Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 7 : July 25, 2018 : Vandenberg - DISCUSSION (Read 35703 times)

edkyle99 · « **Reply #40 on:** 07/26/2018 01:53 pm »

This was the 40th Falcon 9 v1.2, a number that includes the AMOS 6 launch vehicle destroyed prelaunch on SLC 40 on September 1, 2016. It was the 31st consecutive success since AMOS 6, and the 39th success in 39 actual launches.

- Ed Kyle

abaddon · « **Reply #41 on:** 07/26/2018 02:45 pm »

In a similar vein, it has now been over two years since a planned F9 landing attempt was unsuccessful, excluding the FH center core failure and the Hispasat 30W-6 launch in March where a landing was not attempted due to weather. The last landing failure of a single-stick F9 was during the ABS-2A/Eutelsat 117 West B launch June 15th 2016 where the first stage ran out of fuel just above the deck of the drone ship. Since then, there have been thirteen successful drone ship landings, ten successful pad landings (nine missions), and nine flights in which no landing was attempted. Of the flights in which no landing was attempted, three were due to the payload requiring the booster be expended, six were due to the booster being end of life, and one was due to weather.

OneSpeed · « **Reply #42 on:** 07/26/2018 03:36 pm »

Quote from: cscott on 07/25/2018 01:48 pm

Any wild speculation as to why the lights went out on the ASDS?

The most recent nightime droneship landing I can find is JCSAT-16, in which the ASDS deck lights are definitely on before the rocket arrives. However, for Iridium-7, there don't appear to be any significant light sources on the ASDS, rather the illumination is from the rocket plume above. Once the engine is shut down, the only light source remaining is the residual burnoff. So, rather than going out, perhaps the deck lights were not turned on for the landing?

Alexphysics · « **Reply #43 on:** 07/26/2018 03:45 pm »

On Iridium 3, the last night landing, JRTI had the lights on too, but the light of the fire after the landing burn shutdown was brighter than those lights so it's hard to notice them. Link to the minute of the landing

cscott · « **Reply #44 on:** 07/26/2018 04:06 pm »

Any thought wrt switching from color cameras to B&W IR cameras? The image from Iridium 7 looks like IR to me.

ugordan · « **Reply #45 on:** 07/26/2018 04:15 pm »

Quote from: cscott on 07/26/2018 04:06 pm

Any thought wrt switching from color cameras to B&W IR cameras? The image from Iridium 7 looks like IR to me.

Camera fallback to b/w in low light conditions.

bjornl · « **Reply #46 on:** 07/26/2018 04:15 pm »

Quote from: abaddon on 07/26/2018 02:45 pm

... nine flights in which no landing was attempted. Of the flights in which no landing was attempted, three were due to the payload requiring the booster be expended, six were due to the booster being end of life, and one was due to weather.

That quite literally does not add up

OneSpeed · « **Reply #47 on:** 07/26/2018 04:25 pm »

Quote from: ugordan on 07/26/2018 04:15 pm

Quote from: cscott on 07/26/2018 04:06 pm
Any thought wrt switching from color cameras to B&W IR cameras? The image from Iridium 7 looks like IR to me.

Camera fallback to b/w in low light conditions.

Not sure about that. The colour image from later in the Iridium-7 broadcast appears to be shot from a different position.

ugordan · « **Reply #48 on:** 07/26/2018 04:31 pm »

Quote from: OneSpeed on 07/26/2018 04:25 pm

Quote from: ugordan on 07/26/2018 04:15 pm
Quote from: cscott on 07/26/2018 04:06 pm
Any thought wrt switching from color cameras to B&W IR cameras? The image from Iridium 7 looks like IR to me.

Camera fallback to b/w in low light conditions.

Not sure about that. The colour image from later in the Iridium-7 broadcast appears to be shot from a different position.

It's also obvious from the skyline that daylight was coming at that point, almost an hour after landing.

ugordan · « **Reply #49 on:** 07/26/2018 04:46 pm »

Seriously, rewatch the landing again

and at 29:16 into the stream the camera switches to color as the engine plume illuminates the area.

Kansan52 · « **Reply #50 on:** 07/26/2018 04:50 pm »

The digital cameras we use here tend to respond to IR (try aiming a remote control at your phone camera and push a button on the remote).

The still shot above appears to be showing a high amount of IR (heat) being shown by the camera.

srcln · « **Reply #51 on:** 07/26/2018 05:10 pm »

Quote from: ugordan on 07/26/2018 04:46 pm

Seriously, rewatch the landing again [youtube vid]

and at 29:16 into the stream the camera switches to color as the engine plume illuminates the area.

Definitely. Note the fire suppression piping at bottom right turns from grey to bright red once enough light is available.

mn · « **Reply #52 on:** 07/26/2018 05:49 pm »

Quote from: bjornl on 07/26/2018 04:15 pm

Quote from: abaddon on 07/26/2018 02:45 pm
... nine flights in which no landing was attempted. Of the flights in which no landing was attempted, three were due to the payload requiring the booster be expended, six were due to the booster being end of life, and one was due to weather.
That quite literally does not add up

Maybe one case had two reasons

Johnnyhinbos · « **Reply #53 on:** 07/26/2018 05:53 pm »

It's quite common to have cameras revert to B&W in low light situations then switch to color as light permits. I have to keep instructing my divers to keep out of the cave areas during live diver communication programs for the public because of this issue (they take a hardwired HD camera on an umbilical with two way communications on a full face mask to interact with the visitors, with the video projected on two 10' diagonal HD screens).

Anyway - I'm in the "no lights were on to begin with" camp...

abaddon · « **Reply #54 on:** 07/26/2018 06:07 pm »

Quote from: bjornl on 07/26/2018 04:15 pm

Quote from: abaddon on 07/26/2018 02:45 pm
... nine flights in which no landing was attempted. Of the flights in which no landing was attempted, three were due to the payload requiring the booster be expended, six were due to the booster being end of life, and one was due to weather.
That quite literally does not add up

I wasn't counting the one due to weather in the total, as previously mentioned.

Comga · « **Reply #55 on:** 07/28/2018 11:11 pm »

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/28/2018 09:22 pm

Quote
Iridium-7’s Falcon 9 is now being moved to land! I’ll be live streaming recovery on Instagram if you want to follow along. instagram.com/neonheatdisease

https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1023303668412497921

It looks like SpaceX is still using the “old” firstvstage hoisting cap on the west coast.
The new one on the east coast has four cables being used today to retract the Block 5 legs on the Telstar 19 Vantage launch first stage, along with other new features not yet understood.

kdhilliard · « **Reply #56 on:** 08/03/2018 12:47 pm »

Quote from: RocketLover0119 on 08/02/2018 03:25 pm

Pictures from Reddit user Spacexman_spiff of the legless, finless B1048, ...

How unusual is it for them to remove the grid fins from a recovered core while it is still vertical?

cscott · « **Reply #57 on:** 08/03/2018 02:01 pm »

Quote from: kdhilliard on 08/03/2018 12:47 pm

Quote from: RocketLover0119 on 08/02/2018 03:25 pm
Pictures from Reddit user Spacexman_spiff of the legless, finless B1048, ...
How unusual is it for them to remove the grid fins from a recovered core while it is still vertical?

I don't think we've seen very many Ti grid fins, so it may not be clear what is "expected".

envy887 · « **Reply #58 on:** 08/03/2018 02:43 pm »

Quote from: kdhilliard on 08/03/2018 12:47 pm

Quote from: RocketLover0119 on 08/02/2018 03:25 pm
Pictures from Reddit user Spacexman_spiff of the legless, finless B1048, ...
How unusual is it for them to remove the grid fins from a recovered core while it is still vertical?

Post in the Updates thread says it went down and back up. Maybe they brought it down to take off the fins? Perhaps they need the fins for another booster?

Helodriver · « **Reply #59 on:** 08/03/2018 02:55 pm »

Quote from: cscott on 08/03/2018 02:01 pm

Quote from: kdhilliard on 08/03/2018 12:47 pm
Quote from: RocketLover0119 on 08/02/2018 03:25 pm
Pictures from Reddit user Spacexman_spiff of the legless, finless B1048, ...
How unusual is it for them to remove the grid fins from a recovered core while it is still vertical?
I don't think we've seen very many Ti grid fins, so it may not be clear what is "expected".

SpaceX has pulled grid fins from standing boosters before in the port of LA. After Iridium 3 at least two of the four aluminum fins were removed within two days of recovery. I shot an image of that with a low light camera. Left and right fins are gone, leaving only the mount. Not sure if the one hidden behind was removed as well.