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

[guckyfan]

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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.

It seems that has changed. I watched the Orbcomm launch on YouTube live stream without problems.

[Semmel]

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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.

It seems that has changed. I watched the Orbcomm launch on YouTube live stream without problems.

O wow.. I check occationally if it works but did not try for Orbcomm. Hope it wasnt a fluke! Thanks for the heads up.

[jimbowman]

No more pretty LOX shots? 

[Rhyshaelkan]

anyone hosting a chatroom for the launch. I like to socialize during such events.

[Norm38]

^^^ isn't that what the party thread is for?

[Rhyshaelkan]

meh... not the same. I like to express every ooo and ahh. That clutters up a forum... but not a chatroom as bad.

[meekGee]

spaceX twitter:

Out at sea for tomorrow's launch and landing attempt https://t.co/9LMsj6qryI

For context - what's the sea state in this picture?

[deruch]

spaceX twitter:

Out at sea for tomorrow's launch and landing attempt https://t.co/9LMsj6qryI

For context - what's the sea state in this picture?

Wet.

[Coastal Ron]

spaceX twitter:

Out at sea for tomorrow's launch and landing attempt...

For context - what's the sea state in this picture?

I don't know the definitions of sea states, but I have spent some time on the ocean.  Notice there are some white caps, but few of them, so it has some roughness to it - it's not flat and rolling, but a little choppy.  Not ideal, depending on the peaks and troughs.

[meekGee]

spaceX twitter:

Out at sea for tomorrow's launch and landing attempt https://t.co/9LMsj6qryI

For context - what's the sea state in this picture?

Wet.

Yeah, and salty, I'm sure.

What I'm asking - the wave forecast was rough (15' IIRC), and this looks to my untrained eye awfully calm - nothing like the pictures from the previous bad weather encounter (a lifetime and a half ago, it seems).

So was this taken close to shore?  Did the weather change for the better? Or is this actually worse than it looks?

[Johnnyhinbos]

The sea state is predicted to have swells increasing at the LZ. Right now it's increased from 7' to 12', but the period's increased - so more in the realm of swells (rollers) than breaking waves. If the period reduces then the ASDS will develop more of a snapping / jerking motion than an undulating one.

EDIT: 12' waves, regardless of period, is not fun. It's not pretty out there...

[Johnnyhinbos]

Also, note the bow port thruster (left thruster in image). The head unit (hydraulic motor) is completely submerged. That's pretty telling as to the sea state already. I'm sure it's bow into the waves, and it must be, uh, lively out there...!

[Kaputnik]

Sea state is a rather complex thing, simplistically boiled down into the Beaufort Scale. White caps start to appear from a F4 (IIRC) but probably more important to the ASDS is the underlying swell pattern- and this can have little to do with current winds, but reflects the accumulation of days of different weather events.

[darkenfast]

Also, note the bow port thruster (left thruster in image). The head unit (hydraulic motor) is completely submerged. That's pretty telling as to the sea state already. I'm sure it's bow into the waves, and it must be, uh, lively out there...!

I don't see any Thustmaster mounted there at all.  Are they still using four of the units (one at each corner)?

Edit (to answer my own question): I looked at other images of the barge and it appears that when the smaller Thrustmaster that is on that end is down, the upper part of the unit would be obscured by wing-deck at that angle of view.

[The Amazing Catstronaut]

Landing tolerances are higher than  launch tolerances in regards to weather (apparently). If it can launch, they'll try to land it. There's no real biggie if they smash the last V1.1 core. Of course, the weather may not be exactly the same at launch and landing site.

[alang]

I wonder if there is any scope for securing the stage remotely after it has landed. When I've looked at this site before there's been a suggestion of welding 'shoes' to the legs to secure it.
I'm thinking of the scenario when the stage has landed successfully, the sea state is too bad to board safely and the stage hasn't toppled overboard yet.
Maybe use some of those remote caterpillar tread vehicles used for bomb disposal?
Too expensive or pointless?

[alang]

...I suppose there is also the issue of the stage acting as a sail - maybe under some conditions they'd rather lose the stage than the drone ship.

[Kaputnik]

I wonder if there is any scope for securing the stage remotely after it has landed. When I've looked at this site before there's been a suggestion of welding 'shoes' to the legs to secure it.
I'm thinking of the scenario when the stage has landed successfully, the sea state is too bad to board safely and the stage hasn't toppled overboard yet.
Maybe use some of those remote caterpillar tread vehicles used for bomb disposal?
Too expensive or pointless?

That crossed my mind too- something like an oversized Roomba with a big mig welder on the back.
Compared to some of the problems Elon has tackled, seems almost too easy...

[kirghizstan]

what happens to this stage if they do land it.  does it donate the engines to a new F9 body because the v1.1 isn't going to be used again, but the engines are the same (I think) as those on the full thrust falcon

[Rocket Science]

spaceX twitter:

Out at sea for tomorrow's launch and landing attempt https://t.co/9LMsj6qryI

For context - what's the sea state in this picture?

In pilot's speak we call that "glassy" tricky for float landings and ditching to ascertain height above water...