SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - Jason 3 - SLC-4E Vandenberg - Jan 17, 2016 - DISCUSSION

[Kaputnik]

With conditions like that in the LZ, maybe they should just practice a water landing and save having to make barge repairs.

I still say they should use a SWATH hulled craft.  Minimizes pitch and roll significantly.  Kind of like the big rigs in the gulf...

Is that a jack-up barge like vessel? I think the water depth at the LZ might be too deep. IIRC, it's ~3,000' deep there - but don't quote me with that depth!

No, not a jackup, it's a type of catamaran designed for stability. Essentially, there is little increase in buoyancy as it becomes more immersed (unlike conventional hulls) so it doesn't respond to waves and swell in the same way.

[abaddon]

The best way is to just build your own island.  Well, build one for each location you plan to land on.

Since we're all discussing as if cost is no object, you know...

[rsdavis9]

So a swath boat kind of like this one but bigger.
http://www.moc.noaa.gov/fh/

[Zed_Noir]

So a swath boat kind of like this one but bigger.
http://www.moc.noaa.gov/fh/

More like a semi-submersible oil platform.

[abaddon]

As fun as this diversion has been, this thread is about Jason-3, which will be attempting to land on an ASDS (or water, if the weather is too severe).  Discussion of more expensive and/or robust landing platforms should be continued in another thread.

[Lee Jay]

As fun as this diversion has been, this thread is about Jason-3, which will be attempting to land on an ASDS (or water, if the weather is too severe).  Discussion of more expensive and/or robust landing platforms should be continued in another thread.

Interestingly, as far as stability in high seas goes, almost nothing is worse than a barge.  But, of course, nothing is cheaper than a barge either.

[kch]

As fun as this diversion has been, this thread is about Jason-3, which will be attempting to land on an ASDS (or water, if the weather is too severe).  Discussion of more expensive and/or robust landing platforms should be continued in another thread.

Interestingly, as far as stability in high seas goes, almost nothing is worse than a barge.  But, of course, nothing is cheaper than a barge either.

Nothing could be quite a bit cheaper than a barge (depending on the size of the barge) ... and you get your returning stage washed immediately, too!  Just need to keep it afloat 'til you can get to it. 

[RubberToe]

I'm actually going to be traveling up the coast (Solvang) that morning. Can someone state whether I would be able to see the launch from say 20-30 miles up the highway, and whether the stage 1 landing on the barge would be visible, or even being able to see part of the first stage return?

Thanks,
RT

[Kabloona]

I'm actually going to be traveling up the coast (Solvang) that morning. Can someone state whether I would be able to see the launch from say 20-30 miles up the highway, and whether the stage 1 landing on the barge would be visible, or even being able to see part of the first stage return?

Thanks,
RT

There's a whole thread in the subject here:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=39176.40

But the barge will be 150+ miles south, so you won't see the landing.

[Robotbeat]

I'm actually going to be traveling up the coast (Solvang) that morning. Can someone state whether I would be able to see the launch from say 20-30 miles up the highway, and whether the stage 1 landing on the barge would be visible, or even being able to see part of the first stage return?

Thanks,
RT

There's a whole thread in the subject here:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=39176.40

But the barge will be 150+ miles southe, so you won't see the landing.

depends on how high up you are. You should see reentry burn, and the landing burn does start up pretty high. Horizon is:

Distance (in km) to horizon = ~3.57*sqrt(height in meters)

(And you need to do this on both sides and add the distances together)

[Ohsin]

Hans: No EA for range yet. Sea state a bit high for landing but they are looking forward to it.

[411rocket]

Questions kind of light for this Briefing, compared to others I have watched.

[ZachS09]

I've been reading reports about the "Just Read The Instructions" droneship being used for the barging attempt. Is it the same one that was used for CRS-5 and CRS-6? Or is it the unnamed droneship?

Personally, I thought the original JRTI barge was out of service since last May.

[Retired Downrange]

See full discussion in the ASDS forum thread....

"It is still JRTI - it just was transplanted from the Marmac 300 hull to the Marmac 303 hull.

So if you really have to (for some odd reason) speak of specific version, JRTI (Marmac 300) and JRTI (Marmac 303) should work. For the vast majority of use cases, just JRTI will probably do the trick."

I unsuccessfully tried to quote from:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=36326.0

[Zed_Noir]

See full discussion in the ASDS forum thread....

It is still JRTI - it just was transplanted from the Marmac 300 hull to the Marmac 303 hull.

So if you really have to (for some odd reason) speak of specific version, JRTI (Marmac 300) and JRTI (Marmac 303) should work. For the vast majority of use cases, just JRTI will probably do the trick.

There is a lot of posts on this in several threads. The following post is from the ASDS Naming Discussion Thread.

The mystery is solved at last!
From the ASDS thread;

SpaceX West Coast Droneship Gets New Paint, Old Name - "Just Read The Instructions"

So, that ASDS has been the original Just Read the Instructions all along! It's the same ASDS, just with a few new upgraded parts (the bits between the wing extensions).

Now, if I was truly the obnoxious type, I'd say "I told you so!", and... oh, what the heck, I am the obnoxious type, so I will!
 

[CJ]

There is a lot of posts on this in several threads. The following post is from the ASDS Naming Discussion Thread.

The mystery is solved at last!
From the ASDS thread;

SpaceX West Coast Droneship Gets New Paint, Old Name - "Just Read The Instructions"

So, that ASDS has been the original Just Read the Instructions all along! It's the same ASDS, just with a few new upgraded parts (the bits between the wing extensions).

Now, if I was truly the obnoxious type, I'd say "I told you so!", and... oh, what the heck, I am the obnoxious type, so I will!
 

I agree in the main, Zed_Noir, but quoting the truly obnoxious CJ is rarely a good idea, because he might now appear in this thread. 

The sea state for the ASDS is a cause for concern at the moment. Right now, a buoy about 50 miles from the recovery site is reporting 6.2 foot waves. That should be fine, but the forecast is for worsening. Here's a link to the buoy for live sea state and wind data.
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46047

My guess is that if it doesn't worsen too much, it'll be within the F9's capability (I'm a bit more worried about wind than I am sea state) and the wind is now 7.8 kts sustained, gusting to 9.7.

[macpacheco]

The weather is clearing out. At least for the launch site. Given the modest distance it should improve until landing time.

[Dante80]

copying from the update thread.

After OG2 there was talk that SpaceX would offer two webcasts. One for the feral public, similar to the OG2 one, and another for us space geeks. Any word as to if this is happening?

Some awesome news from /u/bencredible on reddit who handles webcast directly

Yes. We will have a multi-camera setup on YouTube that allows you to switch between the two. You'll be able to view it here:

Once we go live you'll see two boxes at the top that. Pick the 'Hosted Webcast' version to select the main webcast and pick the 'Rocket Views' version to get only the Rocket and Countdown Net audio. I'm not 100% sure if that works on mobile or not, we're relying on YouTube's multi angle feature to do this. Let me know how it goes after launch and I'll evaluate if we'll continue this method in the future or if we do something different.

You will see the graphics on the rocket views version. Biggest difference is that it is unhosted. So no crowd shots, no cool cheering. Just the rocket and the nets.

Direct link to quote

Also he said landing would be live streamed but no more inside rocket views.

No more inside rocket views means no views from the S2 LOX tank and the payload inside the fairing? Or sth else?

[docmordrid]

I read that as they have two video channels and offering the tank cam would require three.

[Semmel]

Direct link to quote

Also he said landing would be live streamed but no more inside rocket views.

I might also add for German viewers (and maybe more), that the 'Rocket Views' webcast (without the hosts) will only be available via youtube lifestream. This is not available in Germany for ridiculous reasons over copy right.