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#500
by
Nomadd
on 10 Oct, 2013 01:13
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As paper thin as that gargantuan nozzle is I just always assumed it needed the stiffener to keep shape until ignition when pressure did the job.
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#501
by
ChrisWilson68
on 10 Oct, 2013 07:02
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Is the weight penalty that bad with these that they don't design it into the bell? or is it just not possible?
On second stage 1 kg more of structure=1 kg less of payload.
This is an old picture of the nozzle extension (2009 press release)
The Merlin Vacuum engine expansion nozzle measures 2.7 meters (9 feet) tall, and most of it has a wall thickness of about 1/3 of a millimeter (1/64 of an inch). Photo credit: SpaceX.
Here is a newer (and closer to flight status) picture of a nozzle extension. The way it appears to rest on the ground probably supports the theory that the liner/stiffener is there to protect it during ground handling.
It looks to me like there are three ribbons hold the nozzle extension up from the top in this picture. I doubt much it its weight is resting on the rims.
I don't doubt ground handling is one of the main reasons the stiffener is there, I just don't think they're resting it on the rim, even with the stiffener there.
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#502
by
sanman
on 10 Oct, 2013 23:03
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#503
by
StealerofSuns
on 13 Oct, 2013 22:38
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Does anyone know if SpaceX still intends to release the video of first stage descent?
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#504
by
Lars_J
on 14 Oct, 2013 00:07
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Does anyone know if SpaceX still intends to release the video of first stage descent?
Presumably, at this stage it will probably be released as part of a mission highlight video. Who knows when...
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#505
by
Lars_J
on 15 Oct, 2013 23:25
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I saw this in the update thread - new video from Spacex, some addition views...
- Clean IR stage separation view
- First view of stage 1 relight! (from S1, not great quality)
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#506
by
Comga
on 16 Oct, 2013 00:08
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I saw this in the update thread - new video from Spacex, some addition views...
- Clean IR stage separation view
- First view of stage 1 relight! (from S1, not great quality)
The flames form remarkable patterns with the air flowing in the opposite direction from what normally occurs.
The flames in the last image for a pattern that is distinct and clearly visible for many seconds.
It looks for all the world like an interference pattern, like the Young's Two Slit experiment. That this would happen makes some intitive sense.
I wonder about the orientation of the three engine line with respect to the camera. I would bet that it was off by a small amount, like if the camera was over an engine next to one of the three, probably counter-clockwise from above, so that their line is perpendicular to the visible linear pattern.
Another very remarkable video from SpaceX. Saying "wow" is becoming a habit and redundant.
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#507
by
NovaSilisko
on 16 Oct, 2013 00:45
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Now we just wait for the footage they shot from a small plane flying near the first stage descent area...
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#508
by
Targeteer
on 16 Oct, 2013 00:54
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#509
by
Misha Vargas
on 16 Oct, 2013 01:07
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#510
by
kevin-rf
on 16 Oct, 2013 01:20
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Now we just wait for the footage they shot from a small plane flying near the first stage descent area...
Looks like you did not have to wait long
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#511
by
kevin-rf
on 16 Oct, 2013 01:24
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Is the second photo pictures perspective of the stage just above the water and we are seeing the exhaust on the ocean surface?
If so, wow, they got pretty (can't say without running afoul of the language filter) close to the objective!
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#512
by
Lars_J
on 16 Oct, 2013 01:28
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Is the second photo pictures perspective of the stage just above the water and we are seeing the exhaust on the ocean surface?
If so, wow, they got pretty (can't say without running afoul of the language filter) close to the objective!
No, it appears to be a picture higher up in the air. Probably a cloud puff from the final braking burn restart.
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#513
by
nscali
on 16 Oct, 2013 01:44
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I know its a blurry photo, but there's a strange white anomaly just above the thrust structure extending midway up. Is that the stage venting fuel/lox?
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#514
by
eeergo
on 16 Oct, 2013 02:42
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I know its a blurry photo, but there's a strange white anomaly just above the thrust structure extending midway up. Is that the stage venting fuel/lox?
I would say just the soot that shot up covering the stage from the three engines that performed the braking burn made two roughly vertical patterns, somewhat twisted as you get further from the engines, on the side of the stage - and that makes the area which wasn't sooted over appear whiter.
However, I'd love to know more about how that disc-shaped? toroidal? cloud developed. Oh if they would just release the video.
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#515
by
NovaSilisko
on 16 Oct, 2013 02:45
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Now we just wait for the footage they shot from a small plane flying near the first stage descent area...
Looks like you did not have to wait long
I should say things like that more often, maybe I have some hithertoo unknown powers!
I'm assuming this is a screencap from the full video, so hopefully the full thing gets put up on youtube sometime soon.
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#516
by
Lars_J
on 16 Oct, 2013 02:52
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Now we just wait for the footage they shot from a small plane flying near the first stage descent area...
Looks like you did not have to wait long
I should say things like that more often, maybe I have some hithertoo unknown powers!
I'm assuming this is a screencap from the full video, so hopefully the full thing gets put up on youtube sometime soon.
It doesn't look like video screencaps - this might just be long telephoto shots. There's a chance there might not be any better ones.
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#517
by
eeergo
on 16 Oct, 2013 03:07
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Is the second photo pictures perspective of the stage just above the water and we are seeing the exhaust on the ocean surface?
If so, wow, they got pretty (can't say without running afoul of the language filter) close to the objective!
No, it appears to be a picture higher up in the air. Probably a cloud puff from the final braking burn restart.
When I saw the picture I thought so too, but trying to bring a bit more detail has led me to this enhancement, which makes it look a lot like it's close to the water... at least the background does have some "wavy" pattern about it (you can bring it up more obviously equalizing the image, attached for illustration) and the cloud looks more like spray. On the other hand, I'm not too comfortable with the appearance of the cloud if it is indeed spray and we're watching from a height, with just the sea as background: it should look less linear?
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#518
by
NovaSilisko
on 16 Oct, 2013 03:09
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It doesn't look like video screencaps - this might just be long telephoto shots. There's a chance there might not be any better ones.
I just remember hearing something about SpaceX having gotten footage of the first stage coming back in, taken from a small airplane. IIRC Elon mentioned he had seen the video but I don't remember where he (if it was even him) said it.
There's this tweet, too
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/384402628962451456No mention of where the video is from however, so it might just mean the video we got today.
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#519
by
Lars_J
on 16 Oct, 2013 03:18
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eeergo, I think you might just be seeing things in the image noise. I still think it is an image taken from below looking up - and the background is just sky. But that is only my speculation.
BTW, in the commotion over the reentry images, this cool image was also in the update:
