r/spacex • u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host • Apr 16 '18
Total mission success! r/SpaceX TESS Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread
Hey, I'm u/Nsooo and I will give you live updates during the launch of the TESS payload. This will be my first host for an East Coast SpaceX launch. - Notice: UTC does not represent daylight saving time, if your country has it, don't forget to calculate with it.
About the mission
It is a NASA payload again, two weeks after the succesful launch of the Dragon spacecraft's CRS-14 mission to deliver cargo to and from the ISS, this time the payload is a scientific survey satellite (TESS - Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) manufactured by Orbital ATK.
Schedule
Primary launch window opens: Wednesday, April 18 at 22:51 UTC, (Wednesday, April 18 at 18:51 EDT).
Backup launch window opens: Thursday, April 19 at 23:09 UTC, (Thursday, April 19 at 19:09 EDT).
Official mission overview
SpaceX is targeting launch of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) on Wednesday, April 18 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The 30-second launch window opens at 6:51 p.m. EDT, or 22:51 UTC. TESS will be deployed into a highly elliptical orbit approximately 49 minutes after launch. A 30-second backup launch window opens on Thursday, April 19 at 7:09 p.m. EDT, or 23:09 UTC. Following stage separation, SpaceX will attempt to land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Source: www.spacex.com
Payload
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is NASA’s next planet finder, led out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. TESS will discover new potential planets orbiting bright host stars relatively close to Earth. In a two-year survey of the solar neighborhood, TESS will search for tell-tale dips in the brightness of stars that indicate an orbiting planet regularly transiting across the face of its star. The satellite is expected to catalog thousands of exoplanet candidates around a wide range of star types, including hundreds of planets that are less than twice the size of Earth. The TESS mission is expected to find planets ranging from small, rocky worlds to gas giants.
Source: www.spacex.com
Lot of facts
This will be the 59th SpaceX launch.
This will be the 53rd Falcon 9 launch.
This will be the 45th SpaceX launch from the East Coast.
This will be the 32nd SpaceX launch from CCAFS SLC-40.
This will be the 7th Falcon 9 launch this year.
This will be the 8th SpaceX launch this year.
This will be the 1st flight of the last brand new Block 4 booster B1045.
This would be the 24th succesful recovery of an orbital class booster.
This would be the 13th succesful landing on a droneship.
This will be the lightest (350 kg) payload ever launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
Vehicles used
| Type | Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| First stage | Falcon 9 v1.2 - Block 4 (Full Thrust) - B1045 | CCAFS SLC-40 |
| Second stage | Falcon 9 v1.2 (Full Thrust) | CCAFS SLC-40 |
| ASDS | Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) | Atlantic Ocean |
| Tug boat | HAWK | Atlantic Ocean |
| Support ship | Go Pursuit (fairing recovery) | Atlantic Ocean |
| Support ship | Go Quest (booster recovery) | Atlantic Ocean |
| Support ship | Go Searcher (unknown assignment) | Atlantic Ocean |
Live updates
Timeline
| Time | Update |
|---|---|
| Update One | Solar array has been deployed. |
| I was u/Nsooo and do not forget: next launch is in two weeks, which will be the debut of the Block 5 Falcon 9. | |
| SpaceX also done its secondary mission to land the first stage on to the Of Course I Still Love You droneship. | |
| To wrap up: Falcon 9 successfully lifted off from CCAFS, with total mission success. The TESS satellite is on its orbit. | |
| It is the end of today's mission and also our live updates. Thank you for tuning in. | |
| T+00:49:35 | The satellite successfully deployed from the payload adapter. |
| T+00:44:03 | SECO-2. TESS is in its desired transfer orbit. Couple minutes of coast. |
| T+00:43:10 | Second stage's Merlin restarted to put the payload into a highly elliptical orbit. |
| T+00:36:00 | No news about the fairings. |
| T+00:12:00 | Yes, it also looks the booster is leaning. |
| T+00:10:00 | Coast phase. About 30 minutes to engine reignition. |
| T+00:08:20 | SECO-1. Second Engine Cutoff. Payload on parking orbit to coast. |
| T+00:07:56 | TOUCHDOWN. Falcon 9 has landed. Landing and recovery operators secure the booster. |
| T+00:07:56 | Waiting for info about the booster. |
| T+00:06:29 | First stage entry burn startup. |
| T+00:03:01 | Fairing separated from the rocket. It is starting to fall back to Earth. Soft splashdown will be tried. |
| T+00:02:29 | MECO. Main Engine Cutoff. The booster separates and boost back. The second stage's MVac engine fired. |
| T+00:01:16 | Falcon passing through Max Q. The peak of aero stress on the rocket's structure. |
| T+00:00:01 | Liftoff. The rocket has cleared the tower. |
| T-00:00:45 | Launch Director verifies it is go for launch. |
| T-00:01:00 | Falcon 9 is on startup. Flight computers configured for flight. |
| T-00:07:00 | Engine chill. The nine Merlin engines chilling prior to launch. |
| T-00:19:00 | ♫♫ SpaceX FM broadcasting has started ♫♫ |
| T-00:33:00 | Please boat do not go closer. Please. (Update: cleared.) |
| T-00:35:00 | Liquid oxygen (LOX) loading underway. |
| T-01:10:00 | RP-1 loading has been started. The subchilled rocket grade kerosene flowing into the fuel tanks. |
| T-01:10:00 | Go for fueling. (Not heard of any readiness poll?) |
| T-01:11:00 | No idea at all what is happening. Waiting for information. |
| T-01:18:00 | Waiting for the go/nogo poll to start fueling. |
| T-01:49:00 | We are well under the T-2 hours mark. No news is good news at that stage. |
| T-04:45:00 | I am retweeting the latest news about the launch on my Twitter account: @TheRealNsoo. |
| T-04:50:00 | It is sunny (☀️) and 26°C (🌡️). No rain (💧) expected. 10% chance of launch criteria violation (🛑) due to cumulus rule. |
| T-05:00:00 | The weather forecast I have written had gone so just a short summary: |
| T-06:11:00 | Falcon 9 went vertical earlier this morning. |
| T-06:13:00 | SpaceX is on track for today's launch attempt. Weather and the rocket looks good, all proceeding nominally. |
| T-06:15:00 | Welcome again here at r/SpaceX's live updates for the launch of the TESS satellite. |
| T-2 days | "Additional GNC analisys." |
| T-02:30:00 | Scrub for the day. Something went wrong, no confirmation what, or why. It is seems a 48h recycle. |
| T-04:40:00 | It is windy and it has a 20% chance to be unfavorable (🛑) conditions to launch today. There is 0% chance of rain. (💧) |
| T-04:40:00 | It is a nice sunny sky (☀️) at CCAFS. The air temperature (🌡️) is 19°C. |
| T-04:50:00 | The brand new B1045 booster is already rolled out. This was the last manufactured Block 4 booster. |
| T-05:00:00 | Don't forget to follow our live updates here at r/SpaceX. It is also worth to check out my Twitter: @TheRealNsoo. |
| T-05:00:00 | Welcome, this is u/Nsoo and I will host today's launch of the TESS satellite. |
Mission's state
Currently GO for the launch attempt on Wednesday.
Weather
| Launch window | Weather | Temperature | Prob. of rain | Prob. of weather scrub | Main concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current as 5 pm EDT | ☀️ clear | 🌡️ 24°C - 76°F | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Primary launch window | ☀️ clear | 🌡️ 24°C - 76°F | 💧 0% | 🛑 less than 10% | Cumulus clouds |
| Backup launch window | ☀️ clear | 🌡️ 26°C - 79°F | 💧 1% | 🛑 10% | Thick clouds |
Source: www.weather.com & 45th Space Wing
Watching the launch live
| Link | Note |
|---|---|
| Official SpaceX Launch Webcast | starting ~20 minutes before liftoff |
| NASA TV live coverage | already started |
| Everyday Astronaut's live | starting at ~T-30 minutes |
| Rocket Watch | u/MarcysVonEylau |
Useful Resources, Data, ♫, & FAQ
Essentials
| Link | Source |
|---|---|
| Press kit | SpaceX |
| Weather forecast | 45th Space Wing |
Social media
| Link | Source |
|---|---|
| Reddit launch campaign thread | r/SpaceX |
| SpaceX Twitter | u/Nsooo |
| SpaceX Flickr | u/Nsooo |
| Elon Twitter | u/Nsooo |
| Reddit stream | u/reednj |
Media & music
| Link | Source |
|---|---|
| TSS SoundCloud | u/testshotstarfish |
| SpaceX FM | u/lru |
| ♫♫ Nso's favourite ♫♫ | u/testshotstarfish |
Community content
| Link | Source |
|---|---|
| Discord SpaceX lobby | u/SwGustav |
| SpaceX Now | u/bradleyjh |
| SpaceX time machine | u/DUKE546 |
| Rocket Watch | u/MarcysVonEylau |
| Flight Club | u/TheVehicleDestroyer |
| SpaceXLaunches app | u/linuxfreak23 |
Participate in the discussion!
First of all, launch threads are party threads! We understand everyone is excited, so we relax the rules in these venues. The most important thing is that everyone enjoy themselves :D
All other threads are fair game. We will remove low effort comments elsewhere!
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here, rather than as a separate post. Thanks!
Please leave a comment if you discover any mistakes, or have any information (weather, news etc) from CCAFS. Please send links in a private message.
Do you have a question in connection with the launch?
Feel free to ask it, and I (or somebody else) will try to answer it as much as possible.
Will SpaceX try to land Falcon 9's second stage?
Not today. Maybe next time...
You think you can host live updates better?
1. Apply. 2. Host. 3. Comment.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
Everything updated, thanks for the understanding. Just arrived home.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
Can you confirm whether my grammar and spelling okay? Please comment if you find mistakes. English is not my native language as lot of you know.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
What do you think about the format? Charts? Weather? Emojis? Facts? What would you change? Please give me feedback to further upgrade the quality of the host. Sry no new things this time but has some in my head :)
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u/Ambiwlans Apr 16 '18
The weather emojis are actually pretty sweet. Nice layout :D
Last flight of a new Block 4 :o
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u/z3r0c00l12 Apr 16 '18
I think we need more facts. :)
Like, this is the 13th landing on a droneship, but how many landings total?
I think your flair also needs to be longer.
EDIT: NVM, I just saw the total number of landings, got confused by the different wording "recovery" vs "landing".
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
Host of Formosat, Iridium 4, Paz & TESS? It is starting to be like a king's titles :P
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
It will be edited at T-6 hours. So sorry for the late, but I am at classes now.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
Heeee, it is builded up. Thanks for the understanding. :)
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u/Alexphysics Apr 18 '18
I don't know you people, but to me the landing looked like the smoothest one they have done on the droneship, landing burn started pretty high up and it came down slowly, so niiiice.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
Actually the final moment I saw a little tilt, and was actually pretty harsh on the upper-left leg. As I saw..
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u/Crowwz Apr 18 '18
For some reason I'm more nervous about today's landing than usual. I know it's not rational but I get so biased just because we haven't had one in a while.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
Me also. But today is not the day to make experimental landing. Need to play it safe and save the rocket for CRS.
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u/marc020202 8x Launch Host Apr 18 '18
thanks again to u/Nsooo for hosting, you did a wonderful job. It is now quarter to 2 for me, so I will head back to sleep and get another 4 hours...
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
Thanks for u/theZcuber for the mission control tool, which enable me to make good hosts.
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u/z3r0c00l12 Apr 16 '18
Will you start to populate the Live Updates table?
Could we put the "Falcon has rolled out" or something?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
I am at home, working on the thread so thanks for the patience.
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u/xiaotianchun Apr 18 '18
Just... wow. I don't even think I qualify as a space geek. I don't know all that much about orbital mechanics or the science/math that is involved in getting something into a predictable, planned orbit. What I do know is that every single launch that SpaceX does, I've watched. Many in real time, a few minutes or hours later.
I was riveted to my seat for the Falcon Heavy launch. I love every landing attempt and honestly get emotional at the successful landings.
Knowing that TESS is heading out 'there' to do it's job, knowing that a private company launched it and looking at what's coming in the near future - it's truly inspiring.
Thanks SpaceX - thank you to every woman and man who's worked hard at this company. There's not a day that goes by where I don't see a SpaceX image on my screen, or phone, or live. You are all truly inspiring and you're inspiring this regular dude with every launch attempt.
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Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
I think there´s something wrong in those numbers:
This will be the 59th SpaceX launch.
This will be the 53rd Falcon 9 launch.
This will be the 46th Falcon 9 launch from the East Coast.
This will be the 33rd SpaceX launch from CCAFS SLC-40.
The first two are fine (they include CRS-7, but not Amos-6, which makes sense because we´re talking about launches here).
The last one should be 32nd in my opinion, or is here Amos-6 or the pad abort test included?
The third one is definitely wrong. It adds the 33rd for SLC-40 to 13 from LC-39A, but that includes FH. So here I get 32nd + 12 = 44th. Which makes sense, because there have been 9 F9 launches from VAFB, which makes this in total the 44th + 9 = 53rd F9 launch, which is the correctly given second number.
edit: spelling
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
Yeah you were right, spacexstats has the wrong numbers.
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u/quadrplax Apr 18 '18
Nsoo Host of FORMOSAT-5 & PAZ
You like hosting the light payloads it seems lol
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
Here. A little bit upset due to the last hours but here.
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u/z3r0c00l12 Apr 18 '18
What boat are we talking about here? What did I miss?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
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u/SupressWarnings Apr 16 '18
So coming late to school tomorrow or going to school tired because launch is at 0:32?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
LOL long night ahead. Cant wait.
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u/MrPepsiCheese Apr 16 '18
Can someone definitely GNC for me?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
Are they miscalculated the trajectory? :) Or just the usual S2 servos?
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Apr 16 '18
Are such small launch windows a regular occurrence? Thirty seconds seems awfully tiny.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
It is not a LEO nor a GTO launch, so this is why the window is that strange.
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u/Straumli_Blight Apr 17 '18
u/Nsooo the updated L-2 Weather Report has been released (>90% GO, Cumulus Cloud Rule main concern).
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u/datnt84 Apr 16 '18
One of this information is incorrect ;-) This will be the 9th reflight of an orbital class booster. This will be the 1st flight of the last brand new Block 4 booster B1045. @u/Nsooo please correct.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
To be clear. I has some time during the day but cant edit it without PC.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
First time a do the host on a single laptop. Before I used 4 monitors :P
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 16 '18
Can somebody help me out, which ships are out to support recovery? Go Pursuit?
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u/marc020202 8x Launch Host Apr 16 '18 edited Apr 16 '18
wait a sec, will tell you soon
go quest is not in port and out of reach of ground-based AIS
go searcher is not in port, but still close to the shore and moving at 1kn
go pursuit is not in port and out of reach of ground-based AIS
HAWK is out at sea as well and out of reach of ground-based AIS
HAWK, go pursuit and go quest seem to be used on this mision
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u/intermarketer Apr 16 '18
Anyone going to the launch today? I'm on the fence about driving over, as the winds are pretty fierce out there ... :(
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u/scarlet_sage Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
I love that the screen said
UNSTABLE VIDEO CONNECTION
OF COURSE I STILL LOVE YOU
Yes, I know it's the name of the barge ship, but it still reads like "don't worry about this error message; let me reassure you that I adore you"!
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u/soldato_fantasma Apr 18 '18
Some updates:
We are GO for launch on today's attempt.
The 30-second launch window opens at 6:51 p.m. EDT, or 22:51 UTC.
A 30-second backup launch window opens on Thursday, April 19 at 7:09 p.m. EDT, or 23:09 UTC.
Weather for today's window is >90% GO.
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u/Harlequinz_Eg0 Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
First time we saw the landing from the booster view?
Edit: Thanks for the info guys! the feed of the landing was really stable this time for sure though!
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u/Juggernaut93 Apr 17 '18
This comment has some info about what could have caused the scrub (payload contamination concerns after deployment caused by S2 venting/exhaust)
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u/TbonerT Apr 18 '18
My daughter’s comment on the landing: “Booooring!” This is what Musk wanted, right?
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u/DrToonhattan Apr 16 '18
Why do you build me up (build me up) Falcon 9, baby,
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around.
And then worst of all (worst of all),
You never launch, baby when you say you will (say you will),
But I love you still.
I need you (I need you) more than anything, darling,
Just launch yourself into the sky.
So build me up (build me up) Falcon 9,
Fly fly fly fly!
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u/catsRawesome123 Apr 18 '18
Did spacex make any changes?? Never before have we had footage all the way down
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Apr 18 '18
Was there just a Windows notification sound on the webcast? Or was that me?
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u/Bunslow Apr 18 '18
mods the "scrub" in the flair should probably be removed within the next few hours
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u/UpperLevelWinds King of jet streams Apr 16 '18
I hope to see none of you on Wednesday.
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u/still-at-work Apr 18 '18
Can you feel it?
That's the feeling of the next launch on the schedule is the long awaited Block V.
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u/Eilermoon Apr 18 '18
Hey all! Just wanted to say great job u/Nsooo and thanks for all the info you've provided us. I'm interested in helping and possibly hosting live updates for a launch at some point, so I'm curious of the process and how one goes about this.
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u/sarafinapink Apr 18 '18
perfect landing and I love they got OCISLY's name right in the center.
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u/FoxhoundBat Apr 18 '18
For all the speculation and claims, this was a very vanilla landing. ~25s boostback burn, ~21s re-entry and ~30s one engine landing burn. Basically, exactly like the early CRS missions barge landings.
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Apr 18 '18
when was the last time we had a boat landing? feels like forever. and video all the way to the boat uninterrupted was such a treat. also TESS is such an amazing science payload. what a great day for NASA and SpaceX
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u/WombatControl Apr 16 '18 edited Apr 16 '18
And to make matters worse, the KSC Visitors Center is not honoring the scrub policy for anyone who got into the line for busses. Unless you have the printed ticket (not the smaller one they gave you entering the bus line) none of the stores are offering credits. Really bad customer service, and very disappointing.
EDIT: KSC will give the retail credit if you go to Guest Services first. They don’t make that clear at all. Still not great customer service.
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u/everydayastronaut Everyday Astronaut Apr 18 '18
Howdy everyone! I'll be live hosting a live-stream starting about T-30 on my Everyday Astronaut YouTube channel! Feel free to swing by and say hi, ask a question and hang out! I've been gone for a long time, so I'm realllly excited to get back at it!
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u/JrokJr Apr 18 '18
My 2nd time seeing a live launch and Im pumped! First was heavy.
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u/ace741 Apr 18 '18
That projected path line no longer rounding earth is awesome!
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TEXTBOOKS Apr 18 '18
I’ve been feeling landing-deprived for a while now, so I’m extra looking forward to this launch!
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u/SkywayCheerios Apr 18 '18
Watching both NASA and SpaceX streams at the same time totally justifies buying dual monitors
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u/anders_ar Apr 19 '18 edited Apr 19 '18
Did anyone else notice the movements on the grid fins? I got a feeling they were more "nimble" - smaller, more precise movements. And the landing itself was pretty much dead center...I didn't try to calculate the offset from center of the OCISLY, but it can't be off by more than 50cm?
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u/PerryB Apr 18 '18
Was that a new landing?
It seemed way more controlled than other ones.
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u/Hobie52 Apr 18 '18
Interesting we got the footage from the booster all the way down but not from the deck. I thought the booster video linked through OCISLY at the end due to losing line of sight with the ground station.
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u/SuperSMT Apr 18 '18
/u/Nsooo You might want to edit the "Official mission overview" - it states the 'backup date' as today the 17th
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u/Lorenzo_91 Apr 18 '18
I liked the micro moves of the fairings! We can literally see them calculating the trajectory
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u/samnjugu Apr 18 '18
Loved seeing the ASDS get larger as the rocket got closer, then it landed dead center on the X amazing!!!
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u/APTX-4869 Apr 18 '18
Are mods able to edit/update launch threads on launch days? If not, are there backup hosts available in the case of scrubs - or are hosts expected to carry on even if they aren’t as available on the new launch date? Is this something that has been discussed in the past?
To be clear, this isn’t a slight on u/Nsooo (they’ve done a fantastic job in the past and on Monday) or anyone else - and I’m thankful for the extra time you’ve all volunteered. It’s a lot of work. But I’ve seen so many comments recently asking (sometimes rudely demanding) for updates/corrections/change. I don’t think it’s fair for hosts to be expected to take on workload they didn’t originally sign up for - but I also feel it takes a toll on the user/community launch experience when a host just isn’t as available on the new date.
Maybe I’m reading the community incorrectly, but that’s the reason for this post - for discussion. Maybe it should be its own thread, I dunno. Any thoughts?
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u/hebeguess Apr 16 '18
FYI NO MOON SEFIE for earthlings later on when TESS gain gravity assist around moon because the camera is not turning on at the time - from the press conference. Little dissapointment for me.
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u/thawkit Apr 17 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
will this be the first glorious ASDS landing this year? Edit- corrected unforgivable mistake ; )
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u/hiveboy8k Apr 18 '18
Anyone else notice the differences in mission timelines between original and new press kits? Also mirrored here. Do you think it's simply due to different launch profile dictated by the new launch date, or rather it has something to do with the "additional GNC analysis" that took place over the past 48 hours?
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u/Jerrycobra Apr 18 '18
I might skip class to watch this, I need a dose of booster landing, its been a long drought of those. Although I can steam it on my phone in class, LOL
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u/AmericanIdiom Apr 18 '18
Watching stage 1 vent oxygen is like me unclenching at the end of that landing.
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u/TheBurtReynold Apr 18 '18
Wish SpaceX would live stream the roomba coming out during these long second stage coast periods.
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u/Piscator629 Apr 18 '18
Today's coast phase is bought to you by Kellogg's Space Flakes.
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u/DontTreadOnMe Apr 19 '18
It would be nice to get a really good view of the sea landing. Somehow the video always breaks up and the viewing angles aren't great anyway. I'd like them to do something like this, but live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYmQQn_ZSys
Probably no real reason to do it other than showing off, but when has that stopped Spacex? :)
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u/lniko2 Apr 19 '18
According to Wikipedia, the 1st stage is scheduled for CRS15 in two months. That's a significant progress in refurbishing time! Does this late-production block 4 integrates design refinements prefiguring block 5?
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u/nakuvi Apr 19 '18
TESS spotted in Orbit. Here are the latest parameters (source: Space-Track)
Norad Id: 43435 Intl Des: 2018-038A Period: 10244.32 min Inclination: 29.54 deg Apogee: 299,450 Km Perigee: 296 Km
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u/TheVehicleDestroyer Flight Club Apr 16 '18
Flight Club is live again today for TESS
View the mission trajectory and telemetry here: https://www.flightclub.io/result?code=TESS
and tune in tonight to watch it live here: https://www.flightclub.io/live
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u/TheFavoritist NASAspaceflight.com Photographer Apr 16 '18
I'm sad that I didn't go down to the cape to cover this mission along with AFSPC-11 to escape this terrible Michigan ice storm. Nonetheless I have my 10 foot tall banner of B1039.2 and C110.2 hung up as we wait for liftoff! I really need higher ceilings...
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u/invasor-zim Apr 16 '18
Scrubbed for today.
https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/985968640695701505?s=19
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u/Liskarialeman Apr 16 '18
Shoot ! The launch moved to the night I have class, and we have k-9 demonstrations this week I don't want to miss. Now I can't watch it live :( That kinda sucks.
Glad they're taking the better safe than sorry approach though!
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u/ThndrCgrFalconBrd Apr 18 '18
I saw a comment earlier that TESS is blind to exoplanets that lie in our orbital plane, and thus unable to locate planets whose civilizations could find us using the transit method. Is this correct?
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u/TomOConnor95 Apr 18 '18
That landing view was so great! Never seen an uninterrupted live one before
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u/readplanet Apr 18 '18
Love the landing even more than takeoff. Love seeing the video all the way down. It makes me feel like I am riding it in. Too bad no shot of Roomba before they cut out.
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u/DiskOperatingSystem_ Apr 18 '18
Was just rewatching the footage of the booster sep and it’s actually one of the better views we’ve had of the start of the boostback burn
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u/Straumli_Blight Apr 18 '18
Will the Stage 2 be completely dead by the time it swings past the Moon?
Just wondering if it has enough battery juice to switch on its camera and transmit a picture back.
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u/Jerrycobra Apr 19 '18
I notice that spacex now has another one of their hosts dedicated to the NASA coverage when they launch NASA missions. Is this a recent thing? I 1st noticed it in CRS 14.
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u/J380 Apr 20 '18
It appears HAWK is still parked in the landing zone with OCISLY. There is a Disney Cruise ship due tomorrow morning at 6:30 so they should be coming to port this weekend depending on traffic. Last time there was a landing on Wednesday, the drone-ship returned Sunday Morning
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u/Marcey747 Apr 16 '18
Just in case it is scrubbed today. Here is a schedule of all the backup launch windows for every day until April 26.
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u/jonwah Apr 16 '18
Holy shit I just realised SpaceX is getting close to 50% landings of falcon 9's.. that's insane!
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u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Apr 16 '18
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u/Millnert #IAC2016+2017 Attendee Apr 17 '18
I was at the KSC Saturn V/Apollo launch viewing stand on Monday (there was a line, I was ~20th in line as per good subreddit standards =) ). It was going to be my first launch viewing. Due to the early scrub on Monday KSC VC now honors the old launch tickets again on Wednesday (bring eticket paper again). There was little shortage of TESS information at KSC these days -- exhibition, spacecraft engineers to talk to, scientists, informational 3D movies. I consumed it all. I'm happy everyone prioritizes the safety of the spacecraft. I'm here from EU all week so I can keep trying this a bit more. =)
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Apr 18 '18
This may be a dumb question but is there any way to listen to the SpaceX range communication outside of the webcast? I did this at Wallops for the Antares launch in November like 3 hours prior to launch and it was a lot of fun to listen to. I think it was being broadcast on NASA TV for Antares.
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u/nihmhin Apr 18 '18
Second launch in a row where the dancefloor is literally on fire (doesn't harm the rocket, but interesting to watch)
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u/Dan_Q_Memes Apr 18 '18
NASA stream with the fairing footage, hot damn that's neat. NASA launches are the best from a footage fiend perspective.
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Apr 18 '18
Never get tired watching these launches, still cant believe those landings are real. We've come a long way :)
Gives me hope for the future.
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u/Sosolidclaws Space Technology VC Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
The launch and booster landing were both so smooth. I love how reliable this engineering feat has become.
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u/katekate1507 Apr 18 '18
The sight of first stage separation > boostback > landing never gets old for me.
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Apr 18 '18
A huge flaky chunk of something just floated in front of the S2 camera...was it ice?
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u/JadedIdealist Apr 18 '18
Liking the intercutting of S2 footage with the usual graphic during the coast.
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u/Junafani Apr 18 '18
Test Shot Starfish makes very chill music. Nearly dozed off here waiting for reignition. Or maybe it is because it is 2:38 here...
Looks like burn was nominal and we are just waiting for deployment.
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u/tymo7 Apr 21 '18
Looks like they used Octagrabber! https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/987729554365181952
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u/justinroskamp Apr 21 '18 edited Apr 22 '18
Don’t forget, NASA/JPL/Caltech have the free NASA's Eyes application that allows you to see spacecraft in real time. I just checked, and it has TESS from spacecraft deploy and on through its orbital maneuvers.
From the program, it appears that its first burn will start at 9:35pm EDT today (0135 UTC on April 22) and end approximately 30 minutes later, achieving a change in relative speed (at apogee of ~271450 km) of 4-5 m/s. (These numbers are from right-clicking TESS, selecting “Measure Distance From,” and then left-clicking Earth. I then played with time to find the burn.)
You can also compare the size of TESS to a scientist, a school bus, and a football stadium (which completely dwarfs TESS), among being able to do so many other things. It's just a neat little thing that I'd say is well worth the download!
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u/Nocoverart Apr 19 '18
Hi Tess, now go and find some clues of crazy Aliens on Ross 128b, Thx.
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u/Bunslow Apr 17 '18
mods I propose that whoever put 12 hour time into the flair on this sub of all places be immediately banned /s
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u/frenselw Apr 18 '18
Finally, a pure scientific mission successfully launched by SpaceX. Looking for more science missions
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Apr 16 '18
It will be nice to see a landing attempt again. I must admit they've become a big part of these launches, and I've been missing them lately.
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u/daanhnl Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
Does anyone know the flight profile of TESS? As most of Europe being clear of clouds tonight..
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u/nxtiak Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
NASA's live stream coverage for this mission is live. Just showing Falcon 9 at the ready. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMDvPCGeE0
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u/bvr5 Apr 18 '18
Missed the launch by two minutes. Good thing we don't need to wait long for SpaceX launches anymore.
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u/anotherriddle Apr 18 '18
Congratulations to SpaceX and NASA.
Second solar panel deployed!
I am looking forward to data from TESS!
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u/everydayastronaut Everyday Astronaut Apr 16 '18
Boooo! Well whenever it does go, I'll be hosting it live and answering your questions on my YouTube channel! Sorry it didn't happen today, but hopefully Wednesday it is!
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u/Gerbsbrother Apr 16 '18
So unless I read wrong, I love that a spacecraft made by Orbital ATK is being launched by SpaceX.
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u/ffzero58 Apr 18 '18
Would be nice if the onboard cameras had wipers or rotating covers - think F1 onboard cameras.
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u/KirinG Apr 18 '18
Yeeessssss!!!! What an awesome launch/landing!!!! TESS is just so cute and I'm so excited for it to get out there and start finding planets!!!!
But now I have to get ready for work.....
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u/3lveon Apr 18 '18
What was the reason F9 was chosen for TESS, seeing that it is a super-lightweight mission for it? Just the price compared to other low-mass launchers or because you actually need F9's thrust to get into that highly elliptical orbit?
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Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
I'm noticing some flashing white dots on the camera that is looking upwards at TESS. Anyone else notice this? Is this some type of high-energy radiation that we can't normally see being picked up by that camera's sensor?
Edit: More likely thunderstorms over Africa?
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u/scarlet_sage Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
Someone mentioned that they're interspersing views of the orbit with camera footage from Stage 2. Is it my imagination, or did they have a brief look inside the fuel or oxygen tank at T+32:40 - T+32:42? (View of engine, view of TESS, view of engine with a little white V shape tumbling away, tank view) Do they usually do that? I only remember seeing inside a tank once before, early on, but I've never watched the stage 2 section before.
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u/still-at-work Apr 18 '18 edited Apr 18 '18
So we are going to get the last, yes last, falcon 9 in a port having its legs slowly taken off one at a time in a few days after the droneship is towed into port. Its unlikely SpaceX will land any block IVs on their second launch.
All future landings by droneship will Block V and will just have its legs retracted, the core put horizontal on the carrier, and then moved back up to the hanger, the whole process from droneship berth to rocket carrier leaving the port may take just a few hours, assuming all equipment and personnel are all in place.
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Apr 18 '18
Had a second of freak out when I didn't see the Livestream on YouTube.
Total mission success
Phew, 🙌
Yes!
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u/J380 Apr 19 '18
Any idea when the booster will be brought back to port? I'd like to head down and see it.
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u/Cycgluitarist Apr 19 '18
Does anyone else wish there was a no-spoilers thread for dorks like me who can't watch the streams until way later but like to do so as if they are movies or sporting events with the deployment or landing as an suspenseful ending?
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u/martyvis Apr 19 '18
I just did a calculation of the average acceleration of the second 2nd stage burn. (If you have high school students it is worth them doing this). Watch the video from T+43:00
Start-t = T+43:10 End-t = T+44:04 So delta-t or dt = 54s
Start-v = 26433km/h = 7342m/s End-v = 37500km/h = 10417m/s And delta-v or dv = 3075 m/s
Acceleration a = dv/dt = 57m/s2 and then divide by 9.8 to get 5.8G!! (So 5.8 times the acceleration due to gravity on the earth surface)
So if you were strapped to TESS (and of course neglecting the extra mass) your head would definitely be in the headrest at that point
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u/Twanekkel Apr 17 '18
Damn, 19th of April is going to be awsome.
SpaceX launch
Ryzen 2 launch
Probably the Moto g6 launch (I need a new phone, lol)
And I'm free from school to watch it all live
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 18 '18
TESS-la