Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - SES-8 - Dec. 3 - THIRD LAUNCH ATTEMPT UPDATES (Read 174232 times)

corrodedNut · « **Reply #220 on:** 12/03/2013 11:11 pm »

Congrats SpaceX and SES! Here's the SES press release: http://www.ses.com/4233325/news/2013/16421023

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #221 on:** 12/03/2013 11:15 pm »

Initial launch photo gallery from Florida Today: http://on.flatoday.com/18kFITP

And YES! The jellyfish has appeared after 2nd stage ignition! And there's the "rainbow glow" of the contrail of the 1st stage shining in the last rays of sunshine! Waiting for Ben's photos....

rdale · « **Reply #222 on:** 12/03/2013 11:15 pm »

Launch time weather:

Clear skies, temp of 73, winds from the ESE at 5-10mph.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #223 on:** 12/03/2013 11:16 pm »

Congrats to SpaceX!!! It looked great from the Tampa area! I forgot my camera!

Avron · « **Reply #224 on:** 12/03/2013 11:17 pm »

Congrats SpaceX...its all in the preparation https://twitter.com/TalulahRiley/status/408017463687663616/photo/1/large

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #225 on:** 12/03/2013 11:22 pm »

Morpheus Lander ‏@MorpheusLander
#Morpheus watching @SpaceX #Falcon9 launch over the #VAB @NASAKennedy ...Rocket to rocket: "That was awesome!" pic.twitter.com/Nfs0YgR3Ag

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #226 on:** 12/03/2013 11:24 pm »

Presser:

SPACEX SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES FIRST MISSION TO GEOSTATIONARY TRANSFER ORBIT

Upgraded Falcon 9 launch vehicle delivers SES-8 satellite to targeted orbit

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida – Today, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully completed its first geostationary transfer mission, delivering the SES-8 satellite to its targeted 295 x 80,000 km orbit. Falcon 9 executed a picture-perfect flight, meeting 100% of mission objectives.

Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at 5:41 PM Eastern Time. Approximately 185 seconds into flight, Falcon 9’s second stage’s single Merlin vacuum engine ignited to begin a five minute, 20 second burn that delivered the SES-8 satellite into its parking orbit. Eighteen minutes after injection into the parking orbit, the second stage engine relit for just over one minute to carry the SES-8 satellite to its final geostationary transfer orbit. The restart of the Falcon 9 second stage is a requirement for all geostationary transfer missions.

“The successful insertion of the SES-8 satellite confirms the upgraded Falcon 9 launch vehicle delivers to the industry’s highest performance standards,” said Elon Musk, CEO and Chief Designer of SpaceX. “As always, SpaceX remains committed to delivering the safest, most reliable launch vehicles on the market today. We appreciate SES’s early confidence in SpaceX and look forward to launching additional SES satellites in the years to come.”

Today’s mission marked SpaceX’s first commercial launch from its central Florida launch pad and the first commercial flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in over five years. SpaceX has nearly 50 launches on manifest, of which over 60% are for commercial customers.

This launch also marks the second of three certification flights needed to certify the Falcon 9 to fly missions for the U.S. Air Force under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. When Falcon 9 is certified, SpaceX will be eligible to compete for all National Security Space (NSS) missions.

High-resolution photos are available for download at www.spacex.com/media.

Avron · « **Reply #227 on:** 12/03/2013 11:33 pm »

view from 8K miles

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/408030622708678657/photo/1/large

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #228 on:** 12/03/2013 11:35 pm »

Quote from: Avron on 12/03/2013 11:33 pm

view from 8K miles

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/408030622708678657/photo/1/large

Prober · « **Reply #229 on:** 12/03/2013 11:39 pm »

Quote from: corrodedNut on 12/03/2013 11:11 pm

Congrats SpaceX and SES! Here's the SES press release: http://www.ses.com/4233325/news/2013/16421023

This is what was waiting to see....a tumbs up to padrat and the others that made the mission work.

Targeteer · « **Reply #230 on:** 12/03/2013 11:41 pm »

A quick story with launch video on the launch made only CBS on the major network evening news. No comments from Bill Harwood although he did do an interview with the ISS crew today and asked about the Alabama/Auburn game finish

tigerade · « **Reply #231 on:** 12/03/2013 11:46 pm »

A nice amateur video with awesome audio:

craigcocca · « **Reply #232 on:** 12/03/2013 11:55 pm »

I can only imagine Elon's excitement in finally getting a piece of SpaceX hardware far enough away from the Earth to see it all at once. Another baby step toward "the bigger plan"...

Lobo · « **Reply #233 on:** 12/03/2013 11:57 pm »

I got my birthday candle!

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #234 on:** 12/04/2013 12:07 am »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 12/03/2013 11:24 pm

Today’s mission marked SpaceX’s first commercial launch from its central Florida launch pad and the first commercial flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in over five years.

I guess Intelsat IS-14 launched by Atlas V on 23 November 2009, just over four years ago, does not count. :-(

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #235 on:** 12/04/2013 12:08 am »

NORAD has found an object related to this launch - 385 x 79130 km x 20.54 deg. orbit.

Rocket Science · « **Reply #236 on:** 12/04/2013 12:09 am »

Quote from: Lobo on 12/03/2013 11:57 pm

I got my birthday candle!

Happy Birthday Lobo!

Lobo · « **Reply #237 on:** 12/04/2013 12:17 am »

Quote from: Rocket Science on 12/04/2013 12:09 am

Quote from: Lobo on 12/03/2013 11:57 pm
I got my birthday candle!
Happy Birthday Lobo!

Thanks.

Need 41 more to equal my age. But that's probably too much to ask of Elon.

Lars_J · « **Reply #238 on:** 12/04/2013 12:31 am »

SpaceX shared a beautiful long exposure view of the launch:

yg1968 · « **Reply #239 on:** 12/04/2013 12:31 am »

Here is the full launch webcast: