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

[Lars-J]

That's one sturdy piece of hardware... It has been to space twice, and then survives a water landing. 

[kevinof]

A first for the Falcon. Shuttle SRBs and I think Ariane boosters are/were recovered.

So, this booster would not be denied her victory lap. 

If they manage to successfully tow the booster back, will it be the first?  If so, I wonder how much useful info they can glean from it.

[AUricle]

Is this the Ultimate Irony???

Now they can't even lose a booster when they try to..........

[Jim]

I would guess they have thought about how to tow it or at least sink it since they've tried a few soft splashdowns. In this case they also have a deadline with the next launch coming up. It would be ironic if this stage is expended (scuttled) due to FH even though the original reason for splashing it was to protect the droneship rather than FH schedule conflicts... 

This is one of the ships.  They should be able to chain it to the back of the boat and tow it in much quicker than the ASDS moves with a booster on top.  They could also have the other ship out there join this one to help with the tow.  I would think that recovering this floating booster would become a high priority so they can see what damage is caused by an ocean landing and then being in the ocean.  That would be useful data for SpaceX to have.

Not really.  Towing is going to damage it

[speedevil]

Of course, there's no way they'd test-fire it again.

[ZachS09]

GovSat 1/SES-16 launch montage partially filmed from the observation deck at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach.

[John Alan]

I would guess they have thought about how to tow it or at least sink it since they've tried a few soft splashdowns. In this case they also have a deadline with the next launch coming up. It would be ironic if this stage is expended (scuttled) due to FH even though the original reason for splashing it was to protect the droneship rather than FH schedule conflicts... 

The schedule is a serious consideration. Assuming GO Quest could tow the stage at around 5 knots without breaking it, it could take them 3 days or so to make port, ie Saturday. Then they'd have to turn right around and head out for FH, probably on Sunday.

Would SpaceX consider chartering another boat (not the one that will tow OCISLY out for FH) to head out in next few hours and meet GO Quest to take the rogue stage wreckage in tow?

[macpacheco]

I would guess they have thought about how to tow it or at least sink it since they've tried a few soft splashdowns. In this case they also have a deadline with the next launch coming up. It would be ironic if this stage is expended (scuttled) due to FH even though the original reason for splashing it was to protect the droneship rather than FH schedule conflicts... 

The schedule is a serious consideration. Assuming GO Quest could tow the stage at around 5 knots without breaking it, it could take them 3 days or so to make port, ie Saturday. Then they'd have to turn right around and head out for FH, probably on Sunday.

The thing about towing something is they can shift towing from Go Quest to any other suitable ship while still a day or more away from port. As long as Go Quest has fuel and supplies for the double duty, no problem.

[Kabloona]

I would guess they have thought about how to tow it or at least sink it since they've tried a few soft splashdowns. In this case they also have a deadline with the next launch coming up. It would be ironic if this stage is expended (scuttled) due to FH even though the original reason for splashing it was to protect the droneship rather than FH schedule conflicts... 

The schedule is a serious consideration. Assuming GO Quest could tow the stage at around 5 knots without breaking it, it could take them 3 days or so to make port, ie Saturday. Then they'd have to turn right around and head out for FH, probably on Sunday.

Would SpaceX consider chartering another boat (not the one that will tow OCISLY out for FH) to head out in next few hours and meet GO Quest to take the rogue stage in tow?

That's what I'm wondering, too. GQ will be very limited in tow speed by the poor hydrodynamics of a leg-dragging booster. If they could find a tug to go out and meet GQ halfway or so, that would free up GQ to head into port faster for the turnaround.

I had also wondered earlier whether they might have planned on GQ loitering at sea after GovSat to wait for FH. I guess it's a tradeoff of manpower cost vs. fuel cost for another round trip to/from port. I'd imagine she has plenty of fuel/consumable capacity for a loiter.

[ValmirGP]

I would guess they have thought about how to tow it or at least sink it since they've tried a few soft splashdowns. In this case they also have a deadline with the next launch coming up. It would be ironic if this stage is expended (scuttled) due to FH even though the original reason for splashing it was to protect the droneship rather than FH schedule conflicts... 

The schedule is a serious consideration. Assuming GO Quest could tow the stage at around 5 knots without breaking it, it could take them 3 days or so to make port, ie Saturday. Then they'd have to turn right around and head out for FH, probably on Sunday.

The thing about towing something is they can shift towing from Go Quest to any other suitable ship while still a day or more away from port. As long as Go Quest has fuel and supplies for the double duty, no problem.

Food and supplies replenishment can be handled to them during the handover to another ship.
But I have a hard time believing it will stay afloat for long. If water begins to seep in it will become an anchor. Better they hurry with some choppers with scuba divers and inflatable buoys if they are serious about getting it back, I think.
But will not be sad to be proven wrong again by this valiant booster...

[allins]

I'm wondering if it's a case of velocity > 0 when it hit the water, thus sinking further down before rotating to horizontal?

[Space Ghost 1962]

Why no boom? Haven't they always gone boom, when they hit the water?

So much has to go right ... for it not to go boom ...

Knowing Musk, he'll truck it back to McGregor and see if they can tease it back for at least a test fire. Or if not that, try an engine or two on a test stand.

Like an extension of the Saturn H-1 firing after salt water immersion.

[lonestriker]

I'm constantly amazed by the knowledge of NSF's forum users. And how analytic and prescient the predictions have been. Many members predicted exactly what Elon confirmed with the hot three-engine suicide test landing burn.

The ones who predicted that an intact water landing was impossible can be forgiven though  . The sheer blind luck or audacity to try and succeed really couldn't be even hoped for. These boosters are supposed to be little more than tin cans in terms of wall thickness after all.

[catdlr]

Why no boom? Haven't they always gone boom, when they hit the water?

So much has to go right ... for it not to go boom ...

You need to go back to this flight and water landing videos:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35410.msg1243170#msg1243170

[DecoLV]

I think they have no choice but to try the tow, coz if they don't, someone else will. Somebody could claim it as maritime salvage if SpX abandons it. Maybe some college students would go out there in a speedboat, throw a line on the rocket and try to tow it back to a marina. "Look what we got! We just need to scrub out the prop and then we have the WORLD'S BIGGEST KEGGER!" 

[IanThePineapple]

I think they have no choice but to try the tow, coz if they don't, someone else will. Somebody could claim it as maritime salvage if SpX abandons it. Maybe some college students would go out there in a speedboat, throw a line on the rocket and try to tow it back to a marina. "Look what we got! We just need to scrub out the prop and then we have the WORLD'S BIGGEST KEGGER!" 

Or shoot it, that would pop the tanks and send it to the bottom.

[IanThePineapple]

Also, I'd love to see the condition the grid fins are in, the one that hit the water directly must be beat up somehow, and I wonder what happened to the others (Bent due to the forces on splashdown?)

[Space Ghost 1962]

Why no boom? Haven't they always gone boom, when they hit the water?

So much has to go right ... for it not to go boom ...

You need to go back to this flight and water landing videos:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35410.msg1243170#msg1243170

Just read the entire thread. Nothing there.

For it not to go boom, you have to safe the booster before it falls over. Can think of a hundred ways things can go wrong.

Wonder if they've sped up "safing" after landing a lot, and/or expend propellant more completely (like with a 3-engine terminal burn). Then all you might have to wait for is vent pressurant, inhibit FTS, and spool down the turbos as the long lead items.

[punder]

Elon just announced that the first flight of the Penguin 9 was completely successful.

[OnWithTheShow]

Better they hurry with some choppers with scuba divers and inflatable buoys if they are serious about getting it back, I think.

I dont know the exact landing position but I am sure it is borderline for rotary aircraft carrying and significant load.