SpaceX Falcon 9 FT launch - Iridium Next 1-10 - SLC-4E

[Mike1080i]

The recovered first stage from yesterdays launch will go to SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. I suspect the ASDS carrying it will dock today in Los Angeles or Long Beach, if it hasn't already.

It might be a little longer before JRTI is back in port (Monday evening?), but does look like they are finally headed that way.
These should be the links for tracking the tug and support ship.
Pacific Warrior
NRC Quest

 

[NikeWings]

It might be a little longer before JRTI is back in port (Monday evening?), but does look like they are finally headed that way.
These should be the links for tracking the tug and support ship.
Pacific Warrior
NRC Quest

NRC seems to be updating a port arrival ETA of tomorrow but Pacific Warrior is stealth. ETA is last October.

 

[NeverFollow]

Recovered first stages from launches in Florida are transported by truck back to Hawthorne, as far as I know.

I expect that at some point in a few years SpaceX will start reprocessing recovered first stages in Florida to reduce costs and speed turnaround time.

I wonder how many can be stored in Hawthorne? I think that the hangar in Florida was almost full.

SpaceX puts historic flown rocket on permanent display

 

[e-FTW]

I wonder how many can be stored in Hawthorne? I think that the hangar in Florida was almost full.

SpaceX puts historic flown rocket on permanent display

I saw four in there last week through an open hangar door. Pretty sure there are a few more...

 

[NeverFollow]

NOTE: The photo you posted is not of yesterdays landing.
I assume you realize that, but do not want others to be mislead.
Yesterday's landing was essentially a perfect bullseye, right on target.

 

[Electroman]

Is JRTI smaller than OCISLY?

It looks that way from pictures.

 

[Grendal]

Is JRTI smaller than OCISLY?

It looks that way from pictures.

No. The new JRTI (170 ft × 300 ft) is the same size as OCISLY. They are made from Marmac 303 and Marmac 304. The first JRTI was smaller and was made from Marmac 300.

Autonomous spaceport drone ship - Wikipedia

 

[emchen]

(Taken with iPhone 6+ by a total n00b cameraman)

Since launch pad isn't visible we have no indication launch occurs until F9 clears the hills, roar from the engines takes a few seconds to arrive then builds up to a nice roar.

Thank you for that great video, and more so for the navigation instructions to the viewing site.

I was wondering, after looking around Google Maps, whether anyone has tried viewing at Surf Beach? If so, how was it compared to Ocean and Renwick?

Still sends shivers up my spine every time I watch one of these land successfully.

 

[HVM]

Anybody near El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula, fancy to visit this point:

https://www.google.fi/maps/@33.7212014,-118.2752002,3a,44.8y,17.84h,82.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm_kQQOx5zOVIQpDzTcgrZg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

at Tuesday? With camera...

 

[Lump]

Thank you for that great video, and more so for the navigation instructions to the viewing site.

I was wondering, after looking around Google Maps, whether anyone has tried viewing at Surf Beach? If so, how was it compared to Ocean and Renwick?

Still sends shivers up my spine every time I watch one of these land successfully.

Police block the road at 13th St / Arguello Blvd so can't get to the beach unfortunately.

 

[NikeWings]

It might be a little longer before JRTI is back in port (Monday evening?), but does look like they are finally headed that way.
These should be the links for tracking the tug and support ship.
Pacific Warrior
NRC Quest

As of last night, both appeared to be located off the coast of Mexico....Ensenada area. I thought it was a problem with my iPad running the app. This morning, NRC has updated its ETA to 6 am tomorrow and is arriving from the south based on current coordinates. No update from Pacific Warrior. Why would they have traveled so far south, to return north to port? Is this the marine version of ATC? Or am I tracking the wrong vessels? Just learning.

 

[mach.89]

I plugged in the latest coordinates from the Tug'a reported location into my Foreflight around noon PST, got a straight line distance to Long Beach of approximately 81NM, and it's reportedly traveling at around 6Knots. Simple math tells me it should arrive at port roughly around 1:30AM PST. Bummer, was hoping to drive down to watch it come into port but that's pretty late, and not as much fun in the dark too.

 

[NikeWings]

Looks like I need a different app. I was thinking I'd like to see it to port as well.
Thanks for the update.

 

[Mike1080i]

As of last night, both appeared to be located off the coast of Mexico....Ensenada area. I thought it was a problem with my iPad running the app. This morning, NRC has updated its ETA to 6 am tomorrow and is arriving from the south based on current coordinates. No update from Pacific Warrior. Why would they have traveled so far south, to return north to port? Is this the marine version of ATC? Or am I tracking the wrong vessels? Just learning.

Those should be the correct vessels.
I have no idea why they headed to the Southeast, perhaps it was to avoid getting into higher traffic areas while they were still securing the F9 to the ASDS. I believe they weld 'shoes' over the legs to the deck. Plus it also still has some RP-1, LOX, helium and nitrogen in the tanks that would need to be dealt with. The extra time probably also gives crews to time to get everything ready dock side to unload it.

 

[Grendal]

Are there other videos of the landing other than the one that was shown live from the booster looking down?

Specifically one from a chase plane or from the drone ship ?

Thanks

No. But a SpaceX enthusiast managed to get the launch from the air:

 

[Electroman]

Thanks for that video. I was wondering why couldn't SpaceX position a small boat a quarter mile off the drone ship and capture the landing on a video ?

 

[e-FTW]

Thanks for that video. I was wondering why couldn't SpaceX position a small boat a quarter mile off the drone ship and capture the landing on a video ?

I'd also like it if they were able to angle a camera up towards the incoming stage. And maybe fly a drone in the area.

 

[Grendal]

Thanks for that video. I was wondering why couldn't SpaceX position a small boat a quarter mile off the drone ship and capture the landing on a video ?

Another launch video from the air:

And to answer your question, lots of safety reasons to avoid a plane in the region of the landing zone. The FAA would probably not allow it but might allow an exception for NASA in the one instance we have seen. The same is probably true for the chase ships. You have a lot of turbulence happening around the booster ripping through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. I expect that it will happen again sometime in the future though. I expect we will continue to get the best video on RTL, which comes up soon after the EchoStar launch, with CRS-10. I don't see SpaceX avoiding an RTL on CRS missions just to allow us to have some fun chase plane footage of an ASDS landing.

Here is the best video I found of the bystanders which manages to get a lot of the post separation happenings:

 

[HVM]

Stratohornet's pic from reddit:

the crane is ready.

 

[HVM]

"I believe they weld 'shoes' over the legs to the deck." Eh, Elon quotes live long. I've only seen jack stands and chains:

robbak :
"They have done every time they returned to port on the east coast. Things they have to do is shorten the tow cable - towing in the open sea, they keep a hundred meters or more of wire between a tug and barge. They may also get some engineers on deck to check over the fixings. They do have to arrange a second tug to act as a pusher to keep control of the droneship and assist them to dock. The rocket is also considered hazardous cargo, so there may be restrictions on when it can enter."