Falcon 9 GEO Transfer Mission [video]

http://www.spacex.com/webcast/?ses-8

by andymoe • 13 years ago

115 54 13 years ago

spacex.com

paragraft• 13 years ago

Why is the countdown stuck at T-00:13:00? Shouldn't it be counting down?

Edit: Nvm, saw the overlay saying they're on a hold.

gilgoomesh• 13 years ago

There's a valve on the first stage that they're concerned about (looking at a "signature" problem, whatever that means). They think they can resolve their concerns and still make the launch window (which is a little over an hour long).

Clock is running again now. Delay of roughly 20 mins to 22:55 UTC launch.

Edit: so they counted down to T-6min then stopped and reset again to T-13mins due to a first stage internal power problem. They're waiting on trajectory coordination before trying a third time today.

Edit 2: and they've aborted again at T-3:40 due to what looks like a LOX problem. That'll be it for today; the launch window has elapsed.

demallien• 13 years ago

For info, even in a completely "nominal" launch there are holds. This is particularly true when you have a tight launch window. The idea is to build some slack into the countdown to allow for the possibility if correcting any unforeseen problems. This is possible because at certain points in the countdown you can safely wait for fairly long durations. So the countdown is started early with respect to its launch window, and if any minor problems crop up they can be corrected during the planned pauses without slipping the launch time, and hence missing the launch window.

martythemaniak• 13 years ago

I played a few games of Kerbal Space program recently, so I can understand what's happening a little better now.

I'd love to have a place somewhere where I can "watch" launches in a way similar to KSP's map view. You would be able to see the rocket, including it's essential info (altitude, speed, the ball thing) and also be able to see the manoeuvres they do.

MrZongle22• 13 years ago

Man, I hope SpaceX has far more success with their launches than I do in KSP, otherwise Orlando is going to have quite a fireworks show.

daeken• 13 years ago

I'd settle for just seeing things like their delta-V maps. It's one thing for me to make my own for KSP missions, it's another to see one for a real world situation.

unspecified2• 13 years ago

While I'm a mere Kerbalnaut myself, here is some napkin math that almost checks out. For a GTO payload, the Falcon 9 http://www.spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-v11.html has:

  S1 Mass full: 490,300kg (that's both stages, fuel in both, plus the fairing and payload)
  S1 Mass empty: 100,300kg (S1 mass minus stage one fuel)
  S1 ISP: 282s (sea level) to 311s (vacuum)

  S2 Mass full: 82,300kg (second stage, fuel, fairing and payload)
  S2 Mass empty: 11,500kg (S2 mass minus stage two fuel)
  S2 ISP: 340s (unspecified)

According to this delta-v calculator http://www.strout.net/info/science/delta-v/, that would give delta-v values of:

  S1 delta-v: 4388m/s to 4840m/s
  S2 delta-v: 6562m/s

  Total delta-v: 10.8km/s to 11.3km/s

For GTO, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v gives a delta-v value of 11.8km/s to 12.5km/s, so these numbers fall just under the low end of that range. However, maybe the highly elliptical orbit that this launch is aiming for is slightly more efficient than whatever orbit is assumed for that chart on Wikipedia.

unspecified2• 13 years ago

I agree. NASA's MAVEN launch last week had a fantastic live stream that included commentary plus telemetry data, it was space nerd heaven.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/40966344

I couldn't find a better video, that one cuts off 6 minutes into the launch, before they get to the good part where the telemetry shows orbital information. The stream went on for at least 45 more minutes, I grabbed a screenshot 51 minutes into the launch:

http://imgur.com/LUD6XUk

outworlder• 13 years ago

The amount of learning one can do on KSP alone shouldn't be underestimated.

You know you're onto something when you start doing Delta-V calculations while designing your rocket and talking about bi-elliptic transfers and aerobraking on the forums.

It is not enough to become a rocket scientist, but it is enough to understand the basics.

And, as per another comment, you can even begin to understand some of the telemetry data, even if in an intuitive sense.

TallGuyShort2• 13 years ago

I'm pretty sure I just heard someone in the background saying over the radio, "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? We going up top. Totally different". Not what I remember hearing as a kid during NASA launches :)

jvoorhis• 13 years ago

Thanks for this. I heard it too, but thought for sure that I had imagined it.

maaku• 13 years ago

The beauty of not being a NASA launch ;)

AYBABTME• 13 years ago

Second language speaker here, what does this sentence mean?

ra88it2• 13 years ago

It is a humorous reference to an American sitcom from the 80's called 'Different Strokes'. A lighthearted way of expressing disagreement.

[edit: While I'm at it: the main character 'Arnold' would express disagreement with his brother 'Willis' by saying "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" something like once per episode. This was a running joke for the sitcom.]

ramidarigaz2• 13 years ago

Countdown aborted at T-6:11. Looks like they still have some issues to resolve.

Symmetry• 13 years ago

I think I heard them mention a computer that hadn't come up properly. Still, they have a reputation for fixing things quickly.

Shivetya• 13 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed watching their first mission where their programmers made changes while the craft was sitting outside of the ISS because the position markers weren't being spotted as they expected. They do have an amazing ability to change on the fly, not what you expect from a space program except in SciFi

mwilcox• 13 years ago

Just reset to 13 minutes.

sillysaurus2• 13 years ago

Now they're trying again! T minus 13 minutes! So cool!

ulfw• 13 years ago

OMG so so so cool

InclinedPlane2• 13 years ago

Held, reset to T-13m. They have an hour+ long launch window so they have a good chance of lauching today.

Edit: clock is counting down again, launch estimated to be 3:30pm PST.

JumpCrisscross• 13 years ago

66 minute launch window through 6:43PM ET. T-13 cycle must start no later than 6:30PM ET.

bond• 13 years ago

Here comes their favorite word..."nominal"... :)

ssewell2• 13 years ago

In orbit 1/4 the distance to the moon? Wow! I didn't realize we put satellites into orbit at that height.

peeters2• 13 years ago

We put lots of them up there! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_orbit

kindredlight2• 13 years ago

Geosynchronous is nowhere near 1/4 distance to the moon. This sat is temporarily going to a highly eccentric transfer orbit on its way to GEO.

InclinedPlane2• 13 years ago

We don't, at least not usually. The mission design is for the satellite to go up to 80,000 km where it will do an orbital plane change then settle back down into a geostationary orbit. It actually uses less energy to do it that way than to just do an apogee raise up to GEO then a plane change.

soperj2• 13 years ago

I hate that this requires flash. Anyone who can continue updating for us that can't watch, that'd be great. Thanks :)

thekos• 13 years ago

Here's the direct streams:

http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/142499_129958_13c898be_1_20...

Or lower quality: http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/142499_129958_13c898be_1_55... http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/142499_129958_13c898be_1_15...

S201• 13 years ago

There's a live update thread on reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1rfc17/rspacex_falco...

soperj2• 13 years ago

thanks to the both of you :)

TallGuyShort2• 13 years ago

Even with Flash it's not the greatest video streamer. On Firefox on Linux it kept freezing every 5 or 6 seconds.

greglindahl• 13 years ago

Flash or h.264, apparently, the video works fine on an iPad.

bri3d4• 13 years ago

It looks like the countdown overlay is polling every 1 second but is off from the backing timer - some displayed "seconds" last more than a second while the next lasts much less.

ProCynic• 13 years ago

http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/Vetinari's_Clock

bri3d4• 13 years ago

Aborted again due to a flight computer bringup issue (again); looks like they might not meet their window tonight :(

EDIT: I think the most precise real cause heard was "abnormal data," actually. My bad and thanks to "kindredlight."

Aco-• 13 years ago

argh, so nerve-wracking

ra88it2• 13 years ago

When can we confirm that they missed their window?

(Edit: new window is Thanksgiving day, one minute later than today. Might have to stream this one to the Apple TV for the whole family…)

conradev• 13 years ago

They just did on the livestream.

jadyoyster• 13 years ago

Just confirmed. It'll launch on Thursday instead.

nakkiel• 13 years ago

It's been called off. Next launch window in three days, one minute later than today's window.

bri3d4• 13 years ago

Just confirmed on webcast but even before the launch window only extended to 6:43 EST, not enough time to reset the countdown.

kindredlight2• 13 years ago

The "confirm flight computer is not in start-up" call is part of the vehicle safing process after an abort or hold is called. It is heard immediately after any hold or abort during the terminal count. This does not indicate the cause of the abort.

bri3d4• 13 years ago

True... thank you for the correction. I think the most precise real cause indicated was "abnormal data from stage 1" which doesn't mean much.

fchollet• 13 years ago

Elon Musk just clarified what happened: "Saw pressure fluctuations on Falcon boost stage liquid oxygen tank. Want to be super careful, so pushing launch to Thurs."

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/405134552458620928

verytrivial• 13 years ago

I was watching the stream. Immediately prior to the final hold (more accurately "Hold! Hold, Hold, Hold!") there was a clearly abnormal burst of fuel vented from the midpoint of the vehicle, in two or three bursts. Happened several seconds after they pulled back the support structure. My eyes widened at that point. "Is this normal?!" I thought, and was glad to hear the hold command!

MrZongle22• 13 years ago

Aborted for today. Next launch window in.... 3 days it sounded like?

ramidarigaz2• 13 years ago

Well, I know what I'll be doing right before Thanksgiving dinner :)

lukateake• 13 years ago

They will try again on Thanksgiving (Thursday) at 22:48 UTC.

Falcon 9 GEO Transfer Mission [video]

Related Stories