SpaceX F9 : ANASIS-II : July 20, 2020

[gongora]

http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral will launch the ANASIS-II military
communication satellite for South Korea from pad 40 on July 20 at 5:00pm EDT.

[TJL]

Isn't it little weird that SpaceX still hasn't confirmed tomorrow's launch attempt?

What I suspect (pure speculation) is that there were some close calls in the second stage(s) in the recent missions from telemetry, and that's why Elon has made a "paranoid" comment.

Possibly the comments made by Hurley and Behnken following their launch on May 30 regarding the "rough" second stage ride as well?

[CorvusCorax]

Isn't it little weird that SpaceX still hasn't confirmed tomorrow's launch attempt?

What I suspect (pure speculation) is that there were some close calls in the second stage(s) in the recent missions from telemetry, and that's why Elon has made a "paranoid" comment.

Possibly the comments made by Hurley and Behnken following their launch on May 30 regarding the "rough" second stage ride as well?

<Jim>
No.
</Jim>


That was a comparison to Spaceshuttle. The F9S2 is a comparably small stage with a giant engine nozzle at it's back. The stack at that stage of flight looks like 1/3 Dragon capsule, 1/3 tank, 1/3 rocket engine. It's not surprising that you'd feel a bit more gritty details of the combustion in the capsule than with the shuttle with it's much more modest engine to airframe ratio.

There were other launches between DM2 and the recently scrubbed ones. Whatever this is is something new that popped up.

[thirtyone]

I think "rough" was something expected based on mass of S2. I've heard in previous interviews that SpaceX thought they were always pretty paranoid about data measured during SF before launch (probably come from all the failures they had from Falcon 1). Heard this in the NatGeo Falcon Heavy documentary, and some other comments from SpaceX people (think some CRS mission Q&As) well before these recent scrubs.

Personally I suspect they're just seeing issues during SF from whatever changes they made recently to making their S2 production line more "efficient." There's a crazy amount of vibration from rocket firings, and it may be that they just can't detect issues until these SFs. Someone at SpaceX (Elon? Gwynne? Mueller?) mentioned that while there's not a whole lot improvements left for S1, S2 is disposable and costs $$$, so there is some focus on doing some cost cutting / efficiency improvements for that stage.

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1284620156191117312

Targeting Monday, July 20 for Falcon 9 launch of ANASIS-II from SLC-40

[edkyle99]

What I suspect (pure speculation) is that there were some close calls in the second stage(s) in the recent missions from telemetry, and that's why Elon has made a "paranoid" comment.

I think - due to the timing of everything -  it more likely that something specific turned up during the propellant loading exercise (static fire of the first stage on the pad).  A leak, or bad sensor reading, or fluid or electrical connection, etc..  The usual stuff that crops up from time to time whenever systems are loaded with propellants.  But I'm guessing same as you.

 - Ed Kyle

[TorenAltair]

Here you go before more doomsday ideas come up

[Phillipsturtles]

Per https://www.spacex.com/launches/, "Per the customer's request, live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing."
Makes sense seeing we know nothing about the satellite and it's for the South Korean military.

[king1999]

Per https://www.spacex.com/launches/, "Per the customer's request, live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing."
Makes sense seeing we know nothing about the satellite and it's for the South Korean military.

Isn't it a GTO mission? Not sure why they would care. But SK military is probably paranoid about anything the NK's Kim may be observing, and probably trying to give it some sense of mystery.

[smoliarm]

...
Isn't it a GTO mission? Not sure why they would care.
...

Yes, it is a GTO mission launching GEO-sat.
Why would they care?
The reason is obvious from the timing - "... live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing"
I.e., about the time of payload firing deployment.
Meaning the customer does not want to show - how the satellite looks like.
Meaning the customer does not want to reveal - to which kind of GEO-satellite this one belongs.
There are several quite different types of GEO-sats, with different functions, and expert could tell them apart just by glance.

[Skyrocket]

...
Isn't it a GTO mission? Not sure why they would care.
...

Yes, it is a GTO mission launching GEO-sat.
Why would they care?
The reason is obvious from the timing - "... live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing"
I.e., about the time of payload firing deployment.
Meaning the customer does not want to show - how the satellite looks like.
Meaning the customer does not want to reveal - to which kind of GEO-satellite this one belongs.
There are several quite different types of GEO-sats, with different functions, and expert could tell them apart just by glance.

As photographs of the satellite have been published (see earlier in this thread), it is unlikely that this is the reason.

[Danirode]

...
Isn't it a GTO mission? Not sure why they would care.
...

Yes, it is a GTO mission launching GEO-sat.
Why would they care?
The reason is obvious from the timing - "... live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing"
I.e., about the time of payload firing deployment.

Booster landing usually occurs around SECO, way after fairings separation

[FutureSpaceTourist]

L-1 launch weather forecast is 70% GO

[FutureSpaceTourist]

SpaceX
SpaceX is targeting Monday, July 20 for Falcon 9’s launch of the ANASIS-II mission, which will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The primary launch window opens at 5:00 p.m. EDT, or 21:00 UTC, and closes at 8:55 p.m. EDT, or 00:55 UTC on July 21.

Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched Crew Dragon to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The ANASIS-II spacecraft will deploy about 32 minutes after liftoff.

[smoliarm]

...
Isn't it a GTO mission? Not sure why they would care.
...

Yes, it is a GTO mission launching GEO-sat.
Why would they care?
The reason is obvious from the timing - "... live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing"
I.e., about the time of payload firing deployment.
Meaning the customer does not want to show - how the satellite looks like.
Meaning the customer does not want to reveal - to which kind of GEO-satellite this one belongs.
There are several quite different types of GEO-sats, with different functions, and expert could tell them apart just by glance.

As photographs of the satellite have been published (see earlier in this thread), it is unlikely that this is the reason.

Well, it's just one photo, and it shows the sat prepared for transportation (with most parts covered with transportation protective wrap). So, in my view, this reason stays.

[scr00chy]

Visual mission profile

[soltasto]

launches page saved to pdf with ocr as "press kit"

[mn]

...
Isn't it a GTO mission? Not sure why they would care.
...

Yes, it is a GTO mission launching GEO-sat.
Why would they care?
The reason is obvious from the timing - "... live coverage will end shortly after first stage landing"
I.e., about the time of payload firing deployment.
Meaning the customer does not want to show - how the satellite looks like.
Meaning the customer does not want to reveal - to which kind of GEO-satellite this one belongs.
There are several quite different types of GEO-sats, with different functions, and expert could tell them apart just by glance.

As photographs of the satellite have been published (see earlier in this thread), it is unlikely that this is the reason.

Paranoia does not have to be rational.

[sdsds]

Paranoia does not have to be rational.

Indeed!

#ifdef PARANOIA
Has  a photo been made public showing that nothing unexpected is under the fairing other than the satellite? Have we seen what the payload adapter looks like, for example? Might it conceivably incorporate a dispenser for an undisclosed secondary payload?
#else
There's no reason to think the choice of when to discontinue video coverage is attributable to anything other than adherence to a standard procedure.
#endif

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1285034203810324480

I spy a Falcon 9!

SpaceX is preparing for tomorrow’s launch of the #ANASISII satellite for the South Korean military from SLC-40. The launch window runs from 5:00pm-8:55pm EDT (9:00pm-12:55am UTC).
Weather is showing 70% GO.