Another 24 delay.
Block 4 SpaceX Falcon 9 FT
Launch Date: January 6th (7th for some parts of the world)
Launch Time: 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST on 6th (0100-0300 GMT on 7th/5:00-7:00 pm PST on the 6th)
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Booster Recovery: RTLS to LZ-1 main pad
UPDATE: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket With Zuma Payload Set To Launch No Earlier Than Saturday, Jan. 6 |
The article clarifies that is has bumped to the 6th. Will likely cause a delay to the FH static fire.
Block 4 SpaceX Falcon 9 FT
Launch Date: January 6th (7th for some parts of the world)
Launch Time: 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST on 6th (0100-0300 GMT on 7th/5:00-7:00 pm PST on the 6th)
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Booster Recovery: RTLS to LZ-1 main pad
UPDATE: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket With Zuma Payload Set To Launch No Earlier Than Saturday, Jan. 6 |
The article clarifies that is has bumped to the 6th. Will likely cause a delay to the FH static fire.
ecarfan
Well-Known Member
This mission has been rather unusual, switching launch pads after doing a static fire and having multiple postponements over a period of several months for a variety of reasons. Looking forward to finally seeing it light up and leave the pad!
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Nikxice
Active Member
Zuma is now bumped to Sunday. The launch window begins at 8pm ET to 10pm ET on Sunday January 7 (1am to 3am GMT on January 8). SpaceX is citing extreme weather for slowing the launch preparations. Just checked the current temperature at the Cape for 11 am on Friday, a chilly 43 degrees F. Forecast is for low fifties Saturday, sixties by Sunday. No word yet on the FH static fire, but as Grendal has already stated, it's also likely pushed back.
ecarfan
Well-Known Member
ilovemycoffee
MS 85D HW1 Late 2015
Whenever I hear extreme cold and rocket launches, my mind goes back to January 28, 1986 when the Challenger disaster happened. What a sad day for space flight
I hope this launch goes well.
pilotSteve
Active Member
Great comment. Although the physical cause of the explosion was rubber O-rings that failed to seal the hot gasses because they became stiff at freezing temperatures, the REAL cause was "normalization of deviation". I hope (and personally believe) that SpaceX does not have that culture and it will go well.Whenever I hear extreme cold and rocket launches, my mind goes back to January 28, 1986 when the Challenger disaster happened. What a sad day for space flight
Perfect Launch and landing, Great start to 2018.
100% success on everything we were allowed to see. Probably the worst visuals of any webcast especially after the spectacular effects of the previous Iridium launch.
Next up, Falcon Heavy!
Next up, Falcon Heavy!
Reminds me how I take things for granted. I just walked out my back driveway and watched it.
One thing learnt in this mission (there is always something to learn in every launch & landing) is the boostback burn arrests the horizontal component of the velocity and reverses direction and reaches a speed of 1485 km/hr towards the cape.
You will notice at t + 04:15 it reaches an apogee on 125km and starts to fall back, and all along since MECO rocket has been gradually losing the vertical component of the speed and at that time when the altitude starts dropping from 125 to 124 km, you are left with only horizontal component - 1485 km/hr.
And all of this horizontal velocity is lost sometime soon after reentry purely by air friction with no assistance from the engine burns.
You will notice at t + 04:15 it reaches an apogee on 125km and starts to fall back, and all along since MECO rocket has been gradually losing the vertical component of the speed and at that time when the altitude starts dropping from 125 to 124 km, you are left with only horizontal component - 1485 km/hr.
And all of this horizontal velocity is lost sometime soon after reentry purely by air friction with no assistance from the engine burns.
Also interesting is the fact that MECO happens between 60km and 70km in altitude. So the booster still gains 55km after separation. Roughly double the altitude of the initial boost phase.
ecarfan
Well-Known Member
Yep, it was fun to watch the first stage speed/altitude data today.
I was hoping for a ground view of the landing but we didn’t get it. The landing view from the stage appeared to show that it hit the LZ pretty much spot on!
BRING ON THE HEAVY...
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
Nice landing. It was great seeing the landing burn light up LZ1... X marks the spot for a perfect landing!
The landing footage was pretty cool as you could see it reaching it's target pretty much dead on. Wish they had floodlights on it like they had at the launch though. Nice job.
BTW didn't hear it during the SpaceX coverage video but curious how cold it was tonight down there? I know the East coast has been getting hit with cold weather but having been keep track.
BTW didn't hear it during the SpaceX coverage video but curious how cold it was tonight down there? I know the East coast has been getting hit with cold weather but having been keep track.
Was this the slowest, gentlest landing yet? The booster seemed to hover and oh-so-gently touch down on the pad- looks so easy!
