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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #400 on: November 19, 2019, 04:14:10 PM »
It’s alive!  ;)  And it’s been washed.  But not fed.

SpaceX’s Starship comes to life for the first time in lead-up to launch debut
November 19, 2019
For the first time ever, SpaceX has pressurized Starship Mk1’s building-sized propellant tanks, a critical test that culminated in the rocket prototype essentially taking its first ‘breaths’.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-comes-to-life-launch-debut-lead-up/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #401 on: November 19, 2019, 04:30:40 PM »
Quote
Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) 11/19/19, 2:19 AM
久しぶりにイーロン @elonmusk とご飯。 @SpaceX の月行きロケットStarshipの開発が想定以上に順調とのこと。さあそろそろ同乗者を誘わないと。
https://twitter.com/yousuck2020/status/1196689387041378304
“Elon and dinner after a long @elonmusk time. It is said that @SpaceX the development of the lunar rocket Starship is better than expected. Now it's time to invite a passenger.”

Yusaku Maezawa is paying for multiple seats on a Starship flight around the moon, so that accomplished artists can accompany him, and their creations can inspire all of us to greater love and respect here on earth.

Edit: 
Quote
Of note, in his tweet showing off the thruster pod, Maezawa suggested that “Starship development is going better than expected”, indicating that he may “need to invite a passenger soon” for his planned circumlunar voyage around the Moon. Prior to Starship’s radical shift from carbon fiber to steel, that mission was scheduled no earlier than 2023. In recent months, SpaceX executives have made it clear that they are now targeting Starship Moon landings by 2022, suggesting that the first circumlunar missions – a far easier task than landing – could be possible even sooner than that.
more here: https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-gifts-spacex-investor-starhopper-hardware/
« Last Edit: November 20, 2019, 12:23:37 AM by Sigmetnow »
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BeeKnees

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #402 on: November 20, 2019, 06:54:25 AM »
Astronomers are unhappy about the new satellites

The trail of the newly launched satellites interfered with astronomical observations at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in northern Chile on 18 November. Astronomers were using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), which can take images of large areas of the night sky in visible and near-infrared wavelengths of light.

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2223962-spacexs-starlink-satellites-are-interfering-with-astronomy-again/#ixzz65nJhBbdO
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #403 on: November 20, 2019, 03:22:55 PM »
Astronomers are unhappy about the new satellites

The trail of the newly launched satellites interfered with astronomical observations at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in northern Chile on 18 November. Astronomers were using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), which can take images of large areas of the night sky in visible and near-infrared wavelengths of light.

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2223962-spacexs-starlink-satellites-are-interfering-with-astronomy-again/#ixzz65nJhBbdO

Welcome to astronomy in the 21st century!  If it weren’t SpaceX, it would be (and will be) some other satellite constellation, perhaps by a company that can’t or won’t redesign its satellites and orbits as fast.  The locations of satellites are tracked and published; algorithms that deal with them will become a part of in-depth sky-watching.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #404 on: November 20, 2019, 03:27:15 PM »
SpaceX skips Falcon 9 landing leg retraction on record-breaking booster
Quote
Eight and a half days after Falcon 9 helped deliver all 60 satellites to an exceptionally low ~280 km (175 mi) parking orbit, all satellites have successfully deployed their solar arrays and powered on their electric thrusters, including the lone spacecraft SpaceX had concerns about prior to launch. That straggler came alive roughly 60 hours after its siblings but has since raised its orbit ~20 km, while the other 59 satellites have booster themselves by an average of 40 km (25 mi) or so.

At their current collective pace of ~5 km per day, all 60 satellites should reach their operational ~550 km (340 mi) orbits around the beginning of 2020.
Quote
As the first Falcon 9 Block 5 booster to fly four times, B1048 has first and foremost proven that the Block 5 design can be practically reused at least three times. However, the Block 5 upgrade is designed to support not just four – but at least ten – launches per booster, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has estimated that 100 or more launches may be achievable with more substantial routine maintenance. All this is to say that with B1048.4 safe and sound back on land, SpaceX technicians and engineers will likely pore over the booster to determine how exactly it has fared after four orbital-class launches, atmospheric reentries, and landings.

By comparing B1048.4 to B1046.3, B1047.3, B1048.3, and B1049.3, SpaceX should be able to determine just how big the hurdle from a third launch to a fourth launch is compared to going from two launches to three launches. If the changes between those different reusability milestones are similar, it will be increasingly easy for SpaceX to rationally conclude that Falcon 9 Block 5 is fully capable of achieving its 10-flight design goal. If booster wear and tear appears to speed up from Launch 3 to 4 relative to Launch 2 to 3, design tweaks or additional refurbishment may be needed. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-skips-falcon-9-landing-leg-retraction-record-booster/

Below:  The status of SpaceX’s Starlink-1 satellites as of November 19th.
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BeeKnees

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #405 on: November 20, 2019, 07:02:24 PM »
Welcome to astronomy in the 21st century!  If it weren’t SpaceX, it would be (and will be) some other satellite constellation, perhaps by a company that can’t or won’t redesign its satellites and orbits as fast.  The locations of satellites are tracked and published; algorithms that deal with them will become a part of in-depth sky-watching.

I find the whole thing a complete waste of money and resources.  Millions spent on objects to burn up in our atmosphere after only a few years is not the route to a sustainable future.
Not to mention the risks and harm done to astronomy.

Sometimes you have to ask whether just because something can be done, it should be done.  On this one I'm seriously unconvinced.
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oren

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #406 on: November 20, 2019, 08:31:26 PM »
IMHO the best thing for astronomy is to launch very large space-based telescopes. The interference of the atmosphere, pollution, dust, LEO and GEO satellites, Earth gravity, Earth rotation, seismic activity, and other disruptions could be avoided, parallax could be increased, and measurement precision could be much improved (layman's opinion, not substantiated).
SpaceX could pave the way for such launches both by increased launch weight and by lower costs. Maybe Musk could win some points with astronomers by offering a free or half-price launch for such a telescope.

TerryM

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #407 on: November 20, 2019, 11:30:41 PM »
Any word on why MK-1 went BOOM a few min. ago.


Can't find anything on the internet except 2 videos. AFAIK there were no tests scheduled for today but something caused an explosion that blew the lid off the beast.


Can't cut the videos for some reason - perhaps someone with more internet knowhow?


Terry
EDITS] The video's are apparently from live stream sites. The streaming comments are replete with speculation while duckduckgo has nothing as of yet. There was a man lift crane up and fairly close in - hopefully there was no human cargo.
I'll be back when I find out more.


Captured 1 of the videos - still no communication from Spacex


edit3]
A rather cryptic twitter from Elon in response to the question ...Elon, any chance you'll just move onto MK-3


Absolutely, but to move to Mk3 design. This had some value as a manufacturing pathfinder, but flight design is quite different.


Lots of tweets followed but nothing more from Elon.


CNET has picked up the story so I'll not be editing this post any further. It seems as though this is expected to set the program back from 2-4 months, and the Florida facility is expected to be running the next tests (the above is from Spacex groupies that have been following things far more closely than I, but still nothing official - oh, and someone posted that the man lift was on;y carrying cameras)
https://www.cnet.com/news/new-spacex-starship-prototype-pops-its-top-during-test-literally/


Terry

« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 12:20:44 AM by TerryM »

TerryM

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #408 on: November 21, 2019, 01:22:54 AM »
Another view of the the incident. The whole structure bounced about and after the initial explosion the uppermost section appears to implode.





The skin stretches as it comes under pressure, then at some point after something is ejected through the top the upper portion crumples. I can't tell at what moment the nose was ejected (it flew high, then fell well behind the structure.) The struts that it's standing on managed to survive what was probably tremendous forces, but a number of welding seams failed quite early.


Hopefully no one was injured and we'll soon get an official word on what happened.
Terry


vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #409 on: November 21, 2019, 01:42:51 AM »
Yesterday there was some work to reposition the dome on top. This apparently at one point required workers at the Boca Chica site to take a sledgehammer for some reason.



In hindsight, maybe not a good idea.


THIS IS HOW WE FIX PROBLEMS ON RUSSIAN SPACE STATION!!!!!!
« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 01:50:04 AM by vox_mundi »
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TerryM

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #410 on: November 21, 2019, 02:29:43 AM »
There were no road closures today in Boca Chica although the nose section either landed on the road, or sailed over it.


http://www.co.cameron.tx.us/wp/space-x/


The highway was scheduled for closure on the 19th, the 21st or 22nd, and the 25th or 26th for Spacex testing.


The procedure attempted was so safe as designed that alerting the local authorities wasn't seen to be necessary. Will more stringent safety procedures be required in the future? Will Spacex's Florida facility also face tighter scrutiny & regulations?


Terry


Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #411 on: November 21, 2019, 02:31:28 AM »
Quote
Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut)11/20/19, 4:50 PM
Starship MK-1 appears to have blown its top off during a pressure test today. My guess... this will be a good time for @SpaceX to move onto their next, more refined and higher quality versions (MK-2/3) instead of reparing MK-1. @elonmusk, any chance you’ll just move onto MK-3?

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 11/20/19, 4:54 PM
Absolutely, but to move to Mk3 design. This had some value as a manufacturing pathfinder, but flight design is quite different.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1197271943180771329

 :'(   
Musk mentioned the future versions, Mk3, 4 & 5 during the Starship presentation in September.  We’ve already seen many of the new one-piece rings at the Florida site!

SpaceX Starship Mk. 1 fails during cryogenic loading test
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/11/spacex-starship-mk-1-fails-cryogenic-test/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #412 on: November 21, 2019, 02:39:50 AM »
Because the next versions of Starship have already been designed and are already being built, the timeline may not be greatly affected.  As we’ve seen, SpaceX comes back fast from failure.

SpaceX offering Starship to NASA for lunar landing missions
Quote
SpaceX is eligible to propose using its next-generation Starship vehicle to carry NASA robotic science payloads to the lunar surface, the U.S. space agency announced Monday, on missions that could precede future Starship flights with people on-board.

SpaceX is one of five companies NASA selected Monday to join a roster of commercial transportation providers to deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstration packages to the moon through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, program.

“For CLPS, we offered the Starship and Super Heavy launch capability,” said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer. “That capability far exceeds the mass that CLPS was looking for, but we think that brings pretty extraordinary capability to NASA, both for the CLPS program and others. We can bring about 100 metric tons* to the moon, and certainly return more.

NASA requires the CLPS providers to be capable of delivering at least 22 pounds*, or 10 kilograms, of payload mass to the moon. ...
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/11/19/spacex-offering-starship-to-nasa-for-lunar-landing-missions/

 * ;D
« Last Edit: November 21, 2019, 02:52:28 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #413 on: November 21, 2019, 02:44:15 AM »
There were no road closures today in Boca Chica ...

Incorrect.

Quote
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) 11/20/19, 1:55 PM
Not sure as to what testing is going on at the Boca Chica launch site. The highway has been closed. There's venting from the tank farm.
https://twitter.com/bocachicagal/status/1197227002425724928
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TerryM

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #414 on: November 21, 2019, 03:31:40 AM »

As Sig noted.


According to "Mary" @ BocaChicaGal, the Boca Chica road was closed, possibly as the result of noticeable venting from the "tank farm". It's possible that this is the same Mary that provided one of the excellent videos capturing the incident.
Interestingly, the county authorities never noted this on the county website where road closings are required to be posted.


It appears possible that problems had been noted prior to the explosion and that there was no time to go through the proper channels. Since it now appears that there were no injuries I'll amend the above to read as "It appears probable .."


On a happier note Spacex has posted that there were no injuries related to the incident. I've seen burns from liquid nitrogen and they can be horrific, so congratulations to the team for getting everyone out safely.
Terry

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #415 on: November 21, 2019, 02:47:53 PM »
Quote
According to SpaceX, "The purpose of today's test was to pressurize systems to the max, so the outcome was not completely unexpected. There were no injuries, nor is this a serious setback. The decision had already been made to not fly this test article, and the team is focused on the Mk3 builds, which are designed for orbit."
https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/21/spacex-starship/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #416 on: November 21, 2019, 07:36:16 PM »
Quote
SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle) 11/21/19, 10:08 AM
Starship MK1 morning after
https://twitter.com/spacepadreisle/status/1197532247785721859
< Crack in your lens?
SP- Dog in my truck
SP- At time of incident, winds were south at 12-14kts, not nearly enough wind to cause that lateral motion. Guessing it may indicate failure originating from southern side, purely speculating
SP- I think only LN2 was on site, no flammables
<< It's like they put a cover sheet over the body at a murder scene lol
Hopefully they can reuse legs, flaps, actuators, and the whole nosecone section to save build time on mk3
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #417 on: November 24, 2019, 05:24:44 PM »
Not wasting any time applying lessons learned.
Quote
Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 11/24/19, 10:29 AM
Meanwhile, in Boca Chica - a new bulkhead is being born for Mk3. This one will aim to go flying - but this time with the rest of its Starship.
Latest on Mk1 to Mk3 at BC: youtu.be/mRx9d6Y0mkc
All via Mary (@BocaChicaGal).
Starship (BC) Updates [photos]: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48895.0
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1198624739348172800
Photo below.

It has been noted that the first Starship bulkhead flew higher than SLS has flown in its eight years.... ;)  ;D
« Last Edit: November 24, 2019, 05:29:57 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #418 on: November 27, 2019, 02:14:10 PM »
One possible reason for switching to the drone ship landing is minimizing risk to the critical launch of ULA’s CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test, currently scheduled for Dec. 17.  SpaceX CRS 19 is scheduled to launch on Dec 4 at 1751 GMT (12:51 p.m. EST).

SpaceX Falcon 9 booster fires up ahead of NASA launch and surprise drone ship landing
Quote
SpaceX has successfully fired up a new rocket ahead of what is now believed to be a surprise Falcon 9 booster drone ship landing, to follow shortly after the company’s upcoming CRS-19 Cargo Dragon resupply mission for NASA.

Around 5:30 pm EST (22:30 UTC) on November 26th, a Falcon 9 rocket – featuring a rare unflown booster – successfully performed a wet dress rehearsal (WDR) and ignited all nine of its first age Merlin 1D engines, verifying the rocket’s health and perfectly simulating a launch right up to the point of liftoff. With that routine static fire complete, SpaceX now has a luxurious seven days to bring the rocket horizontal, roll it back into LC-40’s integration and processing hangar, install Cargo Dragon atop the second stage, and roll the fully-integrated rocket back out to the launch mount.
...
SpaceX says that CRS-19’s Cargo Dragon capsule previously flew CRS-4 (Sept 2014) and CRS-11 (June 2017), identifying it as capsule C106. As it turns out, C106 supported SpaceX’s first Cargo Dragon capsule reuse, making it a fairly historic vehicle – the first commercial orbital spacecraft reused in history. Beginning with CRS-3, Dragon 1 vehicles were designed to support up to three orbital missions each, leaving SpaceX with four possible capsules (C110-C113) capable of supporting CRS-20, Dragon 1’s last planned launch. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-9-booster-surprise-drone-ship-landing/
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vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #419 on: December 01, 2019, 09:03:38 PM »


StarLink Express starts @ 0.20
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #420 on: December 02, 2019, 02:55:46 PM »
Not SpaceX, but here’s a sky display to be done on purpose:

Japanese company to launch artificial meteor shower satellite
Quote
The artificial shooting star satellites are part of ALE’s “Sky Canvas” project. The company says tracking the re-entry of the shooting star particles will help scientists predict the path of satellites and other objects as they fall into the atmosphere, and could also contribute to meteorological and climate research.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/11/28/japanese-company-to-launch-artificial-meteor-shower-satellite/

The launch has been delayed due to problems with the ground service equipment at the launch site.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #421 on: December 02, 2019, 03:19:17 PM »
Looks like the two-site competition is closing down, at least for now.  Materials from the Florida site are being shipped to Boca Chica, and employees are being laid off. 

SpaceX Starship hardware mystery solved amid reports of Florida factory upheaval
Quote
Roughly two-dozen steel Starship Mk4 rings may also be scrapped after SpaceX’s Florida team could not overcome a technical hurdle. Per the source, many of those single-weld steel rings were slightly different diameters, making it next to impossible to build a sound pressure vessel (i.e. Starship Mk4) with them.

Combining the appearance of Starship hardware on GO Discovery just yesterday and reports of major Cocoa layoffs, it’s all but certain that the Starship components on Discovery are going to head to Boca Chica, Texas. Schlang’s source also indicated that all affected employees were given the option to transfer to Boca Chica or Hawthorne, a prime indication that this abrupt change in plans is more a strategic move than a financial one. With any luck, many of those laid off will be able to move, although such a major and abrupt change is likely a no-go for anyone with major ties to South Florida.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-hardware-mystery-solved/
(There are plenty of other rocket-related projects going on around the Space Center....)

——-
Preparing for the upcoming Dragon cargo mission on Dec 4:
Quote
SpaceXFleet Updates (@SpaceXFleet) 11/30/19, 3:36 PM
Octagrabber has been rolled into the blast-proof garage and the landing area is almost clear.
OCISLY is nearly ready to depart for the CRS-19 mission!
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1200876282352984066
Photo at the link.

Greg Scott (@GregScott_photo) 11/30/19, 1:56 PM
SPACEX FLEET: OCISLY is getting a clean up today after sitting idle for a couple of weeks now. Eagerly anticipating the recovery of booster B1059.1 from next weeks #CRS19 mission to the ISS. I am still not sure why it was not designated as a LZ1 landing but... #SpaceX #Space
https://twitter.com/gregscott_photo/status/1200851168685121542
Photo below.

——-
In the “Which Company Will Get Humans from U.S. Soil to the ISS First?” news:  Coincidentally or not, after their far-from-perfect pad abort test last month, the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test has been moved to “Mid-2020” on SpaceFlightNow’s schedule. 
Starliner Crew Flight Test delayed
Quote
Latest changes:
Nov. 27: Adding date for Long March 4C/TBD; Electron/”Running Out of Fingers” delayed; Adding timeframe for Falcon 9/Starlink 2; Adding month for SSLV/Demonstration Launch; Adding AV number for Atlas 5/Solar Orbiter; Atlas 5/CST-100 Starliner Crew Flight Test delayed
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

SpaceX’s “CrewDragon Demo 2” is listed among the January/Early 2020 items on that list, with a “TBD” date. 

• After the successful Falcon 9 static fire test, SpaceX is set to launch a cargo Dragon to the ISS on Dec 4 at 12:51 pm EST (1751 GMT).  Presumably the pre-launch press briefing will cover the reason for the OCISLY landing rather than returning to the Cape.

• And the Starliner uncrewed flight test to the ISS is scheduled for Dec 17 at 7:47 am EST (1247 GMT).
« Last Edit: December 02, 2019, 08:18:14 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #422 on: December 02, 2019, 04:46:18 PM »
Quote
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) 11/30/19, 11:30 PM
New developments in Starlink:
44 of the satellites from the first launch are lowering their orbits from 550 km; currently at 530 km. Sat 44246 is heading back down to the altitude of 44278 again.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1200995635622817792
[First and second image below.]

JD:  Meanwhile 40 of the sats from the 2nd launch have stopped raising at 350 km (magenta); the remaining 20 have now reached 390 km (blue); the deployment rods continue to decay (green)
[Third image below.]
< Have the rods from the first launched reentered?
JD:  Nope - they are the green lines on the left hand plot.
< Why do you think it will go all the way down to [satellite] 44278 again and not another altitude?
JD: Because they hung out together before. Could easily be wrong
< Didn't they said in the FCC filling that they would do this? If I remember correctly they now want 72 orbital planes instead of 24. So they will raise the satellites in groups of 20 to change the planes.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #423 on: December 02, 2019, 08:16:10 PM »
Also not SpaceX (although SpaceX launched many Iridium satellites) — but relevant:  Iridium plans a live webcast as it deorbits the last satellite from its original constellation.

A Final #Flarewell
Who Wants to Geek Out with us and Learn How to Deorbit a Satellite!?
Quote
As many of you know, the bittersweet time has come for Iridium to deorbit the lone remaining satellite (SV097) from the original constellation. We say bittersweet because although we celebrate the success of the Iridium® NEXT satellite upgrade campaign completed earlier this year, we also mourn the end of the Iridium flare era.

That said, we want to make sure we “retire” SV097 in style and bid a proper #flarewell to the satellite constellation that began with a vision of connecting anyone from anywhere, instantly making the vast remote parts of the planet feel so much closer.  That vision of the Iridium network lives on and is by all accounts stronger than ever through a combination of the Iridium NEXT satellite upgrade campaign completing earlier this year and a growing base of over 1 million subscribers around the world (#ShamelessSuccessPlug). However, it will also do so without the familiar Iridium flares many have come to love.

That’s why we’re inviting all of you to take a peek behind the curtain through a live webcast from inside the Iridium Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC) main mission room.  A publicly broadcasted event from the SNOC’s main mission room is a rarity (in fact, no one here can ever think of it happening before). To be honest, we have no idea how smooth it’s going to be, but we’re excited to give it a whirl! We felt this is too important a moment and if people around the world can learn a thing or two about positive space stewardship, how a constellation as complex as Iridium is flown and why Iridium flares were such an unexpected treat, then it’s a major win!  If we also manage to inspire a few kids into STEM-focused careers in the process… double-major win!

Here are the details:
When:           Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 12pm EST (1700 UTC)
Webcast feed will begin approximately 10 minutes prior
Where:          The Iridium Satellite Network Operations Center (SNOC).
The live webcast can be viewed beginning at noon EST on December 5, 2019 at www.iridium.com/webcast
More details here:
https://www.iridium.com/blog/2019/12/02/a-final-flarewell/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #424 on: December 04, 2019, 01:33:10 AM »
A longer than usual burn of the Falcon 9 first stage, to allow the second stage to perform some extended performance testing, means the booster will not have sufficient fuel to Return to Landing Site this time.

SpaceX’s surprise Falcon 9 drone ship landing explained ahead of Cargo Dragon launch
Quote
Jensen says that the coast test will be performed for unspecified “other” customers, presumably referring to the US Air Force (USAF) and other commercial customers interested in direct-to-geostationary (GEO) launch services. Direct GEO launches require rocket upper stages to perform extremely long coasts in orbit, all while fighting the hostile vacuum environment’s temperature swings and radiation belts and attempting to prevent cryogenic propellant from boiling off or freezing solid. In simple terms, it’s incredibly difficult to build a reliable, high-performance upper stage capable of remaining fully functional after 6-12+ hours in orbit.

Although SpaceX said that the test was for “other” customers, that may well have been a cryptic way to avoid indicating that one such customer might be NASA itself. NASA is in the midst of a political battle for the Europa Clipper spacecraft’s launch contract, which is currently legally obligated to launch on NASA’s SLS rocket. Said rocket will likely cost on the order of >$2 billion per launch, meaning that simply using Falcon Heavy or Delta IV Heavy could save no less than ~$1.5 billion. Incredibly, that means that simply using a commercial launch vehicle could save NASA enough money to fund an entire Curiosity-sized Mars rover or even a majority of the cost of building a dedicated Europa lander. Such a launch would demand every ounce of Falcon Heavy’s performance, including a very long orbital coast.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-surprise-falcon-9-drone-ship-landing-explained/

Also from the briefing:  After mentioning that ISS EVAs won’t be scheduled for after Feb 6, 2020, when only 3 astronauts will be on board, the NASA rep answered a question about extending Crew Dragon’s first stay by saying NASA is preparing to support whatever ship gets to the ISS, to stay “for as long as we can keep them.” “We’ll be ready to welcome whomever shows up.” 

NASA also noted that November 2 marked the 20th year of continuous human presence on the ISS.

SpaceX’s Jensen said the recent Dragon pad abort test was “nominal,” and they were targeting the In-Flight Abort Test  “no earlier than December, end of the year.” 
She also said they had investigated to confirm that the thrusters on the Progress cargo ship, expected to arrive to the ISS shortly after Dragon, will not harm Dragon’s solar panels.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #425 on: December 04, 2019, 02:15:55 AM »
Quote
What about it!? (@FelixSchlang) 12/3/19, 3:50 PM
I had a phone call with officials at SpaceX today and it cleared up a few things. SpaceX did not lay off workers. Those that left the Cocoa Site were reasigned to other projects either in Boca Chica or at KSC. Thank you very much for reaching out to me like this @SpaceX You Rock!
https://twitter.com/felixschlang/status/1201967029844140032

—-
SpaceX expediting Mk3 construction in Texas, pausing Florida-based Starship builds
By building Mk3 with a combined team, SpaceX believes that they can reach the first flight faster.
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/12/spacex-mk3-texas-florida-starship-builds/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #426 on: December 04, 2019, 06:16:51 PM »
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 12/4/19, 12:12 PM
Standing down today due to upper altitude winds and high winds at sea creating dynamic conditions around the Of Course I Still Love You droneship – next launch opportunity is tomorrow at 12:29 p.m. EST, 17:29 UTC
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1202274520402317314
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vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #427 on: December 08, 2019, 12:57:15 AM »
SpaceX Working On Fix for Starlink Satellites So They Don’t Disrupt Astronomy
https://spacenews.com/spacex-working-on-fix-for-starlink-satellites-so-they-dont-disrupt-astronomy/

... President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said the Starlink brightness problem caught the company by surprise

... Shotwell said the next batch has one satellite “where we put a coating on the bottom.” She noted that this is just an experiment and could not predict if it will work. “We’re do trial and error to figure out the best way to get this done,” said Shotwell.

Shotwell admitted that nobody in the company anticipated the problem when the satellites were first designed.
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #428 on: December 08, 2019, 06:39:49 PM »
SpaceX resupply mission reaches International Space Station
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/12/08/spacex-resupply-mission-reaches-international-space-station/


=====
Dragon InFlight Abort test is on the KSC range’s schedule for NET Jan 4.
“We’re hoping for the first crew flight in February,” Shotwell said.

After redesigns, the finish line is in sight for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/12/07/after-redesigns-the-finish-line-is-in-sight-for-spacexs-crew-dragon/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #429 on: December 09, 2019, 10:58:13 PM »
SpaceX Starship “chomper” version is expected to retrieve orbiting satellites/debris, as well as place satellites into orbit.  As cheaper rockets become increasingly available, space cleanup will become a big business.

European Space Agency Approves Mission to Yoink* a Piece of Trash Out of Orbit
Quote
The mission features a spacecraft, ClearSpace-1, which will first launch to 500 kilometers (310 miles) above Earth’s surface for testing. Then, spacecraft operators will raise the ship to a higher orbit and use four robotic arms to grab onto the 100-kilogram (220-pound) Vespa upper stage that the ESA left in orbit in 2013. The craft, clutching the debris, will then slow itself down in order to deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere.

One single piece of debris obviously does not make a dent in the problem. But the ClearSpace-1 mission hopes to show that the technology works before moving on to more difficult targets or multiple objects at a time. ...
https://gizmodo.com/european-space-agency-approves-mission-to-yoink-a-piece-1840315971

*“Yoink”:  https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Yoink ;)
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #430 on: December 12, 2019, 02:27:51 AM »
JRTI arrives in Florida.

SpaceX adds a second drone ship to its East Coast rocket recovery fleet
Quote
Formerly stationed out of Port of Los Angeles to support SpaceX’s once-substantial West Coast launch manifest, the need for West Coast launches has rapidly dried up over the last six months. That drought had such a long lead that SpaceX decided to transfer drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) through the Panama Canal, moving the vessel several thousand miles from Port of Los Angeles to Port Canaveral, Florida.

JRTI made it through the Canal several months ago and headed East towards Florida before making an intriguing and lengthy pit stop in a Louisiana port. While there, marine engineers and technicians performed a number of unknown tasks presumed to be a scheduled period of inspections and maintenance. In the last few weeks JRTI spent in Louisiana, SpaceX loaded the drone ship with more than a dozen huge generators and power controllers, as well as six massive maneuvering thrusters. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-adds-second-drone-ship-rocket-recovery-fleet/

—-
The next SpaceX launch is scheduled for the evening of Dec 16/17:

Falcon 9 • JCSAT 18/Kacific 1
Launch window: 0010-0138 GMT on 17th (7:10-8:38 p.m. EST on 16th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Quote
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the JCSAT 18/Kacific 1 communications satellite jointly owned by SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. of Japan and Kacific Broadband Satellites of Singapore. Built by Boeing, the JCSAT 18/Kacific 1 communications satellite will provide mobile and broadband services across the Asia-Pacific region.
https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
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TerryM

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #431 on: December 12, 2019, 03:51:59 AM »
NASA announces the most powerful rocket ever built in human history!

https://newsflash.one/2019/12/10/nasa-announces-most-powerful-rocket-every-built-in-human-history-core-stage-complete/


Mr Bridenstine of NASA said:

We’re going to get it to the Cape and we’re going to be ready to launch American astronauts to the Moon again.
And getting our first woman a next man to the South Pole of the Moon in 2024.”

https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-says-core-stage-next-moon-rocket-now-160541505.html
The Artemis 1 mission will likely take off by June 2020, according to the audit report. The first test will be uncrewed.
NASA plans to land on the Moon's south pole in order to exploit its water ice, discovered in 2009, both for life support purposes and to split into hydrogen and oxygen for use as rocket propellant.
The agency views its return to the Moon as a proving ground for an onward mission to Mars in the 2030s.
Terry
These are NASA timelines, not "pedo-guy" promises!
[size=1.384em][/size]

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #432 on: December 15, 2019, 02:29:18 PM »
Quote
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 12/13/19, 9:31 PM
Raptor is making great progress! Just finished an engineering review with SpaceX Propulsion. Engine SN 17 is about to ship to McGregor with some holiday style
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1205676667705757696

Scott Manley (@DJSnM) 12/14/19, 1:02 AM
We can tell it's proper sci-fi now that you've added das blinkenlights.
Photo below.

SpaceX's "Christmas tree" is a Raptor engine for the holidays
Quote
Raptor uses what is known as full-flow staged combustion (FFSC) and is the first FFSC engine to graduate beyond ground testing and actually fly, thus far having completed two flight tests in July and August 2019 as part of SpaceX’s Starhopper test campaign. In simple terms, the FFSC cycle aims to extract as much energy from a rocket’s propellant as efficiently as possible, resulting in what is theoretically the most efficient possible chemical propulsion from a given fuel and oxidizer combination.

Due to the sheer complexity required to achieve full-flow staged combustion, the engine type is incredibly rare and only two other (once) functional examples exist – one developed by Soviet engineers in the 20th century and the other built, tested, and inexplicably scrapped by NASA in the 2000s. In fact, the Soviet RD-270 engine’s thrust-to-weight ratio is likely second only to SpaceX’s own Merlin 1D engine, an absolutely spectacular achievement for a propulsion bureau operating in the late 1960s. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-engine-raptor-milestone-festive-decorations/

—-
SpaceX's East Coast Starship launch pad is making some serious headway
December 13, 2019
Quote
Over the last few weeks, SpaceX’s Florida Starship launch pad construction has made some major progress and the structure that will one day support the first East Coast Starship and Super Heavy flight tests have grown several stories tall and show no signs of slowing down.

In a bid to make what could otherwise be an extremely expensive and time-consuming ordeal much faster and cheaper, SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy launch pads will be quite a bit different from the company’s several existing launch pads. This includes Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A pad, leased and operated by SpaceX for Falcon Heavy and Crew Dragon missions and formerly used for dozens of Space Shuttle launches and all Saturn V Apollo Moon missions. …
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-florida-starship-launch-pad-progress/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #433 on: December 15, 2019, 06:42:36 PM »
More from Terry’s SLS article:
Quote
But [SLS] development has been hit by delays and cost overruns -- its first flight was set to take place in November 2018, and its price tag has risen from $6.2 billion to $8 billion, or 29 percent, according to a June audit report.
...
It's not just the cost of the rocket that has spiralled: NASA will have spent roughly $34 billion on the SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems Program programs through 2019, a sum projected to increase to over $50 billion by 2024.

The future of the mission rests on continued political support, both from the White House and Congress, which is ultimately responsible for budget allocations.
https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-says-core-stage-next-moon-rocket-now-160541505.html

Let’s review.
SLS may be (potentially) the world’s most powerful rocket — for a little while, until SpaceX Starship takes over that crown — but:

Can SLS land on the moon?  No.  (Will Starship?  Yes.)  On Artemis 1, the SLS upper stage with an uncrewed Orion will simply do a flyby of the moon with a free return to earth — a low-energy orbit not used since the crippled Apollo 13 made it necessary.

Is SLS reusable?  No.  Well, its engines are from the space shuttle. Not that design, the actual engines that were used on the space shuttle.  But they’ll burn up in the atmosphere upon reentry this time. (Edit:  the SLS also uses two five-segment Solid Rocket Boosters and an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage.)

Is SLS affordable?  No.  $1.6 Billion per SLS launch, possibly less if rockets are ordered in bulk — but Congress has not agreed to spend the billions to get SLS past the first Artemis mission, let alone for bulk SLS purchases.  (Compare Falcon Heavy at about $90 million per launch, with only slightly less lift capacity than SLS.)

Will SLS get the Lunar Gateway and a lander to the moon?  No.
NASA is contracting commercial space companies to build an orbiting power and propulsion module and a small habitat/docking node with an attached commercial lander system that will orbit the moon.  Other vehicles will dock to it and deliver cargo and/or crew to the moon’s surface, stay for a few days, then ascend back to the orbiting module.  Not until Artemis 3, if it happens, will Orion rendezvous with that platform.

Quote
In March 2018 it was decided to launch the first Lunar Gateway module on a commercial launch vehicle because of delays in building the mobile launch platform needed to hold the more powerful Exploration Upper Stage for SLS. As of 2018, the Artemis 2 mission plan is to send four astronauts in the first crewed Orion capsule into a lunar flyby for a maximum of 21 days. The mission profile is a multi-translunar injection (MTLI), or multiple departure burns, and includes a free return trajectory from the Moon. Basically, the spacecraft will orbit Earth twice while periodically firing its engines to build up enough velocity to push it toward the Moon before looping back to Earth.

In 1968, the Apollo 8 mission, crewed by three astronauts, was designed to test-fly command and service module beyond low Earth orbit. Although similar to Artemis 2 in that it was crewed and did not land on the Moon, it differed by entering lunar orbit for an extended stay. Apollo 13 (1970) was the only Apollo mission that flew past the Moon by a free-return trajectory.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_2

Timeline:  Artemis 1 (SLS first launch) is still not on the KSC launch schedule, not even as “TBD” for late in the year.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2019, 07:08:27 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #434 on: December 15, 2019, 06:44:23 PM »
Meanwhile, a twice-flown SpaceX Falcon 9 booster has been test-fired in preparation for its third launch Monday night.
Quote
… with a heavyweight Boeing-built communications satellite to beam broadband signals to Japan and the Pacific islands.
SpaceX is readying the Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff with the JCSAT 18/Kacific commercial communications satellite Monday at 7:10 p.m. EST (0010 GMT Tuesday). The launch window extends for 88 minutes.

The mission set for launch Monday will mark SpaceX’s 13th flight of the year, and the second in 11 days from the same launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. If the Falcon 9 takes off Monday night, it would mark the fastest turnaround between SpaceX missions from the same launch pad.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/12/13/spacex-performs-hold-down-firing-for-heavyweight-satellite-launch-monday/

—-
The launch for ULA/ Boeing Starliner’s first uncrewed flight test to the ISS is scheduled for December 20, 1136 GMT (6:36 a.m. EST) from SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #435 on: December 16, 2019, 01:02:21 AM »
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell Makes It To Forbes 2019's list of '100 Most Powerful Women'
December 15, 2019
Quote
Gwynne Shotwell is an admirable woman, she is an Engineer, President and Chief operating officer of SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk. She may well be, one of the best stories of success for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields over the last decade. These fields have a long history of lack of diversity and inclusion, even to this day. Determined against all odds she gained the opportunity to lead in the most innovative industry that will forever change humanity's future.

"You can’t be on the cusp of innovation and at the forefront of technology if you’re wearing blinders. If you don’t have an exploration programme where you’re exploring your world here on Earth, underwater, and in space, then you’re wearing blinders and handicapping yourself."
-Gwynne Shotwell

Shotwell's leadership has earned her a place in Forbes 2019's list of '100 Most Powerful Women,' she is listed as the 55th most powerful woman in the world. With great power comes even greater responsibility, she has worked at SpaceX since the early days in 2002, is responsible for day-to-day operations, and has a vital role in company growth. Under her leadership, SpaceX has grown from a rocket that almost didn't make it to orbit to developing the most technologically advanced orbital-class rockets that have lifted off and returned from space 46 times –a first in the history of space travel! The company's Falcon 9 rocket boosters are capable of being launched into space and returning to land vertically on autonomous drone ships at sea, in order to be reused again. No other rocket company has achieved that level of reusability.

Shotwell's leadership has also earned the company many contracts to further develop their space program. The company has grown to have a valuation of $33.4 billion, with over 6,000 employees working collectively to take humans back to the Moon and Mars one day. ...
https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/spacex-president-gwynne-shotwell-makes-it-to-forbes-2019s-list-of-100-most-powerful-women
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #436 on: December 17, 2019, 03:25:40 PM »
Startup launches broadband satellite on SpaceX rocket to connect Pacific islands
Quote
A hefty communications satellite built by Boeing and launched by SpaceX Monday night from Cape Canaveral is on the way to a lofty perch more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the Pacific Ocean, where a startup named Kacific will use it to link remote populations seeking connectivity for health clinics, schools and other basic services

Boeing officials confirmed the 15,335-pound (6,956-kilogram) radioed its status to ground teams after arriving in orbit Monday night.

The new spacecraft is a shared asset between Kacific and Sky Perfect JSAT Corp., an established satellite operator based in Tokyo. Kacific will take the satellite’s Ka-band capacity, and Sky Perfect JSAT controls the craft’s Ku-band payload.

Kacific, headquartered in Singapore, was founded in 2013 by Christian Patouraux, then a 20-year satellite industry veteran with experience in satellite engineering and business strategy development.

“Our vision is very much to bridge the digital divide, to drive economic development,” Patouraux said in a pre-launch media briefing Monday. “The World Bank has shown evidence that if you provide connectivity you have a direct impact, a signifiant impact on economic growth. We will do that throughout the Asia-Pacific.”

“It will be really a game-changer deep inside society,” Patouraux said of Kacific 1. “And it will provide a public service that will also connect all kinds of government services, not only schools and hospitals but you can also think of connecting post offices delivering ID cards and passports — locally inside villages — as well as police stations and fire stations.””

Kacific has leased capacity on third-party satellites to begin realizing its vision of beaming broadband connectivity to millions of underserved people across the Asia-Pacific region. Now, after some financial maneuvering, loans and equity fundraising, Kacific has its own satellite infrastructure in orbit.
“It’s been six-and-a-half years of hard work to get here,'” Patouraux. ‘The most difficult part was really to get financing in a project like this.”
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/12/17/startup-launches-broadband-satellite-on-spacex-rocket-to-connect-pacific-islands/

Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 12/16/19, 7:19 PM
Falcon 9 first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship – the third landing of this booster
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1206730725182984193
22 sec video of the landing, at the link.

——-
Meanwhile, at Boca Chica, Texas:

SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle) 12/16/19, 10:20 PM
Quote
HopZilla
https://twitter.com/spacepadreisle/status/1206776220710572032
Photo below. 8)
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crandles

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #437 on: December 20, 2019, 04:01:10 PM »
Boeing Starliner Obital flight test hits a problem:
https://spacenews.com/starliner-suffers-off-nominal-orbital-insertion-after-launch/

Quote
Bridenstine later tweeted that the problem was a “Mission Elapsed Time (MET) anomaly” with Starliner, “causing the spacecraft to believe that it was in an orbital insertion burn, when it was not.” The spacecraft, he said, consumed more fuel than expected, precluding a docking with the International Space Station.

To bring on topic:
Would seem to make it more likely that SpaceX will be first commercial organisation to launch astronauts to space.

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #438 on: December 20, 2019, 11:22:08 PM »
“SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, for reference, completed a more or less flawless launch, orbit raise, and rendezvous before docking with the ISS. It’s almost impossible to imagine NASA giving SpaceX permission to proceed immediately into its first astronaut launch if Crew Dragon had failed to reach the proper orbit or dock with the space station.”

And yet, at today’s post-launch press conference, they refused to rule it out for Starliner....

Boeing's astronaut capsule flies off course, fate uncertain after launch debut
https://www.teslarati.com/boeing-astronaut-capsule-flies-off-course-launch-debut/

Starliner suffers mission-shortening failure after successful launch
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/12/starliner-mission-shortening-failure-successful-launch/

Controllers acted as quickly as they could to override the automated programming and put the capsule into a safe orbit — without it, the spacecraft would have re-entered the atmosphere in about 40 minutes.  NASA emphasized that if astronauts had been aboard, they could have taken manual control and continued the mission to the ISS — they train for such anomalies.

Officials were not sure whether the Starliner’s timing issue was caused by an inherent problem on the spacecraft, such as a design flaw, or something that happened on the capsule in flight.
Landing is expected at White Sands in New Mexico on Sunday morning.
——-
Quote
Scott Manley (@DJSnM) 12/20/19, 9:01 AM
All of the Starliner attitude displays from the stream at 4x normal speed.
https://twitter.com/djsnm/status/1208024716419579904
Video of Mission Control Center main screen.  Displays show Starliner is not pointing forward, and is firing maneuvering thrusters like crazy.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #439 on: December 20, 2019, 11:51:21 PM »
Elon Musk responded to NASA’s tweet about Starliner....
Quote
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 12/20/19, 5:14 PM
@NASA @BoeingSpace Orbit is hard. Best wishes for landing & swift recovery to next mission.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1208148748099940357

A few days ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort test was rescheduled for January 11, 2020 — a one-week delay which should not be seen as serious.  (Note:  Boeing had not intended to do an IFA for Starliner at all... but that’s sort of what today’s Orbital Flight Test has become. ;))

SpaceX's next Crew Dragon launch is delayed but that's actually good news
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-next-crew-dragon-launch-delayed-good-news/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #440 on: December 21, 2019, 06:52:43 PM »
Quote
Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) 12/21/19, 12:10 PM
I’ll be participating in a Starliner update for the media at 2pm ET. nasa.gov/nasalive

Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 12/21/19, 12:14 PM
And that's 7pm UTC for those of you setting their Mission Event Timers.
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1208435469203181568

Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) 12/21/19, 12:14 PM
@NASASpaceflight Too soon.

Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) 12/21/19, 12:25 PM
 Puts "Stable Orbit" references back into the freezer for later. ;D
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TerryM

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #441 on: December 21, 2019, 07:38:54 PM »
Hopefully the Soyuz boys will be willing to provide their services again if called upon. They haven't had a death in space since 1971. 8)


Terry

Rob Dekker

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #442 on: December 22, 2019, 09:06:15 AM »
Hopefully the Soyuz boys will be willing to provide their services again if called upon. They haven't had a death in space since 1971. 8)

The Russians have been great in providing service runs to the ISS, ever since the Space Shuttle ended.

But SpaceX has serviced the ISS successfully for, what is it, 19 time now ?

So it is time for SpaceX to bring some people aboard.
This is our planet. This is our time.
Let's not waste either.

crandles

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #443 on: December 22, 2019, 01:49:08 PM »
Quote
“I think we will have 14 or 15 non-Starlink launches, and then we’ll fly Starlink as often as we can.

“I need second stages to be built a little bit faster, but we would probably shoot for 35 to 38 missions next year,” Shotwell said.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/12/20/spacex-poised-to-accelerate-launch-cadence-with-series-of-starlink-missions/


GSY thinks they never have and never will be profitable, which is just ludicrous. Is this based on having to write off all starlink costs because the income stream from it is just too far off and too uncertain? Sounds a bit weird. Or is it that starlink is a fraud, despite the satellites being observed in trains that couldn't be anything else? Would a fraud incur the costs of launch? Or maybe they don't work but were launched anyway, that makes lots of sense (not!). Or maybe they are losing money on launches but still managing to raise finance at a ludicrous rate to finance all these launches.

(Oh and gigafactory 3 is not producing anything despite photos of lots of M3s in parking lots and people seeing transporters taking them away.

Those are just a couple of my favourites. When there is a pattern ...)

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #444 on: December 22, 2019, 03:03:10 PM »
Quote
“I need second stages to be built a little bit faster, but we would probably shoot for 35 to 38 missions next year,” Shotwell said.
For comparison:  in 2018, powerhouse China launched 39 times.

——
Here’s a rough compilation of announced SpaceX missions for 2020.  Check https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ for more precise times as the year progresses.

Quote
Reagan (@bluemoondance74) 12/21/19, 4:58 PM
CALENDAR UPDATE-
2020 @SpaceX launches:
(*All dates are fluid)

JANUARY:
3 -... F9 • Starlink 2 (Mission #3) 10:20pm EST
11 - Crew Dragon In-flight Abort test
mid-Jan - F9 • Starlink 3 (Mission #4)
late-Jan - F9 • Starlink 4 (Mission #5)
https://twitter.com/bluemoondance74/status/1208507124034211840

Between JANUARY - APRIL:
- Crew Dragon (w/ NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley) to ISS
MARCH:
- F9 • Dragon cargo mission to ISS
- F9 • Air Force GPS navigation sat.
- F9 • Argentinian radar observation sat. (SAOCOM 1B)

JULY:
- F9 • Air Force GPS navigation sat.
AUGUST:
- F9 • Dragon cargo mission to ISS

Between SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER:
- Falcon Heavy • US Air Force payload (AFSPC-44)
NOVEMBER:
- F9 • Joint US-European oceanography sat. (Sentinel 6A)

Note:
1. There will be about 2 Starlink missions per month (approximately 1 every 2-3 weeks).
2. The NOVEMBER entry (US-European sat./ Sentinel 6A) will be launched from *VANDENBERG (CA).


—— Meanwhile, in Boca Chica, Texas:
Time lapse video of Starship Mk 3 rings coming together:

SpaceX Boca Chica Ring Stack Progress Time Lapse - YouTube
Published on Dec 21, 2019
12.19.2019 Time lapse as SpaceX moves a ring into staking position for the first attempted ring stack of MK-3. Workers pin together both rings as they prepare for the welding process.
24/7 stream is powered by LabPadre, in cooperation with Sapphire Condominiums and @BocaChicaMaria1 (Twitter) @SpaceXBocaChica (Facebook).
All video images explicitly owned by LabPadre Media.

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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #445 on: December 22, 2019, 03:16:46 PM »
It’s the journey, not the destination. ;)

Starliner did not reach the ISS, but has landed softly and successfully in the desert at White Sands, New Mexico, and the ground teams are safing the spacecraft.  Space watchers were quite disgruntled that after the entry burn and service module jettison, NASA did not show the Mission Control Center screens displaying Starliner status at all.

Quote
MadeOnEarthFoundInSpace (@MadeOnEarthFou1) 12/22/19, 9:04 AM
During Dragon 2 test, there was a 1 hour touchdown to hatch opening requirement (SpaceX missed this by a couple minutes). Starliner said ground landing will aid that process, but they're a couple minutes late too.
https://twitter.com/madeonearthfou1/status/1208750041399283712

The capsule integrity seems good; the exterior is surprisingly clean after reentry.  But the multiple incidents with Boeing planes and spacecraft in recent years suggest that flight software has become a weak point at Boeing.  The audio webcast Saturday included comments that their simulators never showed a Starliner Mission Elapsed Timer automation problem.

For comparison:  a Dragon capsule in February 2017 self-aborted its approach to the ISS when its onboard computers recognized an incorrect value in navigational data about the location of Dragon relative to the space station.  After correction, the approach proceeded normally.

[Edit: per this morning’s post-landing press briefing, the MET was off by 11 hours. :o ]

[[Another edit:  The Atlas countdown is 11 hours.  Coincidence?
”ULA, Boeing and NASA teams are gearing up for the Integrated Day-of-Launch Test, or IDOLT, exercise to practice launch day procedures ahead of the Starliner’s first space mission.

The Atlas 5 launch team has lengthened the countdown for Starliner missions to more than 11 hours from its standard duration of early seven hours. The extra time allows a “blue team” of specialists — analogous to the space shuttle-era closeout crew — to assist astronauts in boarding the Starliner spacecraft after the Atlas 5 is fueled with cryogenic propellants.

The test “will give us the opportunity to deploy the crew access arm and verify all the access tower and arm interfaces with the spacecraft,” said Caleb Weiss, ULA’s mission manager for the Starliner program. “We will fully tank the vehicle, and we will have people out there at the pad that will be simulating day launch operations, just like they will be for a real launch day.

“So they will be in the white room, they’ll open up the hatch of the Starliner,” Weiss said in an earlier interview with Spaceflight Now. “They will practice going in and out, loading cargo, configuring Starliner for flight. So it’ll be a really good end-to-end system checkout of all the launch vehicle and spacecraft systems working together, as well as the people who are executing the operations.””

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/12/03/launch-of-starliner-test-flight-slips-to-dec-19/ ]]

[Edit 3:  December 23, 2019.  The Washington Post
Boeing CEO resigns and is replaced by board chairman as company finishes year of crisis
Quote
The aerospace company announced that chief executive Dennis A. Muilenburg is resigning and being replaced by board chairman David L. Calhoun. Boeing has been upended this year by a massive crisis over crashes of its 737 Max airplane and, more recently, a flawed rocket launch.
https://apple.news/A01fBpOyiTwuQQkDANkG_Tg ]
« Last Edit: December 23, 2019, 05:11:23 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #446 on: December 23, 2019, 10:35:46 PM »
The goal was 10 successful parachute tests in a row.
Quote
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 12/23/19, 2:59 PM
Yesterday the team completed the 10th successful multi-chute test in a row of Crew Dragon’s upgraded Mark 3 parachute design – one step closer to safely launching and landing @NASA astronauts
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1209201762596356096
Photo below.

Background:
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon parachutes are almost ready for NASA astronauts
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-dragon-parachutes-nasa-astronauts/

SpaceX has developed new parachute tech for/with NASA.
Note that Boeing’s recent Starliner pad abort test was marred because only two out of three chutes opened.  Another black mark against the Boeing CEO... [see post #445 edits, above].
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #447 on: December 28, 2019, 02:59:06 AM »
Quote
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 12/27/19, 2:50 PM
Was up all night with SpaceX team working on Starship tank dome production (most difficult part of primary structure). Dawn arrives …
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1210649166407438336
Video:  12 second pan around the work site. Tank dome!  Sound of power tools.  Musk: “Still going....”
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #448 on: December 28, 2019, 02:17:38 PM »
Evidently, Starship Mk3 now goes by the name “SN1” [Serial Number 1], with subsequent Starship prototypes featuring slight improvements over their predecessors.
Quote
< When do you believe Starship Mk3 will be ready for it's first test flight?

Elon Musk (@elonmusk)12/27/19, 9:55 PM
We’re now building flight design of Starship SN1, but each SN will have at least minor improvements, at least through SN20 or so of Starship V1.0.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1210756057791729665

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 12/27/19, 9:56 PM

Flight is hopefully 2 to 3 months away

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1210756338348744705
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #449 on: December 30, 2019, 07:46:06 PM »
SpaceX gets OK to re-space Starlink orbits
Quote
The FCC said SpaceX can field satellites in 72 rings around the Earth at 550 kilometers — three times as many [orbital rings] as the commission approved in April.
...
SpaceX has launched 120 of a planned 12,000 small broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. The company is placing its first 1,584 satellites in a 550-kilometer orbit, with later satellites planned for higher and lower altitudes.

In August, SpaceX told the FCC that by tripling the number of lanes for those first Starlink satellites, it could build out enough coverage to offer internet access in southern states by the 2020 hurricane season.

Satellite internet is often used in emergency response after natural disasters damage fibers and cell towers. SpaceX is building out Starlink from the poles, with coverage expanding towards the equator as more satellites get launched.


“Grant of this application will allow SpaceX to accelerate the deployment of its satellite constellation to deliver broadband service throughout the United States, especially to those who live in areas underserved or unserved by terrestrial systems,” the FCC said Dec. 19.

SpaceX said the Starlink orbit modifications could cut the number of Starlink launches necessary by up to 50%. Under the revised plans, each of the 72 orbital rings will have 22 satellites instead of 66, meaning a single Falcon 9 launch can now populate approximately three rings. The company has been launching 60 satellites at a time on its Falcon 9 rockets. The next Starlink mission... is planned for [Jan 3/4, 2020].
...
The commission rebuffed cubesat-operator Kepler Communications’ request to deny or postpone a decision on the respacing, and said concerns raised by fleet operator SES about signal interference were “moot.” ...
https://spacenews.com/spacex-gets-ok-to-re-space-starlink-orbits/

Jan. 3/4  Falcon 9 • Starlink 2
Launch time: 0324 GMT on 4th (10:24 p.m. EST on 3rd)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

—-
Edit:
Quote
< Will Starlink reach Carribean by Hurricane season of 2020?

Elon Musk (@elonmusk)12/28/19, 4:01 PM
Hopefully working in Caribbean by end of 2020. Def by 2021.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1211029491188948992

< When in Germany?
EM: Probably 2021. Depends on regulatory approvals.
< Is regulatory approval state level or Federal level in the US?
EM:  Federal
« Last Edit: December 31, 2019, 12:12:31 AM by Sigmetnow »
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