SpaceX Falcon Heavy : Arabsat 6A : LC-39A : April 11, 2019 - DISCUSSION

[haywoodfloyd]

I've been watching launches for close to 60 years and this has to be the highlight.
The sight of 3 recovered rockets safely down is absolutely incredible.
Well done SpaceX!

Also congrats to Chris B and Chris G and the remote team on their first webcast.

Cheers all around.

WOW!

[GregTheGrumpy]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

Yep - and when it wasn't crashed, I felt like Mr. Magoo 'cause it downgraded to 240p.
(most of you Apollo-era space-cadets will understand the reference )

Zero issues for me on the SpaceX webcast.  NSF webcast was running 53 seconds behind from my location (Launch on NSF occurred and the SpaceX showed 53+ seconds at the time).  both Everyday Astronaut and NSF dropped out, but NSF drops were more frequent.

[Tonioroffo]

A question about the launch sequence.  The first FH ignited side boosters well before the core, in this launch that didn't seem to happen, or did I miss it?

[CorvusCorax]

Answering my own question, Chris G's stream is archived, and congrats to Dasz for tracking those returning boosters, awesome video!!!!

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/409596178

congrats of course to SpaceX for landing all 3 in the first place and Arabsat and everyone involved and the server hamsters and ..., ..., ..., ...

this was one awesome launch, well worth staying up past midnight!

[flyright]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

It was constantly erroring out for me while I was using Firefox (which usually works just fine).
I switched to IE and it worked a lot better.

[ZachS09]

Remind me if this question has been asked: were the fairings supposed to be recovered by Mr Steven for this launch?

[Perchlorate]

People tell me I'm pretty good with words...for an engineer, at least.

But I am speechless, seeing the most powerful rocket in the world (by 2x±), 2nd time ever and 1st time in the Block 5 evolution, get off on time and do everything to perfection.

Just freakin' WOW!!!   

[Brovane]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

Had no issues using the built in YouTube Application on my TV to watch the feed. 

[Rocket Science]

Congrats SpaceX and wonderful coverage team NSF!

[CorvusCorax]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

It was constantly erroring out for me while I was using Firefox (which usually works just fine).
I switched to IE and it worked a lot better.

I noticed that too lately. Youtube changed something with their streaming, with the effect that Firefox now cuts out during livestreams all the time whenever they are really busy (lots of watchers). Such as SpaceX launches but also the SpaceIL crash earlier tonight. Googles own browser works fine with the same streams. Maybe they are "subtly" trying to convince more people to use Chrome.

[flyright]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

It was constantly erroring out for me while I was using Firefox (which usually works just fine).
I switched to IE and it worked a lot better.

I noticed that too lately. Youtube changed something with their streaming, with the effect that Firefox now cuts out during livestreams all the time whenever they are really busy (lots of watchers). Such as SpaceX launches but also the SpaceIL crash earlier tonight. Googles own browser works fine with the same streams. Maybe they are "subtly" trying to convince more people to use Chrome.

You might be on to something. I also had problems with the SpaceIL stream using Firefox. Next time I'll try Chrome.

[ulm_atms]

Good grief SpaceX.

You have been told over and over again that it's not possible to land boosters and that it's also too hard to even try.  When will you get that through your heads and just be like everyone else!  You landed 3 boosters AND you made it look easy...YOU NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!!!! 

That was awesome and I firmly believe that it will never get old to watch.  Thank you SpaceX for the ride!

[ugordan]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

It was constantly erroring out for me while I was using Firefox (which usually works just fine).
I switched to IE and it worked a lot better.

I noticed that too lately. Youtube changed something with their streaming, with the effect that Firefox now cuts out during livestreams all the time whenever they are really busy (lots of watchers). Such as SpaceX launches but also the SpaceIL crash earlier tonight. Googles own browser works fine with the same streams. Maybe they are "subtly" trying to convince more people to use Chrome.

You might be on to something. I also had problems with the SpaceIL stream using Firefox. Next time I'll try Chrome.

Yeah, I've been having more luck with Chrome when it comes to youtube streams than with Firefox as well.

[ZachF]

Congrats SpaceX!

Also, that FH lifts off pretty fast for a rocket without SRBs!

[OxCartMark]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

No to that but worse.  Watching on a desk PC at home I lost all connection to the internets at T- 3:48.  WTF!  Thought initially it was a VPN problem but finally had to restart the cable modem, a process that takes seemingly 10 minutes.  Finally got back online with the 2nd stage lit and the cores high.  I was planning on 2 adventures today (Beresheet, FH), but got three. My viewing experience might be tied with JohnnyHinBos's for last place.

A question about the launch sequence.  The first FH ignited side boosters well before the core, in this launch that didn't seem to happen, or did I miss it?

Oh yea it was done in two stages.  Look at the SpaceX stream again, look at the camera that's set up on the output side of the flame trench.  First you get a giant cloud then a second or two later you very distinctly get a 2nd stream of cloudogenesis if that's a word.  My thought when I saw that (on rewatch because I missed that part in real time) was that the 2nd puff looked to me like it was 2x the flow rate of the initial puff, as if the center core was ignited first then later but simultaneously the 2 outers.

Look at how fast that thing jumped off the pad and got screaming. That was no stately Saturn V launch.  Much faster than F9.  Looked more like a solid motored surface to air missile.  I think it would be great if one of our video editing folks would line up this launch with a typical F9 launch and maybe also the 1st FH.

[Herb Schaltegger]

Was anyone else having the SpaceX/Youtube feed crash as often as the Soviet Mars program?

Yep - and when it wasn't crashed, I felt like Mr. Magoo 'cause it downgraded to 240p.
(most of you Apollo-era space-cadets will understand the reference )

I heard a lot of similar complaints during DM-1. That's your ISP and/or data congestion between SpaceX's servers and yours. I have a fiber connection to my home and the stream was rock-solid 1080p in excellent quality throughout, just as I did during DM-1.

Anyway, congrats to SpaceX, the Arabsat customer, USAF Eastern Range support and all involved. Great show this evening, and lovely to see yet another "norminal" mission.

[matthewkantar]

I noticed a very interesting and lovely phenomenon at MECO. As the boosters fall away from the core, they fall through their own exhaust plumes, so that a ring of fire seems to travel up the length of the boosters. When it passes over the boosters' cameras, it fuzzes them out for a second.

[BigDustyman]

is there going to be a presser

[ugordan]

Oh yea it was done in two stages.

I don't think it was done in two stages, from the moment of the green TEA/TEB flash seen at least on the side boosters, there was the usual 3-ish seconds before vehicle first motion, roughty 2 of those seconds with the ignited chambers. The apparent increase in flow can be due to either the engines ramping in power simultaneously or the initial water pool at the base of the flame trench got vaporized and thrown out.

It doesn't really make much sense doing it like in the first flight, I think they were simply careful and conservative with what the side-core vibrational loads would do to the center octaweb.

[Lar]

Remind me if this question has been asked: were the fairings supposed to be recovered by Mr Steven for this launch?

No one is 100% certain what SpaceX planned initially... but Mr Steven wasn't even out there. Wisdom is that they will be fished out by other support vessels which traveled to their expected arrival location and were in place yesterday before the abort.