SpaceX Falcon 9 : GovSat-1 (SES-16) : Jan 31. 2018 - Discussion

[docmordrid]

[Tweet from Eric Berger]:

So that's how a payload adapter is supposed to work.

Yep. And a big Flying Fickle Finger of Fate to the ZUMA whiners.

[Kabloona]

[Tweet from Eric Berger]:

So that's how a payload adapter is supposed to work.

Yep. And a big Flying Fickle Finger of Fate to the ZUMA whiners.

It's a quantum payload adapter. If you watch it, it's either separated or it's not. But if you're not watching it, it can be both separated and not separated at the same time.

[John Alan]

Going by the cadence of the callouts from burn to legs to splashdown, I'm going with the 3 engine suicide burn.  Have they ever landed one of those, yet?  I remember SES-9 punching a nice hole in OCISLY when they tried it then.

Correct... has never been done successfully yet...
I'm all for expending some block 3's trying to get the bugs out of that 3 engine suicide slam process...
The amount of kick that adds to S2 velocity (because they burned a bit longer before MECO) is worthy of note...
 

[king1999]

Someone posted a picture of both Falcon 9 and FH on the pads. I had an old picture saved that I combined with the new one. These aren't my pictures - I just put them together.

The double shuttle picture was obviously a photoshop job. Not much meaning to compare these two pictures.

No, not a photoshop job... this was taken during the flow for STS-125 which required the LON vehicle to be on LC39-B simultaneously.

Here look for yourself better quality: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space_shuttles_Atlantis_(STS-125)_and_Endeavour_(STS-400)_on_launch_pads.jpg

LOL. I know this is a bit OT, but compare this picture with the one posted earlier. Where are those four lightning towers? Maybe they were being built in this picture and completed in the other picture?

[Ben the Space Brit]

Trivia that I didn't know before: This is the anniversary of the launch of Explorer-1!

[The_Ronin]

Someone posted a picture of both Falcon 9 and FH on the pads. I had an old picture saved that I combined with the new one. These aren't my pictures - I just put them together.

The double shuttle picture was obviously a photoshop job. Not much meaning to compare these two pictures.

No, not a photoshop job... this was taken during the flow for STS-125 which required the LON vehicle to be on LC39-B simultaneously.

Here look for yourself better quality: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space_shuttles_Atlantis_(STS-125)_and_Endeavour_(STS-400)_on_launch_pads.jpg

LOL. I know this is a bit OT, but compare this picture with the one posted earlier. Where are those four lightning towers? Maybe they were being built in this picture and completed in the other picture?

The one you're claiming photoshop on is from 39A to 39B.  The better quality one that you're asking about the lightning towers is from 39B to 39A.

It's pretty clear when you pay attention.

I'm an idiot.

http://www.orbitersim.com/v2/read.asp?id=21926

Orbiter Fan: "Two times ever? Actually it is about 17 times. Here's an complete list of everytime both Launch Complex 39A&B were occupied by an shuttle stack at the same time:

Shuttles on Both Launch Pads

STS-61-C (Columbia) and STS-51-L (Challenger) Dec. 22, 1985 (rollout of 51-L to Pad B)
to Jan. 12, 1986 (launch of 61-C from Pad B)

STS-31 (Discovery) and STS-35 (Columbia) April 22, 1990 (rollout of STS-35 to Pad A)
to April 24, 1990 (launch of STS-31 from Pad B)

STS-38 (Atlantis) and STS-35 (Columbia) Oct. 14, 1990 (rollout of STS-39 to Pad B)
to Nov. 15, 1990 (launch of STS-38 from Pad A)

STS-37 (Atlantis) and STS-39 (Discovery) April 1, 1991 (rollout of STS-39 to Pad A)
to April 5, 1991 (launch of STS-37 from Pad B)

STS-45 (Atlantis) and STS-49 (Endeavour) March 12, 1992 (rollout of STS-49 to Pad B)
to March 24, 1992 (launch of STS-45 from Pad A)

STS-50 (Columbia) and STS-46 (Atlantis) June 11, 1992 (rollout of STS-46 to Pad B)
to June 25, 1992 (launch of STS-50 from Pad A)

STS-56 (Discovery) and STS-55 (Columbia) Feb. 7, 1993 (rollout of STS-55 to Pad A)
to April 8, 1993 (launch of STS-56 from Pad B)

STS-64 (Discovery) and STS-68 (Endeavour) Aug. 19, 1994 (rollout of STS-64 to Pad B)
to Aug. 24, 1994 (rollback to VAB of STS-68 from Pad A)

STS-71 (Atlantis) and STS-70 (Discovery) May 11, 1995 (rollout of STS-70 to Pad B)
to June 8, 1995 (rollback to VAB of STS-70 from Pad B)

STS-71 (Atlantis) and STS-70 (Discovery) June 15, 1995 (rollout of STS-70 to Pad B)
to June 27, 1995 (launch of STS-71 from Pad A)

STS-70 (Discovery) and STS-69 (Endeavour) July 6, 1995 (rollout of STS-69 to Pad A)
to July 13, 1995 (launch of STS-70 from Pad B)

STS-69 (Endeavour) and STS-73 (Columbia) Aug. 28, 1995 (rollout of STS-73 to Pad B)
to Sept. 7, 1995 (launch of STS-69 to Pad A)

STS-73 (Columbia) and STS-74 (Atlantis) Oct. 12, 1995 (rollout of STS-74 to Pad A)
to Oct. 20, 1995 (launch of STS-73 from Pad B)

STS-95 (Discovery) and STS-88 (Endeavour) Oct. 21, 1998 (rollout of STS-88 to Pad A)
to Oct. 29, 1998 (launch of STS-95 from Pad B)

STS-103 (Discovery) and STS-99 (Endeavour) Dec. 13, 1999 (rollout of STS-99 to Pad A)
to Dec. 19, 1999 (launch of STS-103 from Pad B)

STS-104 (Atlantis) and STS-105 (Discovery) July 2, 2001 (rollout of STS-105 to Pad A)
to July 12, 2001 (launch of STS-104 from Pad B)"

[moralec]

Someone posted a picture of both Falcon 9 and FH on the pads. I had an old picture saved that I combined with the new one. These aren't my pictures - I just put them together.

The double shuttle picture was obviously a photoshop job. Not much meaning to compare these two pictures.

No, not a photoshop job... this was taken during the flow for STS-125 which required the LON vehicle to be on LC39-B simultaneously.

Here look for yourself better quality: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space_shuttles_Atlantis_(STS-125)_and_Endeavour_(STS-400)_on_launch_pads.jpg

LOL. I know this is a bit OT, but compare this picture with the one posted earlier. Where are those four lightning towers? Maybe they were being built in this picture and completed in the other picture?

?

The Falcon 9 + Heavy and The Atlantis + Endeavour pictures are not directly comparable.

Shuttle flights were done from Launch Complex 39A and B pads.

SpaceX uses Pad 39A and Pad 40

[IntoTheVoid]

SO... RIP B1032... but I hope they got good data before you RUD'd... 

Minor nit.
This was not a RUD. U = Unscheduled/Unplanned.
This Rapid Disassembly was completely planned.

[Kabloona]

Fairing recovery vessel, aka Mr. Steven is at LA port.

The East Coast fairing tracking/recovery vessel is GO Searcher, which was out with GO Quest for this mission.

[Nomadd]

It's a quantum payload adapter. If you watch it, it's either separated or it's not. But if you're not watching it, it can be both separated and not separated at the same time.

That's how I feel about launches I missed. They haven't actually happened until I open the NSF box and look.

[John Alan]

SO... RIP B1032... but I hope they got good data before you RUD'd... 

Minor nit.
This was not a RUD. U = Unscheduled/Unplanned.
This Rapid Disassembly was completely planned.

My bad... 
RPD it is... Rapid Planned Disassembly... 

[Kabloona]

So what recovery vessel was getting AOS and why?

GO Quest is the usual tracking vessel for ASDS landings. She was likely the "AOS" vessel standing by near the stage 1 splashdown zone.

GO Searcher was likely near the expected fairing splashdown zone, farther downrange.

[IanO]

Congratulations to SpaceX for rounding out the busiest January in decades!

I mean, January had an astonishing thirteen launches in what is normally the least busy month of the year, averaging about four launches in the last decade.  Has the world ever had such a busy start of the year for orbital spaceflight?

[jak Kennedy]

Isn't it likely the recovery ship was there to pick up the S1 after a successful splashdown. With empty tanks and a gentle touch down isn't there a good chance it is floating?

[Rik ISS-fan]

Isn't it likely the recovery ship was there to pick up the S1 after a successful splashdown. With empty tanks and a gentle touch down isn't there a good chance it is floating?

I really hope they could do this. Than the first stage is one very nice museum piece.
But the most likely reason for the ship being there was receiving the telemetry from the first stage.
I think it's a smart move to not risk damaging the landing barges while a block 3 core can't be reused more than two or three times anyway. A bit of corrosion on a museum piece is only nice in my opinion, that shows it's used.

How hard would it be to tow the stage back to port Canaveral? One crew member puts on a wet of dry suit, jumps into the water and ties a rope to the vacuum Merlin pole thingy.
But indeed plenty of used stages. Why hasn't SpaceX donated stages jet of have they?

[AncientU]

Isn't it likely the recovery ship was there to pick up the S1 after a successful splashdown. With empty tanks and a gentle touch down isn't there a good chance it is floating?

Nope.  Disassembles upon falling over.

[Kabloona]

Isn't it likely the recovery ship was there to pick up the S1 after a successful splashdown. With empty tanks and a gentle touch down isn't there a good chance it is floating?

Touchdown is gentle until the stage topples over and the pressurized tanks smack the water and rupture. And even if the stage remained intact, GO Quest isn't equipped to salvage it.

[AncientU]

Isn't it likely the recovery ship was there to pick up the S1 after a successful splashdown. With empty tanks and a gentle touch down isn't there a good chance it is floating?

I really hope they could do this. Than the first stage is one very nice museum piece.
But the most likely reason for the ship being there was receiving the telemetry from the first stage.
I think it's a smart move to not risk damaging the landing barges while a block 3 core can't be reused more than two or three times anyway. A bit of corrosion on a museum piece is only nice in my opinion, that shows it's used.

They're swimming in museum pieces...

[pb2000]

Isn't it likely the recovery ship was there to pick up the S1 after a successful splashdown. With empty tanks and a gentle touch down isn't there a good chance it is floating?

In the past the stages have tipped over and end up visiting Davey Jones, so unless the landing legs has some lead ballast, this one probably did the same.

[pb2000]

And even if the stage remained intact, GO Quest isn't equipped to salvage it.

If you could stick a bow on the interstage and add some ballast to the LOX tank, I think it would tow quite nicely.