Jump to content

SpaceX Discussion Thread


Skylon

Recommended Posts

So, emblem.

xZ3zPp3.jpg

We can see that there are no landing legs, but grid fins are present. They aren't deployed though, and it seems that all of the engines are burning, which is unusual for separated S1. 

Interstage is wrong color as well, but it's a minor thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously testing new interstage. Maybe doing cross range to test carbon fiber heating?

Seems like recovering it intact might give them more data, however. Is the carbon fiber heavier?

Edited by tater
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, tater said:

Obviously testing new interstage. Maybe doing cross range to test carbon fiber heating?

I'm not so sure. It may be that the interstage here is just really sooty from the last landing and so it looks grey but it's actually still the original Block 3 one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

I'm not so sure. It may be that the interstage here is just really sooty from the last landing and so it looks grey but it's actually still the original Block 3 one.

Then why cover it with a tarp?

 

 

Not just a tarp, maybe a false canvas painted like a normal interstage

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

Hmm. Would a composite interstate survive a soft water landing and inevitable tip over, even if the rest of the stage doesn’t? Perhaps they plan to recover just that one bit?

Yeah, it seems possible that they might be able to recover it. I'd expect that they'd get better data if it was 100% intact, landed, however, vs smashed into the ocean (possible with am explosion into the bargain).

It's quite odd, really. I can see the point in testing composites (BFR), I can see the point in testing cross range, and variant heating regimes that go with that, but the secrecy is odd. Why tarp it, then show it black?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

Hmm. Would a composite interstate survive a soft water landing and inevitable tip over, even if the rest of the stage doesn’t? Perhaps they plan to recover just that one bit?

If they wanted to just play around, they could bring the F9 down with a high lateral velocity, then do the "landing" burn effectively sideways, so it would already be almost all the way laid over at v=0.

4 minutes ago, tater said:

Yeah, it seems possible that they might be able to recover it. I'd expect that they'd get better data if it was 100% intact, landed, however, vs smashed into the ocean (possible with am explosion into the bargain).

It's quite odd, really. I can see the point in testing composites (BFR), I can see the point in testing cross range, and variant heating regimes that go with that, but the secrecy is odd. Why tarp it, then show it black?

I don't know that it's actually tarped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe i'm saying something stupid but what if they keep burning up after S2 sep with just the booster, to go really high and acquire data that would help them toward the goal of S2 reentry ?

 

Edit : at least, it's coherent with the emblem.

Edited by Dilir
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Dilir said:

Maybe i'm saying something stupid but what if they keep burning up after S2 sep with just the booster, to go really high and acquire data that would help them toward the goal of S2 reentry ?

You mean, reserve some extra propellant and then use it to boost the booster up to higher velocities?

Not sure what that would provide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, tater said:

Someone proposed on NSF that the fairing might be jettisoned, perhaps to get data on side booster flight characteristics. Could a side booster nose cone fit under the M1D vac engine bell?

No. The pusher bar in the interstage goes up inside the bell of the S2 engine and pushes against the throat. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe this was the fairing issue... not the payload fairing, but the interstage fairing. They want this tested before FH. Again, this assumes a nosecone is hiding under that interstage.

37BA117500000578-3769059-The_recovered_f

The center point is where the pusher rod is... seems like they could make an abbreviated cone.

1 minute ago, sevenperforce said:

No. The pusher bar in the interstage goes up inside the bell of the S2 engine and pushes against the throat. 

Yeah, a cone with a bar poking vertically. Would still have closer aerodynamics than the tall interstage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, tater said:

 

Yeah, a cone with a bar poking vertically. Would still have closer aerodynamics than the tall interstage.

Maybe the nosecone itself isn't necessary for the data, maybe just the effective "shortening" of the booster is enough to learn what they need to.

But if this is the case, it's adding in an unusual (and untested) separation event. From what I know of the F9 design (little), separating the interstage after booster separation is a non-trivial thing...

Edited by CatastrophicFailure
Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, tater said:

True, any new wrinkle that is a failure mode for a customer is troublesome.

It would have to be normal stage sep, then discard fairing.

Guess we will see soon enough tonight.

Did mr Steven ever leave port?

Mr. Steven left port late last night and is heading south at full speed. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, tater said:

So fairing recovery is on. Nice.

Going to be epic when we get to later FH missions and we have simultaneous footage of the ground cam, each of the side boosters headed back toward the launch site, the core booster plummeting toward the ASDS, the ASDS deck feed, the second stage powering up to orbit, cams from both fairings, AND fairing catch cams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

Going to be epic when we get to later FH missions and we have simultaneous footage of the ground cam, each of the side boosters headed back toward the launch site, the core booster plummeting toward the ASDS, the ASDS deck feed, the second stage powering up to orbit, cams from both fairings, AND fairing catch cams.

“you’re gonna need a bigger boat screen.”

they’ve already got the boat, so...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...