RainDreamer Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 For some reason that looks so hypnotic. I am sure if that was a loop I would look at it for at least 30 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuky Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 another video from SpaceX showing us some of previously unseen footage including close up of the central engine firing during landing burn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwind Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) There was a conference yesterday, and SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell dropped some delicious tidbits on reusability and the journey to Mars - flanked by some impressive (though unrelated) media releases. For starters, there is now potential for two booster reflights before the end of the year, assuming things go according to plan. Which they may not, but hey, it's quite unlikely that both of them will get delayed... Shotwell said that in general, they are seeing increasing interest from customers in getting cheaper rides on reused boosters. Then, she revealed that a fully assembled Raptor prototype has been shipped to McGregor for actual test-firings. This is big news because up until now, we didn't know that there even was a fully assembled Raptor yet. They've been in subscale and/or component testing at Stennis since 2014, validating the preburners and injectors and other such things... but they've now actually built the full thing? For real? Awesome. (They've promised video of a test firing, but not until more than a month from now. Perhaps together with the MCT announcement at the end of September?) Meanwhile, they will also continue to weave static fires of the JCSat-14 booster in between regular pre-launch testing at McGregor. They want to fire it as many times as possible - ideally at least 10 times in the near future. (JCSat-14 was a GTO mission, and the first stage came in hot and landed hard. It's in the worst condition among all their recovered boosters, and they are being rough with it to see how much it can take.) In the media department, there's that video that @Cuky just posted above; it is one of the most beautiful and impressive collections of detail footage that SpaceX has ever released, IMHO. Those of you who have watched the CRS-9 launch stream may remember: after decoupling, the first stage did a very fast and aggressive flip, and you could in fact clearly see the boostback burn igniting less than a hundred meters away from the second stage, through the stage 2 aft cameras. This apparently produced quite the lightshow from the two exhaust plumes overlapping and interacting, as this instagram post shows in delicious detail. It is also part of the above video, but sometimes a simple embedded animation is more accessible to users than a full youtube video. All in all, it was a good day for SpaceX fans Edited August 10, 2016 by Streetwind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotius Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 I'm very curious how much thrust Raptor will produce during tests, and if SpaceX will actually publish the data. Merlin's capabilities in that matter were kept under tight wraps for a long time Still, it's very impressive what that engine can endure - stage used for re-firing was seriously mangled after landing. Yet it is still in working condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozen_Heart Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwind Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 58 minutes ago, Scotius said: stage used for re-firing was seriously mangled after landing. Yet it is still in working condition. Not really "mangled", no. Just at the limit of what could be called a "safe" landing. 18 minutes ago, Frozen_Heart said: *snip* I just posted that two posts above yours, and the video in the post before mine also had it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozen_Heart Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 31 minutes ago, Streetwind said: Not really "mangled", no. Just at the limit of what could be called a "safe" landing. I just posted that two posts above yours, and the video in the post before mine also had it... Sorry didn't see that bit. Mainly read the stuff about the Raptor engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 And a launch coming up very early Sunday morning (Saturday night, here in the west). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wumpus Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 (edited) 3 hours ago, Streetwind said: Not really "mangled", no. Just at the limit of what could be called a "safe" landing. I just posted that two posts above yours, and the video in the post before mine also had it... From the description, they certainly had to replace the whole landing leg structure. Being within limits seems to mean that the damage was limited to the legs (relatively cheap). They might have a ways to go before they are at the "gas and go" stage of the plan, but appear to be on schedule to go way beyond "shuttle-level" reuse (once they light this bird for real). On 7/23/2016 at 9:35 AM, Frozen_Heart said: I noticed that when I watched it. They were so close the exhaust from the two stages was hitting against each other. I'm guessing they wanted maximum Oberth effect (or at least minimum gravity acceleration). I suspect that is more an artifact from just how far away they are: you can't flip over a rocket fast enough to be "close" for the back burn. I'm guessing if it worries them, they'll just light the second stage a little earlier. Edited August 10, 2016 by wumpus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryten Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 One tidbit from the conference that hasn't turned up here is that the FH launch for STP-2 has been delayed to Q3 2017. Given that's only meant to be the second or maybe third FH flight, don't expect to see FH going up anytime soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatastrophicFailure Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 18 minutes ago, Kryten said: One tidbit from the conference that hasn't turned up here is that the FH launch for STP-2 has been delayed to Q3 2017. Given that's only meant to be the second or maybe third FH flight, don't expect to see FH going up anytime soon... This saddens me, if true. And they had been making such good, steady progress lately... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jovus Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Does anyone know where I can find information about JCSAT-16, like whether SpaceX is reflying a booster, or whether it's a barge landing or RTLS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryten Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 2 hours ago, Jovus said: Does anyone know where I can find information about JCSAT-16, like whether SpaceX is reflying a booster, or whether it's a barge landing or RTLS? No reflight for a while yet. JCSAT-16 is just about identical to JCSAT-14 earlier this year, so barge landing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jovus Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Thanks, @Kryten. Where'd you get that info? (So I don't have to bother people in this thread with inane questions in the future.) Am I just missing it on SpaceflightNow and SpaceX? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kryten Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Best is to keep your eye on the NASASpaceflight forums, they have good standards for posting and a very professional userbase. Easiest way to get this info at a glance is the SpaceX manifest thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 3 minutes ago, Jovus said: Am I just missing it on SpaceflightNow and SpaceX? Ninja-ed, but here's the public link: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40769.0 Static fire is supposed to be today, BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jovus Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Looks like I have another forum to stalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autumnalequinox Posted August 11, 2016 Share Posted August 11, 2016 On 8/9/2016 at 1:31 AM, RainDreamer said: For some reason that looks so hypnotic. I am sure if that was a loop I would look at it for at least 30 minutes. I already did that on another site when I first saw it. I literally got lost watching the intricate flow of hot gases. If you overlayed a soft-spoken woman going on about technical details of the SRB I would be in ASMR sleepytime heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Successful test fire this morning, they're go for the early Sunday morning launch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultimate Steve Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 5 hours ago, tater said: early Sunday morning launch. Just after midnight for me... gonna be a long night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 Just before midnight, here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchz95 Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 1:26 AM for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrandedonEarth Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 10:26pm for me. But I'm an early bird, so I may not be awake by then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluarc Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 On 8/12/2016 at 9:50 AM, tater said: Successful test fire this morning, they're go for the early Sunday morning launch. Test fire... Set the rocket on fire? Get it? No... <sigh> I'm just being a jerk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shpaget Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 From SpaceX press kit for the upcoming JCSAT-16 launch: Quote SpaceX is targeting launch of JCSAT-16 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on August 14 with a backup date of August 15. The approximately two hour launch window opens on August 14 at 1:26 am ET, 5:26am UTC. Can someone explain why are there launch windows for a geostationary orbit? Is it land/sea/air traffic or space related restriction? Or just red tape stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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