-
SpaceX F9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 5 : March 30, 2018 @ Vandenberg : Discussion
by
gongora
on 09 Jan, 2018 03:08
-
-
#1
by
Inoeth
on 09 Jan, 2018 03:44
-
Re-used core again... so will they attempt to land this time- either on the drone ship or RTLS?
-
#2
by
gongora
on 09 Jan, 2018 04:21
-
Re-used core again... so will they attempt to land this time- either on the drone ship or RTLS?
We have no idea yet.
-
#3
by
deruch
on 09 Jan, 2018 04:24
-
Re-used core again... so will they attempt to land this time- either on the drone ship or RTLS?
None of the Iridium launches will likely RTLS, even with Block 5 boosters which may be capable they aren't currently planning to do so. Don't know about ASDS recovery plans.
-
#4
by
cppetrie
on 09 Jan, 2018 04:50
-
Re-used core again... so will they attempt to land this time- either on the drone ship or RTLS?
None of the Iridium launches will likely RTLS, even with Block 5 boosters which may be capable they aren't currently planning to do so. Don't know about ASDS recovery plans.
They had originally planned to RTLS for the 4th launch before switching from Block 4 to reuse Block 3. I see no reason that the next Iridium flight to use a new core wouldn’t RTLS.
-
#5
by
deruch
on 09 Jan, 2018 10:36
-
Re-used core again... so will they attempt to land this time- either on the drone ship or RTLS?
None of the Iridium launches will likely RTLS, even with Block 5 boosters which may be capable they aren't currently planning to do so. Don't know about ASDS recovery plans.
They had originally planned to RTLS for the 4th launch before switching from Block 4 to reuse Block 3. I see no reason that the next Iridium flight to use a new core wouldn’t RTLS.
1. Their FAA launch license for Iridium launches hasn't been revised to allow for it yet. It only allows expended or ASDS recovery missions. This isn't definitive as such revisions can happen "last minute" and the FAA sucks at updating their online licenses. So, at best suggestive that they hadn't finalized the necessary paperwork to allow it for Iridium 4 irrespective of the core swap.
2. More to the point however, here's their VAFB launch schedule as of mid October. Dates are off but IMO the operations plan is still relevant.
-
#6
by
scr00chy
on 09 Jan, 2018 11:46
-
2. More to the point however, here's their VAFB launch schedule as of mid October. Dates are off but IMO the operations plan is still relevant.
Is that some kind of official USAF list?
-
#7
by
deruch
on 09 Jan, 2018 11:55
-
It's an official SpaceX one from their filing for permission for RTLS to VAFB.
-
#8
by
gongora
on 09 Jan, 2018 16:12
-
It's an official SpaceX one from their filing for permission for RTLS to VAFB.
Was that documentation posted somewhere, or do you have a link?
-
#9
by
Norm38
on 09 Jan, 2018 16:21
-
What is an "Iridium Landing Area" and why is it unique to Iridium?
-
#10
by
AnalogMan
on 09 Jan, 2018 18:06
-
-
#11
by
crandles57
on 18 Jan, 2018 15:10
-
Shortest gaps between Vandenberg launches has been about 6 weeks for SpaceX
Paz Feb 10
Iridium 5
Iridium 6/Grace April 14
Odd to have April 14th date but not date for earlier flight?
Gap is 9 weeks. So presumably they think they can get gaps down to 4.5 weeks?
Needs to be mid March at latest?
-
#12
by
Roy_H
on 18 Jan, 2018 15:22
-
What is an "Iridium Landing Area" and why is it unique to Iridium?
It's just a name of an area, no reason to think that it is unique to Iridium flights.
-
#13
by
Lar
on 18 Jan, 2018 17:49
-
What is an "Iridium Landing Area" and why is it unique to Iridium?
It's just a name of an area, no reason to think that it is unique to Iridium flights.
Different inclination (and energy?) missions will have different areas where we would expect the ASDS to be. There might be overlaps between such different areas, but I'd expect the landing area for Iridium to differ from that of some other classes of missions. So the label does have some possible uniqueness and explicatory power.
-
#14
by
crandles57
on 19 Jan, 2018 12:13
-
-
#15
by
deruch
on 20 Jan, 2018 03:43
-
What is an "Iridium Landing Area" and why is it unique to Iridium?
It's just a name of an area, no reason to think that it is unique to Iridium flights.
Other non-RTLS recoveries out of VAFB are currently planned to land on ASDSs in a different area (~50+ km WSW of VAFB). In that respect, based on current plans it is unique to Iridium. The reason for this has not been explained in any documents/filings that I've seen.
-
#16
by
Lar
on 21 Jan, 2018 02:03
-
What is an "Iridium Landing Area" and why is it unique to Iridium?
It's just a name of an area, no reason to think that it is unique to Iridium flights.
Other non-RTLS recoveries out of VAFB are currently planned to land on ASDSs in a different area (~50+ km WSW of VAFB). In that respect, based on current plans it is unique to Iridium. The reason for this has not been explained in any documents/filings that I've seen.
Why wouldn't it just be due to orbital inclination, energy, etc. ?
-
#17
by
AncientU
on 22 Jan, 2018 23:53
-
That sounds like one per month or so from mid-March to mid-summer.
-
#18
by
gongora
on 23 Jan, 2018 00:01
-
That sounds like one per month or so from mid-March to mid-summer.
An
article in Space News says they want to average about every 5 weeks. That would probably be late April, early June, mid-July. Of course if you look at the history of Iridium launch dates, I really wouldn't bet on this schedule holding.
-
#19
by
AncientU
on 23 Jan, 2018 22:47
-
That sounds like one per month or so from mid-March to mid-summer.
An article in Space News says they want to average about every 5 weeks. That would probably be late April, early June, mid-July. Of course if you look at the history of Iridium launch dates, I really wouldn't bet on this schedule holding.
Do they have all sats for these flights ready and waiting?
