SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - Dragon - CRS-5/SpX-5 -Jan. 10, 2015 - DISCUSSION

[mvpel]

Here's a Google Maps short link for the location of the barge and the boat specified in the FCC license. Nice find there!

https://goo.gl/maps/b14FM

[deruch]

Darga's is better.  It has the CRS-4 hazard maps as well:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.krdQml9d0HR0

[Robotbeat]

Masten Space Systems achieved 7.5 inch average accuracy using vertical take-off, vertical landing and GPS.

Weren't those vehicles a small fraction of the size of Falcon 9 moving at a small fraction of the speed of Falcon 9 from a height that is a small fraction of what Falcon 9 will be reaching?

Sure, but so what? As long as the Falcon 9 ends up near the height and velocity of the Xombie rocket, it could in principle achieve quite high accuracy. Probably not 7.5 inches, but could easily be within a meter, as shown by F9dev-1 and Grasshopper.

[Darga]

Darga's is better.  It has the CRS-4 hazard maps as well:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.krdQml9d0HR0

If you like that one I think you'll like this one I just completed. CRS-5!! https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.koWeOnV6-O-o  This is the first one to have four zones. I am not sure the purpose of the blue zone, it's the new one. The red zone teardrop shape makes sense because the far eastern part is where the boostback burn will start. The white zone is where the stage would fall normally without any maneuvering. The barge location is from the FCC data and I also added the 3 closest buoys to track wave conditions.

[deruch]

Darga's is better.  It has the CRS-4 hazard maps as well:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.krdQml9d0HR0

If you like that one I think you'll like this one I just completed. CRS-5!! https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.koWeOnV6-O-o  This is the first one to have four zones. I am not sure the purpose of the blue zone, it's the new one. The red zone teardrop shape makes sense because the far eastern part is where the boostback burn will start. The white zone is where the stage would fall normally without any maneuvering. The barge location is from the FCC data and I also added the 3 closest buoys to track wave conditions.

Awesome!  My first thought on what Area B is, was that it was if the boostback overshot the landing zone.  But that can't be right because if that was the case, the zone should be much bigger/wider.  So, I have no idea.

edit: by the way, on your map, *you're [Area B (*you're new....)].

[Steven Pietrobon]

Would a boat just outside the red keep-out zone be able to see the landing?

[Darga]

Would a boat just outside the red keep-out zone be able to see the landing?

You are still looking at ~35km from the center to the closest edge.

[PhillyJimi]

I would be really interest to see the barge design.  Thinking about a rocket that is 14 stories tall on a barge in a semi rough sea with 4-5’ swells that could create a big sway at the top of the rocket.  If a gust of wind hit at the right moment during landing and if the deck suddenly shifted  under the rocket, I could see it sliding right into the ocean.  Not every landing is going to be dead center.  If a landing leg was near the edge and it slide then, it might be "man over board".  Between wind, current and swells the Ocean is a difficult place to try to land a rocket.  Then if the rocket lands toward the corner of the platform is would cause the entire barge to rock again not good at the top of a 14 story rocket in wind.  I understand the Falcon is is bottom heavy but if you have ever been sailing on a small sailboat you'll understand the power of a sudden wind gust on a mast that is 20 feet above the water let alone an unsecured 14 story rocket.

Here is something I just thought up that might work to keep the landing platform as stable as possible.  Having a barge the could submerge like a submarine about 15-20 feet (just a guess) below the wave action. The deck would be raised on piers so the waves would pass under the deck but over the main bulk of the dead weight of the submerged barge.

X, Y & Z Thrusters at the bottom would keep it at the exact coordinates and level.  Once the rocket is secured to the deck, the water ballast could be pumped out while the deck is lowered.  Then it would be ready for it’s  tow home. 

[Brovane]

So if Space-X makes the landing with the 1st stage does that mean they will officially beat the DC-X altitude record for a VTOVL rocket? 

[cscott]

There are whole threads here with speculation about radio configurations, barge configuration, how to secure the stage after landing, whether the barge will communicate with the rocket, whether the barge is partially submersible, etc. Let's not rehash that all again in this thread.
All but one of the licensed transmitters (including those on the rocket and the barge) has only 1W of power, not a lot.  There is a 20W transmitter on the support boat (as opposed to the barge). On the "where will the stage land" thread there is discussion about what that means for real-time video possibilities.

[imcub]

Darga's is better.  It has the CRS-4 hazard maps as well:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.krdQml9d0HR0

If you like that one I think you'll like this one I just completed. CRS-5!! https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.koWeOnV6-O-o  This is the first one to have four zones. I am not sure the purpose of the blue zone, it's the new one. The red zone teardrop shape makes sense because the far eastern part is where the boostback burn will start. The white zone is where the stage would fall normally without any maneuvering. The barge location is from the FCC data and I also added the 3 closest buoys to track wave conditions.

Awesome!  My first thought on what Area B is, was that it was if the boostback overshot the landing zone.  But that can't be right because if that was the case, the zone should be much bigger/wider.  So, I have no idea.

edit: by the way, on your map, *you're [Area B (*you're new....)].

Blue Zone?  Isn't there a three engine burn to slow the beast down?  Perhaps a debris field for RUD. 

[deruch]

If you like that one I think you'll like this one I just completed. CRS-5!! https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.koWeOnV6-O-o  This is the first one to have four zones. I am not sure the purpose of the blue zone, it's the new one. The red zone teardrop shape makes sense because the far eastern part is where the boostback burn will start. The white zone is where the stage would fall normally without any maneuvering. The barge location is from the FCC data and I also added the 3 closest buoys to track wave conditions.

Awesome!  My first thought on what Area B is, was that it was if the boostback overshot the landing zone.  But that can't be right because if that was the case, the zone should be much bigger/wider.  So, I have no idea.

edit: by the way, on your map, *you're [Area B (*you're new....)].

Blue Zone?  Isn't there a three engine burn to slow the beast down?  Perhaps a debris field for RUD. 

Yeah, the blue zone.  In the linked map page, Darga called it Area B.  If it was a debris field I would still think that it would be significantly larger, e.g. the white zone further down range.  It's narrowness is closest to the initial outbound path from the Cape which leads me to doubt that it's directly related to things happening after boost back, but beyond that deduction I've no idea.

[Avron]

Yeah, the blue zone.  In the linked map page, Darga called it Area B.  If it was a debris field I would still think that it would be significantly larger, e.g. the white zone further down range.  It's narrowness is closest to the initial outbound path from the Cape which leads me to doubt that it's directly related to things happening after boost back, but beyond that deduction I've no idea.

Was thinking blue zone is the impact area if the boostback burn does not terminate and runs to depletion of fuel

[freds]

Was thinking blue zone is the impact area if the boostback burn does not terminate and runs to depletion of fuel

I am thinking the blue zone is where they will splash the booster if for some reason they know at launch time the barge is not available to land on. It's closer to land and is actually a fairly small area then the barge area which needs a close in abort zone if things are not going right on the approach.

It's location is on a direct line of returning to the launch site. It would be interesting to see a plot of where all the previous splash points have been.

[averagespacejoe]

Its starting to get pretty late in the day did the Static Fire occur or was it delayed

[Darga]

Its starting to get pretty late in the day did the Static Fire occur or was it delayed

Not today. Got pushed back with the delay.

[MattMason]

Its starting to get pretty late in the day did the Static Fire occur or was it delayed

Not today. Got pushed back with the delay.

Historically, how much time is taken between a static fire and then the launch prep? It does seem quite short in terms of time.

[Ben the Space Brit]

Historically, how much time is taken between a static fire and then the launch prep? It does seem quite short in terms of time.

As best as I can recall, only three days at the most.

[qralt]

Is this the feed to watch to see if the static fire happens today?

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/ksclive/kscv09.html

[averagespacejoe]

Spaceflightnow just posted additional photos of the autonomous spaceport barge it is leaving land and heading out for its ocean mission of catching a 1st stage