Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - Jason 3 - SLC-4E Vandenberg - Jan 17, 2016 - DISCUSSION (Read 594371 times)

Kabloona · « **Reply #180 on:** 01/09/2015 02:49 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 04:36 am

Peter B. de Selding @pbdes
Nasa: US-Euro Jason3 ocean-altimetry sat on SpaceX F9 delayed to mid-yr due to SpaceX CRS-6 acceleration+range avail+rocket certification.

CRS-6 is currently scheduled on April 8 so that makes sense. The problem is how many launch missions are planned between CRS-5 and CRS-6 - 2 or 3 or something else?

Don't forget pad abort, which Hans said would be 1Q 2015.

Jim · « **Reply #181 on:** 01/09/2015 04:44 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 04:36 am

Peter B. de Selding @pbdes
Nasa: US-Euro Jason3 ocean-altimetry sat on SpaceX F9 delayed to mid-yr due to SpaceX CRS-6 acceleration+range avail+rocket certification.

CRS-6 is currently scheduled on April 8 so that makes sense. The problem is how many launch missions are planned between CRS-5 and CRS-6 - 2 or 3 or something else?

CRS-6 launches from the Cape, Jason-3 is from VAFB.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #182 on:** 01/09/2015 05:04 pm »

Quote from: Jim on 01/09/2015 04:44 pm

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 04:36 am
Peter B. de Selding @pbdes
Nasa: US-Euro Jason3 ocean-altimetry sat on SpaceX F9 delayed to mid-yr due to SpaceX CRS-6 acceleration+range avail+rocket certification.

CRS-6 is currently scheduled on April 8 so that makes sense. The problem is how many launch missions are planned between CRS-5 and CRS-6 - 2 or 3 or something else?

CRS-6 launches from the Cape, Jason-3 is from VAFB.

I was thinking more about personnel and rocket production availability about that quote.

Anyway, are you trying to imply that you know something about this that you can't say here?

Jim · « **Reply #183 on:** 01/09/2015 05:13 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 05:04 pm

I was thinking more about personnel and rocket production availability about that quote.

are they suppose to be ramping up to support higher flight rates?

saliva_sweet · « **Reply #184 on:** 01/09/2015 05:59 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 04:36 am

Peter B. de Selding @pbdes
Nasa: US-Euro Jason3 ocean-altimetry sat on SpaceX F9 delayed to mid-yr due to SpaceX CRS-6 acceleration+range avail+rocket certification.

Quote from: Jim on 01/09/2015 04:44 pm

CRS-6 launches from the Cape, Jason-3 is from VAFB.

Quote from: Jim on 01/09/2015 05:13 pm

are they suppose to be ramping up to support higher flight rates?

Jim, youre sending some really cryptic messages here. Are you saying the reasons 1 and 2 (in bold) seem rather contrived? I fully agree. But that leaves the third reason, certification (not bolded), that was also noted by CNES. You were arguing against that too, saying CNES doesn't know anything and should not be trusted. Is there a fourth reason?

Sesquipedalian · « **Reply #185 on:** 01/09/2015 07:43 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 05:04 pm

Anyway, are you trying to imply that you know something about this that you can't say here?

Jim conspicuously avoided answering this, so I think that gives us his answer.

Considering how prolific a poster Jim is, often what he doesn't post is as informative as what he does.

Mariusuiram · « **Reply #186 on:** 01/12/2015 05:18 am »

Quote from: Sesquipedalian on 01/09/2015 07:43 pm

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 01/09/2015 05:04 pm
Anyway, are you trying to imply that you know something about this that you can't say here?

Jim conspicuously avoided answering this, so I think that gives us his answer.

Considering how prolific a poster Jim is, often what he doesn't post is as informative as what he does.

I took Jim's question more as a critical comment on SpaceX's confidence in launching more than once a month. If all last year was spent upping the production rate and streamlining processes while this year adds a second pad in use, doesn't this draw into questions SpaceX's ability to actually increase its launch rate.

This is the exact situation where the supposed pad bottleneck gets solved. DSCOVR in Feb, CRS-6 in April with pad abort inbetween. But supposedly, SpaceX should be able to do launch prep independently at Vandy.

Joey S-IVB · « **Reply #187 on:** 02/12/2015 12:35 am »

Since the Jason 3 mission will be a LEO, will this flight attempt to return the first stage to either the ASDS or to SLC-4W?

averagespacejoe · « **Reply #188 on:** 02/12/2015 12:42 am »

From what I understand the Jason 3 is not launching in March at all since SpaceX still needs to get NASA certified. It looks like later in the year and I am not sure how easy it is to get ASDS to the Pacific I would imagine SpaceX just wants to build a second ASDS for those landings. When all is said and done it might try to land not sure what the margins are.

Jdeshetler · « **Reply #189 on:** 02/12/2015 12:45 am »

Quote from: averagespacejoe on 02/12/2015 12:42 am

I am not sure how easy it is to get ASDS to the Pacific I would imagine SpaceX just wants to build a second ASDS for those landings.

The western barge is already under construction and named "Of Course I Still Love You".

e of pi · « **Reply #190 on:** 02/12/2015 01:29 am »

It's serious. It's another Culture reference. Though maybe after today, they should have named it the Clear Air Turbulence...

averagespacejoe · « **Reply #191 on:** 02/12/2015 01:29 am »

Yes he is serious that is the name of the second ASDS the first one is Just Read the Instructions. I feel like Port and Joey don't obsess over this blog everyday looking for details

Joey S-IVB · « **Reply #192 on:** 02/12/2015 01:43 am »

Musk named them after science fiction ships. The current ASDS is named Just Read The Instructions.

Joey S-IVB · « **Reply #193 on:** 02/12/2015 01:47 am »

The Jason 3 mission is still listed as 31 March on sites like spaceflightnow.com and Vandenberg's website. So it's happening unless there's a reliable source that says it isn't.

Herb Schaltegger · « **Reply #194 on:** 02/12/2015 01:50 am »

Quote from: Joey S-IVB on 02/12/2015 01:47 am

The Jason 3 mission is still listed as 31 March on sites like spaceflightnow.com and Vandenberg's website. So it's happening unless there's a reliable source that says it isn't.

Do a search on this site for SpaceX Air Force certification. This was discussed to death in December when the USAF delayed granting the expected cert to Falcon 9.

Joey S-IVB · « **Reply #195 on:** 02/12/2015 01:54 am »

It's not a USAF mission, it's a JPL mission. I'm an L2 member, and read it every day. The Jason 3 mission rarely comes up, and certainly not under the USAF certification.

swervin · « **Reply #196 on:** 02/12/2015 02:02 am »

Quote from: Joey S-IVB on 02/12/2015 01:47 am

The Jason 3 mission is still listed as 31 March on sites like spaceflightnow.com and Vandenberg's website. So it's happening unless there's a reliable source that says it isn't.

FWIW:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/jason-3/

JPL says "July 2015"

Cheers,
Splinter

Joey S-IVB · « **Reply #197 on:** 02/12/2015 02:08 am »

Thank you, that's a reliable source. In conflict with two other reliable sources. Getting quality information on this public mission is not easy and quite frustrating.

CJ · « **Reply #198 on:** 02/12/2015 02:18 am »

Quote from: Joey S-IVB on 02/12/2015 02:08 am

Thank you, that's a reliable source. In conflict with two other reliable sources. Getting quality information on this public mission is not easy and quite frustrating.

Agreed that it's very frustrating, especially if it's a paperwork issue rather than a real issue.

The silver lining IMHO is that a launch delay means ASDS Of Course I still Love You should be ready to attempt a recovery.

baldusi · « **Reply #199 on:** 02/12/2015 12:33 pm »

The irony might be that if they don't require a fairing for counting successful launches, by Jason-3 they might end having the 14 successes in a row that make it almost a rubber stamp (in comparison) to certify for Category 3.