SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 launch - DSCOVR satellite

[JPP]

Today's launch is a go from a weather standpoint, but the barge landing is scrubbed due to heavy seas and unfavorable conditions at the barge site. They will try a 'soft' ocean landing. And reportedly next launch is a double payload so this precludes trying a barge landing.

 

[hockeythug]

Wow. That separation was amazing to watch from the ground camera. Never have seen the stage 1 thrusters working.

 

[rolosrevenge]

So sad that they couldn't get the barge out in the heavy waves.

 

[austinEV]

Sorry for the dumb question, but when will the stage one soft landing attempt be?

 

[ecarfan]

At +9:48 they said "stage 1 splashdown".

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Nice catch! I missed this when I was watching

 

[austinEV]

wow it is fast. I guess that makes sense.

 

[shivasmith]

Wow tremendous launch today of DSCOVR... very gratifying to be a part of this NASA mission... hopefully SpaceX will have good enough conditions to land the 1st stage next time... ... or maybe have a super droneship .

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Wow tremendous launch today of DSCOVR... very gratifying to be a part of this NASA mission... hopefully SpaceX will have good enough conditions to land the 1st stage next time... ... or maybe have a super droneship .

Did someone say super droneship?? Elon Musk on Twitter:

 

[shivasmith]

Yeah I just saw that on Twitter... awesome... upright and soft landing... would have been great in reasonable weather on the droneship.

Did someone say super droneship?? Elon Musk on Twitter:

 

[efusco]

any video of the splashdown yet?

 

[c041v]

Wow. That separation was amazing to watch from the ground camera. Never have seen the stage 1 thrusters working.

That blew my mind! Even go to see the fairing separation too! Was that the camera Elon mentioned they were trying to get working between the Tues-Wed delay?

 

[hockeythug]

That blew my mind! Even go to see the fairing separation too! Was that the camera Elon mentioned they were trying to get working between the Tues-Wed delay?

I think the camera they fixed just one of the ones on the rocket. The tracking camera on the ground was most likely a NASA camera.

 

[chickensevil]

That blew my mind! Even go to see the fairing separation too! Was that the camera Elon mentioned they were trying to get working between the Tues-Wed delay?

The great visibility was mostly because of the time of day that they launched. The ground is starting to get dark because the sun has fallen below the horizon but way up in the air the rocket is still getting direct sunlight on it. So it brightens up the rocket like the moon reflecting the sun and it allows for a perfect mix of light and shadow to allow you to see everything. That and weather conditions were absolutely perfect without a cloud in the sky (a lot of times the ground cameras have to cut off because the rocket is lost in the clouds.)