D̶o̶w̶n̶ Up with the CygnusFalcon 9 lofts @northropgrumman’s Cygnus spacecraft into the wild blue yonder, destined to berth with and resupply the @Space_Station. This flight marked Cygnus’ first with Falcon 9; NG-20 is well underway.📸 - @NASASpaceflight 📺 - youtube.com/live/tyaI5LR15…#NASA #SpaceX #NG20
1.7 million pounds of thrust from nine Merlin 1D engines - Falcon 9 launches NG-20.
Crystal clear blue skies >>>
CelesTrak has GP data for 1 object from the launch (2024-021) of CYGNUS NG-20 to the ISS atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Jan 30 at 1707 UTC: spacenews.com/falcon-9-launc…. Data for the launch can be found at: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2024-021
Falcon 9 launches its first Cygnus spacecraft mission to the @Space_Station
Launch time 17:07:00 UTC? I saw Bill Harwood was not in attendance, so no launch time tweet from him.
Update from NASA (January 29th, 2024):COMMENT | EVENT | TIG | ORB | DV | HA | HP |COMMENT | | GMT | | M/S | KM | KM |COMMENT | | | | (F/S) | (NM) | (NM) |COMMENT =============================================================================COMMENT NG-20 Launch 030:17:07:21.000 0.0 424.4 412.1COMMENT (0.0) (229.2) (222.5)COMMENT COMMENT NG-20 Capture 032:09:20:00.000 0.0 423.9 412.3COMMENT (0.0) (228.9) (222.6)COMMENT COMMENT Ax-3 Undock 034:11:00:00.000 0.0 423.4 412.4COMMENT (0.0) (228.6) (222.7)COMMENT COMMENT =============================================================================
COMMENT | EVENT | TIG | ORB | DV | HA | HP |COMMENT | | GMT | | M/S | KM | KM |COMMENT | | | | (F/S) | (NM) | (NM) |COMMENT =============================================================================COMMENT NG-20 Launch 030:17:07:21.000 0.0 424.4 412.1COMMENT (0.0) (229.2) (222.5)COMMENT COMMENT NG-20 Capture 032:09:20:00.000 0.0 423.9 412.3COMMENT (0.0) (228.9) (222.6)COMMENT COMMENT Ax-3 Undock 034:11:00:00.000 0.0 423.4 412.4COMMENT (0.0) (228.6) (222.7)COMMENT COMMENT =============================================================================
Check out the shockwave at 8:45. You can even make out the 2nd one near the grid fins.Screenshot attached for posterity.
There are only a few other outstanding RTLS videos with such special angles, close-ups, clarity, and sound, but this takes the cake with the capture of that shock wave.
Quote from: catdlr on 01/31/2024 06:58 pmThere are only a few other outstanding RTLS videos with such special angles, close-ups, clarity, and sound, but this takes the cake with the capture of that shock wave.The trick with these shots is that you have to have a chance arrangement of clouds behind (a non-uniform background) so that the refracted light by the shock can show some contrast. It's very difficult to catch and you need quite a bit of luck. And, of, course, a very good, high-res tracking setup. There were a couple of RTLS F9 landings where you could make out the shockwave, but this one, I think, is the most clear of them all.
Right, you are, in Pete Carstan's video of this same flight, with his camera angle that shock way is not easily apparent with a uniform blue sky behind.
For all you launch fans interested in tracking shots, I edited four independent tracking cams of the NG-20 launch. It's in 4K, best on the big screen. Enjoy. Credit to: NASA, Max-Q Productions, USLaunchReports, SpaceflighNow
SpaceX support ship Bob is on the way back to Florida after a brief trip to meet Doug in South Carolina.My assumption is Bob has collected the NG-20 fairing that was recovered by Doug and is bringing it to the Cape. Doug remains at a shipyard there for work.
