SpaceX Falcon 9 : TESS : April 18, 2018 : Discussion

[atsf90east]

That's some real 4th Grade stuff right there on a US Government webpage.
"Payload Hazardous Serviceing Facility (PHSF)"

For the more visually oriented,

https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/lssm/facility/phsfbig.html

Our tax dollars, hard at work.

[mme]

That's some real 4th Grade stuff right there on a US Government webpage.
"Payload Hazardous Serviceing Facility (PHSF)"

For the more visually oriented,

https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/lssm/facility/phsfbig.html

Our tax dollars, hard at work.

Seriously people? That web page is probably close to 20 years old and NASA probably can't get any money to completely revamp their web architecture. If they got the money, people would complain about that too. Geez.

[Jim]

That's some real 4th Grade stuff right there on a US Government webpage.
"Payload Hazardous Serviceing Facility (PHSF)"

For the more visually oriented,

https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/lssm/facility/phsfbig.html

Our tax dollars, hard at work.

Seriously people? That web page is probably close to 20 years old and NASA probably can't get any money to completely revamp their web architecture. If they got the money, people would complain about that too. Geez.

It is just a dead part of the web.  Nobody is maintaining it.

[speedevil]

It is just a dead part of the web.  Nobody is maintaining it.

Leaving it up, and accessible is enormously better than the likely alternative, even if it's not ideal.

[Lar]

NASA's website is a bit off topic? Maybe? I do agree that better to leave it up than get rid of it though.

[Archibald]

Considering how much a sci-fi nerd Musk is, and Kepler incredible results chasing exoplanets, that launch must be quite an exciting one for Elon... imagine if TESS ever finds the first Earth-like, inhabited exoplanets.

"My company launched the telescope that found the first E.T"

[AncientU]

Considering how much a sci-fi nerd Musk is, and Kepler incredible results chasing exoplanets, that launch must be quite an exciting one for Elon... imagine if TESS ever finds the first Earth-like, inhabited exoplanets.

"My company launched the telescope that found the first E.T"

TESS won't have the ability to determine 'inhabited' exoplanets.

[mme]

Considering how much a sci-fi nerd Musk is, and Kepler incredible results chasing exoplanets, that launch must be quite an exciting one for Elon... imagine if TESS ever finds the first Earth-like, inhabited exoplanets.

"My company launched the telescope that found the first E.T"

TESS won't have the ability to determine 'inhabited' exoplanets.

TESS finds 'em, JSWT follows up with the atmospheric spectroscopy. I think it's fair to say TESS found the planet.

[jebbo]

... imagine if TESS ever finds the first Earth-like, inhabited exoplanets.

I think you're being over-optimistic. The projected yield of Earth-sized planets (<1.25 Re) from TESS is ~70 and these will predominantly be in short period orbits around M dwarfs, so "Earth-like" (and habitability) is dubious.

See Fig. 20 of here.

However, it will yield a great crop of planets suitable for follow-up.  I can hardly wait for the first data release.

--- Tony

[Star One]

... imagine if TESS ever finds the first Earth-like, inhabited exoplanets.

I think you're being over-optimistic. The projected yield of Earth-sized planets (<1.25 Re) from TESS is ~70 and these will predominantly be in short period orbits around M dwarfs, so "Earth-like" (and habitability) is dubious.

See Fig. 20 of here.

However, it will yield a great crop of planets suitable for follow-up.  I can hardly wait for the first data release.

--- Tony

I think more the point being indicated was that the public will be interested considerably more in any Earth like planets found than the other types. Also I’d bet that the majority of any press releases will be about these ones than everything else that’s swept up, unless it’s particularly interesting or unusual. The mission’s own promo video as just posted in the update thread leans in this idea.



Anyone I am more interested in the hard reality of real detections than projections, as when it comes to exoplanets reality is often more interesting than dry projections.

[Archibald]

I know about TESS limits. I was talking broadly / generally. Let's phrase it differently.

Musk be quite excited and proud about one of his rockets launching TESS, since that spacecraft is related to the hunt for exoplanets (where Kepler got excellent results) and in turn, Musk is a sci-fi buff.

Or maybe he just don't care and to him it is only another launch, another juicy launch contract he snatched from ULA.   

[Mader Levap]

another juicy launch contract he snatched from ULA.   

AFAIK that contract was originally for ill-fated Taurus (now Minotaur-C) rocket of Orbital.

[ZachS09]

another juicy launch contract he snatched from ULA.   

AFAIK that contract was originally for ill-fated Taurus (now Minotaur-C) rocket of Orbital.

If TESS was still manifested to launch atop the Minotaur-C, they would've added a Star 37FM fifth stage to provide the extra boost towards its targeted orbit.

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_tess.htm

[wannamoonbase]

I'm really excited for the science results from TESS.  So this bird needs to get up there.

It's a darn small payload so there should be all kinds of throw potential for the F9.

[Steve D]

May be in Florida for this launch. Was wondering. If it scrubs for weather or some other reason when would the next launch window open? Want to build in enough extra time in the trip to cover at least 1 delay.
Steve

[deruch]

May be in Florida for this launch. Was wondering. If it scrubs for weather or some other reason when would the next launch window open? Want to build in enough extra time in the trip to cover at least 1 delay.
Steve

ChrisG gave a really good explanation of TESS's launch campaign in the updates thread:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45038.msg1790758#msg1790758

Assuming the April 16th date holds as the first attempt, there will be repeated attempts every day for the next 10 days followed by a 5-day stand down.  After which that pattern repeats. 

[Steve D]

May be in Florida for this launch. Was wondering. If it scrubs for weather or some other reason when would the next launch window open? Want to build in enough extra time in the trip to cover at least 1 delay.
Steve

ChrisG gave a really good explanation of TESS's launch campaign in the updates thread:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45038.msg1790758#msg1790758

Assuming the April 16th date holds as the first attempt, there will be repeated attempts every day for the next 10 days followed by a 5-day stand down.  After which that pattern repeats.

Perfect! Thanks

[Star One]

https://twitter.com/brs03/status/981629438470303744?s=20

Any risk of this impacting TESS on the 16th?  And do you think TESS would get priority if so?

https://twitter.com/AttwellAviation/status/981630552003502080?s=20

AFSPC-11 will get priority since its a national security launch.

[pb2000]

This is what the above mentioned tweets are in reference to, just to clarify.

ULA's Atlas V launch of Air Force's AFSPC-11 mission pushed back two days, to April 14, sometime between 4 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. EDT. No explanation offered yet.

[mn]

https://twitter.com/brs03/status/981629438470303744?s=20

Any risk of this impacting TESS on the 16th?  And do you think TESS would get priority if so?

https://twitter.com/AttwellAviation/status/981630552003502080?s=20

AFSPC-11 will get priority since its a national security launch.

I'm sure they also take launch constraints into consideration.

I have no idea what are the launch constraints for TESS but if they need to launch on the 16th I would imagine NASA and the AF can work it out.