SpaceX F9 : Starlink 6 (v1.0 L5) : Mar. 18, 2020 - Discussion

[ZachS09]

I hope it wasn't the same engine that was out of family during the abort.

[HVM]

The entry burn flame look too small during 3 engine part of it, was it one of the three that give up near MECO?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1240258825078353920

SpaceX engineer Jessie Anderson says preliminary results from the Starlink satellite "darkening treatment" test "show a notable reduction" in brightness, but the company has "a couple other ideas that we think could reduce the reflectivity even further."

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1240259238141796358

SpaceX says the most promising alternative is a "sun shade," which "would act as a patio umbrella or sun visor" for the satellite, with a test "slated for a future Starlink launch."

"All these efforts are ongoing."

[ugordan]

Some kind of energetic event? An engine gave out?

Something energetic definitely happened, focus on the reddish glow immediately at the base of the rocket, you can see it wobbling a bit after it. Similar to the wobble it experiences during transonic regime on the way down.

[ZachS09]

The entry burn flame look too small during 3 engine part of it, was it one of the three that give up near MECO?

It could have been the center engine, given that it has the job of doing the actual landing.

[wrvn]

I hope it wasn't the same engine that was out of family during the abort.

Ohh damn I really hope its not engine failure with Crew Demo so close 

[gin455res]

they said it was a 10sec reentry. My counting reached 17, not very precise but It would be interesting to go back and time it properly.

[LastWyzard]

I was thinking the same thing about the Crew Demo.  Even the slightest hint of a problem is going to get NASA's laser focused attention.

[XenIneX]

I hope it wasn't the same engine that was out of family during the abort.

At this point, I'd say having one problem is better than having multiple different problems.

[Brovane]

If a F9 is going to fail, a good place for this to happen is in booster recovery. 
I want SpaceX to keep reusing HW until it breaks.  Because when it breaks you learn something.

“You don’t learn anything from success, but you learn a lot from your failures,” SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell

[Rondaz]

Great rockets are redundant.

(I should note that we are still waiting for official info from SpaceX to confirm what happened too)

https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1240259538709663745

[gin455res]

they said it was a 10sec reentry. My counting reached 17, not very precise but It would be interesting to go back and time it properly.

about 20sec from :54-:14

[Tomness]

We have two booster recover failures now (out of two) on the new Starlink delivery profile... perhaps it's time to ditch it?

I would say go to FH Longer Fairing  with boasters RTLS & Center Land at sea.

[ZachS09]

I hope it wasn't the same engine that was out of family during the abort.

Ohh damn I really hope its not engine failure with Crew Demo so close 

What are you trying to say? I can't read your comment well.

[ugordan]

If a F9 is going to fail, a good place for this to happen is in booster recovery. 

Yeah, but indications so far point to recovery failing due to a Significant Event just prior to MECO on ascent so...

For example if an engine blew, it would cut down thrust for a bit if/until other engines throttled up to maintain expected acceleration at that point in flight. But due to that delay, the booster will have traveled further downrange prior to MECO (as it probably targets a specific MECO velocity) and hence it could have overshot the ASDS sufficiently that even if the problematic engine was not one of the 3 required for reentry and landing, it would still miss the zone as it would have put it beyond the possible landing envelope.

[su27k]

I hope it wasn't the same engine that was out of family during the abort.

Ohh damn I really hope its not engine failure with Crew Demo so close 

If it failed it failed, it gave them a better idea on Merlin's limits, and they demonstrated engine out capability, so it's not all bad even if it delays DM-2 a bit.

[HVM]

We need those telescope videos ASAP, hop hop with rendering and uploads! We armchair rocket scientist have a new clue here!

[wannamoonbase]

This new Starlink profile doesn’t seem to be working very well so far.

This second recovery failure in a row is disappointing.

I’d back up a bit to the launch.  Was it the angle, or my sleepy eyes but it seemed to be slower off the pad and until it cleared the tower. 

[ames]

I think it's testament to the robustness of the octaweb design that a serious engine failure still results in a successful mission.

[kevinof]

Happened on ascent not on entry.  Wonder if it's the same engine that gave them the abort. Hindsight says should have  changed it out if yes.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1240263546732240897