Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 (Flight 2) - COTS-1 - Launch Updates - December 8, 2010  (Read 604120 times)

Offline ugordan

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IIRC the tower hose was also on fire at launch #1, but not as spectacular as today.

It wented a lot of gas, but definitely didn't burst into flames like that. For a moment it looked like the vehicle itself was going.

Offline tigerade

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Awesome job SpaceX!!! Beautiful Dragon sep!!!  Good luck with the rest of the mission.

Online Robotbeat

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from twitter:
SpaceXMissions
Beautiful launch! Dragon is in orbit. Will provide status updates as available.
less than 10 seconds ago via web
On-orbit operations underway
2 minutes ago via web
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Davidgojr

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Fantastic launch and webcast coverage!  Congrats to SpaceX and the teams that have worked so hard.  I can't wait to see how the rest of the day goes!

Offline clongton

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Congrats to Space-X AGAIN!
Chuck - DIRECT co-founder
I started my career on the Saturn-V F-1A engine

Offline craigcocca

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Does anyone know the dock/berth that the SpaceX recovery forces are operating from in Southern California? Would like to head out to Long Beach to see Dragon following recovery today if I can find out where they're operating from.
-- Craig

"Why don't you fix your little problem and light this candle..."

Offline Chris Bergin

Forgot to note, this is like MECO after an orbiter's ride into orbit. Can post away now (only had housekeep during the updates or we get so many complaints etc).

Echo what Pete said. Will always be loyal to Shuttle, but that was very impressive and had the same nerves during ascent.
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Offline randomly

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I wonder if the reason they cut so much off the bell because if they cut anything off, the stiffening rings would no longer fit and they would have to fabricate new ones. So they just shortened it to the point where it wouldn't need a stiffening ring.

Offline Mapperuo

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HD of the launch already online:

- Aaron

Offline thomson

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From SpaceXMissions: "Dragon Separates from Falcon 9 and initializes propulsion".

Offline e of pi

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Fantastic show from SpaceX, really glad I had today off classes anyway.... :)

Offline clongton

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Chris - any confirmation of Dragon recovery operations timetable?
Chuck - DIRECT co-founder
I started my career on the Saturn-V F-1A engine

Offline antonioe

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Good operation, good recovery from anomalies, smooth flight.  That's how things are done!

Congratulations.

- Antonio Elias
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Offline jimvela

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From SpaceX twitter:

Quote
On-orbit operations underway

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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If we can say nothing else, we can now with justification say that Falcon-9 is robust enough to deliver payloads to orbit even if it is in a very jerry-rigged state.
"Oops! I left the silly thing in reverse!" - Duck Dodgers

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The Space Shuttle Program - 1981-2011

The time for words has passed; The time has come to put up or shut up!
DON'T PROPAGANDISE, FLY!!!

Offline beancounter

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Great effort SpaceX Team.  Musk quoted successful launch at 90% - beat that, and 60% for Dragon return.  Go Dragon!
Beat the second launch stat's as well. 1st launch - lotta luck!!?? 2 in a row, not so much, perhaps good system, processes after all.  Gotta agree, looked solid right from the word GO.
Reallly exciting.  Missed the first one live so this was doubly so.
Beancounter from DownUnder

Offline echalone

Congratulations SpaceX!!! Thank you for your great work towards commercial spaceflight :)) Looking forward to see it reenter...

By the way: Woah! I almost thought the thing blows up at the beginning... I assume some hydrogen plume fire from the refuling hose??
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch

Offline Zoomer30

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No worries mates, the only thing the Falcon knows how to do is fly. And well I might add. The only bad thing is in a way you almost WANT stuff to go wrong on the early flights.....gives the engineers a good feeling when they know what to fix.

Offline edkyle99

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288 P
301 A

A touch early on the Mvac shutdown compared to the press kit numbers, and a slightly low perigee according to these preliminary numbers, but press kits sometimes are "approximations" and the orbit seems good enough for this mission.   

Falcon 9 looks like a keeper.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 12/08/2010 03:05 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline docmordrid

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SpaceXMissions: "On-orbit operations underway"
DM

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