SpaceX F9 : Starlink v1.0 L16 : KSC LC-39A : 20 Jan 2021 (1302 UTC)

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1352026011219628035

[Vettedrmr]

Regarding the interaction with the relative wind, I thought it odd that the program calls for the rocket to tilt to a set angle, stay like that for a good minute, then abruptly return to centered attitude before MECO. If this were an airplane, the angle of attack would be changing gradually according to the airspeed and thickness of the atmosphere.

You want to zero out the AoA before staging.  And we don't know how gradually the AoA changed during the powered phase, we only know how quickly it zeroes out.

[OneSpeed]

Anyone has a good guess what this strange maneuver is for?

The primary objective getting a rocket to orbit is to gain horizontal velocity as quickly as possible. To that end, Falcon 9 often completes its gravity turn quickly, by around T+01:40. From that point on to MECO, it needs to generate some lift to continue to increase the vertical component of its velocity. Increasing the AoA generates not only some aerodynamic lift, but also a vertical thrust component. Attached is plot of the Starlink L16 boost phase, including the vertical velocity component derived from the altitude telemetry. The noise is very high, but you can still see from the fairly constant slope, that the vertical acceleration is maintained right through the boost phase.

[Steven Pietrobon]

What happened to Steve, btw? I really miss his launch coverage.

I'm still alive and kicking! In order that I can spend more time on my other interests, I decided to retire from providing live launch coverage on NSF.

[zubenelgenubi]

What happened to Steve, btw? I really miss his launch coverage.

I'm still alive and kicking! In order that I can spend more time on my other interests, I decided to retire from providing live launch coverage on NSF.

Thank you very much, Steven, for your voluminous efforts providing live coverage over the years here.
Time for the rest of us to pick up the slack!

[jacqmans]

https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing/status/1351976158431207429?s=20

[ugordan]

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1352337165615820805

Just Read the Instructions droneship has departed from the Starlink landing zone and is en-route to Port Canaveral.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1352381287332511753

Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief have split up!

Ms. Chief is now arriving at Port Canaveral whilst Ms. Tree is heading straight to the Transporter-1 LZ

Visible on Fleetcam shortly:

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1352386952096600068

Empty 😲

Ms. Chief has returned from the Starlink mission without a fairing half, not even a fragment to be seen.

Ms. Tree is still offshore and heading directly to the Transporter-1 LZ. Not clear if Ms. Chief will head back out soon.

As seen by @NASASpaceflight Fleetcam

[Jansen]

https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1352427891225714689

JRTI enroute to port (slowly)

[Jansen]

https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1352776360075399170

[cscott]

They showed Ms. Tree at sea during the webcast today for the Transporter-1 scrub.  No fairing half to be seen on deck.

Is it possible they lost both fairing halves from this mission?  Perhaps sea states were bad enough to lose the halves and damage Ms. Chief enough to require a return to port?  Pure speculation.

[Rekt1971]

They showed Ms. Tree at sea during the webcast today for the Transporter-1 scrub.  No fairing half to be seen on deck.

Is it possible they lost both fairing halves from this mission?  Perhaps sea states were bad enough to lose the halves and damage Ms. Chief enough to require a return to port?  Pure speculation.

They showed Ms. Chief, not Ms. Tree.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1353067626390405122

Just Read the Instructions droneship - from the Starlink mission - will be arriving at Port Canaveral tomorrow (24th) sometime after 8:30am ET.

Probably will be later in the day, depending on overnight progress.

[cscott]

They showed Ms. Tree at sea during the webcast today for the Transporter-1 scrub.  No fairing half to be seen on deck.

Is it possible they lost both fairing halves from this mission?  Perhaps sea states were bad enough to lose the halves and damage Ms. Chief enough to require a return to port?  Pure speculation.

They showed Ms. Chief, not Ms. Tree.

Oh! We knew Ms. Chief didn't have fairing halves on board.  Still possible that Ms. Tree has one or two on deck from the starlink launch, then?

[scr00chy]

They showed Ms. Tree at sea during the webcast today for the Transporter-1 scrub.  No fairing half to be seen on deck.

Is it possible they lost both fairing halves from this mission?  Perhaps sea states were bad enough to lose the halves and damage Ms. Chief enough to require a return to port?  Pure speculation.

They showed Ms. Chief, not Ms. Tree.

Oh! We knew Ms. Chief didn't have fairing halves on board.  Still possible that Ms. Tree has one or two on deck from the starlink launch, then?

Correct.

[Oersted]

What happened to Steve, btw? I really miss his launch coverage.

I'm still alive and kicking! In order that I can spend more time on my other interests, I decided to retire from providing live launch coverage on NSF.

Thank you so much, Steven, for your heroic efforts over the years and congratulations on a well-deserved retirement from the intense and stressful world of up-to-the-minute thread updates

- You're leaving some big shoes to fill for your eventual successors once they complete the rigourous NSF selection process and training camp.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1353437043494449153

Getting closer!

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/booster_buddies/status/1353437913472671744

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/kyle_m_photo/status/1353446754352390144

B1051.8, the first eight flight booster is almost back to Port Canaveral. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX

https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1353447194221678595