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

[Ken the Bin]

The Backup/Alternate Day is Monday, September 28 at ~14:22 UTC (~10:22am EDT).

221851Z SEP 20
NAVAREA IV 901/20(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   271428Z TO 271546Z SEP,
   ALTERNATE 281407Z TO 281525Z SEP
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39-11N 080-37-49W, 28-52-00N 080-25-00W,
      29-02-00N 080-12-00W, 29-00-00N 080-10-00W,
      28-50-00N 080-18-00W, 28-38-00N 080-29-00W,
      28-34-53N 080-34-27W, 28-38-28N 080-37-18W.
   B. 31-39-00N 077-20-00W, 33-15-00N 075-57-00W,
      33-40-00N 074-59-00W, 33-21-00N 074-25-00W,
      32-45-00N 074-32-00W, 31-25-00N 077-06-00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 281625Z SEP 20.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1308555884717641731

Welcome back JRTI. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX

https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1308568269666820100

Just Read The Instructions is back in port with no noticeable damage from the rather hairy trip home through rough weather and waves.

Word on the street is SpaceX is targeting Sunday to attempt the Starlink launch. We’ll see in the next few days which drone ship is used.

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1308867443595583494

SpaceX is swapping the droneship for the Starlink mission.

Tug Finn Falgout returned last night with JRTI - following a postponement because of poor weather - but is now preparing to depart Port Canaveral with OCISLY droneship for the revised launch date - NET Sep 27.

This switch isn't really surprising.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1308894714188509190

Departure! Of Course I Still Love You droneship is outbound towards the Starlink landing zone.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate this time! 🤞

twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1308894051022909440

Pulling the ol’ switch-a-roo!

After bringing Just Read The Instructions home last night, tug Finn Falgout has just departed Port Canaveral with Of Course I Still Love You in tow. They’ll head downrange to get into position for the upcoming #Starlink mission.

[shooter6947]

This switch isn't really surprising.

Sorry to not get it, but could you elaborate on why it's not surprising?  Is JRTI damaged somehow?  If so, the switch necessarily bears on the next flight (GPS-III) scheduled for 2 days after this one...

[gongora]

This switch isn't really surprising.

Sorry to not get it, but could you elaborate on why it's not surprising?  Is JRTI damaged somehow?  If so, the switch necessarily bears on the next flight (GPS-III) scheduled for 2 days after this one...

The launch was delayed due to something about the recovery operations, then JRTI was towed back through high seas for a few days.

edit:  If they don't think JRTI would be ready for GPS, they could delay one of the missions.  The landing zones aren't far apart if they wanted to switch OCISLY from Starlink to GPS.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

L-3 weather forecast is 70% GO

[capoman]

This switch isn't really surprising.

Sorry to not get it, but could you elaborate on why it's not surprising?  Is JRTI damaged somehow?  If so, the switch necessarily bears on the next flight (GPS-III) scheduled for 2 days after this one...

The launch was delayed due to something about the recovery operations, then JRTI was towed back through high seas for a few days.

edit:  If they don't think JRTI would be ready for GPS, they could delay one of the missions.  The landing zones aren't far apart if they wanted to switch OCISLY from Starlink to GPS.

It could be as simple as current predictions are calmer for landing for the new Starlink date, then the GPS date. We already know that JRTI has updated thrusters. It's also possible they may want to inspect JRTI before sending back out. It doesn't necessarily mean JRTI was damaged. It was just in some seriously bad conditions.

[leetdan]

There's also the issue of launch priority.  If JRTI can handle worse conditions, it makes sense that it should be made available for the external launch rather than the internal.

[aero]

There's also the issue of launch priority.  If JRTI can handle worse conditions, it makes sense that it should be made available for the external launch rather than the internal.

Disagree. Booster recovery is not related to mission success. It makes more sense to recover the most "valuable" booster, where value is based on factors like the remaining booster launches 'till end of life or booster mission data collection, if that is needed. The severity of the weather forcast factors in, as well. That is, recover an old, near dead booster with high probability or attempt the recovery on a newer more valuable booster with a lower likelyhood of success. It ends up being an informed judgement call.

[leetdan]

Disagree. Booster recovery is not related to mission success

There's a time I would've agreed with your conclusion, but we've seen both internal and external (CRS-17) customer launches be scrubbed strictly due to recovery conditions.  Since an out-of-position ASDS can directly cause a scrub, the more capable ASDS should therefore be assigned the higher priority launch.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1309262442954928129

Off they go again!

OCISLY droneship and support ship GO Quest are once again well underway towards the Starlink LZ.

[aero]

Disagree. Booster recovery is not related to mission success

There's a time I would've agreed with your conclusion, but we've seen both internal and external (CRS-17) customer launches be scrubbed strictly due to recovery conditions.  Since an out-of-position ASDS can directly cause a scrub, the more capable ASDS should therefore be assigned the higher priority launch.

I did make the faulty assumption that both launches would go. That is a bad assumption since SpaceX may again choose to delay the internal launch for more favorable recovery conditions. Then launch for the paying customer is logical.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

DIV-H just got bumped a day, so expect knock-on impact to this launch due to range availability:

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1309464927602704384

The launch of a ULA #DeltaIVHeavy rocket carrying the #NROL44 mission for the @NatReconOfc is delayed due to an issue with the swing arm retraction system. Launch is now scheduled for 12:10 a.m. EDT, on Sept. 27, 2020.

[RocketLover0119]

DIV-H just got bumped a day, so expect knock-on impact to this launch due to range availability:

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1309464927602704384

The launch of a ULA #DeltaIVHeavy rocket carrying the #NROL44 mission for the @NatReconOfc is delayed due to an issue with the swing arm retraction system. Launch is now scheduled for 12:10 a.m. EDT, on Sept. 27, 2020.

Would be launching 10 hours before Starlink, don’t see why they couldn’t do both as long as NROL gets off first.

[Elthiryel]

According to the updated weather forecast, the launch is now planned for September 28.

Weather is 70% GO.

[Nomadd]

It could be as simple as current predictions are calmer for landing for the new Starlink date, then the GPS date. We already know that JRTI has updated thrusters. It's also possible they may want to inspect JRTI before sending back out. It doesn't necessarily mean JRTI was damaged. It was just in some seriously bad conditions.

The scrub and the switch both make me wonder about the new thruster performance. Those hydraulic Thrustmasters could be huge Ps ITA, but they could also give you instantaneous torque that could enable some impressive station keeping in interesting seas. Keeping one of those barges within a meter in hard to predict water and wind has always impressed me greatly.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Would be launching 10 hours before Starlink, don’t see why they couldn’t do both as long as NROL gets off first.

I thought 16 hours was minimum turnaround time for the range?

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post; now an even tighter launch "salvo" scheduled for the US east coast:

Scheduled:
Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)

2020
September 26 27 - NROL-44: Orion 10 (RIO 10, Mission 8306, Mentor 8 ) (TBD) - Delta IV-H [D-385] - Canaveral SLC-37B  - 04:10
September 27 28  - Starlink flight 13 (x60) [v1.0 L12] - Falcon 9-094 (B1058.3 S) - Kennedy LC-39A - 14:22
September 30 - GPS III SV04 - Falcon 9 (B1062.1 S) - Canaveral SLC-40 - 01:55
September 30 - Cygnus NG-14 (CRS-14) - Antares-230+ - MARS LP-0A - 02:27

Changes on September 25th

Would be launching 10 hours before Starlink, don’t see why they couldn’t do both as long as NROL gets off first.

I thought 16 hours was minimum turnaround time for the range?

34 hours between Delta IV-H and Falcon 9 launches.

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1309634946588270592