Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-30-2017 06:27 PM
Elon Musk delivered a statement after the first stage was recovered:
We just had an incredible day today. The first reflight of an orbital class booster did its mission perfectly, dropped off the second stage, came back and landed on the drone ship, right in the bullseye.
It is an amazing day I think for space as a whole for the space industry. It means you can fly and refly an orbit-class booster, which is the most expensive part of the rocket. This is going to be ultimately a huge revolution in spaceflight. It is the difference between if you had airplanes where you threw away an airplane after every flight, versus you could use them multiple times.
So it has been 15 years to get to this point, it took us a long time. A lot of difficult steps along the way, but I am just incredibly proud of the SpaceX team for being able to achieve this incredible milestone in the history of space.
Yeah, I am sort of at a loss for words but it really is a great day, not just for SpaceX but for the space industry as a whole in proving that something could be done that many people said was impossible.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2017 12:00 AM
In addition to recovering the re-flown first stage on the drone ship, SpaceX for the first time successfully recovered (at least) half of the Falcon 9's fairing. Elon Musk:
The fairing, the big nose cone at the top of the rocket, that actually successfully landed as well. That was definitely cherry on the cake.
The fairing has its own thruster control system and a steerable parachute. It is like its own little spacecraft. So the thrusters maintain its orientation as it reenters and then we throw out a parachute and this parachute steers to a specific location.
I was just shown a picture of an intact fairing half floating in the ocean. It is the half without the logo.
That is really exciting because that fairing is over 5 meters in diameter — you can fit a bus inside that fairing and it costs $6 million to make that fairing. And at one point we were like, "Do we try to recover it or not?" And it's like, "Guys, imagine you have $6 million in cash in a pallet flying through the air and it is going to smash into the ocean. Would you try to recover that?" Yes, yes you would.
So rather than have it smash into tiny pieces, that looks quite promising. We'll have like a bouncy castle to land on and aim to reuse the fairing as well.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 867 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 03-31-2017 12:43 AM
Congratulations to SpaceX for an amazing accomplishment!!!
I gotta' say, it's fun to be a space geek again, with all the exciting new stuff going on these days.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1042 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 03-31-2017 12:55 AM
Terrific achievement by all at SpaceX.
I also commend SES for having the guts to fly their expensive payload on this first stage - from historic Pad 39A too. May it encourage others in aerospace to push the envelope even further.
capoetc Member
Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
posted 03-31-2017 10:11 AM
I'm sure I must be missing something, but weren't shuttle SRBs that were recovered and reused also "orbital class"?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2017 10:58 AM
Yes, the solid rocket boosters were orbital class. The distinction being drawn by SpaceX is that its complete stage was re-flown, whereas the SRBs were reused in segments and never as they first flew as a set. One could make a case either way.
Paul78zephyr Member
Posts: 675 From: Hudson, MA Registered: Jul 2005
posted 03-31-2017 12:50 PM
Is there any footage that actually shows the stage landing?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2017 12:52 PM
Not yet; the satellite link dropped out due to the motion of the drone ship. There is likely to be imagery once the ship returns to shore.
Paul78zephyr Member
Posts: 675 From: Hudson, MA Registered: Jul 2005
posted 03-31-2017 01:18 PM
Thank you. How far down range was the drone ship and how long does it take to bring it back? And where is the stage/ship ported? How is the stage returned to Hawthorne?
What is the tower in the foreground for?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-31-2017 01:44 PM
The drone ship is typically several hundred miles off shore and takes about a week to return to Port Canaveral, where it is staged.
The returned stages are typically transported to the hangar at Pad 39A for post-flight inspection and then later trucked to either Hawthorne or McGregor. In this case, the stage won't be leaving the Cape.
The tower in the photo the flare stack that was used during the shuttle-era to burn off excess hydrogen.
Headshot Member
Posts: 864 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-01-2017 10:10 AM
Out of curiosity, how was it verified that the SpaceX Falcon rocket first stage that was launched and recovered this week is the same one that had been previously launched and recovered?
Did an independent third party check serial numbers on various engine parts, do we just have Elon Musk's word for it, or what?
capoetc Member
Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
posted 04-01-2017 08:16 PM
The stage was authenticated by PSA/DNA... **ducking**
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-01-2017 08:34 PM
The FAA launch license does not specify it is a reused stage (but then, it doesn't go into details about any of the components of the Falcon 9).
SES, the launch customer, was provided with full documentation about the vehicle and as Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer for SES, said, "it is a bit sooty." You could see that the first stage was off-color; not pristine white like a never-flown first stage.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-04-2017 06:34 AM
From CBS's Bill Harwood on Twitter:
First reflown Falcon 9 booster now entering Port Canaveral atop SpaceX droneship.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1463 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 04-04-2017 08:30 AM
quote:Originally posted by Headshot: Did an independent third party check serial numbers...
There is no such third party. And yes, we do have to take his word and customers' word for it (note the position of the apostrophe).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-04-2017 12:48 PM
SpaceX photos
issman1 Member
Posts: 1042 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 04-04-2017 02:45 PM
quote:Originally posted by Headshot: ...do we just have Elon Musk's word for it, or what?
I doubt Mr. Musk is pulling wool over our eyes. It would not just be madness but business suicide were he exposed by an investigative journalist, not to mention those competitors and opponents envious of SpaceX successes.
Headshot Member
Posts: 864 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-05-2017 09:12 AM
If I were a billionaire seeking to invest money in SpaceX, or any other launch provider that hawks being able to reuse a major part of the launch vehicle, I'd sure want more proof than the word of someone who has much to gain, a little soot and discolored paint to assure me that the company has indeed reflown used first stages.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-05-2017 09:29 AM
And as a billionaire potential investor, you would have access to more details, if that is what you required. Your due diligence researching the company and its principals though, would likely negate any such concerns.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-05-2017 09:30 AM
From SpaceX on Instagram:
Falcon 9 landing on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship after delivering SES-10 into orbit.
Posts: 864 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-05-2017 07:24 PM
quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: And as a billionaire potential investor, you would have access to more details, if that is what you required.
I agree with you Robert. Sadly, I am not a billionaire looking to invest. But I really am disappointed that many, many journalists and news organizations gave Mr. Musk, and others, loads and loads of free, positive publicity without any obvious attempts to confirm the facts.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-05-2017 08:32 PM
There is no serious case to be made, and therefore no serious reason for concern, that the stage SpaceX said was flown twice did not do as described.
I am in favor of fact checking, but there needs to be a reason to question what is otherwise an established situation. It would be like a reporter in 1983 questioning NASA or Thiokol over what proof there is that segments from the STS-1 solid rocket boosters were actually re-flown on STS-6. There never was a reason to question it then, as there is no reason to question SpaceX now.
Headshot Member
Posts: 864 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 04-08-2017 08:11 AM
The substantial monetary profit that might benefit a commercial company, perceived to be technologically ahead of its competitors, due to claims of re-using orbital flight hardware should be enough to warrant healthy skepticism. That issue did not really exist for NASA and the shuttle program in the '80s, Washington was not going to de-fund the shuttle at that late date.
This unsubstantiated claim is, however, becoming a major bragging/selling point in today's commercial space era.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-08-2017 08:21 AM
There are only profits to be made if the stages are actually being reused. At the reduced cost that SpaceX is charging (the specifics of which have not been disclosed, but is said to be 30 to 40 percent less for this first re-flight, and perhaps significantly lower if/when they achieve full and rapid reusability) the company would not be able to afford to churn out new stages if that was what they were flying instead.
Beyond that, you are taking about a conspiracy requiring the participation of thousands of company employees and the employees of its customers (not to mention the government [FAA, NASA, DoD], which has access to the technical details as needed/desired).
oly Member
Posts: 905 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 04-08-2017 09:40 PM
quote:Originally posted by Headshot: ...how was it verified
I think there would be more to lose than to gain by misleading the customers, the industry and the public.
I would like to see the numbers regarding how much of the first stage was from the original launch.
Reuse of engines and components is nothing new. As the end game is to be able to land, re-stage, refuel, strap in and go. how much work is required to get this done right now excluding the post landing inspection and testing that is required at this early stage.
I think this flight was a crucial step towards SpaceX plans and look forward to future developments and flights.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-23-2017 08:17 AM
From SpaceX on Twitter:
View from the fairing during SES-10 mission.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 867 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 04-23-2017 09:19 PM
Does anyone know how high the fairings get in their ballistic arcs before they start heading back down?
posted 03-27-2017 01:16 PM
**ducking**
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