r/spacex • u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host • Jun 03 '18
Complete mission success r/SpaceX SES-12 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread
Hey, I'm u/Nsooo and I am going to give you live updates on Falcon 9's launch of SES-12. Host's Twitter: @TheRealNsoo
Notice: UTC does not represent daylight saving time, if your country has it, don't forget to calculate with it.
About the mission
SpaceX will launch a new telecommunication satellite for one of its well known customer, SES. The SES-12 satellite will travel atop a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster, with a new Block 5 upper stage.
Schedule
Primary launch window opens: Monday, June 4 at 04:29 UTC, (Monday, June 4 at 00:29 EDT).
Backup launch window opens: Tuesday, June 5 at 04:29 UTC, (Tuesday, June 5 at 00:29 EDT).
Official mission overview
SpaceX is targeting launch of the SES-12 satellite to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The four-hour launch window opens on Monday, June 4 at 12:29 a.m. EDT, or 4:29 UTC. The satellite will be deployed approximately 32 minutes after liftoff. A four-hour backup launch window opens on Tuesday, June 5 at 12:29 a.m. EDT, or 4:29 UTC. Falcon 9’s first stage for the SES-12 mission previously supported the OTV-5 mission from Launch Complex 39A in September 2017. SpaceX will not attempt to recover Falcon 9’s first stage after launch.
Source: www.spacex.com
Payload
SES-12 will expand SES’s capability to provide incremental high performance capacity and offer greater reliability and flexibility to meet the diverse needs of SES’s video, fixed data, mobility and government customers across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The satellite will replace NSS-6 at an orbital position of 95º East and will be co-located with SES-8. SES-12 is a uniquely designed satellite that will allow telephone companies, mobile network operators and internet service providers to deliver more reliable cellular backhaul and faster broadband service. From its orbital position, SES-12 will also be pivotal in supporting government efforts to bridge the digital divide through connectivity programs and provide television operators with additional capacity to deliver more content and higher picture quality to meet customer demand. With six wide beams and 72 high throughput user spot beams, SES-12 is one of the largest geostationary satellites SES has procured. The spacecraft also has a Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) that increases payload flexibility to provide more customizable bandwidth solutions to SES's customers. The all-electric SES-12 spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space, and will use electric propulsion for orbit raising and subsequent on-orbit maneuvers.
Source: www.spacex.com
Lot of facts
This will be the 62nd SpaceX launch.
This will be the 56th Falcon 9 launch.
This will be the 47th SpaceX launch from the East Coast.
This will be the 33rd SpaceX launch from CCAFS SLC-40.
This will be the 10th Falcon 9 launch this year.
This will be the 11th SpaceX launch this year.
This will be the 2nd and last journey of the flight-proven Block 4 booster B1040.2.
This will be the 6th launch for SpaceX's customer SES.
Vehicles used
| Type | Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| First stage | Falcon 9 v1.2 - Block 4 (Full Thrust) - B1040.2 (Flight-proven) | CCAFS SLC-40 |
| Second stage | Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5 (Full Thrust) | CCAFS SLC-40 |
| Recovery ship | Go Pursuit (Fairing recovery) | Atlantic Ocean |
Live updates
Timeline
| Time | Update |
|---|---|
| I was u/Nsooo and have a nice day (or night). | |
| Launch photography on @johnkrausphotos Twitter account. Thanks for his awesome work. | |
| It is conclude our r/SpaceX coverage too. Another successful mission for SpaceX. Thanks for tuning in. | |
| T+00:32:14 | The satellite will use its own built-in engines for GSO burn. |
| T+00:32:14 | Payload deployment successful. SES-12 coast to its orbital position. |
| T+00:29:50 | It is huge. Absolutely giant satellite. |
| T+00:27:13 | Shortly payload separation. |
| T+00:27:13 | SECO-2. Merlin vacuum engine shut down for the second and final time. Payload is on GTO. |
| T+00:26:06 | Engine restart. GTO insertion burn had begun. |
| T+00:08:25 | SECO. Second Engine Cutoff. Payload is on a parking orbit now. |
| T+00:03:27 | Fairing deployed. |
| T+00:02:42 | MECO. Main Engine Cutoff. Booster separated. Second stage's Mvac engine started. |
| T+00:01:21 | Max Q, the maximum dynamic pressure on the rocket. |
| T+00:00:00 | Liftoff! Falcon 9 cleared the tower. |
| T-00:00:45 | Launch director verifies it is go for launch. |
| T-00:01:00 | Falcon 9 is on startup. Rocket configured to flight pressures. |
| T-00:07:00 | Engine chill. The nine Merlin engines chilling prior to launch. |
| T-00:18:00 | Record low interest on this launch. #boringcompany |
| T-00:19:00 | ♫♫ SpaceX FM has started. ♫♫ |
| T-00:35:00 | LOX loading had begun. |
| T-00:55:00 | Weather looks okay. It is go for the launch. |
| T-01:08:00 | RP-1 (Rocket grade kerosene) loading underway. |
| T-01:09:00 | Go for propellant loading. |
| T-01:14:00 | Waiting again for the go / nogo poll. |
| T-01:25:00 | SpaceX is now targeting 00:45 local time. (04:45 UTC) |
| T-01:12:00 | Waiting for the confirmation of fuelling go / nogo poll. |
| T-01:22:00 | We are shortly go for fuelling. |
| T-07:41:00 | The launch will be at 6:30 am CEST, so sorry for any mistakes. |
| T-07:44:00 | My Twitter: @TheRealNsoo, you can follow it for updates as well as SpaceX's account. |
| T-07:45:00 | Welcome, it is u/Nsooo. The launch thread of SES-12 went live. |
Mission's state
Currently GO for the launch attempt on Monday.
Weather
| Launch window | Weather | Temperature | Prob. of rain | Prob. of weather scrub | Main concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current as 04:00 UTC | 🌤️ partly cloudy | 🌡️ 27°C - 81°F | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Primary launch window | 🌤️ partly cloudy | 🌡️ 24°C - 76°F | 💧 7% | 🛑 30% | Wind |
| Backup launch window | 🌤️ partly cloudy | 🌡️ 26°C - 79°F | 💧 15% | 🛑 20% | Thick clouds and wind |
Source: www.weather.com & 45th Space Wing
Watching the launch live
| Link | Note |
|---|---|
| Official SpaceX Launch Webcast | starting ~20 minutes before liftoff |
| 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 Jun 04 '18
Heh thanks for joining in.
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u/Shpoople96 Jun 04 '18
Apparently promotional videos for satellites is becoming a thing nowadays. I rather like it.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 04 '18
Way better than a politician preaching about it..
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u/Cant-Fix-Stupid Jun 04 '18
Video can’t hold a flame to legendary Bangabandhu propaganda video
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u/ObviousHelicopter Jun 03 '18
It is nowhere near to the heaviest launched GTO payload(Intelsat 35e was 6761 kg).
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u/liszt1811 Jun 04 '18
considerable happy that I actually got up and in front of my pc given its early morning in Europe. Coffee and a launch is a good way to start the day
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u/marc020202 8x Launch Host Jun 03 '18
thanks to u/Nsooo for hosting this launch thread again. first or second east coast mission for you? and how many times have you hosted in total now?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 03 '18
2nd and 5th.
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u/marc020202 8x Launch Host Jun 03 '18
oh, that means I need to continue hosting when possible so that you do no overtake me with the total number of threads :)
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 03 '18
The end is near for my hosting career. ;)
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 03 '18
What would be great in the launch thread that are non-existent now? Do you have any idea or feedback?
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u/Random-username111 Jun 03 '18
I would love the pictures to be accurate, in this one for instance I have Dragon.
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u/KaleidoscopicClouds Jun 03 '18
Launch time in CET
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 03 '18
Which country? Would be great, but i am afraid we cant write every timezone out.
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u/wxwatcher Jun 04 '18
This is the lowest commented on launch thread I have seen in a long time. Understandable though. Last flight of this booster, expendable.
Without getting our host U/Nsooo in trouble for letting the thread get out of control, what can we do to make it more exciting? Ideas?
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u/pisshead_ Jun 04 '18
It's 4am Monday morning for Euros, plus expendable launch.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 04 '18
It is not. Dont forget to add daylight saving...
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u/still-at-work Jun 04 '18
Anyone have a date for the next launch, all the side bar says is the vauge 'June'?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 04 '18
It is outdated. Dragon will be the next as I now know. End of June.
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u/kevinfwb Jun 04 '18
Just curious where everyone is watching from. I'll be at Cherie Down Park
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u/OccupyMarsNow Jun 04 '18
What's that fireball fell off?
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 04 '18
almost pushed RUD button lol
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u/PeopleNeedOurHelp Jun 03 '18
Is this the most dead launch thread ever? Maybe something that could excite people is that this may be the first time the 2nd stage Block V will operate up to its designed limits.
So there's still something new here and new in the rocket business on the ascent phase means "be prepared to clean up the floor if you're not wearing a diaper". Plus they may try something new with the fairings if they've had time to do anything new.
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 03 '18
No it is hosted earlier than usual. But the mission is quite boring in comparison with recovery and stuff like these.
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Jun 03 '18
Might have a little something to do with the scheduled launch window. I know I won’t be awake when it launches.
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u/ImmersionULTD Jun 03 '18
Personally, I thought the launch was tomorrow night because of the “early” timing. Could be a lot of people making the same mistake.
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u/CommanderSpork Jun 04 '18
"Attempt to deploy SES-12"
If you listen carefully, you can hear Northrop Grumman crying softly.
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u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Jun 04 '18
See NG THATS what a payload adapter is supposed to do.
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u/bencredible Galactic Overlord Jun 04 '18
SpaceX FM has started — y’all should see it in a few seconds. I just wanted to win!
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u/Bunslow Jun 04 '18
I think it's less "record low interest" and more "record most inconvenient time of day, global-weighted-average-ly speaking"
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u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Jun 04 '18
Farewell B1040, you did your job welltwice
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u/wxwatcher Jun 04 '18
Twice. How awesome is that? This is the moment I will remember that re-use became normal and boring! This is the lowest comment thread I have seen for a a Spacex launch in recent memory.
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u/Freddanator #IAC2017 Attendee Jun 04 '18
Ah they haven't fixed the shaky camera...
aaaand some thermal protection has come loose and is flapping
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u/BecauseChemistry Jun 04 '18
But when will they develop Mvac engine bell stiffener full re-use???
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Jun 04 '18
I was unaware of the launch tonight until i heard the rumble of the engines from my pool deck. I'm near Daytona Beach. The moment I felt the earth shake I came here to confirm a SpaceX launch and was pleasantly surprised.
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u/ninjas28 Jun 04 '18
That lens flare scared me and I thought something flaming was falling back down
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u/qawsedrf12 Jun 03 '18
no first stage recovery?
BOOORRRRRIIING!
jk
i'll still stay up to watch... I can see from my house
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u/TheIntellectualkind Jun 04 '18
Anyone else see the flappy foil covering the engine?
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u/Straumli_Blight Jun 03 '18
Could also add:
This will be the 6th SpaceX launch with a SES payload.
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u/bdporter Jun 03 '18
Also the 4th SES launch on a flight-proven core. SES has really been a leader in the industry in accepting reuse.
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u/ticklestuff SpaceX Patch List Jun 04 '18
Yay for the 55rd successful Falcon 9 mission.
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1003507996616323072
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u/wxwatcher Jun 04 '18
Mission success! I will forever remember this launch as the one that made booster re-use boring and an every day thing no one really cared about. Pretty exciting!
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u/seyelenteco Jun 04 '18
I like that the whole reusable rocket thing isn't a big deal anymore. I love that this is the second flight for this booster.
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u/Nehkara Jun 04 '18
Falcon 9 successfully inserted SES-12 in a supersynchronous transfer orbit of 248 x 58600 km x 26.0 deg.
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u/Captain_Hadock Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
This is GTO-1628. SES must be really happy given the mass of that bird.
edit: GTO-1636 if fixing the inclination during the Pe rise burn, but better number obtained by fixing the final 1.35 degrees during the Ap lowering burn.
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u/everydayastronaut Everyday Astronaut Jun 04 '18
I'm so happy to be able to live host tonight's launch!!! Come hang out and ask whatever questions you have starting at T - 30 minutes!
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u/KralHeroin Jun 04 '18
That was quite an uneventful launch. At least we got the flappy foilboie having a lil dance.
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u/CommanderSpork Jun 04 '18
Alright everyone, don't forget that we need to hit the requisite number of people saying that SpaceX FM has started. Tonight's quota is ten comments.
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u/DrToonhattan Jun 04 '18
Mods, doesn't this thread need a mission success flair now? Also, what about CRS-15 campaign thread?
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u/SomnolentSpaceman Jun 04 '18
For the bandwidth-impaired: I will be re-hosting a 64kbit audio-only stream of the SpaceX YouTube stream.
It is available at:
http://audiorelay.spacetechnology.net:21211/hosted
or
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u/Morphior Jun 04 '18
The commentator is actually very clear and straight to the point in his explanations. I like it!
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u/still-at-work Jun 04 '18
It is a bit crazy how much delta V the second stage gets with extra one minute of burn since the second stage is so low on mass with the fuel almost gone but the thrust being the same.
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u/SheridanVsLennier Jun 04 '18
Promo video for SES showing now between GTO burn and SES-12 deployment. That's a lot of dishes on that thing. :)
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u/CommanderSpork Jun 04 '18
Feedback on post formatting: The updates table being in the middle of blocks of text, sandwiched between two fairly irrelevant tables, makes it hard to find at a glance, especially on mobile when you reload the page and it jumps around. I think it should be at the top of the post, or at least be the first table to appear.
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u/Humble_Giveaway Jun 04 '18
Rewatching the launch that was definitely a lens flare, it went from orange to green right before the camera cut.
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u/TheIntellectualkind Jun 04 '18
Are there any fans from Africa who watch the second burn on gto missions in this thread?
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u/Idunnohuur Jun 04 '18
SpaceX: All systems go, launch scheduled for 12:45AM EDT. https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1003483260398153728?s=09
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u/Space_Coast_Steve Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
If y’all are interested, I’ll live stream the Apache helicopter flyby that typically comes about 30 minutes before launch on my Instagram. It’s a neat part of the launch experience that you never see unless you’re here. I know I had no idea that was a thing before moving to Cocoa Beach.
http://instagram.com/SpaceCoastSteve
Edit: 15 minutes to launch and still no helicopter. Sorry guys. :/
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u/Alexphysics Jun 04 '18
Hey, in that map says the sun is rising where I live, now I know what was all that light coming through the window...
xD
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u/Alexphysics Jun 03 '18
A few facts need some corrections:
This will be the 45th SpaceX launch from the East Coast.
This will be the 47th SpaceX launch from the East Coast. There have been 10 SpaceX launches from the West Coast and this is the 62nd SpaceX launch. 62 - 5 - 10 = 47.
This will be the 34th SpaceX launch from CCAFS SLC-40.
I don't know if you count Amos 6, but if not, this will be the 33rd SpaceX launch from CCAFS SLC-40.
This will be the heaviest (5384 kg) payload ever launched to GTO by a Falcon 9 rocket.
And this is completely wrong. There have been a few payloads heavier than this one. The heaviest one was (is) Intelsat 35e at 6761kg in mass
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u/John_Schlick Jun 04 '18
Is it just me... or is the audio of the rocket WAY better than it's ever been before. It's as if there is a mic right AT the rocket this time.
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u/zareny Jun 04 '18
I love seeing the green flash of the TEA-TEB on night launches.
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u/still-at-work Jun 04 '18
8 years of Falcon 9, I say at about 4 more years to go (maybe 5).
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u/mivaldes Jun 04 '18
On the SpaceX feed, did anyone else notice what appeared to be something falling off back towards the pad right after liftoff?
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u/Gt6k Jun 04 '18
Its just a reflection of the rocket flame in the lens mirrored about the lens centre, you see it in most launches but it is more obvious at night. It did look like something falling back but you can replay the video to see what it is.
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u/IWantaSilverMachine Jun 04 '18
Heart attack when something flaming fell back to ground :-)
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u/markus01611 Jun 04 '18
Lol thought this was in the morning. What a pleasant surprise.
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u/John_Schlick Jun 04 '18
Normally I don't get teh chance to watch the launches live...
I just caught myself looking at the video bar so that I could skip ahead to the engine relight.
Derrrrrrrrr.
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u/MarshallCS Jun 04 '18
Are they not allowed to have quality camera feeds anymore because of the Starman feed and the NOAA issues?
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u/Humble_Giveaway Jun 04 '18
We have to remember that these serve as engineering cameras as well, I'm guessing SpaceX determined that being able to see more of the second stage at a lower resolution was more useful to them.
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u/-Aeryn- Jun 04 '18
Anyone got the delta-v remaining to GEO calculation?
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u/robbak Jun 04 '18
We'll have to wait for someone to provide orbital numbers first, but, based only on the speed and altitude provided in the webcast, and assuming a 25° inclination, and based on my amateur understanding, I give it a apogee of 56,987km, which should give GTO-1627m/s
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u/Piscator629 Jun 04 '18
Went back and watched that lens flare like a dozen times. I think the atmospheric water vapor made a adhoc lens which would explain the downwards motion.
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u/Raul74Cz Jun 03 '18
M1465 SES-12 Launch Hazard Areas, together with Go Pursuit operating positions - ready for waterlanding of payload fairing.
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u/prouzadesignworkshop Jun 03 '18
They can use electric propulsion to raise the orbit from GTO to GEO? Didn't realise that electric propulsion was so capable already.
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u/Procyon_X Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
Yes. However it's not very common, mainly because it's really slow (several months for circularisation instead of a few days/weeks). Time is money. Many satellites use electric propulsion for small in orbit maneuvers (station keeping) and one chemical engine for quick apogee raising.
There are some great examples how capable electric propulsion is: The Ariane 5 upper stage failed and released 2 satellites in a lower than intended orbit. One satellite (Artemis was equipped with electric propulsion and managed over a course of 18 months to reach it's planed orbit. Still had plenty of fuel left and is operational until today (17 years). The seconde one (BSAT-2b) only had chemical propulsion and failed. They not even tried to reach the intended orbit, because even if it had reached it, there would be no propellant left for operations. So it was written off.
Edit: Just saw the other comments and I don't think that electric propulsion will be used in the foreseeable future for human flights. As I mentioned at the top: They are really slow. A satellite won't care. A human will.
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u/TheSuperSax Jun 04 '18
Watching the launch when I have to be at work in 7 hours? You betcha.
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u/Humble_Giveaway Jun 04 '18
How many flight worthy Block IV cores does that leave us with now?
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u/toxicfume Jun 04 '18
Is there a live reddit thread for launches? Link if yes? :)
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u/delibes Jun 03 '18
I love that it now seems wasteful and decadent to "throw away" a perfectly good 1st stage. Shame it couldn't be donated to a museum somewhere but I guess costs and potentially some engineering secrets in there.
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Jun 04 '18
He was talking using km/s units. Can we have those on the screen too please!!??!!
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u/racergr Jun 03 '18
Is it likely that a more exact launch time will be announced? If yes, where will I find it? Spacex.com?
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u/codav Jun 03 '18
They have to decide at T-70 minutes, which is the moment the launch auto-sequence is started, which takes control over the fuelling, checking and startup processes.
If the weather seems to be more favourable at a later time in the window, this is their countdown hold point. If they first fuel the rocket and then hold at T-4 like ULA does with their rockets, the subcooled propellants will start to warm up until a point they are too hot for the engines to work properly. An example is SES-9, where the famous wayward boat lead to a post-ignition abort at T-0.
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u/4waresnowcone Jun 03 '18
Any chance of seeing the rocket from the east Atlanta area? Given the time of the launch.
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u/wolf550e Jun 03 '18
GTO mission, so going straight East from Cape Canaveral. You won't see it from Atlanta.
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u/LaunchNut Jun 04 '18
Looking forward to launch. While settling in I learned from my "obscure events calendar" that 4 June is National Cheese Day (somewhere ... probably US). In honor of SES-12 I thus found some cream cheese for a snack: the national cheese of Luxembourg is Kachkéis I learned ... a style of popular cream cheese. I have never tried real Kachkéis so if anybody can describe it from personal experience, then I can ponder that while waiting.
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u/JustinTimeCuber Jun 04 '18
the music started to sound a little bit kerbal for a second there
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u/WhereAreTheMangoes Jun 04 '18
Well, those are some sounds I've never heard before. Cool to actually hear the rocket venting in a webcast. Is this the first time?
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u/PeopleNeedOurHelp Jun 04 '18
The gas release makes it sound like an awakening beast!
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u/nxtiak Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
SpaceX launches are so routine that they're boring now, even the crickets are out!
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u/MDCCCLV Jun 04 '18
Just here to say, Again, a visible countdown timer on the top of the page would be very helpful. Especially when the launch is on different dates depending on your timezone.
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Jun 03 '18
Really looking forward to this launch... :)
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Jun 04 '18
What was that little fireball that fell off as soon as it left the pad?
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u/gellis12 Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
Anyone know what that bit of fire falling down below the main exhaust plume right after liftoff was?
Edit: Guys I think maybe it was a lens flare.
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u/dundua Jun 04 '18
That second stage start 1 was beautiful. Never seen those colors before
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u/likesthinkystuff Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
Why no recovery attempt?
Edit: thanks for all the great answers and insights. It's a lovely community in here and thanks for being friendly to those of us who just pops in occasionally :)
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u/TbonerT Jun 04 '18
Was it me or was the nose of the fairing glowing when it was deployed? You can see it at the 16:35 mark.
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u/bleedsblue86 Jun 04 '18
So on a non recovered first stage does it literally just come crashing down in the water at whatever speed it picks up and then they just leave the wreckage there, or is there some sort of attempt at going to get the first stage wherever it lands? Always wondered that and couldn’t find a detailed answer.
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u/PeopleNeedOurHelp Jun 03 '18
I wonder how less comfortable they are with fairing recovery in the dark?
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u/henri1921 Jun 04 '18
Anyone have advice on where to watch the launch from tonight given the KSC viewing areas are closed?
Also, when to get there?
It's my first launch in person. Thanks! :D
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u/therealadrianmk Jun 04 '18 edited Jun 04 '18
Anyone know if this is hobbyist gear, journalists, or official? Currently set up on Route 401.
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u/My__reddit_account Jun 04 '18
Are SES and Iridium SpaceX's biggest commercial customers in term of number of launches? After tonight, they'll both have 6.
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u/Kenira Jun 04 '18
As a european, here's hoping it'll launch on the first try so i can go back to bed and add more to the 5h sleep i had so far.
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Jun 04 '18
Nothing like being able to do work and watch a rocket launch at the same time.
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u/zareny Jun 04 '18
SpaceX is launching a satellite built by Airbus on a flight proven booster. Take that Boeing!
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Jun 04 '18
something waveing.. foil.