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

[Lars-J]

Cannot watch that, I am at work. Can someone please describe what happens? 

A perfect landing. The slooooowly it falls over, then fireball.

[Lee Jay]

Video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqirNbwEc0/

Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing. Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff.

Looks like a really soft landing.

[Dante80]

Video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqirNbwEc0/

Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing. Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff.

Cannot watch that, I am at work. Can someone please describe what happens? 

A perfect landing. The slooooowly it falls over, then fireball.

Oh...that's a bout of bad luck then. They'll get it next time, and thats another root cause to fix for next time...C:

[NovaSilisko]

That leg should've eaten more spinach. And we were so worried about the barge wobbling around...

[leetdan]

Video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqirNbwEc0/

Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing. Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff.

Looks like a really soft landing.

...and yet, a noticeable bounce on the legs.  They can take quite some dynamic force.

Check out the water deluge slewing toward the plume as it lands 

[Lee Jay]

Video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqirNbwEc0/

Falcon lands on droneship, but the lockout collet doesn't latch on one the four legs, causing it to tip over post landing. Root cause may have been ice buildup due to condensation from heavy fog at liftoff.

Cannot watch that, I am at work. Can someone please describe what happens? 

Perfect, dead-center landing, soft, engine shuts off, then one leg slowly collapses as the rocket tips over, and the tanks explode when they hit the deck.

[punder]

Dead freaking center, a perfect touchdown. Wow, the tanks blew into a million pieces.

[Johnnyhinbos]

Rocket comes almost straight down.
Downward velocity zeros out as all legs touch.
Center engine cuts out.
Leg nearest camera kinda folds up, causing rocket to skew camera right.
Leg fully fails and rocket toppled just to right of camera.
Remaining prop ignites in a satisfactory RUD.
Repeat...

[afarkas]

Seeing how perfect that almost was, and yet still knowing what was inevitably going to happen, made that video physically painful to watch.

They are sticking the next one.

[faramund]

Seeing how perfect that almost was, and yet still knowing what was inevitably going to happen, made that video physically painful to watch.

They are sticking the next one.

It does seem like they are making clear progress with barge landings. So here's hoping.

[Herb Schaltegger]

While we're doing again what nerds do and nitpicking over minutia, someone look at that image again and tell me the sharply-defined region around the bottom half of the stage is "soot" (versus my assertion from the previous landing that it's ablative paint that has clearly done its job).

Here is a bigger version. Tell us again how this image resolves the debate? Most of the soot or energy that is deposited on the side would come from the re-entry burn - not the landing burn.

The debate wasn't where the heat/energy comes from. It was whether the discoloration was soot (particulate products of kerolox combustion blown back and physically adhering to the stage body, and thus could be washed off) or the area of the stage covered by putative ablative coating/paint that has worn away with the heat - whatever the source.

[jamesh9000]

If this explanation of condensation from the fog is correct, then this is a clear example of how when you do things nobodies ever done before, new things crop up that nobody expected. I expect a few more of these through the years as they figure all these things out, but eventually it'll be routine. Well done SpaceX.

[Lars-J]

For those who cannot see the instagram video - Here is the moment where the stage has engines off, standing straight up. (the curved look of the top of the stage is due to an off-center wide angle lens)

[docmordrid]

This almost sounds like a job for a dumb, spring loaded locking pin and blind socket.

[sewand]

Each barge attempt gets closer and closer. 
Maybe it's the camera angle, but the legs still seem to be deploying even in the last 50 feet. 

[Rhyshaelkan]

Barge did not seem to be pitching much from start of video to the end. Was worried about it while watching the broadcast.

[punder]

If this explanation of condensation from the fog is correct, then this is a clear example of how when you do things nobodies ever done before, new things crop up that nobody expected. I expect a few more of these through the years as they figure all these things out, but eventually it'll be routine. Well done SpaceX.

Please elaborate, what is this explanation about condensation?

[OnWithTheShow]

So did the forces of the legs as it tipped over breach the core? It seems to RUD before contacting the deck. Also noticed the failed leg snapped back up to the core near the RUD maybe that punctured it?

[CraigLieb]

I think this counts as a successful landing with a rough taxi.

[the_other_Doug]

Well, at least this should reassure SpaceX that the ASDS landing technique will work.  They just need to fix the landing leg issue, that sucker landed perfectly.

If this was due to excess condensation/icing from the fog, does this induce a launch constraint?  Or is it possible to protect or seal these collets from condensation?

And, final question, would the upgraded legs being flown from here on out be subject to the same condensation/icing failure mode?