SpaceX Falcon 9 : CRS-15 : June 29, 2018 : Discussion

[Aussie_Space_Nut]

Congratulations SpaceX! :-)

And thanks for all the wonderful launches Block 4! It was great!

[Semmel]

This is the 3rd and FINAL Block 4 first stage / Block 5 second stage Falcon 9 configuration.

It is the first time NASA is flying with a Block 5 Falcon 9 Second Stage.

LOL, what a nice way to exclude the in-flight abort test. Tip of the head to who ever came up with it

Does not exclude anything, as in-flight abort will:
- not be orbital
- not have a second stage
- not launch anything

Also why waste a perfectly good block-5 unless they are certain they can recover it...?

You didnt understand what I meant. Given, my wording was a bit obscure.

For some reason, they dont want to say "this is the second to last launch of a B4 booster". They want to throw superlatives around but cant because its not the last launch of a B4 due to the in-flight abort test. So somehow they had to exclude the inflight abort launch from their superlative wording. One way is saying "last orbital launch of a B4 first stage". But they chose a different way and said "last launch with the B4 first stage B5 second stage combination". And I find this creative and congratulated them for it.

[Jakusb]

This is the 3rd and FINAL Block 4 first stage / Block 5 second stage Falcon 9 configuration.

It is the first time NASA is flying with a Block 5 Falcon 9 Second Stage.

LOL, what a nice way to exclude the in-flight abort test. Tip of the head to who ever came up with it

Does not exclude anything, as in-flight abort will:
- not be orbital
- not have a second stage
- not launch anything

Also why waste a perfectly good block-5 unless they are certain they can recover it...?

You didnt understand what I meant. Given, my wording was a bit obscure.

For some reason, they dont want to say "this is the second to last launch of a B4 booster". They want to throw superlatives around but cant because its not the last launch of a B4 due to the in-flight abort test. So somehow they had to exclude the inflight abort launch from their superlative wording. One way is saying "last orbital launch of a B4 first stage". But they chose a different way and said "last launch with the B4 first stage B5 second stage combination". And I find this creative and congratulated them for it.

Oh, haha, me bad. Indeed clever wording, not sure why they would want to make such an effort, but maybe all is still up in the air anyways..

[scr00chy]

This is the 3rd and FINAL Block 4 first stage / Block 5 second stage Falcon 9 configuration.

It is the first time NASA is flying with a Block 5 Falcon 9 Second Stage.

LOL, what a nice way to exclude the in-flight abort test. Tip of the head to who ever came up with it

Does not exclude anything, as in-flight abort will:
- not be orbital
- not have a second stage
- not launch anything

Also why waste a perfectly good block-5 unless they are certain they can recover it...?

You didnt understand what I meant. Given, my wording was a bit obscure.

For some reason, they dont want to say "this is the second to last launch of a B4 booster". They want to throw superlatives around but cant because its not the last launch of a B4 due to the in-flight abort test. So somehow they had to exclude the inflight abort launch from their superlative wording. One way is saying "last orbital launch of a B4 first stage". But they chose a different way and said "last launch with the B4 first stage B5 second stage combination". And I find this creative and congratulated them for it.

AFAIK, there is absolutely nothing indicating that B1042 will be used for the in-flight abort. It's all based on speculation.

[Jakusb]

This is the 3rd and FINAL Block 4 first stage / Block 5 second stage Falcon 9 configuration.

It is the first time NASA is flying with a Block 5 Falcon 9 Second Stage.

LOL, what a nice way to exclude the in-flight abort test. Tip of the head to who ever came up with it

Does not exclude anything, as in-flight abort will:
- not be orbital
- not have a second stage
- not launch anything

Also why waste a perfectly good block-5 unless they are certain they can recover it...?

You didnt understand what I meant. Given, my wording was a bit obscure.

For some reason, they dont want to say "this is the second to last launch of a B4 booster". They want to throw superlatives around but cant because its not the last launch of a B4 due to the in-flight abort test. So somehow they had to exclude the inflight abort launch from their superlative wording. One way is saying "last orbital launch of a B4 first stage". But they chose a different way and said "last launch with the B4 first stage B5 second stage combination". And I find this creative and congratulated them for it.

AFAIK, there is absolutely nothing indicating that B1042 will be used for the in-flight abort. It's all based on speculation.

As is a lot regarding future usage of cores...
SpaceX always has somehow liked playing their card close to the vest regarding core assignments..

Current reasoning:
-1042 is definitely not going to launch any mission, so much is 100% clear now
-1042 seems to have been recently transported West (to Hawthorne?) why? refurb and frankenstein mods?
-1042 could have been scrapped, but seems they still not did that, it would not be special as show item
-Potentially wasting Block-5 seems pretty expensive for an optional In-Flight-abort test

But indeed all pure speculation, time will tell (as always)

edit: sorry mods, we are way of the CRS-15 discussion, move if you want to in-flight-abort thread

[ChrisGebhardt]

This is the 3rd and FINAL Block 4 first stage / Block 5 second stage Falcon 9 configuration.

It is the first time NASA is flying with a Block 5 Falcon 9 Second Stage.

LOL, what a nice way to exclude the in-flight abort test. Tip of the head to who ever came up with it

Does not exclude anything, as in-flight abort will:
- not be orbital
- not have a second stage
- not launch anything

Also why waste a perfectly good block-5 unless they are certain they can recover it...?

You didnt understand what I meant. Given, my wording was a bit obscure.

For some reason, they dont want to say "this is the second to last launch of a B4 booster". They want to throw superlatives around but cant because its not the last launch of a B4 due to the in-flight abort test. So somehow they had to exclude the inflight abort launch from their superlative wording. One way is saying "last orbital launch of a B4 first stage". But they chose a different way and said "last launch with the B4 first stage B5 second stage combination". And I find this creative and congratulated them for it.

AFAIK, there is absolutely nothing indicating that B1042 will be used for the in-flight abort. It's all based on speculation.

As is a lot regarding future usage of cores...
SpaceX always has somehow liked playing their card close to the vest regarding core assignments..

Current reasoning:
-1042 is definitely not going to launch any mission, so much is 100% clear now
-1042 seems to have been recently transported West (to Hawthorne?) why? refurb and frankenstein mods?
-1042 could have been scrapped, but seems they still not did that, it would not be special as show item
-Potentially wasting Block-5 seems pretty expensive for an optional In-Flight-abort test

But indeed all pure speculation, time will tell (as always)

edit: sorry mods, we are way of the CRS-15 discussion, move if you want to in-flight-abort thread

And let us be VERY CLEAR.  Jessica Jensen CLEARLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY said yesterday that this was the final Block 4 to fly. 

There was no "well, maybe something else" or "superlatives" as some are saying here.

[Jcc]

They are planning a rocket garden at the new control center, maybe they will prepare 1042 for that. And maybe move Grasshopper and come up with a F1 somehow.

[Semmel]

And let us be VERY CLEAR.  Jessica Jensen CLEARLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY said yesterday that this was the final Block 4 to fly. 

There was no "well, maybe something else" or "superlatives" as some are saying here.

Well, that settles it then, thank you. I am just so used to read over-specific disclaimers all the time that the pattern recognition subcomponent of my brain started screaming. I might have to recalibrate it.

[scr00chy]

Fun fact: CRS-15 represented the fastest Dragon turnaround with 711 days between CRS-9 and today. Previous record was 724 day between CRS-8 and CRS-14.

[e of pi]

They are planning a rocket garden at the new control center, maybe they will prepare 1042 for that. And maybe move Grasshopper and come up with a F1 somehow.

That'd be really cool to see all together.

[ulm_atms]

Don't have a screen grab but it had an extra passenger at Dragon sep. Something from the second stage parted company along with the Dragon.

Edit: Got a screen grab

That was the nut that was supposed to go with that wrench the last time! 

I just watched the webcast before looking on here and when I saw that I went straight to the discussion to see who posted about it first.  LOL

[vandersons]

Yikes! That was incredible, think my jaw is still somewhere in the grass verge of the FL 401 (btw. that place was quite packed, the pre-dawn plume show expectation must have pulled a lot of people from their beds).

First time seeing a launch in person and what a show the Falcon put up for it!

Edit: does anyone know why the photos are all sideways and upside down? They seem fine on the phone. 😫

[JimO]

Rough guess that the deorbit burn [happening about now] is south of Alaska and in post-sunrise full-bright sky, so ground/sea/air observation unlikely, this time.

[JimO]

For comparison, deorbit observations on two previous missions....

[punder]

The big bright dot visible from the aft-facing 2nd stage cameras... the Moon? It stayed pretty steady until after SECO, when it started to drift relative to the spacecraft. It's also full right now, so opposite the Sun. So I'm guessing Moon and not a piece of crud on the lens. (I haven't waded through previous posts yet, so apologies if already covered.)

Anyway... congratulations again SpaceX and NASA! Hope everything on this flight goes as well, with routine berthing a few days from now. On to Block 5.

[kevinof]

Iphone? Sometimes the Apple idea of photo orientation is not so good. Edit them in any editor, don't change anything and save.

Edit: does anyone know why the photos are all sideways and upside down? They seem fine on the phone. 😫

[Pete]

Don't have a screen grab but it had an extra passenger at Dragon sep. Something from the second stage parted company along with the Dragon.

Edit: Got a screen grab

That was the nut that was supposed to go with that wrench the last time! 

I just watched the webcast before looking on here and when I saw that I went straight to the discussion to see who posted about it first.  LOL

It is ice.
Through severe rebuke we have been shown that any and all foreign objects drifting between the S2 and the Dragon are ice. And discussion of this is taboo, so shhh! please.

[llanitedave]

Don't have a screen grab but it had an extra passenger at Dragon sep. Something from the second stage parted company along with the Dragon.

Edit: Got a screen grab

That was the nut that was supposed to go with that wrench the last time! 

I just watched the webcast before looking on here and when I saw that I went straight to the discussion to see who posted about it first.  LOL

It is ice.
Through severe rebuke we have been shown that any and all foreign objects drifting between the S2 and the Dragon are ice. And discussion of this is taboo, so shhh! please.

Ice?  I was sure it was swamp gas!

[punder]

Expending the booster sure does save NSF bandwidth.   

[vandersons]

Thanks, it's an Android phone (some Samsung thingy). Will find and use a photo editor in the future to prevent any injuries when people try to view the pics I post 😬