SpaceX Falcon 9 FT - ORBCOMM-2 - Dec. 21, 2015 (Return To Flight) DISCUSSION

[Toastmastern]

https://twitter.com/ej_sa/status/678001088352690176

Could this be it?

[Chris Bergin]

https://twitter.com/ej_sa/status/678001088352690176

Could this be it?

Could be, but where's Elon gone? Strange to be so active and then nothing when it does actually happen!

[Kabloona]

https://twitter.com/ej_sa/status/678001088352690176

Could this be it?

Could be, but where's Elon gone? Strange to be so active and then nothing when it does actually happen!

He's breaking out the bubbly!

[Saabstory88]

https://twitter.com/ej_sa/status/678001088352690176

Could this be it?

Could be, but where's Elon gone? Strange to be so active and then nothing when it does actually happen!

He's breaking out the bubbly!

Or not all was well with the Static Fire.

I am pleased to be incorrect.

[cscott]

Check out @elonmusk's Tweet: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/678004229047357440?s=09

"Static fire test looks good. Pending data review, will aim to launch Sunday."

[Chris Bergin]

Done! http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/spacex-static-fire-falcon-9-og-2-rtf/

[SVBarnard]

please someone whats the weather forecast on Sunday concerning the landing attempt not the launch, thanks? I am super pumped for the land landing, gonna be witnessing history in the making folks. If they succeed this invention (VT/VL Rocket) will usher in a new era just like the Wright brothers. I have seen others say this wont mean crap, that in fact it might make the launch more expensive, somethings about having to employ thousands of people just to build the rocket and economies of scale and what not. Its bull crap they could always lay people off once these rockets become reusable and they dont need to mass produce them anymore.

All I can say is there are some pessimists, listen, do you think the Wright brothers could have foreseen the Jumbo Jets that can carry 800 passengers? Do you think they could have foreseen the Jet engine? It is so natural for people to underestimate things. I truly believe you will all be surprised when in fact they'll be able to do a 100 launches before they even have to replace a part on the engines. Mars here we come!

[Colman]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=38148.msg1459892#msg1459892

That's the link to the weather forecast posted in the RTF update thread..

Or get the weather reports from the Military here: http://www.patrick.af.mil/weather/

Its the same for Launch/Landing as it will all happen at pretty much the same time.. Land Landing or Return to Launch Site will be 15-20 mins after launch.. ish....

Lol to what you say above.. Good on ya..

If the SpaceX landing on land goes wrong (which it won't) Then SpaceX will have beaten Russia and China to detonating a precision guided equivalent of an ICBM on US soil...(from orbit)

[rocx]

(from orbit)

Nope, the first stage does not come even close to achieving orbit. But they might be the first entity not part of or working for the US military to fire a missile at a US military base!

[Colman]

Thanks for the correction Rocx. Will try to post more factual attempts at humour as i get to grips with this...I will also make sure I type everything in one go so I don't have to keep editing my posts..Its so long since I been on a forum..

[sheltonjr]

https://twitter.com/ej_sa/status/678001088352690176

Someone commented to this Twitter post, so the source is questionable.

Blake Leighton ‏@BLeighton1982
@MatoroIgnika @ej_sa Sunday WITH possible landing on land. Rumor has it FAA set up an exclusion zone around KSC

[the_other_Doug]

...I've seen more than a few comments on "why wasn't this caught during testing?"  Part of that answer is that not all problems will surface during the first test.  Hell, 18 F9s flew perfectly fine, and that's pretty much the most extensive test you can do, and there was still a subsequent failure.  If something can go wrong, it will go wrong, but nobody knows when, and so it's unreasonable to expect everything to be caught during testing, IMO.

I know this is upthread, and I'm sorry if I'm duplicating points, but... the static fire IS a test, one of the final tests run on the vehicle, and in this case (of the first-time fueling of a FT F9 at Pad 40), being run to also fine-tune some of the parameters involved with the support systems.

The issues this first static fire series of attempts has uncovered lets them be fixed before the actual launch -- or, at least, that's certainly the idea.

Not to be too uncouth, but I'll remind y'all that you want your failures to occur during ground tests.  Heck, the Apollo 1 fire can be viewed as a success of the Apollo test program, in that the fatal flaw(s) in that spacecraft were in fact discovered during ground test.  So, in an ironic way, the concept of doing everything in ground test before flying worked, even then.

[docmordrid]

Anyone know the weather odds for Sunday?

[Kabloona]

Anyone know the weather odds for Sunday?

90% chance of favorable weather Sunday, dropping to 60% favorable Tuesday.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=38148.msg1459687#msg1459687

[vanoord]

Elon confirms on Twitter that they're aiming for an 8pm local launch and landing at Cape Canaveral.

 

[SVBarnard]

Wait a second Elon just tweeted rocket landing at cape so there is going to a land landing now for sure? Anyone...

[vanoord]

I think the wording was 'looking good for' - still haven't figured out how to cut from the Twitter app on this device...

Presume he means that's what they're aiming for, but if the ASDS is out there, that remains an option based on whatever permissions or operational constraints they face.

Can't help but think that it's too easy to try and pigeonhole what's still a very fluid situation. The media have been reporting the SF delays as causing the launch to slip, but in reality the launch date was only ever going to be firmed up once the SF had been completed satisfactorily.

What seems to be delays shouldn't be unexpected - they come with the territory of the RTF and a much changed rocket, never mind that in rocketry, NET means just that.

As for the landing - if it comes back in one piece, then that's going to a massive step forwards for space. But the more important bit is getting the payload into orbit.

[MarekCyzio]

I guess we will know later today or early tomorrow if ASDS will be used in this launch at all. What if the only reason it is here is to offload some navigational equipment (radio beacons etc.) and move it to LC-13?

[Johnnyhinbos]

The ASDS can only be moved at around 4 knots. The wave height at buoy 41009 is 7.2' with a dominant period of 8 seconds. The Elsbeth III is already halfway to Jax. If the ASDS is going to play a point Ina launch tomorrow, that window is quickly closing.

[Kabloona]

I guess we will know later today or early tomorrow if ASDS will be used in this launch at all. What if the only reason it is here is to offload some navigational equipment (radio beacons etc.) and move it to LC-13?

The ASDS ususal tug escort, Elsbeth III, left port last night and is heading north, so it appears she won't be back in time for the launch. So unless SpaceX has hired a different tug for the ASDS, it can't be deployed for the launch.

The departure of Elsbeth III and Elon's tweet that things "look good" for a landing back at the Cape strongly suggest the barge won't be deployed.