Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 : TESS : April 18, 2018 : Updates (Read 117648 times)

Michael Baylor · « **Reply #40 on:** 04/15/2018 03:36 pm »

Key points from SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann at a NASA Social event a few moments ago.
- Confirmed landing on OCISLY
- Second stage will perform an initial burn, then coast for about 40 minutes, then do a second burn before deploying TESS. Finally, a third burn will dispose the second stage into a hyperbolic escape trajectory.
- The catch portion of fairing recovery is tested on the west coast. However, they have the same parachute system on TESS and will attempt to softly land a fairing in the water.
- SpaceX is taking this mission very seriously and is excited about the mission. TESS hunts for planets and SpaceX wants to make life multi-planetary...

Edit: I forgot an important one!
- The plan is for this booster to fly again on the next CRS mission pending NASA approval.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #41 on:** 04/15/2018 05:22 pm »

Briefing participants arriving. Briefing will start at 1:30p EDT.

There are 6 briefing participants. That might be a record for a pre-launch news conference.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #42 on:** 04/15/2018 05:32 pm »

Sandra: Taking about history of NASA's high science, low cost missions. TESS continues that.

Nearby stars are the targets of TESS.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #43 on:** 04/15/2018 05:34 pm »

Jeff (Project Manager). Talks about partnerships with Orbital ATK and MIT.

Ready to go.

TESS is a bridge between what we've learn of exoplanets to date and where we're headed.

Kepler only stared at one portion of the sky and found thousands of planets.

TESS will now do full sky survey and enable future exploration by creating a catelogue of near-Earth exoplanets and potentially life-harboring worlds.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #44 on:** 04/15/2018 05:35 pm »

Orbital ATK rep:

31st spacecraft Orbital ATK has delivered to NASA for science missions.

Spacecraft sep. 44 minutes after launch. Functional checkouts over 5 days. 8 days after launch, turn on science instruments.

Lunar flyby on 16 May. 12 June, TESS in its operational orbit.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #45 on:** 04/15/2018 05:38 pm »

Omar: NASA LSP.

LRR just wrapped. All is well. Go for launch.

TESS is small but powerful.

F9 got here a month ago. Mission dress rehersal last Monday. All went well. Flight Readiness Review Friday and previous Static Fire all went well.

Everything is ready for launch.

Sometime after midnight, pending weather, F9 will rollout of HIF to the pad.

Once vertical, TESS will be powered up on ground power.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #46 on:** 04/15/2018 05:41 pm »

Hans: Space excited to launch TESS. Big mission for them. Last NASA science mission was Jason 3 on F9, more than 30 F9 flights ago.

Trans-lunar orbit. 2 burn main mission with additional burn to dispose spacecraft.

First burn is GEO transfer burn. Coast for 40 minutes. 2nd burn, and deploy TESS.

1st stage is OCISLY landing. That 24th overall recovery, if all goes well.

8th mission so far this year.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #47 on:** 04/15/2018 05:42 pm »

Mike (weather):

Thankful we're not launch tonight. (laughs)

Strong fronts moving through.

Front will arrive at 3p. Thunderstorms begin at 6p-10p. By midnight, showers have diminished and we'll be ready to roll.

80% GO forecast for launch tomorrow. Liftoff winds are the main concern.

If we delay to Tuesday, 90%+ chance of GO weather.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #48 on:** 04/15/2018 05:45 pm »

Our Chris gets first question and appears to be sporting Star Trek Discovery (which would be just like him)

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #49 on:** 04/15/2018 05:46 pm »

Hans talks about link between TESS and multi-planetary species of SpaceX.

Launch every day from 16-19 - 21-26.

If not off by 26th, TESS stands down for InSight.

TESS has opportunities in May and June, too if needed.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #50 on:** 04/15/2018 05:49 pm »

Nominal rollout at midnight EDT. Have 3-4 hrs of contingency time in there in case weather is still iffy at midnight.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #51 on:** 04/15/2018 05:50 pm »

Mission's orbit is not difficult for Falcon 9. Well within rocket's capabilities.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #52 on:** 04/15/2018 05:54 pm »

Main concerns for weather at rollout is exposure to moisture and lightning. Winds at launch can be up to 30 kts and be fine. Ground winds are predicted to be near the max allowed.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #53 on:** 04/15/2018 05:55 pm »

Payload fairing will to be recovered (attempted). But no catching the fairing. So a floating fairing.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #54 on:** 04/15/2018 06:05 pm »

Hans confirmed earlier that this is the last new block 4 S1, although expect to refly a couple of block 4s after this launch.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #55 on:** 04/15/2018 06:05 pm »

Falcon 9 hold capability IN GENERAL (not for this mission): Could hold after RP-1 load starts and before LOX load. Once LOX load starts, not hold or adjustment capability.

For TESS, 30 second launch window is for COLA (Collision Avoidance). Should a COLA be needed, they can shift the launch time by as much as 30 seconds to the right.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #56 on:** 04/15/2018 06:15 pm »

Next up is science briefing at 3p EDT.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #57 on:** 04/15/2018 07:02 pm »

Science briefing

TESS looking for exoplanets around nearest, brightest stars.

TESS will find planets with 4 cameras to monitor nearly the entire sky. TESS will detect transiting exoplanets.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #58 on:** 04/15/2018 07:07 pm »

TESS is designed to find the exoplanets and then hand off exploration/confirmation of them to ground-based telescopes at first, and the James Webb when it launches No Earlier Than 2020.

Professional and amateur astronomers will have access to the TESS data.

Mapperuo · « **Reply #59 on:** 04/15/2018 08:32 pm »