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

[jcm]

I am reliably informed [senior spacex source] the second stage will indeed make a third burn and enter heliocentric orbit. No party balloon.

I mean, unless Elon has overruled the solar orbit plan at the last moment..

[deruch]

I think there was some discussions about doing some shenanigans with second stage (not full recovery) in past. Maybe whatever mechanism they will use resembles giant party balloon if you squint hard enough.

For "party balloon" maybe read ballute.  But regardless I don't think his tweets were in relation to the TESS launch as during the NASA Social briefing, Hans Koenigsman said that they were going to dispose of the upper stage on a hyperbolic escape trajectory that would send it away from Earth.

Key points from SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann at a NASA Social event a few moments ago.
 -  Second stage will perform an initial burn, then coast for about 40 minutes, then do a second burn before deploying TESS. Finally, a third burn will dispose the second stage into a hyperbolic escape trajectory.

[jcm]

I think there was some discussions about doing some shenanigans with second stage (not full recovery) in past. Maybe whatever mechanism they will use resembles giant party balloon if you squint hard enough.

For "party balloon" maybe read ballute.  But regardless I don't think his tweets were in relation to the TESS launch as during the NASA Social briefing, Hans Koenigsman said that they were going to dispose of the upper stage on a hyperbolic escape trajectory that would send it away from Earth.

Key points from SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann at a NASA Social event a few moments ago.
 -  Second stage will perform an initial burn, then coast for about 40 minutes, then do a second burn before deploying TESS. Finally, a third burn will dispose the second stage into a hyperbolic escape trajectory.

Ah, that makes sense - not this flight, but one of the upcoming ones. That I would believe

[Robotbeat]

I think there was some discussions about doing some shenanigans with second stage (not full recovery) in past. Maybe whatever mechanism they will use resembles giant party balloon if you squint hard enough.

For "party balloon" maybe read ballute.  But regardless I don't think his tweets were in relation to the TESS launch as during the NASA Social briefing, Hans Koenigsman said that they were going to dispose of the upper stage on a hyperbolic escape trajectory that would send it away from Earth.

Key points from SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann at a NASA Social event a few moments ago.
 -  Second stage will perform an initial burn, then coast for about 40 minutes, then do a second burn before deploying TESS. Finally, a third burn will dispose the second stage into a hyperbolic escape trajectory.

Ah, good point! I will make a note of this on the update post. It’s almost certainly for some other mission.

[Joffan]

I was impressed enough with disposing of the upper stage by escaping to solar orbit. Who else would do that? Has it in fact been done before for an earth-orbit payload?

[LastStarFighter]

I was impressed enough with disposing of the upper stage by escaping to solar orbit. Who else would do that? Has it in fact been done before for an earth-orbit payload?

Atlas V did it on the DMSP18 mission

[jcm]

I was impressed enough with disposing of the upper stage by escaping to solar orbit. Who else would do that? Has it in fact been done before for an earth-orbit payload?

Atlas V did it on the DMSP18 mission

In fact there have been a bunch of Atlas V LEO missions which have done it. AV-017, AV-012, AV-035, AV-044, AV-047
Very annoying for the NEO asteroid folks as I had to jump through hoops to get the trajectories, still don't have AV-012.
(we don't want to pick these  up and then confuse them for a potentially hazardous asteroid...)

[jebbo]

Mod question: what's the plan for TESS science updates once it is launched and in the target orbit?
Will the current update thread move to the Science section or will there be a new thread there?

Asking as I've just added the latest science yield paper ...

Edit: if there is a new thread, it is probably worth having a placeholder 1st post for links to things like the Archive Manual, MAST, etc.

--- Tony

[gongora]

Mod question: what's the plan for TESS science updates once it is launched and in the target orbit?
Will the current update thread move to the Science section or will there be a new thread there?

Asking as I've just added the latest science yield paper ...

Edit: if there is a new thread, it is probably worth having a placeholder 1st post for links to things like the Archive Manual, MAST, etc.

--- Tony

Definitely a thread in Space Science section.  I think I found the first post... 
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31927.msg1053066#msg1053066

[jebbo]

Gosh, I don't remember creating that :-)

[Tea Party Space Czar]

We haven't done a video in awhile but we did do one for TESS.



We want to do more of these.  Trying to widen the net.

Thoughts?

[mme]

Just to confirm, the second stage will (eventually) escape the solar system?

[Robotbeat]

Just to confirm, the second stage will (eventually) escape the solar system?

No, just escape Earth. It will become a planetoid, orbiting the Sun.

[rickl]

We want to do more of these.  Trying to widen the net.

Thoughts?

Very nice video!  The only flaw I spotted is that the Falcon 9 is a Block 4, not Block 5.

[penguin44]

We haven't done a video in awhile but we did do one for TESS.



We want to do more of these.  Trying to widen the net.

Thoughts?

I love it. Great vids and lots of easily understood information in a short time. Well done. (although your video says block 5 and its on a block 4)

[Skylab]

Shouldn't the rocket and payload have reached the pad by now? I've not seen any photos of it sitting on the pad since payload integration.

Omar Baez, NASA LSP: "So the nominal roll out's at midnight, but we probably have three or four hours to be able to move things, to be able to adjust to make it."

[GORDAP]

We haven't done a video in awhile but we did do one for TESS.



We want to do more of these.  Trying to widen the net.

Thoughts?

Very Small Nit:  At the 39 second mark, should be "Massachusetts Institute of Technology", not "for".
 
Enjoyed the video!

[Mike_1179]

Shouldn't the rocket and payload have reached the pad by now? I've not seen any photos of it sitting on the pad since payload integration.

https://twitter.com/NASA_TESS/status/985858273164365825

[ZachS09]

Wow. It's quite hard for me to look at a Falcon 9 with no soot markings.

I mean, for the last several missions, there's been only reflights.

[marsbase]

After today's flight and the Bangabandhu in May, 90% will have soot.