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#260 by IanThePineapple on 12 Jul, 2017 17:39
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I'm pretty sure it was to be a F1
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#261 by mme on 12 Jul, 2017 17:51
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The problem is not the FAA. They didn't prevent using LZ-1 on the east coast. They aren't preventing using LZ-2 on the west cost. We don't know what the hold up is or if there is even a hold up.Does anyone know what the holdup is for RTLS landings at Vandenberg? This launch should be capable of it if any would be. Is it hardware, or paperwork, or what?
I'm pretty sure LZ-2 is close to completion or is completion, but FAA permits are the main factor I think.
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/licenses_permits/media/ea_fonsi_f9_boostback_vafb.pdf -
#262 by Jos on 12 Jul, 2017 17:58
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Will this be the first flight of the Block 4 Falcon 9? This article mentions that the X-37B mission will be the second Block 4:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/06/bulgariasat-launch-spacex-secures-x-37b-contract/
Would make sense to launch a small payload on the first Block 4. Both the first launch of the v1.1 (Cassiope) and the v1.2 (Orbcomm) were payloads that were originally contracted for Falcon 1. -
#263 by Jim on 12 Jul, 2017 18:14
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Does anyone know what the holdup is for RTLS landings at Vandenberg? This launch should be capable of it if any would be. Is it hardware, or paperwork, or what?
I'm pretty sure LZ-2 is close to completion or is completion, but FAA permits are the main factor I think.
What is LZ-2?
The only other landing pad is SLC-4W.
facility naming nomenclature does not apply to both coasts.
The west coast landing pad could be called LZ-1 -
#264 by deruch on 14 Jul, 2017 22:28
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Confirmed with NSPO:
525kg was original plan mass
475kg is the launch mission mass
This probably the lightest mission for any Falcon9 flight ever?
DSCOVR was also really small, ~570 kg at launch. -
#265 by SmallKing on 15 Jul, 2017 13:07
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Quote
First Taiwan-developed satellite to launch on July 25
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3211453
The satellitewas shipped to the U.S. Saturday(will be shipped to Vandenberg on 19 July)and will undergo its final testing before being launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 onJuly 25(August 25) (Taiwan Time).
By Teng Pei-ju,Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — FORMOSAT-5 (福爾摩沙衛星五號), the first entirely domestically developed satellite operated by Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO，國家太空中心) was packaged to be shipped to the U.S. Saturday for the launch by Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket August 25 (Taiwan Time) in California, reports said.
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#266 by Jarnis on 15 Jul, 2017 13:17
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Confusing. Is this July or August?
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#267 by SmallKing on 15 Jul, 2017 13:22
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More imagesQuoteFirst Taiwan-developed satellite to launch on July 25
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3211453
The satellitewas shipped to the U.S. Saturday(will be shipped to Vandenberg on 19 July)and will undergo its final testing before being launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 onJuly 25(August 25) (Taiwan Time).
By Teng Pei-ju,Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — FORMOSAT-5 (福爾摩沙衛星五號), the first entirely domestically developed satellite operated by Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO，國家太空中心) was packaged to be shipped to the U.S. Saturday for the launch by Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket August 25 (Taiwan Time) in California, reports said.
From http://www.nspo.narl.org.tw/tw2015/info/news.shtml?id=000595&hid=7gPRRdiKsN
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#268 by SmallKing on 15 Jul, 2017 13:24
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Confusing. Is this July or August?
Definitely August, just typo
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#269 by titusou on 18 Jul, 2017 15:34
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Shipout ceremony is July19 10:30 UTC+8.
Titus -
#270 by Chris Bergin on 18 Jul, 2017 21:42
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Part of the media accreditation notice:
HAWTHORNE, Calif. – July 18, 2017. Media accreditation is now open for SpaceX's FORMOSAT-5 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch is targeted for no earlier than August 24.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 will deliver FORMOSAT-5 to a low-Earth orbit (LEO).
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#271 by SmallKing on 19 Jul, 2017 05:12
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#272 by Lars-J on 19 Jul, 2017 05:24
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The size of Formosat-5 inside the fairing... (Formosat is the item in blue)
Source: https://twitter.com/ain92ru/status/887449318608785409
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#273 by soltasto on 19 Jul, 2017 09:17
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Can someone ask SpaceX or NASA if ELaNa XIII is flying on this mission as scheduled or not? It is still present here.
ELaNa XIII
Date: TBD
Mission: FORMOSAT-5 – Falcon 9, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
2 CubeSat Missions scheduled to be deployed
ISARA – Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
EcAMSat – NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. -
#274 by titusou on 19 Jul, 2017 10:01
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I was at shipout ceremony this morning, a few thing might interest you:
Original launch plan (2010) is indeed using Falcon1e
700M NTD launch cost is what it costed for Falcon1e
1.25% per month delay penalty is based on 700M NTD launch cost
Titus -
#275 by FutureSpaceTourist on 19 Jul, 2017 11:18
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I was at shipout ceremony this morning, a few thing might interest you:
Original launch plan (2010) is indeed using Falcon1e
700M NTD launch cost is what it costed for Falcon1e
1.25% per month delay penalty is based on 700M NTD launch cost
Titus
Thanks for posting.
At current exchange rate 700M NTD is about 23M USD. When the contract was announced in 2010, December 2013 was the suggested launch date. IIRC date moved to late 2015 due to delays in payload?
Also aren't delay penalties often capped at a certain number of months (eg a year?) -
#276 by SmallKing on 19 Jul, 2017 11:52
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I was at shipout ceremony this morning, a few thing might interest you:
Original launch plan (2010) is indeed using Falcon1e
700M NTD launch cost is what it costed for Falcon1e
1.25% per month delay penalty is based on 700M NTD launch cost
Titus
Thanks for posting.
At current exchange rate 700M NTD is about 23M USD. When the contract was announced in 2010, December 2013 was the suggested launch date. IIRC date moved to late 2015 due to delays in payload?
Also aren't delay penalties often capped at a certain number of months (eg a year?)QuoteSpaceX is contractually required to pay 1.25 percent of the contract amount — about NT$700 million — for every month’s delay, Chang said, adding that the company is expected to pay 10 percent in compensation.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2017/06/30/2003673593 -
#277 by titusou on 19 Jul, 2017 14:32
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I was at shipout ceremony this morning, a few thing might interest you:
Original launch plan (2010) is indeed using Falcon1e
700M NTD launch cost is what it costed for Falcon1e
1.25% per month delay penalty is based on 700M NTD launch cost
Titus
Thanks for posting.
At current exchange rate 700M NTD is about 23M USD. When the contract was announced in 2010, December 2013 was the suggested launch date. IIRC date moved to late 2015 due to delays in payload?
Also aren't delay penalties often capped at a certain number of months (eg a year?)
Back in 2010, the original planned launch date was Dec,2013.
(Source: http://www.spacex.com/press/2012/12/19/spacex-and-national-space-organization-nspo-sign-contract-launch)
According to director, the penalty is capped as 10%.
Titus -
#278 by Chris Bergin on 14 Aug, 2017 21:12
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: 30th Space Wing Public Affairs, www.vandenberg.af.mil
Falcon 9 scheduled to launch
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Team Vandenberg is scheduled to launch
the FORMOSAT-5 satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch
Complex-4 here Thursday, Aug. 24, between 11:50 a.m. and 12:34 p.m. PDT.
Col. Gregory E. Wood , 30th Space Wing vice commander, will be the launch
safety authority.
"We are proud to provide a safe and secure launch location for our mission
partners," said Wood. "This mission is the practical demonstration of the
professional spirit and teamwork found in the everyday operations of Team
Vandenberg and SpaceX."
For questions about the booster please contact John Taylor, SpaceX
communications director
The local community can view this launch from the Hawk's Nest on Hwy 1 south
of Vandenberg Air Force Base's main gate. Gate opens at 10:30 a.m. and
closes at 11:40 a.m. As a reminder the public is asked not to bring or
consume alcohol, smoke, nor have any open fires or barbeques. Weapons are
not allowed, additionally, the use of small unmanned aerial systems within
five miles of any active runway is prohibited.
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#279 by Michael Baylor on 19 Aug, 2017 23:28
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Regarding the fire at Vandenberg right now...
With the time and location this is either an incredible coincidence or F9 being naughty. Being someone who lives in California, what I can say is that I am not the least surprised. We have very dry summers here. The grass hills (including the ones near Vandenberg) are great for starting fires. California gets almost all it's rain in the winter. So the grass goes bone dry in the summer, becoming a golden brown color. This is why we are sometimes called "The Golden State."
I suppose the crews were prepared for this, however fires from launches can start quite a bit of away from the pad. Just look at this photo from yesterday's Atlas V launch in Florida. This small fire was a huge distance from the pad. It's well beyond the ULA assembly building, which is already a decent distance. Seems very possible that due to the large radius for a potential ignition, combined with the perfect environmental factors that a wildfire managed to get going.
