SpaceX F9 - 6th Reuse - SES 16/GovSat - SLC-40

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Maybe I am misunderstanding your post, but if the core will not be recovered, why would SpaceX leave the legs and grid fins on? Because they are a Block 3 design, already used once, and not worth keeping?

Data points?
Helps with safety of the controlled marine disposal?
Leaves open recovery in case of scrubs?

Or maybe it's just because they have a bunch of old fins and legs and want to avoid paying the regular disposal fees. The ultimate in fly-tipping.

 

[mongo]

Maybe I am misunderstanding your post, but if the core will not be recovered, why would SpaceX leave the legs and grid fins on? Because they are a Block 3 design, already used once, and not worth keeping?

I think they run the normal re-entry protocol, just doesn't have a ship to land on. May burn off all fuel at the end also. Can use for dynamics/ limit testing also. Lots of data can be gathered when you aren't impacted by final result.

 

[Grendal]

Everyday Astronauts Livestream of the launch if you prefer a play by play of the event.

 

[Grendal]

Maybe I am misunderstanding your post, but if the core will not be recovered, why would SpaceX leave the legs and grid fins on? Because they are a Block 3 design, already used once, and not worth keeping?

The speculation from Chris G was that it would take too much work to remove them. They were there. They changed their mind as the FH launch developed and simply prioritized the FH over the F9 recovery. It was too late to pull those pieces off the rocket. So they remain there even though there will be no recovery that anyone seems to be aware of. I'm sure being Block 3 made the decision easier.

 

[ecarfan]

I think they run the normal re-entry protocol, just doesn't have a ship to land on. May burn off all fuel at the end also. Can use for dynamics/ limit testing also. Lots of data can be gathered when you aren't impacted by final result.

Thanks, I think you are right, I’ve found some other informed commentary online to that effect.

I wonder if SpaceX will show the camera feed from the 1st stage all the way back to the water “landing”. That would be cool!

 

[CUBldr97]

flight scrubbed for today, try again tomorrow

SpaceX teams scrubbed a Tuesday Falcon 9 launch attempt at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 40. The next attempt will be Wednesday around 4:30 p.m.

 

[CUBldr97]

SCRUB. SpaceX has scrubbed today's launch attempt and plans to try again Wednesday, same launch window. The launch team said the Falcon 9 would be lowered into horizontal position so a transducer could be replaced.

 

[ecarfan]

SpaceXNow app just reported that launch will not be today because of the need to replace a “second stage sensor”. Will try to launch tomorrow.

 

[Grendal]

Here is the webcast again:

 

[Grendal]

Everyday Astronaut's Livestream

Note that the last livestream was co-opted and transformed into the supermoon livestream that was commented on in this thread.

 

[Electroman]

It will be great if they show a GoPro view of the 1st stage gentle touch down and sink into the sea

 

[Grendal]

So far, everything has gone nominally. You could hear in the background that SpaceX had the booster do all the burns needed for a recovery. However, there was no ASDS to land on. So the booster completed a successful water landing. Which means the booster is destroyed when it topples over and waves break the booster apart.

100% success. Payload deployed as expected. If something goes wrong at this point it is on SES and GovSat1.

Next up is the Falcon Heavy launch on the 6th. The weather is looking good for that launch as well.

 

[Electroman]

Another successful mission !! Go SpaceX.

Everyday Astronaut is giving a lot of speculative reasons for why the booster is not recovered, but he forgot to mention the one reason that makes the most sense. ASDS is parked for FH center core recovery which is more important than a Block 3 recovery.

 

[Grendal]

Holy crap! The booster survived the water landing:

Elon Musk on Twitter

This rocket was meant to test very high retrothrust landing in water so it didn’t hurt the droneship, but amazingly it has survived. We will try to tow it back to shore.

 

[ICUDoc]

Looks so wacky- like it missed the boat....
Wonder if it will sink or be towable??

 

[Mike1080i]

Looks so wacky- like it missed the boat....
Wonder if it will sink or be towable??

He says they "will try to tow it back to shore".

 

[rabar10]

Aside: a handful of posts were moved to Full moon lunar eclipse at perigee

Back on topic: Wow! Based on past results I didn’t think it possible for the rocket to survive the topple over, even into water. I hope they are able to recover it.

 

[mongo]

Holy crap! The booster survived the water landing:

Elon Musk on Twitter

Jet boat?

 

[Grendal]

Jet boat?

Rocket boat.

 

[mongo]

Rocket boat.

Nice
If a person can fly an F-16 with one wing. Falcon can fly home too. Or are the engines flooded?