SpaceX F9 : Starlink v1.0 L12 : KSC LC-39A : October 6, 2020 (11:29 UTC)

[billh]

Wow! Like a Schlieren photograph of the plume.

[LouScheffer]

On this mission, the acquisition of signal by Tasmania offers some clues as to how SpaceX telemetry is processed for display on the website.  Since this might pertain to more than this one mission, I added a post in the SpaceX general discussion that addresses this issue.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/mdcainjr/status/1313525645905989632

Stunning launch this morning by @SpaceX!  Starlink-12 (L 13) launched on its 5th attempt.  B1058 flew for its 3rd time and successfully landed.  Congrats on your successful mission!

This is a 30 second exposure using a 10 stop ND filter.

#Starlink #RocketLaunch

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/ken_kremer/status/1313546683800842246

[Steven Pietrobon]

Hey Steven, saw the pix of the drone ship from the other drone ship. Do you know if the other drone ship caught video of the booster landing?

It might have, but SpaceX has not released that video if it exists.

[OneSpeed]

Here is a comparison between the telemetry for Starlink V1.0 L9 and L12.

1. L9 and L12 are the two most recent Starlink launches to inject to an elliptical orbit at an altitude of 168km.
2. The L9 throttle bucket base is from 58s at 286m/s to 63s at 326m/s. Mach 1 is about 308m/s at that altitude, pretty much in the middle of the bucket.
3. The L12 throttle bucket base is earlier from 53s at 264m/s to 57s at only 281m/s, still subsonic. Throttle up completes at 61s and right on 308m/s, i.e. just as it goes supersonic.
4. The L12 S2 profile has no discernible throttle down mid burn (similar to the much earlier L3 launch), and hence SECO is some 6 seconds earlier than for L9.

[gongora]

L9 went to a higher orbit than L12, close to 400km circular vs. around 270km circular.

https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1313656683487358976

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1313840713075916818

One of the best shots ever!

[Vettedrmr]

Caught the active side of the fairing. Missed the passive side.

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1313452945615196160

Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions!

What is the difference between the "active" and "passive" fairing halves?

Thanks, and have a good one,
Mike

[RocketLover0119]

Caught the active side of the fairing. Missed the passive side.

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1313452945615196160

Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions!

What is the difference between the "active" and "passive" fairing halves?

Thanks, and have a good one,
Mike

Taking a rough stab at this, but i think its which one is leading in heading down range most, or its which one takes the most beating on entry. Probably not right, just a guess.

Edit: what I’m trying to get across in photo form.

[frederickm17]

Caught the active side of the fairing. Missed the passive side.

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1313452945615196160

Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions!

What is the difference between the "active" and "passive" fairing halves?

Thanks, and have a good one,
Mike

Taking a rough stab at this, but i think its which one is leading in heading down range most, or its which one takes the most beating on entry. Probably not right, just a guess.

I believe it is the fairing half with the mechanism that pushes the fairings apart on separation in flight (the one that does the pushing). Passive fairing half is the half that simply gets pushed away.

[eeergo]

Caught the active side of the fairing. Missed the passive side.

Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions!

What is the difference between the "active" and "passive" fairing halves?

Thanks, and have a good one,
Mike

Pneumatic separation mechanisms are in the active one.

[RocketLover0119]

Caught the active side of the fairing. Missed the passive side.

Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions!

What is the difference between the "active" and "passive" fairing halves?

Thanks, and have a good one,
Mike

Pneumatic separation mechanisms are in the active one.

Ah! The joy of space flight, you get to learn something new every day! 

[Vettedrmr]

Thanks, that makes sense.  For some reason I thought they had actuators on both halves, but thinking about it that makes no sense at all.  Thanks for straightening me out.

Have a good one,
Mike

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1313913609521684486

Starlink Return! The recovery fleet is well underway to Port Canaveral except for GO Quest, who has elected to resupply in North Carolina.

Ms. Tree / Ms. Chief are due to arrive 12:30 - 3:00am ET TONIGHT.

OCISLY and B1058 are due Thur evening or Friday morning. More to follow!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1314101198312673281

Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief are now arriving at Port Canaveral!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1314109126360915968

Ms. Chief is back in port and Ms. Tree isn't far behind. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1314118220320854016

And there is tree

https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1314124525274046464

After their long journey both Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief are back in Port Canaveral. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/1314120325588811776

Welcome home Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief! @SpaceX’s fairing catcher twins have returned with two fairing halves from the 13th Starlink mission. Ms. Tree’s caught via net and Chief’s plucked from the water after splashdown🚀 @SpaceXFleet

https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/1314131218296967169

Under a cloudless/starry sky, here's @SpaceX fairing catcher GO Ms. Tree arriving back at Port Canaveral with a fairing half from the thirteenth starlink mission this morning🚀
Managed to get this 1/6th of a second pic sharp!🙌🏼

⚙️/⬇️/🖼: tmahlmann.com/photos/Rockets…

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/1314169284822732800

Crane coming in to rig up Ms. Tree’s fairing half. This half has supported two previous Starlink missions and successfully landed in Tree’s net during the 13th Starlink mission🙌🏼

https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/1314171553261727746

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1314193304939048962

Both fairings have been lifted off the decks of the twins.