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#220
by
Skyrocket
on 03 Mar, 2018 09:51
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There were some mentions about an ISAT demonstrator as part of the STP-2 mission. But now I can't find any information about it. So are they still going to launch the ISAT on FH?
AFAIK, ISAT is pretty dead since many years (i think, i need to update my website on ISAT).
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#221
by
gongora
on 03 Mar, 2018 21:43
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I started trying to cross-reference the payloads mentioned in the recent Spaceflight Now article with Gunter's site, need to look at this more later.
[Spaceflight Now]
Rideshare mission for U.S. military confirmed as second Falcon Heavy launchKnown as the Space Test Program-2, or STP-2, mission, the Falcon Heavy launch will launch with 25 spacecraft inside its nose cone, according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center.
...
Most of the STP-2 payloads will go into circular low-altitude orbits around 447 miles (720 kilometers) above Earth, inclined 24 degrees to the equator. Then the Falcon Heavy will boost the DSX satellite into an unusual elliptical orbit ranging in altitude between 3,728 miles (6,000 kilometers) and 7,456 miles (12,000 kilometers), with a ground track shifting between 43 degrees north and south of the equator.
6x COSMIC-2/Formosat 7
DSX (600kg)
NASA
GPIMOrbital Test Bed (includes atomic clock)
Prox 1 +
Lightsail 2USAF Academy
FalconSat 7 (3U CubeSat)
Naval Postgraduate School
NPSat 1 (86kg)
Naval Research Laboratory
TEPCE 1,2 (2x1.5U Cubesat)
UT Austin
ARMADILLO (3U CubeSat)
Michigan Tech
Oculus-ASR (70kg)
Cal Poly / Merritt Island High School
LEO/CP 9 (2U CubeSat) and
StangSat (1U CubeSat)
----
US Naval Academy
BRICSat 2 (1.5U CubeSat)
US Naval Academy
PSat 2 (1.5U CubeSat,
Gunter's site)
TBEx (2x 3U CubeSats)
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#222
by
OnWithTheShow
on 04 Mar, 2018 04:54
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A Celestis space burial mission will also fly on this mission.
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#223
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 04 Mar, 2018 05:03
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A Celestis space burial mission will also fly on this mission.
Do the you know the mission or name for this Celestis payload?
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#224
by
Skyrocket
on 04 Mar, 2018 08:54
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A Celestis space burial mission will also fly on this mission.
Do the you know the mission or name for this Celestis payload?
It is called "Heritage Flight". The Celestis capsule is integrated into the OTB satellite.
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#225
by
Nehkara
on 09 Mar, 2018 20:28
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Is there any confirmation that SpaceX has been cleared by the Air Force to use flight-proven side boosters on this mission?
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#226
by
russianhalo117
on 09 Mar, 2018 20:41
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Is there any confirmation that SpaceX has been cleared by the Air Force to use flight-proven side boosters on this mission?
It is previously stated that the next launch which is now this flight will use all block-5 cores which in earlier announcement were to be all new. I have not come across anything different information wise.
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#227
by
ChrisGebhardt
on 09 Mar, 2018 22:15
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Is there any confirmation that SpaceX has been cleared by the Air Force to use flight-proven side boosters on this mission?
It is previously stated that the next launch which is now this flight will use all block-5 cores which in earlier announcement were to be all new. I have not come across anything different information wise.
I know the center core will be a new Block 5 as it has to be custom-built for FH. Where's the link to the announcement that both side cores (regular F9 Block 5s with nose cones instead of interstages) are going to be new Block 5s for this mission?
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#228
by
Kansan52
on 09 Mar, 2018 22:34
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CG, going from other posts that reported after the first mixmaster FH launch, all FH would be constructed using Block 5.
But nothing has stated the side F9s would be new. I inferred there would not be any flight proven Block 5 available for the next FH. Just to little time.
Still, the SX tempo could mean flight proven Block 5s could be available.
Fun to watch!
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#229
by
Star One
on 10 Mar, 2018 09:30
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Is there any confirmation that SpaceX has been cleared by the Air Force to use flight-proven side boosters on this mission?
It is previously stated that the next launch which is now this flight will use all block-5 cores which in earlier announcement were to be all new. I have not come across anything different information wise.
I know the center core will be a new Block 5 as it has to be custom-built for FH. Where's the link to the announcement that both side cores (regular F9 Block 5s with nose cones instead of interstages) are going to be new Block 5s for this mission?
I believe Elon also stated it a couple of times in interviews around the demo flight of the FH.
Here’s one example.
https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/09/spacex-aims-to-make-history-3-more-times-in-2018/
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#230
by
ChrisGebhardt
on 10 Mar, 2018 09:35
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CG, going from other posts that reported after the first mixmaster FH launch, all FH would be constructed using Block 5.
But nothing has stated the side F9s would be new. I inferred there would not be any flight proven Block 5 available for the next FH. Just to little time.
Still, the SX tempo could mean flight proven Block 5s could be available.
Fun to watch!
Gotcha. Could be wrong, but I would imagine that the first Block 5 would be available. If it flies around 5 April as intended, that would that would be 2.5 month before the FH-2 flight. If they're serious about rapid reuse, that core should be available.
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#231
by
gongora
on 10 Mar, 2018 14:08
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CG, going from other posts that reported after the first mixmaster FH launch, all FH would be constructed using Block 5.
But nothing has stated the side F9s would be new. I inferred there would not be any flight proven Block 5 available for the next FH. Just to little time.
Still, the SX tempo could mean flight proven Block 5s could be available.
Fun to watch!
Gotcha. Could be wrong, but I would imagine that the first Block 5 would be available. If it flies around 5 April as intended, that would that would be 2.5 month before the FH-2 flight. If they're serious about rapid reuse, that core should be available.
It really comes down to what the customer wants them to demonstrate. It's an Air Force launch, and I doubt they put in any language allowing reused boosters when they signed the contract 5 years ago. Maybe the Air Force would be willing to try it on a test launch like this but that would have to be negotiated. SpaceX can't just stick a used booster on a flight unless the contract allows it.
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#232
by
jpo234
on 10 Mar, 2018 15:15
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SpaceX can't just stick a used booster on a flight unless the contract allows it.
Is it enough if the contract doesn't forbid it?
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#233
by
Nomadd
on 10 Mar, 2018 16:15
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SpaceX can't just stick a used booster on a flight unless the contract allows it.
Is it enough if the contract doesn't forbid it?
"That which is not expressly forbidden is allowed?" or "That which is not expressly allowed is forbidden?"
The basic SX contract could be written for used with the option to request new or the other way around.
I would imagine the former.
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#234
by
Michael Baylor
on 10 Mar, 2018 18:31
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To settle the above discussion, all cores on this FH mission will be Block V. Ok, my bad. This doesn't settle the above discussion, but here's the most detailed response that Elon has given up regarding the side cores.
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#235
by
gongora
on 10 Mar, 2018 20:41
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To settle the above discussion, all cores on this FH mission will be Block V.
We've known that for months, it doesn't settle anything.
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#236
by
Michael Baylor
on 10 Mar, 2018 22:41
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To settle the above discussion, all cores on this FH mission will be Block V.
We've known that for months, it doesn't settle anything.
Yeah, my bad. I missed the part about this being specific to
new Block V side cores.
Nothing has been settled.
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#237
by
Mader Levap
on 12 Mar, 2018 14:01
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SpaceX can't just stick a used booster on a flight unless the contract allows it.
Is it enough if the contract doesn't forbid it?
It would not be enough, but I am very sure they all have in contracts something about reuse (even if it amounts to "[BLEEEP] NO"). It is not like SpaceX's reuse ambitions were secret.
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#238
by
Nehkara
on 12 Mar, 2018 14:05
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#239
by
envy887
on 12 Mar, 2018 14:15
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SpaceX can't just stick a used booster on a flight unless the contract allows it.
Is it enough if the contract doesn't forbid it?
It would not be enough, but I am very sure they all have in contracts something about reuse (even if it amounts to "[BLEEEP] NO"). It is not like SpaceX's reuse ambitions were secret.
STP-2 was awarded in 2012. It's possible there is nothing in the contract about re-use.
http://www.spacex.com/press/2012/12/19/spacex-awarded-two-eelv-class-missions-united-states-air-force
The USAF has a whole boatload of qualification requirements that assume a new booster. As I understand it, those would be very difficult to meet with a used booster because the process is not designed to qualify a used booster.
