SpaceX Falcon 9 - EchoStar 23 - March 16, 2017 - DISCUSSION

[Flying Beaver]

WGS-9 now delayed to NET March 14.

I assume that Falcon still has the 12th booked? And that the 14th is the placeholder for Delta after a minimum 2 day turnaround for the range.

[Bubbinski]

Any chance Echostar could move to the left a couple of days now?

[shuttlefan]

Any date set for the Static Fire?

[vaporcobra]

Any chance Echostar could move to the left a couple of days now?

Chris Bergin is gonna try to look into this and see how it may or may not impact Echostar's NET and static fire.

[vaporcobra]

TE is or was vertical earlier today, courtesy of Stephen Smith.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SpaceKSCBlog/status/838447684562391041

[Mike_1179]

Is there any chance there is more than one TEL?

[gongora]

Is there any chance there is more than one TEL?

No

[Jim]

Is there any chance there is more than one TEL?

The TEL is on rails.  There are no switches in the rails.

[Flying Beaver]

The chicken is in the coop.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRU3XWyDoY6/

[groknull]

From updates thread:

Launch hazard area. Just the standard GTO mission profile.

 2#4 RS 11 Mar 17 LHA.pdf (88.31 kB - downloaded 29 times.)

That PDF indicates hazard times starting late 11 Mar 2017 to cover early 12 Mar 2017 launch window.

PDF also says:

If this launch is delayed the next attempt will be on 14 Mar 2017.

Hazard Area times will be the same.

Does that mean the backup launch day is the 14th with the hazard times starting late on the 13th?

Or does that mean the hazard times start late on the 14th with the launch window early on the 15th?

How do either of those square with the previously indicated Echostar 23 backup launch day of the 13th or the rescheduled Delta IV/ WGS launch on the 14th?

[Jim]

Does that mean the backup launch day is the 14th with the hazard times starting late on the 13th?

Or does that mean the hazard times start late on the 14th with the launch window early on the 15th?

How do either of those square with the previously indicated Echostar 23 backup launch day of the 13th or the rescheduled Delta IV/ WGS launch on the 14th?

The next attempt is the 14th.  Hazard start times have no bearing on this statement.

[WHAP]

From updates thread:

Launch hazard area. Just the standard GTO mission profile.

 2#4 RS 11 Mar 17 LHA.pdf (88.31 kB - downloaded 29 times.)

That PDF indicates hazard times starting late 11 Mar 2017 to cover early 12 Mar 2017 launch window.

PDF also says:

If this launch is delayed the next attempt will be on 14 Mar 2017.

Hazard Area times will be the same.

Does that mean the backup launch day is the 14th with the hazard times starting late on the 13th?

Or does that mean the hazard times start late on the 14th with the launch window early on the 15th?

How do either of those square with the previously indicated Echostar 23 backup launch day of the 13th or the rescheduled Delta IV/ WGS launch on the 14th?

The Delta launch on the 14th may not be an official Range date, just for planning purposes.  But if SpaceX launches on the 12th, then the 14th becomes available.

[rockets4life97]

Once again, there is no payload on top of the Falcon 9 for the static fire.

[Comga]

Does that mean the backup launch day is the 14th with the hazard times starting late on the 13th?

Or does that mean the hazard times start late on the 14th with the launch window early on the 15th?

How do either of those square with the previously indicated Echostar 23 backup launch day of the 13th or the rescheduled Delta IV/ WGS launch on the 14th?

The next attempt is the 14th.  Hazard start times have no bearing on this statement.

For once, too many words from Jim.
Did you mean "Yes, no, and (something else)"?

[ChrisGebhardt]

Does that mean the backup launch day is the 14th with the hazard times starting late on the 13th?

Or does that mean the hazard times start late on the 14th with the launch window early on the 15th?

How do either of those square with the previously indicated Echostar 23 backup launch day of the 13th or the rescheduled Delta IV/ WGS launch on the 14th?

The next attempt is the 14th.  Hazard start times have no bearing on this statement.

For once, too many words from Jim.
Did you mean "Yes, no, and (something else)"?

It means the backup launch date (according to the PDF) is in the early morning hours of the 14th - and the hazardous keep out zones have starts times identical to the attempt on the 12th.

It might mean that SpaceX either requested a back-up date change to the 14th or the Range told them they couldn't have the 13th.

Delta IV on the 14th has been considered a best case place holder since it slipped so that if Falcon goes on the 12th, Delta can have the 14th.  If SpaceX delays, then Delta likely has to wait.

[kevin-rf]

For once, too many words from Jim.
Did you mean "Yes, no, and (something else)"?

Aren't the answers n!/ (n1 -k!)?

[Ben the Space Brit]

The Falcon-9 is now upright at LC-39A. What's the likelihood of a hotfire test today?

[KaiFarrimond]

The Falcon-9 is now upright at LC-39A. What's the likelihood of a hotfire test today?

The Static Fire Is Scheduled For Today.

[Mike_1179]

The Falcon-9 is now upright at LC-39A. What's the likelihood of a hotfire test today?

Pad systems were successfully tested out twice so far (static fire and launch of CRS) so anything that stops it today would be related to the stage itself or something at the pad that was new / replaced after damage from CRS launch.

Is it a bad assumption to say that likelihood of a static fire today would be best estimated by how often Falcon 9 static fires took place on their first try back at LC-40?

[wannamoonbase]

The Falcon-9 is now upright at LC-39A. What's the likelihood of a hotfire test today?

Pad systems were successfully tested out twice so far (static fire and launch of CRS) so anything that stops it today would be related to the stage itself or something at the pad that was new / replaced after damage from CRS launch.

Is it a bad assumption to say that likelihood of a static fire today would be best estimated by how often Falcon 9 static fires took place on their first try back at LC-40?

It's also possible they are tweaking processes or equipment with the new pad and there maybe progressive lessons learned with these tweaks. 

We will know in time.  I'm just excited they are flying again and am hopeful they establish a regular cadence.