reasons.

Technical question: Is it possible to detect combustion instability these days? I know that it can cause an engine to blow up so it is a good reason for a hard stop.

Another would be abnormal vibration in the turbo impellers (loose turbine blades).

kraisee · « **Reply #90 on:** 03/09/2010 05:56 pm »

I am of the opinion that today's test has at least confirmed one excellent fact: That their abort systems are working and that their vehicle isn't likely to blow up on the pad due to difficulties during the ignition sequence.

That your abort systems work exactly as they are supposed to, is very valuable piece of knowledge to have under your belt early in such a program.

They will learn why this happened, go fix it, and try again soon enough.

Ross.

ugordan · « **Reply #91 on:** 03/09/2010 05:56 pm »

There are 3 areas where F9 vents GOX, the one in the middle of the interstage, is that connected to MVac? If so, would it still be venting if this is a wrap for today?

EDIT: 3, not two areas...

bad_astra · « **Reply #92 on:** 03/09/2010 05:57 pm »

Any data they get that doesn't destroy the vehicle is good data. It's why you test.

Robson68 · « **Reply #93 on:** 03/09/2010 05:57 pm »

what happens now, do they empty and reset?

Will it be a few days for a re-test?

Andy USA · « **Reply #94 on:** 03/09/2010 05:57 pm »

Quote from: Norm Hartnett on 03/09/2010 05:54 pm

Now we wait for the press conference/news release.

Press conference? They didn't even webcast the so-called testfire!

Ben the Space Brit · « **Reply #95 on:** 03/09/2010 05:59 pm »

Quote from: ugordan on 03/09/2010 05:56 pm

There are 2 areas where F9 vents GOX, the one in the middle of the interstage, is that connected to MVac? If so, would it still be venting if this is a wrap for today?

I would imagine that the vents would remain open so long as there is LOX in the tanks, just for safety reasons. They don't want GOX pooling in the tanks and staying there after de-tanking. With this in mind, the venting will continue until the tank is empty.

ugordan · « **Reply #96 on:** 03/09/2010 06:01 pm »

Quote from: Ben the Space Brit on 03/09/2010 05:59 pm

Quote from: ugordan on 03/09/2010 05:56 pm
There are 2 areas where F9 vents GOX, the one in the middle of the interstage, is that connected to MVac? If so, would it still be venting if this is a wrap for today?

I would imagine that the vents would remain open so long as there is LOX in the tanks, just for safety reasons. They don't want GOX pooling in the tanks and staying there after de-tanking. With this in mind, the venting will continue until the tank is empty.

I edited my post above to correct the number of vents I'm seeing, it's 3. In addition to the two stage vents, there's an additional small one both in F1 and F9.

mmeijeri · « **Reply #97 on:** 03/09/2010 06:01 pm »

Any opinions on the scorch marks? Are they really scorch marks, or just soot or maybe charred cork? Recent opinion seemed to be that the cork had been stripped off before the test.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #98 on:** 03/09/2010 06:02 pm »

Did SpaceX do similar short duration hotfire tests in Texas, and do we have video of these tests to compare to?

I am not convince it was a "total" failure. The proof will be in a SpaceX press release if it was a success, or lack of one if it was less than 100%.

Also remember they managed to quick turn the Falcon 1 on a pad abort, launching in the same window. If this was an abortive hotfire, maybe they will try again.

FinalFrontier · « **Reply #99 on:** 03/09/2010 06:02 pm »

Hmm....sounds like it may have just been that the abort critera in the computer were a little strict. Perhaps a minor piece of data triggered the abort.