Launch News SpaceX Falcon Heavy Demo Mission (1330-1630 EST 6th Feb. 2018)

Andy44

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Well, it probably is useful to have a facility fairly close to the pad depending on how the system engineering is done.

Besides protection from potential blast, I think the VAB was placed so far away to protect it against acoustic damage from the very loud Saturn V. The shuttle was also pretty loud, if not louder than the Saturn, which makes me wonder about Vandenberg's STS pad setup with the roll-away structures. Sadly we never got to see it in action.
 

Artlav

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I'm damned if I know why SpaceX put their hangar right on the crawler way next to the pad.
That does not look that much like a hangar as it looks like a mid-way shed to put the rocket away from the weather into while it's already rolled out but is not yet ready to go vertical.
As such, it would be a simple structure that can be rebuilt in a day.
 

DaveS

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That does not look that much like a hangar as it looks like a mid-way shed to put the rocket away from the weather into while it's already rolled out but is not yet ready to go vertical.
As such, it would be a simple structure that can be rebuilt in a day.
It is a hangar, more specifically, the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) for the F9 at LC-39A. SLC-40 and SLC-4W each has a HIF where the stages and payload are integrated as one. Rollout to the actual pad is of the entire LV, on the Transporter, Erector and Launcher (TEL).

It took a while to construct the HIFs, so they're not "sheds" that can be rebuilt in day or so. Also, the SLC-40 HIF survived the AMOS-6 on-pad catastrophic failure back in September 2016 and it is much closer to the pad than the LC-39A HIF is. The LC-39A HIF is located some 460 m away while the SLC-40 HIF is 185 m away.
 

Kyle

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Have these dates been pushed back?

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

Yes, static fire probably sometime this week after ZUMA, FH last week of January (NET -- February more likely).
 

Thunder Chicken

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[ame="https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/953603713188466688"]Chris G - NSF on Twitter: "#FalconHeavy update: it looks like Friday’s test window has been adjusted by 30 minutes. The window is now 15:30–21:30 EST (20:30-02:30 UTC)… https://t.co/9fzwGrjwgE"[/ame]

#FalconHeavy update: it looks like Friday’s test window has been adjusted by 30 minutes. The window is now 15:30–21:30 EST (20:30-02:30 UTC). This is, of course, 100% reliant on the Atlas V launching tomorrow evening. #SpaceX
 

Thunder Chicken

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Now NET Monday January 22. Yep, it's Elon Time!

---------- Post added at 10:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------

Now I'm hearing no go for the static fire because they can't get range support due to the government shutdown. :facepalm:

http://aviationweek.com/space/government-shutdown-cancels-falcon-heavy-hotfire

And I've got a feeling that this is going to be a long shutdown. :(
 

Andy44

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This is why when you are a wealthy James Bond villain you build your own launch facilities and hire your own henchmen...er...work force.
 

Artlav

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The article is paywalled, what sort of personnel is missing?
Also, why can't SpaceX pay their wages directly for that time if the government is not allowed to?
 

Urwumpe

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The article is paywalled, what sort of personnel is missing?
Also, why can't SpaceX pay their wages directly for that time if the government is not allowed to?

Government officials working on government resources - you can't simply employ them...

Also we are talking about the US military in that case, seriously: If you can be rich enough to buy a US Airforce unit, I would feel deeply concerned. :lol:
 

jedidia

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And suddenly you realise that you can't comment in a launch thread without going into basement territory. Bloody hell! :facepalm:
 

Thunder Chicken

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The article is paywalled, what sort of personnel is missing?
Also, why can't SpaceX pay their wages directly for that time if the government is not allowed to?

The problem isn't SpaceX; it is all of the NASA and Air Force personnel needed for pad and range operations.

---------- Post added at 09:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:56 AM ----------

This is why when you are a wealthy James Bond villain you build your own launch facilities and hire your own henchmen...er...work force.

Good henchmen are hard to find.
 

dman

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This is why when you are a wealthy James Bond villain you build your own launch facilities and hire your own henchmen...er...work force.

Musk needs to work on his maniacal evil super villain laugh .....
 

RisingFury

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[ame="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/956233892637286400"]Elon Musk on Twitter: "Falcon Heavy hold-down firing this morning was good. Generated quite a thunderhead of steam. Launching in a week or so.… https://t.co/2e6EEIKZw4"[/ame]
 

dman

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reminds me of this quote from Shakespeare

This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
 
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