Updates SpaceX Falcon 9 F5 CRS SpX-2 through CRS SpX-12 Updates

[DaveS]

Well, then they should work in their autopilot and add plane targetting. :lol:
But probably there's not a lot of will to do it, as then it would be hard/impossible to get to the barge.

The barge is temporary. The plan is for full RTLS of stage 1 making land on land. The reason for targeting the barge is that the USAF who controls the Eastern Range and Western Range wants to see repeated successful barge landings before allowing the stage near the coast-line.

 

[Urwumpe]

While that is true, it all comes down to the risk-trade. In this case, the risk is against launching through electrically charged clouds when no-one can reset the computer.

I bet, if you would launch a sounding rocket through an anvil cloud, you would not measure significant more electricity than in normal air during the same season.

And yes, I am disappointed if you look at the weather radar and see how little actually was needed to call for an abort. Its normal Florida weather. If that is too dangerous, you should not launch in Florida.

 

[dman]

Problem was tight as in non existent launch window

Had to be launched at precisely that time (4:33 EDT)

Any delay - either mechanical or weather would result in scrub

When dealing with couple hundred million better play it safe

Since failed launch couple months ago ISS resupply has been behind schedule

Decided not to compound situation by trying to launch under marginal conditions.......

 

[Treetop64]

And yes, I am disappointed if you look at the weather radar and see how little actually was needed to call for an abort. Its normal Florida weather. If that is too dangerous, you should not launch in Florida.

Certainly, that's an extremely easy assumption to make: "Bah, it's just normal Florida weather! That was just a little booger on the radar. They're pussies for not launching!" :lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

Certainly, that's an extremely easy assumption to make: "Bah, it's just normal Florida weather! That was just a little booger on the radar. They're pussies for not launching!" :lol:

Well... instead of getting personal, you could try proving me wrong... If its such an extremely easy assumption, it is sure not too hard for you to do that.

Maybe its good to ask NASA there for a start:

https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19700022642

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I was wondering myself if the 10 mile rule was something arbitrary that a labcoated dude (when asked) just said "Uhh, 10 nautical miles, that sounds good".

I know lightning an travel pretty far from the source. Much farther than 10 miles.

 

[Urwumpe]

I know lightning an travel pretty far from the source. Much farther than 10 miles.

And much worse than the lightning that goes down is the lightning that goes up - which also reaches much higher.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Agreed. I was driving home one night during the rainy/monsoon season in Arizona. Saw some pretty awesome ground to air lightning. Very impressive, and scary enough for me to start lookin gfor a hotel room than continue driving during the storms.

Now when I lived in Jacksonville Florida, I could nearly set my watch by the rainstorms in the spring.I usually got off work in time to drive through the beginning of it. Just to arrive at my apartment as the sky opened.

I remember being stuck out on the flight line during a deluge, the pilots were going to cancel their flight when the chief walks by and says something like "Is this an all weather helicopter or ain't it?" (I could hardly see the thing from the hangar it was raining so bad. Got a manpower free wash job out of the deal though )

Best of luck to the team for another try tomorrow.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Today's weather:

Weather forecast for Titusville, Florida on April 14, 2015 (4 p.m.)

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High around 30C. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 40%.

Time|Temps|Dew Point|Relative Humidity|Precip|Snow|Cloud cover|Pressure|Wind|Weather
4 PM|29°C|22°C|63%|35%|0%|69%|1019 hPa|19 km/h SE|

Chance of a Thunderstorm

Interestingly the predictions from the 45th Space Wing gives only 50% chance of green conditions, down from 60% yesterday!

 

[Treetop64]

Well... instead of getting personal, you could try proving me wrong... If its such an extremely easy assumption, it is sure not too hard for you to do that.

Maybe its good to ask NASA there for a start:

https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19700022642

Lol, it wasn't personal, that's basically how you sounded. If that made you upset then perhaps you should look inward...

Besides, if you make the claim that they backed off for no good reason, you're the one that has to show directly supporting evidence of that, not the other way around. It's a fallacy to make a claim, yet suggest that some else disproves it.

That link is for information published nearly half a century ago. What's your point?

At any rate, certainly everyone involved was acutely aware that the launch still could have gone off without a hitch. That much should be obvious. However, past experience and lessons learned over time, safety buffers, etc. are all collectively analyzed and implemented for a reason. As you eluded to yourself in an earlier post, launching even in the best of conditions is still a risky and potentially dangerous situation. If there is no real need to press on with the added variables of encroaching storm systems, and someone has the responsibility of making that decision (and makes it), then you don't. You reset while you can, wait for more favorable conditions, and try again.

If, as a spectator, that bothers you as much as it apparently does, well...

 

[Urwumpe]

That link is for information published nearly half a century ago. What's your point?

The point is, that in 1970, after the Apollo 12 incident, NASA already established that at almost every second day during spring and summer, there is a thunderstorm over KSC.

It is no rare incident at all, especially if you look at the really stormy days in 1970.

Today, the rates have even slightly increased due to climate change.

 

[ISProgram]

And yes, I am disappointed if you look at the weather radar and see how little actually was needed to call for an abort. Its normal Florida weather. If that is too dangerous, you should not launch in Florida.

In response to this earlier quote, I have to ask, why would you not launch from Florida? The benefits far outweigh the "risk", evidently.

More so because it's the only real East Coast spaceport...

 

[Urwumpe]

In response to this earlier quote, I have to ask, why would you not launch from Florida? The benefits far outweigh the "risk", evidently.

Simply because the benefits as southern most location of the USA (which had been a factor before lightning became considered too dangerous) are neutralized by an overly timid safety thinking at NASA - if the weather is so often a concern, I would get a raincoat.

 

[Frilock]

Simply because the benefits as southern most location of the USA (which had been a factor before lightning became considered too dangerous) are neutralized by an overly timid safety thinking at NASA - if the weather is so often a concern, I would get a raincoat.

Out of curiosity, where would you launch from if you were SpaceX?

 

[DaveS]

Simply because the benefits as southern most location of the USA (which had been a factor before lightning became considered too dangerous) are neutralized by an overly timid safety thinking at NASA - if the weather is so often a concern, I would get a raincoat.

Not NASA, USAF. USAF controls the ER/WR so they have the final say on weather LCCs.

Here's a much more recent document on the history of lightning LCCs: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110000675.pdf

 

[Hlynkacg]

Out of curiosity, where would you launch from if you were SpaceX?

If we are restricting ourselves to US territory, Florida is one of the better options. Otherwise i'd be looking at the gulf-cost of Texas or one of the island territories like Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.

---------- Post added at 11:51 ---------- Previous post was at 10:43 ----------

SpaceX webcast is starting.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast/

---------- Post added at 12:07 ---------- Previous post was at 11:51 ----------

T-5:00

Gantry retracted.

---------- Post added at 12:11 ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 ----------

T-1:00 no hold.

 

[llarian]

up, up and away ...

 

[Hlynkacg]

Liftoff!

---------- Post added at 12:15 ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 ----------

Stage Sep!

you can see the attitude jets and fins on the first stage deplying in the 2nd stage's "rear view camera".

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Can't see it but you can hear the stage one console reports, Stage one landing burn started.

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Dragon released.

---------- Post added at 12:25 ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 ----------

Solar Arrays deployed, looks like the job's good one.

Congrats SpaceX.

Still waiting for word on Stage 1.

 

[Delta glider]

Why didn't SpaceX put a camera on the 1st stage?:hmm:

---------- Post added at 08:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------

Anyway, well done SpaceX.:thumbup:

 

[fsci123]

They may have sunk the barge this time.