SpaceX Falcon 9 : PAZ & Microsat 2a/2b : SLC-4E : Feb 22, 2018 : DISCUSSION

[tleski]

EXCELLENT pic of GO something at speed with nets deployed

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfgHKDNAplx/ (from Elon's tweet)

Elon's explanation accompanying the photo on Instagram:

Going to try to catch the giant fairing (nosecone) of Falcon 9 as it falls back from space at about eight times the speed of sound. It has onboard thrusters and a guidance system to bring it through the atmosphere intact, then releases a parafoil and our ship, named Mr. Steven, with basically a giant catcher’s mitt welded on, tries to catch it.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Mission patch given to the media team after the successful #Pax launch this morning at Vandenberg! @Teslarati

https://twitter.com/w00ki33/status/966692162476818433

[Lar]

Well Drat!

Missed by a few hundred meters, but fairing landed intact in water. Should be able catch it with slightly bigger chutes to slow down descent.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966692641533390848

[RocketLover0119]

did they water land the S1?

[cscott]

did they water land the S1?

On the broadcast they said "no burns will be performed".  Without an entry burn, it might not have made it intact to the water.  Without a landing burn, they certainly didn't manage to "water land" it.

And I think Go something aka Mr. Steven was the only SpaceX Navy ship deployed.  So I don't think they've even got anyone out there to fish debris from the water. (I could be wrong about this, gotta double check positions of the Armada.)

[ejb749]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfgRX-lgIt6/

[eeergo]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfgRX-lgIt6/

 

If it landed so softly, major amounts of sea water shouldn't have touched the inside of the fairing. The outside should be pretty waterproofed, so maybe they can still try to lift it out of the water as an almost-valid recovered fairing?


Otherwise it has the right shape for a fishing boat

[abaddon]

She looks quite cheeky floating there; "I don't need no net!"

Wonder if is in good enough shape that they could consider reusing it if they can fish it out safely onto the recovery boat.  Is salt water bad on composites?

I guess we don't even know if they can get it on the boat though...

[wannamoonbase]

Huge accomplishment, a few hundred yards is amazing.  A few things to work out.

Congrats on a successful launch and deployment. 

Big launch successful primary payload, demo sats, fairing 2 and the best fairing recovery attempt to date.

That's alot!

Edit: Regardless of whether it can ever fly again, this is great!

Edit 2: Who's calculated the weight of the fairing by the amount of displaced water, and what was the assumed density of sea water? 

[geza]

I guess we don't even know if they can get it on the boat though...

They would need a crane, but the ship doesn't look like having one. Also, they would need people who can attach the fairing to the hook...

[neoforce]

Good deployment of PAZ Congrats SpaceX

Bit early secondary payloads not confirmed deployed yet?

I wouldn't expect much news.  I suspect they are going to continue being low key on anything about Starlink until they are much farther along.

Clearly I don't know what I'm talking about

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966703261699854336

First two Starlink demo satellites, called Tintin A & B, deployed and communicating to Earth stations

[CyndyC]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfgRX-lgIt6/

Otherwise it has the right shape for a fishing boat

Someone on Instagram suggested merely attaching an outboard motor and letting it drive itself back. The motor would have to ride up external to the payload. A WHOLE lot cheaper than hiring Mr Steven

[IanO]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfgRX-lgIt6/

 

If it landed so softly, major amounts of sea water shouldn't have touched the inside of the fairing. The outside should be pretty waterproofed, so maybe they can still try to lift it out of the water as an almost-valid recovered fairing?


Otherwise it has the right shape for a fishing boat

Seriously. I wonder what is keeping them from designing it to be seaworthy enough to be towed back to port (or at least float long enough to be winched up onto a barge)?  Seems like an easier engineering problem than a pinpoint parasail landing through random weather into a giant floating net!

[cscott]

Saltwater is hella destructive, that's what.

[AncientU]

First two Starlink demo satellites, called Tintin A & B, deployed and communicating to Earth stations

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966703261699854336

Now.  Congrats SpaceX.
Paz, check.  Fairing, check.  Tintin A&B, check.

National Margarita Day, check-check-check.
https://twitter.com/margaritaday

[eeergo]

Seriously. I wonder what is keeping them from designing it to be seaworthy enough to be towed back to port (or at least float long enough to be winched up onto a barge)?  Seems like an easier engineering problem than a pinpoint parasail landing through random weather into a giant floating net!

Probably lots of repetitive impacts against the waves, perpendicular to the nominal load-bearing direction for this large, wide, concave, unsupported structure would make it buckle or, at the least, question its structural integrity for re-flight.

In this sense, check out in the Chinese launches threads how Long March fairings all fail by "spreading open" after impact with the ground. Of course these fall uncontrolledly and aren't meant to survive, but it clearly shows what the failure mode for dropping fairings is.

[seruriermarshal]

Congrats SpaceX.

[HarryM]

Quite a nice view from the backyard here in Paso Robles, got up to about 45deg from this location which was way higher than I expected. I didn't take any pictures but the ones here are pretty close to what I saw. http://www.ksby.com/story/37567027/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-out-of-vandenberg-air-force-base-successfully

This was the first ever space-launch I have actually seen, so pretty special.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

First two Starlink demo satellites, called Tintin A & B, deployed and communicating to Earth stations

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966703261699854336

Wow, once again congratulations to SpaceX and to Spain!

Amazing to see an intact fairing quietly floating on the water. Looking good for future recovery and re-use attempts.

I'm glad I'm not having to compete with SpaceX ...

[hootowls]

did they water land the S1?

Stage 1 was jettison only, no legs, fins (but not deployed), no post sep burns, and no vessel postured to go to the impact location.  Pretty much like a "traditional" expendable mission.