Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - SES-8 - Dec. 3 - THIRD LAUNCH ATTEMPT UPDATES (Read 174225 times)

mlindner · « **Reply #280 on:** 12/16/2013 09:54 am »

Quote from: Wetmelon on 12/15/2013 06:25 am

Quote from: llanitedave on 12/08/2013 03:25 pm
Quote
... 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.

It's pretty good evidence, but I wouldn't say its entirely clear because its a freeze frame. If it was taken during RCS firing, the image wouldn't have looked much different.

jongoff · « **Reply #281 on:** 12/17/2013 05:30 pm »

Quote from: mlindner on 12/16/2013 09:54 am

Quote from: Wetmelon on 12/15/2013 06:25 am
Quote from: llanitedave on 12/08/2013 03:25 pm
Quote
... 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.

It's pretty good evidence, but I wouldn't say its entirely clear because its a freeze frame. If it was taken during RCS firing, the image wouldn't have looked much different.

A SpaceXer friend of mine confirmed last night (on a semi-public mailing list) that they did do burns to flip the first stage around and start slowing it down on this last flight. He didn't clarify how much they slowed it down, but I'd take a confirmation from someone who works there as pretty conclusive...

~Jon

Targeteer · « **Reply #282 on:** 12/19/2013 12:02 am »

According to Celestrak, the satellite is in GSO/GEO, or at least really close

SES-8
1 39460U 13071A 13352.60742206 -.00000143 00000-0 00000+0 0 219
2 39460 0.0631 277.1509 0000464 19.2410 90.6528 1.00274568 111

king1999 · « **Reply #283 on:** 12/19/2013 09:48 pm »

Quote from: Targeteer on 12/19/2013 12:02 am

According to Celestrak, the satellite is in GSO/GEO, or at least really close

SES-8
1 39460U 13071A 13352.60742206 -.00000143 00000-0 00000+0 0 219
2 39460 0.0631 277.1509 0000464 19.2410 90.6528 1.00274568 111

Already there only a little over two weeks after launch.

http://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=39460&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=CET&cul=en-GB

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #284 on:** 12/20/2013 04:46 pm »

Ben Cooper has just put up his close range shots of the launch! Impressive!

http://www.launchphotography.com/SES-8.html

darkenfast · « **Reply #285 on:** 12/20/2013 06:55 pm »

Very nice photos! I especially like the shots of the rocket lifting through the illuminated lightning wires.

AJW · « **Reply #286 on:** 12/20/2013 07:07 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 12/20/2013 04:46 pm

Ben Cooper has just put up his close range shots of the launch! Impressive!

http://www.launchphotography.com/SES-8.html

Just Stunning!

Growing up my paternal grandmother gathered us kids together and told us how sorry she was that we weren't going to see all the changes that she witnessed as a child. She was born in the late 1890's and saw the automobile and later the freeways, early airplanes as these became commercial jets, and she saw the Apollo launches and men walking on the Moon. Seeing these amazing photos and what they signify for the prospect of our taking the first steps on another planet makes me feel that she may have been a bit premature in her assessment.

rickl · « **Reply #287 on:** 12/20/2013 10:57 pm »

Beautiful photos. Have those wires always been there or were they recently added? I don't remember seeing them during previous launches.

Arthree · « **Reply #288 on:** 12/21/2013 12:02 am »

Quote from: rickl on 12/20/2013 10:57 pm

Beautiful photos. Have those wires always been there or were they recently added? I don't remember seeing them during previous launches.

They've always been there. And this is an update thread, so the question should probably go in the discussion thread instead.

pargoo · « **Reply #289 on:** 12/21/2013 04:24 am »

Mouth-watering up-close shots. I have no objection to paying for rare photos if I have no other choice, but are others likely to be released by other photographers, or - heaven forfend - SpaceX themselves?

catdlr · « **Reply #290 on:** 01/15/2014 04:02 am »

Mission Overview | SES-8 Launch

Published on Jan 14, 2014

On December 3, 2013 SpaceX successfully completed its first geostationary transfer mission, with the Falcon 9 rocket 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.

For more information about the mission, read the launch press release here: http://www.spacex.com/press/2013/12/0....

For more information about SES, visit: www.ses.com.

Lars_J · « **Reply #291 on:** 01/15/2014 05:52 am »

I was wondering if they would release a mission video... Nice to see one!

Here are some 1080p screen captures of previously unseen imagery:

Lars_J · « **Reply #292 on:** 01/15/2014 05:54 am »

Here is part two...
- new tracking shot
- 2nd stage 2nd burn
- and SES-8 deployment

woods170 · « **Reply #293 on:** 01/15/2014 06:51 am »

Quote from: Lars_J on 01/15/2014 05:52 am

I was wondering if they would release a mission video... Nice to see one!
Here are some 1080p screen captures of previously unseen imagery:

Link please!

Lars_J · « **Reply #294 on:** 01/15/2014 06:56 am »

Quote from: woods170 on 01/15/2014 06:51 am

Quote from: Lars_J on 01/15/2014 05:52 am
I was wondering if they would release a mission video... Nice to see one!
Here are some 1080p screen captures of previously unseen imagery:

Link please!

To the video? check the post above mine.

MP99 · « **Reply #295 on:** 01/15/2014 09:53 am »

Appreciate the pics, but one question about image size.

Presuming the original is 1920x1080, the pics are something like 1919x1017. Are they scaled or cropped?

Thanks again, Martin

mlindner · « **Reply #296 on:** 01/15/2014 11:11 am »

Quote from: MP99 on 01/15/2014 09:53 am

Appreciate the pics, but one question about image size.

Presuming the original is 1920x1080, the pics are something like 1919x1017. Are they scaled or cropped?

Thanks again, Martin

He probably got screen captures of his entire screen and then clipped them.

Lars_J · « **Reply #297 on:** 01/15/2014 03:02 pm »

Quote from: MP99 on 01/15/2014 09:53 am

Appreciate the pics, but one question about image size.

Presuming the original is 1920x1080, the pics are something like 1919x1017. Are they scaled or cropped?

Thanks again, Martin

Cropped. My YouTube player was acting up.

MP99 · « **Reply #298 on:** 01/15/2014 03:09 pm »

Quote from: Lars_J on 01/15/2014 03:02 pm

Quote from: MP99 on 01/15/2014 09:53 am
Appreciate the pics, but one question about image size.

Presuming the original is 1920x1080, the pics are something like 1919x1017. Are they scaled or cropped?

Thanks again, Martin

Cropped. My YouTube player was acting up.

Great. Many thanks. (I'm sure that increased the hassle factor!)

Cheers, Martin

Lar · « **Reply #299 on:** 01/23/2014 06:58 pm »

Posts related to the Satellite Today article [1] have been merged to the following thread

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33786.msg1146567#msg1146567

Please keep this thread for only updates, not discussion.

1 - http://www.satellitetoday.com/publications/2014/01/21/ses-ans-spacex-shaking-the-industry-to-its-roots/