Airlock

Stage 1 boostback shutdown!

Webcast has started. http://www.spacex.com/webcast/ You can also watch on NASATV - http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv/pop-out

5 hours until the webcast begins. Liftoff targeted for 4:47AM EST. http://www.spacex.com/webcast/ Unsure of the validity of this post - http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/2rxctj/if_f9_first_stage_lands_successfully_on_asds_we/ Seems like we could get some landing footage during the webcast if things go well.

Scrubbed! According to NASAtv stream -examining actuator drift issue in the thrust vectoring system for stage 2. Looking at 5:09AM EST on Friday for next attempt.

Alright, 6AM! Looks like the webcast is starting. http://www.spacex.com/webcast/ Edit: T-14 minutes - 90% probability of good weather.

Signing off until launch. Latest tweet from SpaceX regarding the mission: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/552281302263926787 SpaceX â€Â@SpaceX 2h2 hours ago F9 & Dragon are vertical in advance of tmrw's 6:20am ET @NASA launch. Live launch webcast: http://www.spacex.com/webcast pic.twitter.com/BizeveNesz

Elon is doing an AMA right now. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i_am_elon_musk_ceocto_of_a_rocket_company_ama/ Taking questions on the landing attempt tomorrow, as well as other things. More importantly, its official - he thinks Kerbal is awesome! http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i_am_elon_musk_ceocto_of_a_rocket_company_ama/cnfrm06?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i_am_elon_musk_ceocto_of_a_rocket_company_ama/cnfri17?context=3

Under 12 hours until launch. Set for 6:20 AM EST. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/552182273865699328/photo/1 "Drone spaceport ship heads to its hold position in the Atlantic to prepare for a rocket landing." Edit: There will be a livestream of the launch on youtube - and on SpaceX.com - http://www.spacex.com/webcast/ Starts at 6:00 AM. Edit: It was stated during the press briefing that video of a successful landing could be out by the end of the day tomorrow.

CRS-5 ISS mission scheduled for Jan 6 liftoff at 11:18 UTC. Not much news to report. Some intrepid individual scoured webcams at the Jacksonville port and found this (taken from a cruise ship): Someone on said cruise ship took this picture: Which shows us a SpaceX trailer and first stage support structure, previously seen used for the F9R-Dev1 at McGregor, Texas. Shown here: http://imgur.com/a/K5f33 This tells us they plan to return the first stage (assuming they catch it) to the port in Jacksonville, not Kennedy. Do we think they'll carry out post-flight inspections on the stage before road transport? ...And slightly off-topic, a look back at SpaceX's ventures in 2014. Happy New Year!

The end of the first night was a complete letdown and disappointment. Didn't bother watching after that.

https://twitter.com/riascience/status/547270535055699968 "ÃÂýóðрð" ÑÂтðртþòðûð, òÑÂõ ýþрüðûьýþ -- ""Angara" was launched , everything is fine"

A shot of the static test fire. Legs n' Grid fins!

Well, some good news at least. Chris Bergin from NASASpaceflight.com reports SpaceX conducted a second static test fire, and that it was nominal - good countdown and full duration burn on the Merlin 1Ds. Launch is set for no earlier than January 6th. http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=36055.msg1305140#msg1305140 EDIT: Official update: http://www.spacex.com/press/2014/12/19/crs-5-launch-update

Well, gotta say, they look awesome. LazarusLuan had the same problems with his SpaceX BFR pack. I tried using TweakScale to use the normal F9 legs, but failed as well. What would happen if you made the legs all one part? A ring that could be placed between the fuel tank and engine, with the legs arrayed around its edges, perhaps? Karbonite has something like that, I believe.

Just an update. The launch is scheduled for Friday, December 19th at 1:22 PM EST. X MARKS THE SPOT: FALCON 9 ATTEMPTS OCEAN PLATFORM LANDING http://www.spacex.com/news/2014/12/16/x-marks-spot-falcon-9-attempts-ocean-platform-landing

Yep, finals. I've rationalized my studies/writing as a way to pass the time until my favorite mods update. Still managed to procrastinate the entire day anyway.

Try running OpenGL in windowed mode. I'm having problems with it in fullscreen.

Lazarus, any chance you could release the landing legs we saw in a few earlier BFR shots? Maybe someone else could take a crack at them. I'd really like to use them, if only for aesthetic purposes.

Here are some great pages on Apollo mission trajectories and the Van Allen Belts. Great resources if you want to back up an argument with mathematics and scientific facts. I highly recommend these, as hoaxers commonly use the Van Allen Belts as their "trump card" in Moon landing debates. Apollo 11's Translunar Trajectory http://www.braeunig.us/apollo/apollo11-TLI.htm Apollo and the Van Allen Belts http://www.braeunig.us/apollo/VABraddose.htm The Van Allen Belts and Travel to the Moon http://www.wwheaton.com/waw/mad/mad19.html

Sorry to hear it cut out for you guys. Working fine on NASA public ustream. It was on a few TV channels too.

SpaceX Falcon 9, specifically the 9R.

Wanderers - a breathtaking and epic short film by Erik Wernquist. Just wanted to share it with you all, enjoy! "Wanderers is a vision of humanity's expansion into the Solar System, based on scientific ideas and concepts of what our future in space might look like, if it ever happens. The locations depicted in the film are digital recreations of actual places in the Solar System, built from real photos and map data where available." http://www.erikwernquist.com/wanderers Still Gallery with commentary - http://imgur.com/a/Ur5dP

Yes, just this. The state wanted farmers, not engineers. The film itself isn't making claims - it's just a plot device.

See here: http://endurance.interstellarmovie.net/ The Ranger shuttles were launched "belly-to-belly" on top of a " large multi-stage booster" - most likely to be a modified Saturn V. Did some searching and found this - apparently, an unused template mission patch for the film - EDIT: Woops, actually it's from the same site: http://patchcreator.interstellarmovie.net/

I assume they're still planning to RTLS eventually. However, landing on a platform at sea may allow for larger payloads on the F9, as well as FH central core recovery.