Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Iridium NEXT Flight 7 : July 25, 2018 : Vandenberg - DISCUSSION (Read 35704 times)

Alexphysics · « **Reply #60 on:** 08/03/2018 02:57 pm »

This booster will be going directly to Vandy for reuse in September on the SAOCOM 1A mission so they need to take the grid fins out of the booster to put it on the road truck transporter which has the upper ring around where the grid fins are. The transporter in Florida attaches the ring on the upper part of the interstage so the grid fins don't need to be removed. Also the booster had the grid fins removed when they did that weird tilt with it.

cscott · « **Reply #61 on:** 08/03/2018 03:09 pm »

@Alexphysics seems to have the right answer.

I'll just add that Al fins were not reusable: they needed to be replaced for every flight AFAIK. So procedures with Al fins don't necessarily have implications for Ti fins.

On the other hand, the fins are physically in the same place, so the implications are valid when you're talking about transport requirements, as @Alexphysics is.

matthewkantar · « **Reply #62 on:** 08/03/2018 03:12 pm »

I think the Al fins were reused at least some of the time, as I recall seeing photos of patched up webbing on one.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #63 on:** 08/05/2018 06:27 am »

I couldn't make out some of the dark pictures posted in the updates thread, so I've enhanced them to see what's there.

catdlr · « **Reply #64 on:** 08/05/2018 06:39 am »

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 08/05/2018 06:27 am

I couldn't make out some of the dark pictures posted in the updates thread, so I've enhanced them to see what's there.

Seems like the two large clamps holding down the stage requires the legs to be off.

cscott · « **Reply #65 on:** 08/05/2018 01:12 pm »

I suspect not all the transport infrastructure has migrated to block 5 forms yet, esp on the west coast.

cwr · « **Reply #66 on:** 08/05/2018 07:41 pm »

Quote from: cscott on 08/03/2018 03:09 pm

@Alexphysics seems to have the right answer.

I'll just add that Al fins were not reusable: they needed to be replaced for every flight AFAIK. So procedures with Al fins don't necessarily have implications for Ti fins.

On the other hand, the fins are physically in the same place, so the implications are valid when you're talking about transport requirements, as @Alexphysics is.

That is not correct - Al grid fins were reusable unless re-entry destroyed the TPS and the Al fin.
As I recollect it, a GTO launch would require the TPS to be replaced but whether the Al fin needed replacing
depend on where they were in the learning/experimentation curve.
Whereas LEO launches just required TPS replacement, at least after they had determined the basic
re-entry/landing formula.

Maybe this is actually what cscott meant by "not reusable". I posted this because I read his post as "a new Al fin was required for each launch". Sorry if this was a waste of time.

Carl

Rondaz · « **Reply #67 on:** 11/29/2019 02:39 pm »

I reviewed the status of the Iridium first generation satellites. Their active deorbiting is held up as an example of best practice. However, at the end of the retirement process, only 65 of the 95 have reentered (68%).

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1200293153112121345