-
#40
by
Kabloona
on 18 Sep, 2013 17:42
-
Looking at Photo ~5741.jpg they have installed an additional bunk point to the left of the fairing. I think they are preparing to slide part or all of the vehicle ahead onto the additional bunk point.
I doubt they slide the vehicle on the TEL. More likely they lift with the sling, then slide into place the truss that carries the two PLF bunks, and attach the truss to the TEL.
In the photo the truss with the PLF bunks hasn't been slid into place yet. IMO.
-
#41
by
JBF
on 18 Sep, 2013 17:50
-
The white paint on the plugs didn't last very long.
-
#42
by
jedsmd
on 18 Sep, 2013 17:59
-
Looking at Photo ~5741.jpg they have installed an additional bunk point to the left of the fairing. I think they are preparing to slide part or all of the vehicle ahead onto the additional bunk point.
I doubt they slide the vehicle on the TEL. More likely they lift with the sling, then slide into place the truss that carries the two PLF bunks, and attach the truss to the TEL.
In the photo the truss with the PLF bunks hasn't been slid into place yet. IMO.
Okay, move is a better word than slide. But why wouldn't all of the bunks be in place before they left the HIF?
That crane does not look like it would be part of the normal erection/lowering process. Some unusual maintenance is going on.
-
#43
by
Kabloona
on 18 Sep, 2013 18:14
-
Okay, move is a better word than slide. But why wouldn't all of the bunks be in place before they left the HIF?
That crane does not look like it would be part of the normal erection/lowering process. Some unusual maintenance is going on.
My mistake, I thought this sequence was the rocket going back *into* the HIF, which is why I said the PLF bunks were not yet in place. Presumably it's coming back out for static fire, so the bunks have just been pulled off.
If you look at this pic in the tweet from Elon, the bunks are clearly visible, attached to a truss structure with legs.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=31429.0;attach=542202That whole truss with legs and bunks appears to be disconnected from the TEL in the photo marked "LVJ."
http://s1351.photobucket.com/user/spacecoaster1/media/LVJ_zps2e4c5741.jpg.html?&_suid=137952865969803475226224400103In its place is a different truss, attached to the TEL, which appears to carry the AC ducts, etc, for the PLF.
Apparently those two different trusses get swapped out for the different phases (transport vs. launch).
-
#44
by
Helodriver
on 18 Sep, 2013 18:37
-
The vehicle has been out and vertical since the first rollout until it went back horizontal yesterday afternoon.
-
#45
by
Comga
on 18 Sep, 2013 18:38
-
-
#46
by
corrodedNut
on 18 Sep, 2013 18:40
-
-
#47
by
Kabloona
on 18 Sep, 2013 18:50
-
-
#48
by
Robotbeat
on 18 Sep, 2013 20:10
-
-
#49
by
Lurker Steve
on 18 Sep, 2013 20:36
-
From looking at various photos it aplears that there are two different trusses that get bolted onto the top of the TEL. One is for transport, and has the two "bunks" that support the fairing. The other is for launch, and holds the AC ducts and umbilicals for the fairing.
But it looks like both trusses can't be attached to the TEL simultaneously. One has to be removed before the other can be attached. In the photo of the rocket horizontal, the truss with the fairing "bunks" is sitting just ahead of the truss that holds the AC ducts.
If they were/are rolling back to the HIF, presumably they'd detach the truss with the AC ducts and attach the one with the fairing bunks.
Doesn't that sound a bit strange from an operational point of view ?
If the fairing is attached, it needs to be supported during transport. Or at least there needs to be some support near the top end of the launcher. How much weight do you want the fairing to support while in the horizontal position ?
And of course, while the payload is attached, those umbilicals are absolutely required. You risk the spacecraft health if it doesn't get power and cooling, right ?
How can you have 2 separate truss structures when both functions are required ??
-
#50
by
jedsmd
on 18 Sep, 2013 21:05
-
From looking at various photos it aplears that there are two different trusses that get bolted onto the top of the TEL. One is for transport, and has the two "bunks" that support the fairing. The other is for launch, and holds the AC ducts and umbilicals for the fairing.
But it looks like both trusses can't be attached to the TEL simultaneously. One has to be removed before the other can be attached. In the photo of the rocket horizontal, the truss with the fairing "bunks" is sitting just ahead of the truss that holds the AC ducts.
If they were/are rolling back to the HIF, presumably they'd detach the truss with the AC ducts and attach the one with the fairing bunks.
Doesn't that sound a bit strange from an operational point of view ?
If the fairing is attached, it needs to be supported during transport. Or at least there needs to be some support near the top end of the launcher. How much weight do you want the fairing to support while in the horizontal position ?
And of course, while the payload is attached, those umbilicals are absolutely required. You risk the spacecraft health if it doesn't get power and cooling, right ?
How can you have 2 separate truss structures when both functions are required ??
Agreed
SpaceX is not going to rent a construction crane every time they raise or lower the vehicle - something atypical is in progress in the photos.
-
#51
by
russianhalo117
on 18 Sep, 2013 21:09
-
From looking at various photos it aplears that there are two different trusses that get bolted onto the top of the TEL. One is for transport, and has the two "bunks" that support the fairing. The other is for launch, and holds the AC ducts and umbilicals for the fairing.
But it looks like both trusses can't be attached to the TEL simultaneously. One has to be removed before the other can be attached. In the photo of the rocket horizontal, the truss with the fairing "bunks" is sitting just ahead of the truss that holds the AC ducts.
If they were/are rolling back to the HIF, presumably they'd detach the truss with the AC ducts and attach the one with the fairing bunks.
Doesn't that sound a bit strange from an operational point of view ?
If the fairing is attached, it needs to be supported during transport. Or at least there needs to be some support near the top end of the launcher. How much weight do you want the fairing to support while in the horizontal position ?
And of course, while the payload is attached, those umbilicals are absolutely required. You risk the spacecraft health if it doesn't get power and cooling, right ?
How can you have 2 separate truss structures when both functions are required ??
if you look at other pictures from rollout and earlier the tuning fork shaped fairing support truss is held to the TEL's top truss segments by pins and then removed after rollout.
-
#52
by
ChrisWilson68
on 18 Sep, 2013 21:19
-
Agreed
SpaceX is not going to rent a construction crane every time they raise or lower the vehicle - something atypical is in progress in the photos.
I agree too. Maybe they didn't have time to finish their original plan in time for this launch, so they put together some kind of hack that required the crane. Or maybe they finished their original plan and then found when the rocket arrived that there was a flaw in it, and the crane is part of a hack to make it work for this launch.
Either way, I'll bet SpaceX has a plan to make modifications so the crane isn't part of the flow eventually.
-
#53
by
Lurker Steve
on 18 Sep, 2013 21:24
-
Agreed
SpaceX is not going to rent a construction crane every time they raise or lower the vehicle - something atypical is in progress in the photos.
I agree too. Maybe they didn't have time to finish their original plan in time for this launch, so they put together some kind of hack that required the crane. Or maybe they finished their original plan and then found when the rocket arrived that there was a flaw in it, and the crane is part of a hack to make it work for this launch.
Either way, I'll bet SpaceX has a plan to make modifications so the crane isn't part of the flow eventually.
Hopefully they fix the paint job for next time also.
It's weird every time I look at the rocket and see that the "SpaceX" on the first stage is 90 degrees off from the stickers on the fairing. Let's get all the logos and flags lined up correctly guys.
-
#54
by
IslandPlaya
on 18 Sep, 2013 21:27
-
Don't forget the roll program to show it for the max time... These are rocket engineers after all...
-
#55
by
kch
on 18 Sep, 2013 21:36
-
Hopefully they fix the paint job for next time also.
It's weird every time I look at the rocket and see that the "SpaceX" on the first stage is 90 degrees off from the stickers on the fairing. Let's get all the logos and flags lined up correctly guys.
"You too, huh?"
-
#56
by
kevin-rf
on 18 Sep, 2013 22:22
-
That's okay, the shortened SpaceX logo on the First stage annoys the <words Chris would ban me forever> out of my OCD. It's like marketing looked at the rocket, OMG there is frost over part of the SpaceX logo and that is more important than an ascetically pleasing rocket logo.
Sorry, I go be old and grumpy somewhere else...
-
#57
by
LouScheffer
on 19 Sep, 2013 02:29
-
It's weird every time I look at the rocket and see that the "SpaceX" on the first stage is 90 degrees off from the stickers on the fairing. Let's get all the logos and flags lined up correctly guys.
That's okay, the shortened SpaceX logo on the First stage annoys the <words Chris would ban me forever> out of my OCD. It's like marketing looked at the rocket, OMG there is frost over part of the SpaceX logo and that is more important than an ascetically pleasing rocket logo.
You guys are a real-life version of the Dilbert cartoon (
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2013-02-23 ) where his company gets the contract to blast an incoming asteroid out of its collision course with Earth. But they use a non-corporate-approved font on the nose cone, then miss the launch window trying to erase it....
If any SpaceX employee spends a nanosecond fixing this, when they could instead have been doing anything at all that would improve the odds of a successful launch, then their next task should be taking an really nice looking picture of what it looks like to be in the flame trench when the rocket goes off.
-
#58
by
Jim
on 19 Sep, 2013 10:17
-
-
#59
by
corrodedNut
on 19 Sep, 2013 11:29
-
