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SpaceX - official thread (1 Viewer)

This is an important launch for SpaceX as the Air Force is the middle of selecting which two firms who will get the 2022-26 launch contracts; contenders are SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman.

Also, this is their most technically challenging launch as they will deliver the 24 different payloads into three different orbits, resulting in multiple re-lights of the Merlin 1D engine powering the rocket's second stage.

Falcon Heavy rocket set to attempt SpaceX’s “most difficult launch ever”

 
We’re in it to win it...work’s gonna suck tomorrow, but hopefully it’ll have been worth it.  Currently in line for a foot long hotdog because why not.  Space shuttle Atlantis exhibit was awesome sauce 

 
Whoa that was so freaking cool

Probably won’t have a visual on the side boosters landing side by side on the drone ship though

 
Side boosters hit the pad simultaneously 

Center core landings are basically like red shirts on STTOS

Everyday Astronaut speculation one or more of the nine side boosters failed causing it to pitch over

#soclose

 
With regards to the Center Core, Everyday Astronaut was incorrect. 

Here’s my 20 y.o. engineering kid explaining to his ignorant papa LI5: 

“It's actually programmed to do what it did. If it decides last second that it's not going to make it, it'll intentionally divert rather than destroy the drone ship. Seems frustrating they can’t land center cores, but actually from an engineering viewpoint, they get a little closer with every failure.”

Incredibly, he was not adopted.

ETA: the cause was they were a few seconds late in the reentry burn.

#ihavenoideawhatthatmeans

 
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Just got home, that was pretty darn cool.  Being that close and hearing the roar of the engines is def awesome, but the view of booster separation at night was most spectacular 

 
That is pretty cool.

I’m heading down to KSC on Thursday. I had tickets to see a launch of an Atlas V (not as cool, but still would have been great to see), but I just discovered this morning that it got scrubbed. I guess seeing a launch will have to wait for another time.

 
They are quite fun, especially at night.  If and when the Orion/SLS project gets up and running, I’ll plop down the big bucks for the LC-39 Observation Gantry and see it as up close as possible.  

Fun fact: I am related to a former astronaut; he piloted STS-3 and was commander for STS-51-F.  My parents received a letter from the office of Pres. Reagan inviting our family to attend STS-3 launch in the family gallery.  They didn’t go because I was barely 1 and no babysitter to be had.  We found both official mission patches in the gift shop and will be making a framed display out of it all.  

 
Does anyone have a good article that explains what was significant about this launch and how it moves the needle further along? Or in the alternative, can someone explain it to a dummy like me?

TIA.

 
whoknew said:
Does anyone have a good article that explains what was significant about this launch and how it moves the needle further along? Or in the alternative, can someone explain it to a dummy like me?

TIA.
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In general, any successful launch garners data useful for future attempts.  Specific to the SpaceX Falcon Heavy:  launching and landing the boosters at night was a big step, the method of payload delivery was quite difficult (3 different stages in different orbits), and the reusability of the rockets are massive points of success.  

 
whoknew said:
Does anyone have a good article that explains what was significant about this launch and how it moves the needle further along? Or in the alternative, can someone explain it to a dummy like me?

TIA.
Click to expand...
PM your digits & my kid will text it to you.

#kidding

They ratcheted up several aspects, but tbh I’m not enough of a space nerd to know what’s modest improvement or what is really pushing the envelope. They released the 24 satellites (or will?) on three different orbit paths. The recovery boats & drone ship were further away, and while I don’t quite grasp the trajectory / path, the center core was released earlier than ever before. They projected an 80% chance the first stage center rocket would crash, but it was sooooo close to landing on the drone ship - that one always crashes so even while failing I think that was a significant incremental improvement.

WAIT WAIT THERE’S MORE....I totally missed The $6M Catch.

Used a net boat (see linky) to catch the bulbous nose cone, e.g., the top of the rocket. About 10% of the $62M cost of this mission is guidance gear & such in that fairing, which is now another first time ever reusable part.

AFAIK SpaceX was the first (only) entity to reuse booster rockets by recovering them after firing, which as I understand it is a huge cost savings: 

 
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BobbyLayne said:
AFAIK SpaceX was the first (only) entity to reuse booster rockets by recovering them after firing, which as I understand it is a huge cost savings: 
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This is correct and it's one of the core aspects of making getting to Mars (and colonizing it) cost effective and thus realistic.  

 
Senor Schmutzig said:
Was thinking the same thing and I was brought to this article that talks about them.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/fashion/SpaceX-Dragon-Suits.html
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Foam seats, touch screen monitors, gloves that allow finger input. Have come a long way from switches. Also have an escape plan in case of an issue with the rocket.

One of the points that stuck out from the YouTube link is that the engineers had to design this with two fail-safes. Up to two major things can go wrong and they would still be able to land, or keep the crew safe. That had to be a nightmare for the engineers.

 
Just over an hour.

Sitting there in that position with no Game Boy or Suduku has to be boring. No sports to talk about. Maybe they have a movie playing on the screens or something.

 
I love the 4 hour pre show/space x infomercial.  I am DVRing this program to watch in the evening to help me fall asleep.  This is actually more boring than those 9a super bowl pre shows that are hyper generic.  Also, i hope i'm wrong, but i feel like this is 50/50 to explode.  I mean, they can't build a tesla that doesn't catch fire yet. 

 
i watch this and think of that simpsons episode with homer and barney.  they’ve been dubbed the 3 musketeers, a mathematician, a different kind of mathematician and a statistician.

 
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