SpaceX

[dpeilow]

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ready for first launch

40 minutes...

 

[Tdave]

Is there live coverage somewhere?

 

[T@oo]

Webcast

 

[doug]

T-2 minutes!

 

[T@oo]

Shutdown condition and safe mode at T -0.01

Wow. I'm biting my fingernails off..

 

[doug]

Countdown reset and resumed.

T-6 minutes.

 

[TEG]

Success! Impressive! Congratulations to SpaceX.

 

[T@oo]

What a great flight. Congrats to SpaceX!

 

[Iz]

Much congratulations.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100604/ap_on_hi_te/us_test_rocket

NASA hopes to use the Falcon-Dragon combo for hauling cargo and possibly astronauts to the International Space Station, once the shuttles stop flying. The first supply run could come next year.

 

[dpeilow]

Missed the live launch, but just saw a replay. Awesome sight.

Serious congratulations.

 

[dpeilow]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhoX5XcqnfA[/media]

Orbital info:

Nominal shutdown and orbit was almost exactly 250km. Telemetry showed essentially a bullseye: ~0.2% on perigee and ~1% on apogee.

Seems like the only fly in the ointment is that the first stage hit the water hard and broke up. Not sure if it was meant to be recovered this time.

 

[doug]

Seems like the only fly in the ointment...

I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords...



.

 

[Palpatine]

Elon should be able to get plenty of investors for a SpaceX IPO if he needs them.

 

[T@oo]

Two things that caught my eye.

1) At T+1:04/1:05 the exhaust plume expands greatly for two seconds. Cause? Nominal?

2) At about T+6:30 the second stage starts to roll an an increasing rate. Not sure if that is intended to stabilize the trajectory.

Do we have pros on board that can comment on this?

 

[Doug_G]

Two things that caught my eye.

1) At T+1:04/1:05 the exhaust plume expands greatly for two seconds. Cause? Nominal?

I saw that. The rocket went through a thin cloud layer.

2) At about T+6:30 the second stage starts to roll an an increasing rate. Not sure if that is intended to stabilize the trajectory.

Elon Musk was quoted as saying this was an anomaly. See http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/001/100604launch/index.html

 

[dpeilow]

It's not a cloud layer, it's a shockwave formed as the rocket passes through max Q.

There's a great image of it on the Saturn V.

 

[Doug_G]

I stand corrected.

 

[doug]

SpaceX Illustrates Privatization Risk - WSJ.com

 

[dpeilow]

Iridium Selects SpaceX To Launch Next-Generation Satellites

Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM) has selected Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to launch its next-generation satellites into space during the middle of the decade as the world's largest satellite communication provider updates its current constellation.

Under the contract, which is valued at $492 million, SpaceX will provide launch services to send Iridium new-generation satellites into a low-earth orbit

 

[doug]

Falcon rocket meets fiery end after three weeks in orbit - SpaceflightNow.com via spacenews.com

With a mass of around 15,000 pounds, the rocket stage and stripped-down Dragon capsule succumbed to small forces of atmospheric drag in the weeks after launch. The drag naturally lowered the craft’s orbit until Earth’s atmosphere eventually captured the empty rocket for re-entry.