LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - SES-8 - Dec. 3 - THIRD LAUNCH ATTEMPT UPDATES

[corrodedNut]

New photos: http://www.spacex.com/gallery/falcon-9-first-geostationary-transfer-mission

[dawei]

Many congrats to all involved!  I love seeing SpaceX succeed and look forward to seeing more success in the months and years to come.

[baldusi]

Congratulations to SpaceX, SES, Orbital, the Air Force and all the support contractors. Now let's repeat it with Thaicom-6. Or better yet, just repeat the success and save all those scrubs 

[jcm]

Maybe someone can check if this is correct, but I believe this is the first ever launch worldwide of a geostationary orbit bound satellite on a two-stage only rocket without the use of a liquid hydrogen powered stage. Another milestone to write into the history books.... 

Atlas Agena

Yeah I found out that after I typed the message above.....ATS-1/2/3 right? Though as Zed_Noir noted the Atlas is stage-and-a-half so I'm not sure if it qualifies..... 

ATS-1 and 3  (2 was aimed at lower orbit, and ended up lower still); also some classified sats  (CANYON, RHYOLITE)
Agreed Atlas is not really a pure 2-stage. So you're right, this is the first non-LH2 two-stager to GTO
as far as I know. And of course a much heavier payload than the 714 kg ATS 1 !

[Lobo]

view from 8K miles

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

They really need to clean that lense cover on that camera before launch!

;-)

But in truth, is there anything they could do on future missions to improve that camera image?  I know they got some amazingly clear images of staging on the cameras on the Saturn V's using 1960's tech.  Obivously the famous video of the S-1C being jettisoned, along with the interstage and the S-II lighting seemed much more clear without stuff all over the lens.

[Duds]

nice one SpaceX!!

[mheney]

view from 8K miles

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

They really need to clean that lense cover on that camera before launch!

;-)

But in truth, is there anything they could do on future missions to improve that camera image?  I know they got some amazingly clear images of staging on the cameras on the Saturn V's using 1960's tech.  Obivously the famous video of the S-1C being jettisoned, along with the interstage and the S-II lighting seemed much more clear without stuff all over the lens.

Given that that's probably ice on the lens, you'd need a heater of some sort to clear it off.  I suspect that that's more than the batteries can handle ...

[Oersted]

Elon has reached beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time: momentous.

[RedLineTrain]

They might be able to add a hydrophobic film to the rocketcam.

[apollolanding]

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking, "darn that water on the rocket mounted camera lens!" 😆 I even thought about the hydrophobic coating as well 😉

[oiorionsbelt]

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking, "darn that water on the rocket mounted camera lens!" 😆 I even thought about the hydrophobic coating as well 😉

 It appears that the lens of the camera is in an airstream created vacuum that 'pulls' the contaminants onto the lens. Redirecting the air flow around the lens may cure the problem.

[Lobo]

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking, "darn that water on the rocket mounted camera lens!"  I even thought about the hydrophobic coating as well

 It appears that the lens of the camera is in an airstream created vacuum that 'pulls' the contaminants onto the lens. Redirecting the air flow around the lens may cure the problem.

How about just a spring loaded camera lens cover (transparent) that ejects when out of the atmosphere taking any contaminants on the cover with it?  So you get a very clear image after that point, despite what might get on it during launch and during ascent through the atmosphere.
A spring and a servo would be pretty easy I'd think, if that's indeed what the problem is.

[Comga]

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking, "darn that water on the rocket mounted camera lens!"  I even thought about the hydrophobic coating as well

 It appears that the lens of the camera is in an airstream created vacuum that 'pulls' the contaminants onto the lens. Redirecting the air flow around the lens may cure the problem.

How about just a spring loaded camera lens cover (transparent) that ejects when out of the atmosphere taking any contaminants on the cover with it?  So you get a very clear image after that point, despite what might get on it during launch and during ascent through the atmosphere.
A spring and a servo would be pretty easy I'd think, if that's indeed what the problem is.

Let's take this off of the Updates thread and over to here.
I posted two suggestions over there, neither of which I expect to be implemented. 

[Chris Bergin]

Loving your work Comga.

Going to write up another article for this - during the week - to round up post launch quotes and a few things we've acquired. Then we can switch focus to Thaicom-6 for the SpaceX missions.

[input~2]

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

This Object A seems to have been Falcon's 2nd stage; the S/C has been recently tracked as Object B for which perigee has increased and inclination has been reduced:
39461/2013-071B in 14401 x 80416 km x 6.19° (epoch: Dec 6, 1332UTC)

edit: see also Ed Kyle's post in the discussion thread

[Chris Bergin]

Includes some post flight for SES-8, but more to do with the doors it's opening.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/12/ses-8-success-trajectory-future-spacex-possibilities/

[AncientU]

Nice article, Chris.

[llanitedave]

... while sources note there was also a boost back test during the SES-8 mission, or at least the restart of the first stage post staging.

Wow!  I hadn't heard about this.  I knew that the thrusters were working to align the first stage, but I didn't know it got as far as a restart.  That's pretty impressive!

[input~2]

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

This Object A seems to have been Falcon's 2nd stage; the S/C has been recently tracked as Object B for which perigee has increased and inclination has been reduced:
39461/2013-071B in 14401 x 80416 km x 6.19° (epoch: Dec 6, 1332UTC)

edit: see also Ed Kyle's post in the discussion thread

Object A and B have recently been switched (A being the S/C now)

[Wetmelon]

... while sources note there was also a boost back test during the SES-8 mission, or at least the restart of the first stage post staging.

Wow!  I hadn't heard about this.  I knew that the thrusters were working to align the first stage, but I didn't know it got as far as a restart.  That's pretty impressive!

fwiw, in the Dell keynote address, they play a SpaceX video of the SES-8 launch.  The large yellow plume is quite visible, and highly distinguishable from the ACS plumes.  It's a very short clip but you can see that there is a plume on the U/S, a plume on the first stage, and NO plume on the fairing halves.