did the rocket leave the pad before the clock read "0"?
From what I've heard so far, no it was not planned, but didn't majorly affect the flight. It's a radiatively cooled nozzle, so they can't blame the regen stuff this time Though the chamber is regeneratively cooled however...Was the "spinning" of the second stage toward the end intentional? It seemed to be getting faster as the video went on...
Possible source of a "UFO" seen in Melbourne this morning? (Dad saw it)
Unbelievable, a near-perfect launch on the first try!
Possible source of a "UFO" seen in Melbourne this morning? (Dad saw it)
NASA Watch said:SpaceX update: Preliminary indications from NASA's recovery ship Freedom Star is that a debris field has been encountered in the area where the first stage was expected to be. Observation aircraft confirmed the debris field. No parachutes were observed during descent. Apparently the Falcon 9 first stage hit the water rather hard. Initial impact location is 32 deg 07'N, 069 deg 15'W.
Unbelievable, a near-perfect launch on the first try!
:rofl:http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/05/2919095.htm said:But Doug Moffett from UFO Research NSW says he has a few problems with this theory.
"Firstly, the time of the launch was 18.45 GMT, which translates to 4.45am EST, the duration of the flight was 9 minutes 38 seconds - this is a full hour before the reported sightings," he said.
"Secondly, where was the glow from the boosters or from the friction created by the craft moving through the atmosphere, where was the tail of the rocket?
"Thirdly, why would anyone launch a rocket on a maiden test flight with a trajectory that would take it over the most heavily populated parts of Australia?
"And how big must this rocket have been to be seen so clearly, at the same time, over such a vast distance?"
Well, assuming hes right about the timing of the sightings, it would discount the ability of the Falcon 9 to be responsible, but the rest of the info he gives is rather wild...
Media types: This launch is news of HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE...and most of you missed it. Who will launch astronauts from Florida for the US once the Space Shuttle is retired, hmm?
Who will launch astronauts from Florida for the US once the Space Shuttle is retired, hmm?
- Atlas V 401 rocket + (Unnamed capsule) (Boeing / ULA / Bigelow Aerospace)
Technical Status: Atlas V is operational with multiple unmanned flights, but still needs to be man-rated (whatever that means). Early design stages of the capsule.
Funding Status: Good. Recently was awarded $18 million from NASA to develop the concept.
Domain: LEO.
- Atlas V 402 rocket + Dream Chaser spacecraft (ULA / Sierra Nevada Corporation)
Technical Status: Some design heritage and NASA wind tunnel tests based on the HL-20 lifting body. Atlas V 431 is operational, but must still be man-rated.
Funding Status: Good, for the time being. Was recently awarded $20 million by NASA to pursue the concept. Unclear if they have outside resources other than NASA.
CNN and Fox news had very good coverage of the launch on both the abort, and the actual flight. I was actually fairly impressed with both of them.