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

[MarsInMyLifetime]

The tanks were likely split open--we've seen flat pieces from the first landing attempts lying on deck. Since I see plumbing rather than engine bells, I think we are seeing the top side of the engine structure, looking across pieces of tank, one leg still attached. Hoping that the engines and bells are actually in good shape on the other side, although likely needing considerable rehabilitation!

[NovaSilisko]

It's definitely the octaweb with a leg sticking out of it. Looks like the whole rocket body burst on landing and got shredded. The engines (or what's left of them) are facing away from the camera, and we're looking at what would have been around the bottom of the first stage tankage.

edit: MarsInMyLifetime beat me by about 60 seconds =p

[punder]

a) the two nubbins sticking up from the fuselage / leg correspond with nubbins seen on previous legs

These nubbins. Wups, simultaneous post with OxcartMark!

[docmordrid]

Cropped, zoomed.

Looks like a leg folded back up on the stage. I think we can see part of the orca discoloration pattern.

[GregA]

Nope

From an earlier SpaceX tweet (inverted)
(https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/584130175224295424 )

Look at the shape of the leg. Same as the photo docmordrid enhanced above.

[schaban]

Nope

Looks like they already detached some stuff: legs and probably engines. No?

[Lars-J]

Geez, some of you... Don't quit your day jobs for any photo interpretation job, should it be offered.

[GregA]

Looks like a leg folded back up on the stage. I think we can see part of the orca discoloration pattern.

Folded up on the stage? There's no stage there.

Geez, some of you... Don't quit your day jobs for any photo interpretation job, should it be offered.

Sorry which is your interpretation Lars?

[punder]

Definitely just a leg.

Sure hope somebody didn't use up all the glue... on purpose.

[NovaSilisko]

The only way I can see it is that we're viewing the part of the octaweb that would normally be attached to the rest of the rocket, and the side of the leg that would normally be pressed against the rocket body. If I had a 3d model of a Falcon 9 handy, I would cut it up and make an image showing the geometry from multiple perspectives to show why I think so.

[OxCartMark]

The good news (other than stuff orbiting where stuff was supposed to orbit)  is that there should be a clear bingo winner.

Not sure which visual interpretation you are advocating as obvious, Lars.?.

[Lars-J]

The good news (other than stuff orbiting where stuff was supposed to orbit)  is that there should be a clear bingo winner.

Not sure which visual interpretation you are advocating as obvious, Lars.?.

Octaweb and leg.

[Dante80]

We are viewing (I think)

1. An octaweb (from below it) with the engines blown out.
2. A partially extended leg segment.


If there is more of the stage, it could be attached in front of the octaweb and we cannot see from this angle.

[laika_fr]

Wave height at barge location was definitely close to 15 feet, a serious swell. (meanwhile wind speed was very low ~6.2mph)
Definitely on the high bracket for ASDS recoveries.

They mastered the wind, to some extent ( not crazy winds yet, but still pretty respectable ones).
Center engine is also clearly strong with the force and has shown great accuracy.
Handling the swell is the natural next step, looks like we will have to wait a lil' more, dang leg.

[punder]

I think we're seeing the octaweb from the top; the tank is gone.

Shall we put something down on it? I like Glenlivet, and 12-year is just fine. 

[sittingduck]

I don't know how anybody is seeing the rocket body, it appears to be entirely gone.

I see only the very bottom of the rocket; the octoweb as seen from above (as if from inside the stage), and one landing leg still attached to the octoweb, also seen from above.   See crude sketch.

[punder]

Look at the enhanced picture.. it's clearly the underside of the leg you're seeing, not the top. If the tankage is intact at all, it's behind the octoweb.

Have to respectfully disagree. Looks like "inside" of leg to me, and that is a conduit or plumbing (lox line?) coming out of the top of the octaweb, to the left.

[Jeff Lerner]

Any thoughts as to whether this is the leg that didn't lock and as a result was the survivor

[NovaSilisko]

I can't for the life of me model anything on short notice, but here's an exceedingly quick representation of what it looks like we're seeing, first in a perspective similar to the camera, then in an imaginary view from a bird's eye perspective. The piles of scorched crap visible in the foreground of the photography are what's left of the tankage.

[Zach Swena]

Look at the enhanced picture.. it's clearly the underside of the leg you're seeing, not the top. If the tankage is intact at all, it's behind the octoweb.

At second look, agreed.

Any thoughts as to whether this is the leg that didn't lock and as a result was the survivor

That is an interesting thought.

Do you think that is the tank side of the octaweb we see then?