Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 Return to Flight - Iridium NEXT Mission 1 (January 14, 2017)

[Thunder Chicken]

Is this launch going to happen before or after the Echostar launch scheduled for the 15th?

 

[Kyle]

Before. This is currently expected to be the RTF mission. Hopefully it should happen next weekend, but a lot has to go right.

 

[Kyle]

Looks like this is actually happening this weekend! SpaceX has concluded its accident investigation regarding AMOS-6 and has scheduled a launch on January 8th, 2017 at 18:28:07 UTC. Stage will land on "Just Read the Instructions".

 

[Kyle]

Today was supposed to be the static test firing, however SpaceX has delayed the firing until tomorrow due to an issue with the pad. Launch date remains unaffected.

---------- Post added 01-04-17 at 10:25 PM ---------- Previous post was 01-03-17 at 10:43 PM ----------

Sounding like the launch is slipping to the 9th... expected poor weather may have something to do with that decision.

---------- Post added 01-05-17 at 08:48 PM ---------- Previous post was 01-04-17 at 10:25 PM ----------

Static firing on for today!!

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 PM ----------

Static test firing complete!!!!!

‏@elonmusk
Hold-down firing of @SpaceX Falcon 9 at Vandenberg Air Force completed. All systems are go for launch next week.

 

[Kyle]

Delayed until the 14-15th of January. Sounds like it could be a result of the historic storm hitting California right now.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Don't listen to the media about the storm. It's a typical Pineapple Express, with a little El Niño thrown in on top. They've seen worse. Ask a local about January of '86... Now THAT was a storm to remember.

 

[Urwumpe]

To misquote a northern German saying: Storm is when the sheep have no curls. :lol:

 

[C3PO]

To misquote a northern German saying: Storm is when the sheep have no curls. :lol:

Do you mean like this:

Or like this?:

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, more the latter. :lol:

 

[dman]

Don't listen to the media about the storm. It's a typical Pineapple Express, with a little El Niño thrown in on top. They've seen worse. Ask a local about January of '86... Now THAT was a storm to remember.

According to weather its actually warmer in PT Barrow Alaska above the Arctic Circle than it is in New York City .......

Later this week will get into mid 50's ( thats 11-13 C for the Euro Weenies)

 

[Kyle]

Payload mated to F9.

---------- Post added at 02:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:43 AM ----------

Good CBS video showing F9 rollout to the pad ahead of tomorrow morning's (PST time) launch. Exact launch time is 17:54:34 UTC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoJi9Ht3UT0&feature=youtu.be&t=93

 

[Urwumpe]

With it some bad news - the two big failures have hit SpaceX harder than thought:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/exclusi...-nascent-internet-service-1484316455?mod=e2tw

 

[Kyle]

With it some bad news - the two big failures have hit SpaceX harder than thought:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/exclusi...-nascent-internet-service-1484316455?mod=e2tw

Expected, but not good. It's not the failures that is just the problem, it's the 5-6 month gaps without launches backing up the manifest. In 2017 SpaceX absolutely must prove they can complete a year without a failure. Everything else is totally secondary.

Meanwhile, F9 is vertical!

 

[K_Jameson]

A thought comes in my mind. Only a thought... not to be taken too seriously.

Falcon 9, in terms of perfomances, thrust and even technological enhancement in respect to other contemporary rockets, is about comparable to the Saturn 1 family.

Saturn 1 and 1B were launched a total of 19 times, without loss of crews or payloads...

 

[Andy44]

A thought comes in my mind. Only a thought... not to be taken too seriously.

Falcon 9, in terms of perfomances, thrust and even technological enhancement in respect to other contemporary rockets, is about comparable to the Saturn 1 family.

Saturn 1 and 1B were launched a total of 19 times, without loss of crews or payloads...

Saturn rockets got lucky they were canceled before they had a bad accident. Almost any launch vehicle that stays in service long enough is going to hit the lottery sooner or later.

A system like Falcon 9, or even Atlas V or Delta IV is probably safer due to having lots of launches to work out problems before any manned flights.

Better to blow them up before you put people on top. (*cough* space shuttle *cough*)

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Webcast Available Now! Press Kit Out!

Mission Press Kit:http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/spacex_iridium1_press_kit.pdf

Webcast available now:

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will deliver 10 satellites to low-Earth orbit for Iridium, a global leader in mobile voice and data satellite communications. The 10 satellites are the first of at least 70 satellites that SpaceX will be launching for Iridium’s next generation global satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT.

SpaceX is targeting launch of Iridium-1 from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The instantaneous launch window opens on January 14 at 9:54:39 am PST or 5:54:39 pm UTC. The satellites will begin deployment about an hour after launch.

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

(Since the launch time is 1.54 a.m. January 15 here in Penang, I won't get to see this launch live. Anyway, Godspeed and Good luck SpaceX! :thumbup

 

[K_Jameson]

Almost any launch vehicle that stays in service long enough is going to hit the lottery sooner or later.

I think Musk was really lucky with the lottery! :lol:

:rofl:

 

[Kyle]

L-2 hrs!

---------- Post added at 04:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------

William Harwood
‏@cbs_spacenews
F9/Iridium: The team just got a "go" to begin loading RP-1 kerosene rocket fuel; liquid oxygen loading starts at 12:09pm

Shot of F9 on the pad via Reddit -- no fog this time, unlike with Jason-3.

---------- Post added at 04:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:42 PM ----------

L-1 hr to RTF!

---------- Post added at 05:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------

L-30 minutes

 

[mike-c]

Iridium-1 tchnical webcast

​

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Bullseye! Flawless landing!