SpaceX F9 : Starlink v1.0 L9 (Rideshare) : August 7, 2020

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1282306914467090438

Arrival! Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief have returned to Port Canaveral, following the postponement of the Starlink mission.

They won't be here for very long - expected to depart again very soon for the ANASIS-II mission. 📷 visitspacecoast.com

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Wow

https://twitter.com/schilkescott/status/1282294397153931265

A stormy #florida July 10th #capecanavaral #sunset over @SpaceX launch complex 39A indicating in advance that this #Falcon9 #starlink mission is not ready for flight yet. Still waiting for word from #SpaceX on the fourth launch attempt date #Space @WeReportSpace @ExploreSpaceKSC

[zubenelgenubi]

It >appears< that this flight has been delayed until after ANASIS-II launch on July 14.

[Vettedrmr]

Hmm... this is the first Falcon 9 in a while that didn't pass its static fire with flying colors, had to be brought back into the barn and delayed for what was identified as a leaking valve.  And the launch attempt scrubbed for weather was counted down  to T-1 minute to get "data collection" on the booster, before being aborted.  Now, today they won't even consider moving to prop load.  What type of "additional checkout" could be needed?  This booster has been static fired since its cleanup/refurb, and has been up and down on the pad several times.  Seems, as has been said, that they've had tons of time to run checkouts.

This seems (note, I said "seems") to add up to there being something going in with this booster that is seriously concerning to those responsible for launching it.  There seems to be more internal pressure *not* to launch than on any previous Falcon I can recall.  Ever since the static fire, it just feels like SpaceX is spring-loaded not to launch position on this one, but to scrub position.

Again, hmm...

I wonder why no one is thinking the problem could be with the payload?

[Ronsmytheiii]

Vehicle now horizontal per 321launch youtube stream:

[zubenelgenubi]

ANASIS-II launch delayed.

Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.

That's a launch delay for Falcon 9's at both LC-39A and SLC-40.
Might this Starlink launch become again the next launch?

Something to ponder...

I wonder why no one is thinking the problem could be with the payload?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/1282766011041808384

Arrival at @PortCanaveral! Tug Finn Falgout and the @SpaceX ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ autonomous spaceport droneship return empty handed a second time, awaiting a new launch date for the 10th batch of #starlink satellites🚀

[Thorny]

Something to ponder...

I wonder why no one is thinking the problem could be with the payload?

Would they have counted down to T-1 minute during the weather scrub last week to test the payload?

[Vettedrmr]

Practicing abort procedures; safing, detanking, etc.  And remember that scrub was for weather.  We don't really know why the subsequent launch attempt was cancelled (at least I don't think so).

Have a good one,
Mike

[kdhilliard]

Would they have counted down to T-1 minute during the weather scrub last week to test the payload?

It isn't the first time they've done that.

Who has some statistics on how SpaceX has typically handled weather scrubs which happen after propellant load has started?

[Thunderscreech]

New TFR has posted for the 19th that looks like it fits a new launch window for this orbit;

https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_9326.html

[Alvian@IDN]

New TFR has posted for the 19th that looks like it fits a new launch window for this orbit;

https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_9326.html

Or for ANASIS-II instead?

[RocketLover0119]

New TFR has posted for the 19th that looks like it fits a new launch window for this orbit;

https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_0_9326.html

Pretty sure this is for ANASIS considering the 3 hour window.

[Thunderscreech]

Oh that’s a good point, whoops!

[kdhilliard]

Pretty sure this is for ANASIS considering the 3 hour window.

Yep.  Effective times from 16:25 to 21:47 (local) are an exact match to those of the TFR supporting the previous ANASIS II launch date.

[IntoTheVoid]

ANASIS-II launch delayed.

Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.

That's a launch delay for Falcon 9's at both LC-39A and SLC-40.
Might this Starlink launch become again the next launch?

Given Elon's reference to 'swap hardware if needed', does anyone think that there's a chance that L9 got delayed specifically because they already saw the problem with the ANASIS 2nd stage, and that the 2nd stage for L9 might fly on ANASIS?

[gongora]

ANASIS-II launch delayed.

Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.

That's a launch delay for Falcon 9's at both LC-39A and SLC-40.
Might this Starlink launch become again the next launch?

Given Elon's reference to 'swap hardware if needed', does anyone think that there's a chance that L9 got delayed specifically because the already saw the problem with the ANASIS 2nd stage, and that the 2nd stage for L9 might fly on ANASIS?

No

[IntoTheVoid]

ANASIS-II launch delayed.

Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.

That's a launch delay for Falcon 9's at both LC-39A and SLC-40.
Might this Starlink launch become again the next launch?

Given Elon's reference to 'swap hardware if needed', does anyone think that there's a chance that L9 got delayed specifically because the already saw the problem with the ANASIS 2nd stage, and that the 2nd stage for L9 might fly on ANASIS?

No

While that was a fabulous Jim impersonation, might you elaborate why they would not do this if they felt the time to repair the ANASIS 2nd stage might be extensive?

Thanks.

[ugordan]

ANASIS-II launch delayed.

Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.

That's a launch delay for Falcon 9's at both LC-39A and SLC-40.
Might this Starlink launch become again the next launch?

Given Elon's reference to 'swap hardware if needed', does anyone think that there's a chance that L9 got delayed specifically because the already saw the problem with the ANASIS 2nd stage, and that the 2nd stage for L9 might fly on ANASIS?

No

While that was a fabulous Jim impersonation, might you elaborate why they would not do this if they felt the time to repair the ANASIS 2nd stage might be extensive?

Thanks.

Well, since more serious Block 5 reuse started, production of upper stages has obviously been decoupled from 1st stage production so my counter-question would be why do you think there aren't any other available S2s at hand to replace it with?

Personally, I'm more interested in knowing what broke on ANASIS-II S2. Eric Berger's mysterious haiku-sounding tweet almost implies it's the niobium nozzle extension again.

[IntoTheVoid]

ANASIS-II launch delayed.

Standing down from tomorrow’s launch of ANASIS-II to take a closer look at the second stage, swap hardware if needed. Will announce new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.

That's a launch delay for Falcon 9's at both LC-39A and SLC-40.
Might this Starlink launch become again the next launch?

Given Elon's reference to 'swap hardware if needed', does anyone think that there's a chance that L9 got delayed specifically because the already saw the problem with the ANASIS 2nd stage, and that the 2nd stage for L9 might fly on ANASIS?

No

While that was a fabulous Jim impersonation, might you elaborate why they would not do this if they felt the time to repair the ANASIS 2nd stage might be extensive?

Thanks.

Well, since more serious Block 5 reuse started, production of upper stages has obviously been decoupled from 1st stage production so my counter-question would be why do you think there aren't any other available S2s at hand to replace it with?

I would expect plenty 2nd stages through production, but not necessarily on-site. They had seemed to try to time their deliveries of 'new' parts as late as reasonable the last time I watched closely (which was admittedly a while ago)

SpaceX had also seemed to be doing very well in avoiding delays for mechanical issues, and then to have two delays, days apart would seem to me (IANARS), to be more likely related than not. Of course they could still be related in a way that doesn't borrow a whole 2nd stage.

In any case, it's not that I am convinced that this is what they are doing, just investigating reasonableness as to why they would or would not.

Personally, I'm more interested in knowing what broke on ANASIS-II S2. Eric Berger's mysterious haiku-sounding tweet almost implies it's the niobium nozzle extension again.

I took that as more of a joke than an implication.
BUT, at this stage in their history, if they were to snip a nozzle extension again, I would expect them to fly it on a Starlink flight, not a customer flight..