SpaceX F9 - SAOCOM-1B - SLC-40

[e-FTW]

Oh goody.. will there be day light at 7:30 in FL on that day?

Am assuming so (sunset at 7:51pm over there tomorrow, so right in Golden Hour), and with the quality of cameras on the ground, we should see plenty.

 

[favo]

Michael Baylor @nextspaceflight · 9:55 AM · Aug 27, 2020

The SAOCOM 1B launch has been delayed due to the NROL-44 scrub, per the launch customer for the SOACOM mission. The new date will be announced soon.

 

[Grendal]

Maybe a double launch day for SpaceX on the 30th with Starlink in the morning and SAOCOM in the evening. We'll see.

 

[e-FTW]

Maybe a double launch day for SpaceX on the 30th with Starlink in the morning and SAOCOM in the evening. We'll see.

Yup! That would be a first. For anyone I assume?

 

[ecarfan]

Maybe a double launch day for SpaceX on the 30th with Starlink in the morning and SAOCOM in the evening. We'll see.

I wonder if SpaceX has sufficient personnel and resources available to do that. And would KSC and the Cape allow it?

 

[miimura]

Maybe a double launch day for SpaceX on the 30th with Starlink in the morning and SAOCOM in the evening. We'll see.

Spaceflight Now currently shows Starlink 11 for 10:12am at LC-39A and SAOCOM 1B at SLC-40 for 7:19pm local time tomorrow, 30 August. It wouldn't be scheduled that way if SpaceX didn't have the personnel or the range didn't already approve it.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Ugh. Looks like both SpaceX missions will get delayed due to the ULA abort this morning. That move to Florida from Vandenburg isn’t looking too smart now.

 

[mongo]

Ugh. Looks like both SpaceX missions will get delayed due to the ULA abort this morning. That move to Florida from Vandenburg isn’t looking too smart now.

Starlink would not have launched from Vandenburg for the current constellation. And having both done ships and fairing catchers on the same coast has many benefits. Plus, I'm guessing V also has schedule conflicts.

 

[favo]

Ugh. Looks like both SpaceX missions will get delayed due to the ULA abort this morning. That move to Florida from Vandenburg isn’t looking too smart now.

Looks like they are both still on.

From SpaceX poised for back-to-back launches Sunday at Cape Canaveral:

The overflight range safety concerns associated with the Delta 4’s NRO payload appeared to suddenly evaporate without explanation Saturday, when military officials agreed to permit the SAOCOM 1B launch to go ahead.

A ULA spokesperson said the Delta 4-Heavy and its national security payload were secured after the aborted launch attempt early Saturday morning. The protective mobile gantry at the Delta 4 launch pad was moved back into position around the rocket, and the spokesperson told Spaceflight Now no further securing measures are needed before the SAOCOM 1B mission.

The Falcon 9 with payload has been raised to vertical at SLC-40. (Credit: SpaceX)

The bad news is:

There’s just a 40 percent chance of acceptable weather predicted for launch of the SAOCOM 1B satellite Sunday evening, due to the “threat of evening thunderstorms and associated cloudiness over the launch area,” according to the 45th Weather Squadron.

P.S. It's my 1000th post.

 

[favo]

Webcast:

 

[Grendal]

Tim Dodd's webcast for the launch:

 

[Cosmacelf]

Nice landing. Worth watching, kinda unique views.

 

[ecarfan]

Awesome landing! And we could see the fairing chutes deploying! In the left side image they are visible at the left of the grid fin.

 

[Grendal]

Awesome visual on the boostback burn.

 

[e-FTW]

How about the sequence that starts at T+7:00 with the clouds parting, then the boosters ramming through some more clouds and the dramatic effects around the grid fins!!! You could really get a sense of the speeds at play here. And you can sort of visualize the effects the grid fins have on the rushing air and the control authority they provide the booster:

Especially at the moment just before the engine lights, you can see a very obvious correction and the field of view turns (might be the final go-for-landing translation):

 

[ecarfan]

you can sort of visualize the effects the grid fins have on the rushing air and the control authority they provide the booster:

Yes I noticed that too. First time I had seen that visual, it was amazing!

 

[ICUDoc]

RTLS is even cooler than landing on the marine barge. There, I said it.

 

[Cosmacelf]

You can also see the rocket exhaust gimbaling all over the place as it comes in for a landing. They have three controls - nitrogen gas thrusters, grid fins and rocket gimble. That's one heck of an autopilot!

 

[Grendal]

This certainly wasn't just a generic SpaceX launch. Lots of interesting new visual moments in this one.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

RTLS is even cooler than landing on the marine barge. There, I said it.

Starship landing will be even cooler. Much more Thunderbirds than landing a flat-topped first stage.

The improved visuals on recent landings have been great.