Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Nusantara Satu (PSN VI)/GTO-1/SpaceIL : Feb. 21/22, 2019: Discussion (Read 138218 times)

Elthiryel · « **Reply #180 on:** 02/21/2019 02:38 pm »

That makes the manifested orbit much more reasonable.

As far as I know, SSL has been responsible for the entire launch procurement, so maybe they were providing the mass together with the rideshare spacecraft all the time and that's how we all got mistaken.

niwax · « **Reply #181 on:** 02/21/2019 02:52 pm »

Arstechnica article about the launch: The first private mission to the Moon may launch Thursday night

scr00chy · « **Reply #182 on:** 02/21/2019 03:05 pm »

Quote from: gongora on 02/21/2019 01:20 pm

SpaceNews said yesterday the whole payload stack is 4850kg and Nusantara Satu is 4100.
https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launch-the-final-leg-of-indonesian-satellites-roundabout-journey/

That explains why the first stage is capable of landing. The total mass was previously thought to be around 5400 kg and it didn't seem possible for Falcon 9 to reach the target orbit and still land on OCISLY.

ATPTourFan · « **Reply #183 on:** 02/21/2019 03:44 pm »

Almost every news article about this lunar lander mission is stating that Beresheet will attempt the hop maneuver following landing -- even Eric Berger @ arstechnica.

However, The Planetary Society's mission preview article states:

Quote

Under the original terms of the $30 million Google Lunar XPrize, Beresheet would have hopped to a new location at least 500 meters using its main engine after landing. SpaceIL no longer plans to do this, preferring not to press their luck after having touched down on the Moon successfully. It will be a big deal for Israel to become the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon (following Russia, the United States, and China), and the team would rather have an intact lander bearing the Israeli flag rather than one that ends up in pieces after a risky second maneuver.

(emphasis mine)

punder · « **Reply #184 on:** 02/21/2019 03:59 pm »

Am I the only one curious about Mr. Steven?

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47391.msg1913430#msg1913430

ATPTourFan · « **Reply #185 on:** 02/21/2019 04:30 pm »

Confirmed. No hop maneuver:

https://twitter.com/MasaCritit/status/1098635413915340800

Quote

It's true. We figured out that one soft landing is enough for this mission, and risking the first Israeli heritage site on the Moon makes no sense.

Quote from: ATPTourFan on 02/21/2019 03:44 pm

Almost every news article about this lunar lander mission is stating that Beresheet will attempt the hop maneuver following landing -- even Eric Berger @ arstechnica.

However, The Planetary Society's mission preview article states:

Quote
Under the original terms of the $30 million Google Lunar XPrize, Beresheet would have hopped to a new location at least 500 meters using its main engine after landing. SpaceIL no longer plans to do this, preferring not to press their luck after having touched down on the Moon successfully. It will be a big deal for Israel to become the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon (following Russia, the United States, and China), and the team would rather have an intact lander bearing the Israeli flag rather than one that ends up in pieces after a risky second maneuver.
(emphasis mine)

nalawod · « **Reply #186 on:** 02/21/2019 04:32 pm »

Not sure where I should post this question- so sorry in advance if it's not the right place but is relevant to the current mission as well: When SpaceX launches from LC40, I can see the tip of the rocket and the tops of the lightning towers from my balcony in Cocoa Beach. Between launches, I do not see the lightning towers at all. My question is, do they take these down and/or remove the insulators from the top between launches? If so, why? Seems a lot of extra work.

Sorry for the crappy photo- it was quick capture from a video frame through my spotting scope - about 8 miles to the buildings in the foreground on a hot day. This shows the tips of the towers and the nose of the rocket.

birdman · « **Reply #187 on:** 02/21/2019 04:45 pm »

Looks like there unfortunately won't be a fairing recovery attempt today. Darn

Lars-J · « **Reply #188 on:** 02/21/2019 05:03 pm »

Quote from: nalawod on 02/21/2019 04:32 pm

Not sure where I should post this question- so sorry in advance if it's not the right place but is relevant to the current mission as well: When SpaceX launches from LC40, I can see the tip of the rocket and the tops of the lightning towers from my balcony in Cocoa Beach. Between launches, I do not see the lightning towers at all. My question is, do they take these down and/or remove the insulators from the top between launches? If so, why? Seems a lot of extra work.

Sorry for the crappy photo- it was quick capture from a video frame through my spotting scope - about 8 miles to the buildings in the foreground on a hot day. This shows the tips of the towers and the nose of the rocket.

No, the towers stay in place between launches. Perhaps light conditions make them hard to see sometimes, but they never move.

haywoodfloyd · « **Reply #189 on:** 02/21/2019 06:01 pm »

Quote from: nalawod on 02/21/2019 04:32 pm

Not sure where I should post this question- so sorry in advance if it's not the right place but is relevant to the current mission as well: When SpaceX launches from LC40, I can see the tip of the rocket and the tops of the lightning towers from my balcony in Cocoa Beach. Between launches, I do not see the lightning towers at all. My question is, do they take these down and/or remove the insulators from the top between launches? If so, why? Seems a lot of extra work.

Sorry for the crappy photo- it was quick capture from a video frame through my spotting scope - about 8 miles to the buildings in the foreground on a hot day. This shows the tips of the towers and the nose of the rocket.

Could you take another picture in between launches to show us?
Thanks.

ZachS09 · « **Reply #190 on:** 02/21/2019 06:06 pm »

I would be impressed if B1048 manages to land on the drone ship in rough seas.

Another thing to mention is back in March 2018 during that Hispasat mission; if B1044 was not expended and SpaceX decided to keep the drone ship out there, I would have predicted that the booster made it alive.

So, in conclusion, the landing conditions for tonight’s attempt gave me memories of the potential landing back then.

Lar · « **Reply #191 on:** 02/21/2019 06:56 pm »

Quote from: haywoodfloyd on 02/21/2019 06:01 pm

Quote from: nalawod on 02/21/2019 04:32 pm
Not sure where I should post this question- so sorry in advance if it's not the right place but is relevant to the current mission as well: When SpaceX launches from LC40, I can see the tip of the rocket and the tops of the lightning towers from my balcony in Cocoa Beach. Between launches, I do not see the lightning towers at all. My question is, do they take these down and/or remove the insulators from the top between launches? If so, why? Seems a lot of extra work.

Sorry for the crappy photo- it was quick capture from a video frame through my spotting scope - about 8 miles to the buildings in the foreground on a hot day. This shows the tips of the towers and the nose of the rocket.

Could you take another picture in between launches to show us?
Thanks.

What an interesting question. To the best of my knowledge SpaceX do not remove or lower the lightning towers and have not since the last time there was major work on the pad (post AMOS-6, several years back now).

Optical illusion?

RocketLover0119 · « **Reply #192 on:** 02/21/2019 07:54 pm »

Not sure if I am the first to notice this, but the tip of the fairing has the black thermal protection just like the GPS-III mission.

cygnusx112 · « **Reply #193 on:** 02/21/2019 08:26 pm »

Quote from: nalawod on 02/21/2019 04:32 pm

Not sure where I should post this question- so sorry in advance if it's not the right place but is relevant to the current mission as well: When SpaceX launches from LC40, I can see the tip of the rocket and the tops of the lightning towers from my balcony in Cocoa Beach. Between launches, I do not see the lightning towers at all. My question is, do they take these down and/or remove the insulators from the top between launches? If so, why? Seems a lot of extra work.

Sorry for the crappy photo- it was quick capture from a video frame through my spotting scope - about 8 miles to the buildings in the foreground on a hot day. This shows the tips of the towers and the nose of the rocket.

I live to the west of the pads and depending on the position of the sun and how much haze is in the air affects if I can see the lightning mast on all of the pads.

nalawod · « **Reply #194 on:** 02/21/2019 11:01 pm »

Quote from: cygnusx112 on 02/21/2019 08:26 pm

Quote from: nalawod on 02/21/2019 04:32 pm
Not sure where I should post this question- so sorry in advance if it's not the right place but is relevant to the current mission as well: When SpaceX launches from LC40, I can see the tip of the rocket and the tops of the lightning towers from my balcony in Cocoa Beach. Between launches, I do not see the lightning towers at all. My question is, do they take these down and/or remove the insulators from the top between launches? If so, why? Seems a lot of extra work.

Sorry for the crappy photo- it was quick capture from a video frame through my spotting scope - about 8 miles to the buildings in the foreground on a hot day. This shows the tips of the towers and the nose of the rocket.

I live to the west of the pads and depending on the position of the sun and how much haze is in the air affects if I can see the lightning mast on all of the pads.

Yup, I agree, it must just be conditions that prevent me from seeing them. I'll check back the next time we have low humidity (rare) and good viz (almost as rare!). Thanks all for the replies. I too was very surprised to not be seeing the towers full-time. They must be there.

StarryKnight · « **Reply #195 on:** 02/22/2019 12:25 am »

It's the 22nd UTC

Prettz · « **Reply #196 on:** 02/22/2019 12:45 am »

I don't know if it's just me, but the youtube stream is doing extremely poorly tonight.

Jdeshetler · « **Reply #197 on:** 02/22/2019 12:55 am »

Great landing. Was there a thunderstorms w/ lighting in the background as the 1st stage is coming down?

StuffOfInterest · « **Reply #198 on:** 02/22/2019 12:56 am »

Quote from: Prettz on 02/22/2019 12:45 am

I don't know if it's just me, but the youtube stream is doing extremely poorly tonight.

It defaulted into 240p mode for me. I went and switched it over to 720p manually (gear icon on lower right of screen) and the pictures cleaned up nicely.

dorkmo · « **Reply #199 on:** 02/22/2019 12:56 am »

pretty cool seeing those sparks coming off the bottom before the feed cut