SpaceX F9 - 4th Reuse - CRS-13 - SLC-40

[Jeff Hudson]

We know that. But why shiny new stage has dirt in wrong place and sooty old one does not? Advantage of reuse...

Well that is the thing isn't it? Where did the 2nd stage contamination enter the construction cycle? This problem may be bigger than we know.

 

[Grendal]

Digital Globe satellite picture of the new SLC-40 with "sooty" the Falcon 9 horizontal on the pad.

 

[ecarfan]

Very informative photo, thanks for posting. I did not realize that the HIF was so close to the pad!

 

[Grendal]

The weather is 90% favorable for tomorrows launch. So let's hope they've ironed out the issues.

 

[Electroman]

45 minutes to go for the webcast to start..

 

[Grendal]

NASA TV will start before the SpaceX YouTube:
NASA Public-Education

Everyday Astronaut for commenting on the launch:

 

[Tempus]

never get tired of watching those

 

[Nikxice]

Wow! That was the clearest view yet of a first stage booster landing.

 

[Electroman]

I wish they had tracked the booster after separation all the way till landing using the ground cameras. They switched from ground cameras to onboard cameras just after a few seconds after separation.

 

[SMAlset]

So so happy to have logged into my news feed when I did. Missed the firing off the launch pad by seconds but saw it just after launch. Yes that return footage was super clear and gorgeous. Congrats on the success of this part. So early on Sunday for us here for the next phase.

So was that Elon sitting pretty much center front at Hawthorne?

 

[Mike1080i]

I wish they had tracked the booster after separation all the way till landing using the ground cameras. They switched from ground cameras to onboard cameras just after a few seconds after separation.

NASA TV may have been a bit better in that regard... but they still have a shot of the second stage burn after separation for a short time.

 

[Nikxice]

With almost no visible cloud cover I prefer the angle from NASA's ground camera. The footage from the reentry burn to that fiery landing is pretty intense. Also, that delayed triple sonic boom occurring about three seconds prior to touchdown made for a powerful ending.

 

[Electroman]

NASA TV may have been a bit better in that regard... but they still have a shot of the second stage burn after separation for a short time.

Thank you. I liked it.

I was not able to spot the flip maneuver that is done right after MECO.

And another thing, due to different camera angles. the orientation of the booster sometimes appears much slanted, when in fact it is vertical. Very confusing trying to get a mental picture.

And there was a speculation that the booster heads down straight a few miles offshore and then moves towards the landing zone at the last few miles. I don't think that is correct. It was heading straight to landing zone as far as 1 minute before landing.

Although I have seen 20+ landings so far, I still jump up and cheer and clap for every touch down. My wife thinks I am crazy

 

[SMAlset]

I was watching it from a NASA feed, linked to on Gizmodo, so will go back and rewatch from SpaceX as they go into more detail on the mission.

mkjayakumar, I'm with you on finding these exciting to watch still. I had my fingers crossed at the stage 1 landing and the deployment of the Dragon . My dad, who passed away a few years ago, had always watched the TV NASA space launch coverage and I wish he would have been around to see what SpaceX has accomplished. He worked most of his life at a division of GM as a machinist in one of their plants and again wish he could have lived long enough to also tour the Tesla plant with us. Very cool stuff I know he would have loved. I think I got my love of space launches from him.

BTW here's a screen grab from Hawthorne during the launch. Elon in the middle?

 

[Cosmacelf]

That was the best stage separation, first stage flip, first stage boost back burn and second stage relight I have ever seen, all in the same frame. Awesome!

 

[ecarfan]

Although I have seen 20+ landings so far, I still jump up and cheer and clap for every touch down. My wife thinks I am crazy

its okay. We understand. My wife and I cheer and clap together!

 

[anticitizen13.7]

BTW here's a screen grab from Hawthorne during the launch. Elon in the middle?

View attachment 266782

Haha, that’s definitely Elon, and sitting next to him is SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Boring launch.
Boring landing.
Boring berthing and return to come, I hope.

 

[Electroman]

When it gets this boring on the FH launch - SpaceX has won.

When it gets this boring in BFR launches then SpaceX has conquered space and international travel.

 

[GWord]

NASA TV may have been a bit better in that regard... but they still have a shot of the second stage burn after separation for a short time.

The dolphins at :24 are in for a shock. And also, the NASA camera operators are amazing.