CatastrophicFailure Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 Interesting, thanks. Always wondered why there was so much "stuff" on those boosters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softweir Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 3 hours ago, sevenperforce said: As far as we know, sep will take place post-MECO-1, so the engines on the boosters will not aid in separation. Announcements so far indicate that the core booster will throttle-down for Qmax and to limit acceleration once fuel load is reduced, so in consequence the side boosters would run out before the core does. (The side boosters will, of course, separate before they are dry so they can RTLS!) The core is intended to continue thrusting after side-booster separation. The side-boosters will cut all but one engine, and use that engine and cold gas thrusters to assist separation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatastrophicFailure Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 More officially officialness: would this actually be the first time a private entity has sent a payload beyond earth orbit? As in, not on behalf of a gummint? Also, weather seems to be holding: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubinator Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 The clock sound from my song is playing in my head every day now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevenperforce Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 1 hour ago, CatastrophicFailure said: Interesting, thanks. Always wondered why there was so much "stuff" on those boosters. Me too; that's why I set out to figure it out a few weeks ago. 56 minutes ago, softweir said: Announcements so far indicate that the core booster will throttle-down for Qmax and to limit acceleration once fuel load is reduced, so in consequence the side boosters would run out before the core does. (The side boosters will, of course, separate before they are dry so they can RTLS!) The core is intended to continue thrusting after side-booster separation. The side-boosters will cut all but one engine, and use that engine and cold gas thrusters to assist separation. By MECO-1, I meant booster engine cutoff. BECO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softweir Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 2 hours ago, sevenperforce said: By MECO-1, I meant booster engine cutoff. BECO? Oh! Yeah, I wonder what they would call that? Given that they keep one engine lit to assist the booster separation, they may not refer to it as an engine cut-off at all - maybe just Booster Separation? (I like BECO! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Augustus_ Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 3 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said: More officially officialness: would this actually be the first time a private entity has sent a payload beyond earth orbit? As in, not on behalf of a gummint? Also, weather seems to be holding: I leave for Florida tomorrow morning. Let's go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YNM Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said: More officially officialness: https://i.imgur.com/qNSr0vK.jpg I like how it's US DoT being the issuer... Edited February 4, 2018 by YNM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zolotiyeruki Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Why is the thickness of the clouds a concern for launch? What effect does it have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubinator Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 29 minutes ago, zolotiyeruki said: Why is the thickness of the clouds a concern for launch? What effect does it have? Thicker clouds mean we get to see less awesomeness from the ground. (Also there tends to be extra turbulence in certain types of clouds.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefrums Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 14 hours ago, softweir said: Announcements so far indicate that the core booster will throttle-down for Qmax and to limit acceleration once fuel load is reduced, so in consequence the side boosters would run out before the core does. (The side boosters will, of course, separate before they are dry so they can RTLS!) The core is intended to continue thrusting after side-booster separation. The side-boosters will cut all but one engine, and use that engine and cold gas thrusters to assist separation. As soon as the side boaters tilt away from the center the air pressure will push them away from the center. But as the CoM is far back this will also cause additional rotation. I think we will see a small tilt away and then the still running engine will gimbal to keep the booster from flipping due to aerodynamic forces, this will at the same time punch the bottom of the booster away from the center stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh1pman Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 17 minutes ago, Nefrums said: As soon as the side boaters tilt away from the center the air pressure will push them away from the center. But as the CoM is far back this will also cause additional rotation. I think we will see a small tilt away and then the still running engine will gimbal to keep the booster from flipping due to aerodynamic forces, this will at the same time punch the bottom of the booster away from the center stage. Maybe they will flip back horizontally and then do a braking burn immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevenperforce Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 3 hours ago, Nefrums said: As soon as the side boaters tilt away from the center the air pressure will push them away from the center. But as the CoM is far back this will also cause additional rotation. I think we will see a small tilt away and then the still running engine will gimbal to keep the booster from flipping due to aerodynamic forces, this will at the same time punch the bottom of the booster away from the center stage. Not sure separation will occur low enough for aerodynamic forces to have much effect. But if they did, they would most likely not cause significant rotation around the CoM, not enough to make a collision likely. Keeping the adjacent engine burning through separation would certainly do the trick, but I don't know that they'd attempt something that risky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zolotiyeruki Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 I asked this several pages ago, but I didn't see an answer. We're planning to trek out there to watch on Tuesday, and I want to be able to find out ASAP if it gets scrubbed, so we can fall back to Plan B. What's the best way to get real-time updates on the launch status for FH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefrums Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 1 hour ago, sevenperforce said: Not sure separation will occur low enough for aerodynamic forces to have much effect. But if they did, they would most likely not cause significant rotation around the CoM, not enough to make a collision likely. Keeping the adjacent engine burning through separation would certainly do the trick, but I don't know that they'd attempt something that risky. After thinking more about it it is as simple as using the cold gas thruster at the top to push away and at the same time use the engine gimbal to prevent any rotation. Then both the engine and the thruster will push the booster away in a controlled way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.50calBMG Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 (edited) Might help anyone going down, but specifically for you, @zolotiyeruki Edited February 4, 2018 by .50calBMG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAL59 Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 https://www.inverse.com/article/40871-elon-musk-star-trek-discovery-mirror-universe-lorca-flamethrowers-boring-company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IncongruousGoat Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 1 minute ago, DAL59 said: https://www.inverse.com/article/40871-elon-musk-star-trek-discovery-mirror-universe-lorca-flamethrowers-boring-company Great, now I've had part of Discovery spoiled. Gah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAL59 Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 https://countingdownto.com/countdown/falcon-heavy-launch-countdown-clock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starman4308 Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Just now, DAL59 said: https://www.inverse.com/article/40871-elon-musk-star-trek-discovery-mirror-universe-lorca-flamethrowers-boring-company There is a thread for the Boring Company: Back on-topic, are we sure FH booster sep will occur at a low enough altitude for atmospheric effects to be hugely significant on the separation? To help out with a clean separation, assuming torque gets induced at the upper end, I could see the booster main engines gimbaled a bit inwards to help push the bottom end outwards a bit. From recent KSP experience separating some Soyuz-style booster stages, I have sepratrons both towards the top of the boosters, and a bit below the CoM to help push both top and bottom away, if that makes any sense whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAL59 Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Exactly 2 days until Falcon Heavy launch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatastrophicFailure Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 So much this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAL59 Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSEP Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Keep in mind, there is a 15% chance the launch is going to get scrubbed. Don't focus too much on Tuesday. 3 minutes ago, DAL59 said: Wait, launch simulation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubinator Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 13 minutes ago, NSEP said: Wait, launch simulation? I think he means simulation of an actual mission. There will still be a real rocket flying a sports car to interplanetary space. Unfortunately, if Elon has already chosen a song to be played during launch, I may not have a place for my music for this flight. I hope there is a "launch audio only" version I can use... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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