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

[hopalong]

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

I suspect that the engineers will have a very close look at this stage if/when it gets back to the nest as it would have been exposed to a few days of salt water on the deck of JRTI. Salt Water + any high tech generally equals bad news 

On the engine front, if is just a case of turning the thrust control on the controller to '11' - why not after a full inspection.

 

[Jarnis]

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

I suspect that the engineers will have a very close look at this stage if/when it gets back to the nest as it would have been exposed to a few days of salt water on the deck of JRTI. Salt Water + any high tech generally equals bad news 

On the engine front, if is just a case of turning the thrust control on the controller to '11' - why not after a full inspection.

Supposedly 1.1 and FT engines have some minor differences. No idea if one can just swap those different parts to new spec ones or what.

[Joey S-IVB]

I'm getting conflicting information about the ground track of the Falcon 9 for the Jason 3 launch. I'm told the normal ground track for polar and high inclination orbits from Vandenberg is southwest. Another space site is claiming it's south-southeast.  Since Hans Koeningsmann stated yesterday that there will NOT be a dogleg maneuver,  and that it would use a normal trajectory, which is to the southwest according to my understanding. The second S2 burn will also place Jason 3 in the correct inclination and circularize the orbit. Does anyone know the F9's ground track conclusively?

Adding the image below for the normal range safety limits from a paper entitled: "30th Space Wing/Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Site Safety Assessment February 2000." This image also suggests a southwest ground track, since there is no dog leg maneuver for Jason 3's F9.

[ZachS09]

This may sound wild, but I'll be watching three webcasts at the same time during Jason 3's launch today: the two livestreams SpaceX is offering and the NASA TV feed.

[MP99]

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

Offer it to NASA for another launch. Saves any issues if NASA has reservations about certifying the FT.

Cheers, Martin

[Kabloona]

I'm getting conflicting information about the ground track of the Falcon 9 for the Jason 3 launch. I'm told the normal ground track for polar and high inclination orbits from Vandenberg is southwest. Another space site is claiming it's south-southeast.  Since Hans Koeningsmann stated yesterday that there will NOT be a dogleg maneuver,  and that it would use a normal trajectory, which is to the southwest according to my understanding. The second S2 burn will also place Jason 3 in the correct inclination and circularize the orbit. Does anyone know the F9's ground track conclusively?

Adding the image below for the normal range safety limits from a paper entitled: "30th Space Wing/Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Site Safety Assessment February 2000." This image also suggests a southwest ground track, since there is no dog leg maneuver for Jason 3's F9.

If I'm reading his posts correctly, Newton_V says the azimuth will be as close to Santa Rosa island as allowable, ie around 155 degrees.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29457.msg1393197#msg1393197
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29457.msg1393254#msg1393254

That azimuth will put the upper stage/payload stack close to the desired 66 degree inclination, with around 4-5 degrees correction needed by S2.

The ground track shown in the Air Force figure you posted is for a much more inclined orbit, ie polar.

[Zed_Noir]

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

Offer it to NASA for another launch. Saves any issues if NASA has reservations about certifying the FT.

Cheers, Martin

Don't think SpaceX can launch the F9 v1.1 from the East coast anymore, after upgrading pads for the F9 FT with the VAFB pad to follow.

[psloss]

FWIW, the media advisory (well, one of them) says:

For photographers, the launch azimuth after liftoff will be 142.8 degrees.

[Kabloona]

FWIW, the media advisory (well, one of them) says:

For photographers, the launch azimuth after liftoff will be 142.8 degrees.

I don't see how that's possible, since optimim azimuth for a 66 degree inclination would be 150 degrees, and range safety/overflight constraints will reportedly limit the azimuth to around 155 degrees. Must be a mistake.

[Prober]

well this won't be the most enjoyable 

NASA streams are having issues, wasn't an issue with the EVA the other day.

Might as well wait for the after launch utube video

[mtakala24]

Are you saying that Nasa TV's Youtube stream is also having issues?

[Prober]

Are you saying that Nasa TV's Youtube stream is also having issues?

pure NASA tv.....looking atm for stable stream

[fatdeeman]

Don't spacex stream live on youtube? Or is it the nasa coverage you want specifically?

[mvpel]

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.

This is an instructive bit of work: http://space.stackexchange.com/questions/8771/how-stable-would-a-falcon-9-first-stage-be-after-it-has-landed-on-a-barge

The poster estimates that the stage would have to reach an angle of 23 degrees before its center of gravity - quite low since it's nearly empty - would pass the tips of the extended legs.

[Kryten]

Here's a youtube mirror of the NASA TV media stream, it seems to be stable;

[rsdavis9]

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...

I was thinking instead of welding using robots with electromagnets that position them then turn them on to clamp to deck.

[mlindner]

Here's a youtube mirror of the NASA TV media stream, it seems to be stable;

The NASA TV youtube streams have half the framerate of normal video. Not sure why. If you can deal with that, have at it.

Here are the _two_ spaceX streams that will start later. These won't have framerate issues.

[Jarnis]

well this won't be the most enjoyable 

NASA streams are having issues, wasn't an issue with the EVA the other day.

Might as well wait for the after launch utube video

Ustream NASA HD stream was crapping for me too, but the stream here:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

...works fine for me.

[JBF]

What time does the fog usually burn off?

[Prober]

well this won't be the most enjoyable 

NASA streams are having issues, wasn't an issue with the EVA the other day.

Might as well wait for the after launch utube video

Ustream NASA HD stream was crapping for me too, but the stream here:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

...works fine for me.

thx for the input, at least I wasn't alone (not my internet service)