Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Starlink v1.0 L12 : KSC LC-39A : October 6, 2020 (11:29 UTC) (Read 168058 times)

vanoord · « **Reply #60 on:** 09/18/2020 05:23 pm »

Quote from: Prettz on 09/18/2020 05:07 pm

Weren't the thrusters just recently upgraded to even bigger ones? Or was that for the other droneship?

JRTI is at sea and has the new thrusters, which appear larger than those fitted to OCISLY (which is in port).

I'm not sure what the reference to 'current' means - mid-Ocean currents generally aren't strong and the effects of wind and waves are likely to be more of an issue for the drone ships.

JRTI has been used three times since coming to the east coast, but not since July - and OCISLY has picked up the last three landings. It points to something not being right with the new thruster system on JRTI.

spacenut · « **Reply #61 on:** 09/18/2020 05:25 pm »

The recovery area is in or near the Gulf Stream. Also the remnant of Hurricane Sally is going offshore at Virginia.

Comga · « **Reply #62 on:** 09/18/2020 05:34 pm »

The webcast is counting down to 2:00 PM EDT, although there is no other indication of a launch today.

edit: Now "Waiting for SpaceX"

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #63 on:** 09/18/2020 06:04 pm »

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1307007969121505286

Quote

Starlink: JRTI droneship and support ship GO Quest are slowly sailing southwest, unclear if they're drifting or returning to Canaveral.

Ms. Chief is definitely returning to Port Canaveral. Ms. Tree remains docked at the Port of Morehead City, having diverted there with an issue.

klod · « **Reply #64 on:** 09/18/2020 06:23 pm »

Quote from: cppetrie on 09/18/2020 04:27 pm

My recollection is that there was a commercial mission within the last year or so that was delayed a day or two in order to improve recovery site conditions. Can’t recall which one off the top of my head. I think for a commercial or USSF launch it would simply be a negotiation between SpaceX and the customer regarding whether to delay for recovery. There may even be language in some of the launch contracts that permit SpaceX some flexibility to delay a few days for recovery operations.

Amos-17 - they had no time to wait, ULAs launch was close.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #65 on:** 09/18/2020 06:29 pm »

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 09/18/2020 05:50 am

Quote from: Elon Musk
Current was too strong for droneship to hold station. Thrusters to be upgraded for future missions.

Seeking correction or clarification:
Re: current. As noted, the recovery zone is in the Gulf Stream.
I wonder if there are cross-currents stirred up by one or more of the tropical systems recently active in the Atlantic, particularly Pauline.

Same thought re: wave height and direction--at cross-purposes to the Gulf Stream?

Attached: image of FIVE tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic basin, September 14, 1550 UTC.
Left: Sally
Center left: Paulette
Center right: Renee
Bottom right: Teddy
Extreme right: Vicky
(BTW: There is a full-res .jpg at 37.4 MB.)

ZachS09 · « **Reply #66 on:** 09/18/2020 06:44 pm »

Quote from: klod on 09/18/2020 06:23 pm

Quote from: cppetrie on 09/18/2020 04:27 pm
My recollection is that there was a commercial mission within the last year or so that was delayed a day or two in order to improve recovery site conditions. Can’t recall which one off the top of my head. I think for a commercial or USSF launch it would simply be a negotiation between SpaceX and the customer regarding whether to delay for recovery. There may even be language in some of the launch contracts that permit SpaceX some flexibility to delay a few days for recovery operations.
Amos-17 - they had no time to wait, ULAs launch was close.

AMOS 17 was meant to be expendable. Hispasat 30W-6 was the one that had “no time to wait”.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #67 on:** 09/18/2020 07:30 pm »

Did SpaceX leave the LV vertical on the pad? Or has it been removed to the HIF?

scr00chy · « **Reply #68 on:** 09/18/2020 07:51 pm »

It's still vertical. See here:

kevinof · « **Reply #69 on:** 09/18/2020 07:56 pm »

Not so much cross currents but if you have the gulf stream going north at say 3 knots and you then get a strong wind with a northerly component in it then you have a classic wind against tide and the gulf stream gets real ugly real fast. Waves stack up quickly with steep vertical faces and that can make holding station very very difficult.

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 09/18/2020 06:29 pm

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 09/18/2020 05:50 am
Quote from: Elon Musk
Current was too strong for droneship to hold station. Thrusters to be upgraded for future missions.
Seeking correction or clarification:
Re: current. As noted, the recovery zone is in the Gulf Stream.
I wonder if there are cross-currents stirred up by one or more of the tropical systems recently active in the Atlantic, particularly Pauline.

Same thought re: wave height and direction--at cross-purposes to the Gulf Stream?

Attached: image of FIVE tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic basin, September 14, 1550 UTC.
Left: Sally
Center left: Paulette
Center right: Renee
Bottom right: Teddy
Extreme right: Vicky
(BTW: There is a full-res .jpg at 37.4 MB.)

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #70 on:** 09/19/2020 11:31 am »

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1307279130933768194

Quote

Arrival! Ms. Chief has returned to Port Canaveral alone this morning.

Ms. Tree remains docked at the Port of Morehead City, NC.

Photo via visitspacecoast.com

sferrin · « **Reply #71 on:** 09/19/2020 12:52 pm »

I find myself wondering if SpaceX (and Blue Origin) are considering ways to not be hamstrung by weather. Both want to have significant numbers of launches going forward and weather is a killer. Imagine if airlines had to scrub flights every time the clouds rolled in. Building sturdier rockets or expanding ground support so many missions can be launched when the weather is good would seem to be the only two options. Thoughts?

smoliarm · « **Reply #72 on:** 09/19/2020 02:09 pm »

Quote from: sferrin on 09/19/2020 12:52 pm

I find myself wondering if SpaceX (and Blue Origin) are considering ways to not be hamstrung by weather. Both want to have significant numbers of launches going forward and weather is a killer. Imagine if airlines had to scrub flights every time the clouds rolled in. Building sturdier rockets or expanding ground support so many missions can be launched when the weather is good would seem to be the only two options. Thoughts?

>Imagine if airlines had to scrub flights every time the clouds rolled in.
- and this is exactly as it was in the early ages of aviation

Robotbeat · « **Reply #73 on:** 09/19/2020 02:57 pm »

Quote from: sferrin on 09/19/2020 12:52 pm

I find myself wondering if SpaceX (and Blue Origin) are considering ways to not be hamstrung by weather. Both want to have significant numbers of launches going forward and weather is a killer. Imagine if airlines had to scrub flights every time the clouds rolled in. Building sturdier rockets or expanding ground support so many missions can be launched when the weather is good would seem to be the only two options. Thoughts?

Relevant only when flight rates are high. They can engineer their rockets to withstand higher loadings and lightning strikes. All at the cost of weight and payload.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #74 on:** 09/19/2020 03:20 pm »

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1307336826429100037

Quote

Starlink: Just Read the Instructions droneship is returning to Port Canaveral.

The fact that SpaceX is choosing to tow the droneship all the way back to Florida instead of waiting near the LZ suggests a sizeable delay or a technical issue.

wannamoonbase · « **Reply #75 on:** 09/19/2020 03:28 pm »

Quote from: Robotbeat on 09/19/2020 02:57 pm

Quote from: sferrin on 09/19/2020 12:52 pm
I find myself wondering if SpaceX (and Blue Origin) are considering ways to not be hamstrung by weather. Both want to have significant numbers of launches going forward and weather is a killer. Imagine if airlines had to scrub flights every time the clouds rolled in. Building sturdier rockets or expanding ground support so many missions can be launched when the weather is good would seem to be the only two options. Thoughts?
Relevant only when flight rates are high. They can engineer their rockets to withstand higher loadings and lightning strikes. All at the cost of weight and payload.

Yep, and RTLS landings, is a large impact on payload, but would eliminate so many ships, time and procedural steps. A booster could start the day in a barn and end it in a barn.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #76 on:** 09/19/2020 03:47 pm »

This isn’t the thread for a general discussion of weather impact on recovery & launch frequency.

By all means find or start a thread in the reusability section.

AnalogMan · « **Reply #77 on:** 09/19/2020 03:50 pm »

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 09/19/2020 03:47 pm

This isn’t the thread for a general discussion of weather impact on recovery & launch frequency.

By all means find or start a thread in the reusability section.

That thread is here:

Does SpaceX have any launch scrub scenarios due to bad landing conditions?
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46054.0

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #78 on:** 09/20/2020 01:05 pm »

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1307659141348024327

Quote

Arrival! Support ship GO Quest has returned to Port Canaveral following the postponement of the Starlink mission due to poor weather in the recovery zone.

Photo via visitspacecoast.com

input~2 · « **Reply #79 on:** 09/22/2020 01:51 pm »

Launch time: Sept. 27 1443 GMT (10:43 a.m. EDT)
_(SFN)