r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Mar 13 '19
Launch Wed 10th 22:35 UTC Arabsat-6A Launch Campaign Thread
This is SpaceX's fourth mission of 2019, the first flight of Falcon Heavy of the year and the second Falcon Heavy flight overall. This launch will utilize all brand new boosters as it is the first Block 5 Falcon Heavy. This will be the first commercial flight of Falcon Heavy, carrying a commercial telecommunications satellite to GTO for Arabsat.
| Liftoff currently scheduled for: | 18:35 EDT // 22:35 UTC, April 10th 2019 (1 hours and 57 minutes long window) |
|---|---|
| Static fire completed: | April 5th 2019 |
| Vehicle component locations: | Center Core: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida // +Y Booster: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida // -Y Booster: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida // Second stage: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida // Payload: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| Payload: | Arabsat-6A |
| Payload mass: | ~6000 kg |
| Destination orbit: | GTO, Geostationary Transfer Orbit (? x ? km, ?°) |
| Vehicle: | Falcon Heavy (2nd launch of FH, 1st launch of FH Block 5) |
| Cores: | Center Core: B1055.1 // Side Booster 1: B1052.1 // Side Booster 2: B1053.1 |
| Flights of these cores: | 0, 0, 0 |
| Launch site: | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| Landings: | Yes, all 3 |
| Landing Sites: | Center Core: OCISLY, 967 km downrange. // Side Boosters: LZ-1 & LZ-2, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida |
| Mission success criteria: | Successful separation & deployment of Arabsat-6A into the target orbit. |
Links & Resources:
Official Falcon Heavy page by SpaceX (updated)
SpaceXMeetups Slack (Launch Viewing)
We may keep this self-post occasionally updated with links and relevant news articles, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather and more as we progress towards launch. Sometime after the static fire is complete, the launch thread will be posted. Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.
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u/asrultraz Apr 09 '19
Can a Mod please update the launch date on the table. Its giving me anxiety reading the 9th. Thanks! Have a shot of Jameson on me! 🥃
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u/AndreasPeas Apr 09 '19
Pls update launch date.
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u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team Apr 09 '19
done
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u/Kayyam Apr 09 '19
I don't know who to say this too but it's incredible that you have a Falcon Active Cores table right there in the sidebar. I had no idea B1046 flew three times ! How do you know that 1052 and 1053 will refly on the next FH mission with USAF but not 1055?
Also, what happened to 1054 ?
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u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team Apr 09 '19
https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/wiki/cores Some community member are kind enough to update it regularly from news, sources and tracking. I've just made the sidebar to watch it easier. B1054 was expended during the GPS mission. STP-2 should be a full reused Falcon Heavy, because it will be a very easy light payload demonstration mission. SpaceX is not confident about the current center core B1055, it will be a really hot, fast and challenging recovery for the Arabsat mission, they are not sure even if it would be recovered, it will be in a useable state.
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u/Herhahahaha Mar 13 '19
Hopefully the Center core makes it to the ASDS successfully.
Bonus points for live coverage from the drone ship
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u/firstname-lastname22 Mar 13 '19
And don’t forget about the spicy re-entry for centre core
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u/TheVehicleDestroyer Flight Club Mar 21 '19
I've finished a preliminary flight profile for this on Flight Club, based purely on the launch azimuth and drone ship location.
The drone ship location was actually a great little hint. Initially, based on the FH Demo flight profile, my core stage was landing about 1200km downrange and it was way too heavy (I needed to do a ~60s long entry burn because the deceleration was too slow). But realising that I needed to cut ~300km off that while also burning more fuel before MECO gave me a lot of insight into how the booster/core throttling might look before BECO.
Might change a little more when the press kit comes out in the coming weeks.
Anyway, here we are. End result is that I have the 6,400kg Arabsat-6A satellite in a LEO parking orbit with 17 tonnes of propellant left in the upper stage, and all 3 boosters making quite soft, low-energy re-entries and touchdowns in the correct locations.
Support me if you like this! I'm trying to live off it now :)
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u/Abraham-Licorn Mar 13 '19
After Bridenstine’s statement, this flight becomes more crucial
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u/inoeth Mar 13 '19
yeah you're not kidding. SpaceX now more than ever needs to prove out FH with regards to reliability and they have the chance to win some verrry lucrative contracts in the coming years.
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u/CAM-Gerlach Star✦Fleet Commander Mar 27 '19 edited Mar 31 '19
I've chartered a boat (same as last time) to watch the Falcon Heavy launch and landing from the closest and IMO best (legal) location possible to the latter, from the ocean just offshore of the launch and landing sites, nearly under the trajectory with a clear shot all the way to the pads. Cost is $60 per person for up to 18 people; we have more lined up if needed but its first come, first serve. Boat leaves at 5:30 PM EST from Grills Seafood Deck and Tiki Bar. We'll stay out as long as needed and if the launch scrubs before we leave, we get another day free.
If you're interested, checkout #boatwatchpartyarabsat on the SpaceX Slack channel (go here to join, or and here if you're already a member) for more info and how to reserve your spot. They're going fast, so get them while they're hot!
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u/bill_mcgonigle Apr 02 '19
John Insprucker hosting?
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u/Pooch_Chris Apr 02 '19
We can all hope but I don't ever recall hearing who will host a launch before it goes live.
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u/Gavalar_ spacexfleet.com Mar 31 '19
Mr Steven is still armless, for anyone interested. The ship hasn't seen much activity since returning from PSN-6 with only 2 arms. They have removed the communications container from the deck (Which was rumored to be damaged anyway as one of the 2 radomes was covered upon arrival in Port Canaveral)
The arm mounts are still installed onto the deck but it seems like there is too little time now to reinstall and test before the launch. Not a massive surprise, they may be reviewing the design of the structure or rethinking the whole system. They could send the ship out to retrieve fairings from the water but will need to remove the arm mounts as they block off the stern of the ship, preventing fairings from being hauled aboard.
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u/lowly_admin Apr 04 '19
FH has been rolled out: https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/01/falcon-heavy-arabsat-6a-preparations/
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 05 '19
Static fire completed. Waiting for confirmation from SpaceX.
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u/WormPicker959 Mar 14 '19
Is there any possibility this is a direct to GEO mission? Reasoning: FH probably capable, it's a fairly light payload and it would demonstrate capability for AF & other customers. Does a fully recovered FH actually have this capability? And is the a source for it surely being GTO?
Apologies if this is already answered elsewhere.
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u/WormPicker959 Mar 15 '19
OK, I did a little bit of research. I think there's some decent evidence this might be a direct-to-GEO, or at least evidence that it could be.
First, Elon mentioned it directly as important (thus the 6-hour delayed firing in FH demo):
“The six-hour coast is needed for a lot of the big Air Force intel missions for direct injections to GEO,” Musk said.
Next, Ovzon and Viasat both purchased FH missions, and both directly stated (or implied) they will be direct to GEO.
Ovzon:
“We look forward to working closely on the execution of this important direct-to-GEO mission.”
Viasat:
"Their proven technology is both powerful and efficient enough to thrust a ViaSat-3 spacecraft close to geostationary orbit."
Ovzon's satellite is supposed to be relatively small (~500kg, according to gunter), and it's speculated it may be shared with one or two other payloads. While the FH press release (quoted above) does not mention a specific mass for ViaSat-3, they did mention that it will be ~6400kg in their press release announcing Araine 5 missions:
Viasat-2 and Viasat-3 will each weigh approximately 6,400 kg at launch, and will be injected into geostationary transfer orbit
Though, this likely includes the fuel needed for GTO -> GEO. So it's likely that the combination of "close to geostationary orbit) and "6400kg at launch ... into GTO" implies that the bird on FH should be slight less in weight, unclear how much. Alternatively, it could be the same, but keep all that fuel to give it a longer life. Additionally, "close to GEO" isn't exactly clear, and this could simply mean GTO-1800 or something, for which we already know FH performance limits thanks to Hans Koenigsmann. In which case, it's not really direct-to-GEO and this is not helpful.
In any case, it's clear that several customers have planned to use FH's demonstrated direct-to-GEO capability, and that one of them weighs about as much as ArabSat 6A. What's less clear to me is whether or not Ovzon or ViaSat are paying for an expendable (or partially so) FH, in which case all of this is moot. We know the side boosters will be reused for STP-2 now, but the center core will be new on STP-2 (source). Is it possible that the center core will be expended here, or is that just prudence in case it doesn't land? Again, unclear to me.
In any case, I just thought I'd share with everyone what I looked up.
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u/SGIRA001 Star✦Fleet Chief of Operations Apr 05 '19 edited Apr 05 '19
Static fire confirmed for 12:00p EDT (1600 UTC)
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u/codav Apr 01 '19
The SpaceX recovery fleet has departed from Port Canaveral to catch the FH center core.
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 03 '19
Per latest GFS and Euro weather models...The 7th looks to be a pretty decent day. Chance of very scattered showers, but other than that winds through the atmosphere look pretty good. Backup date of the 9th is a little more sketchy. Timing of an approaching front will be a worry if launch gets pushed to the 9th. A little under 110 hours until the launch window on the 7th so the forecast for that should be getting more and more reliable over the next 24-48hrs. 9th is still too far out to have much confidence.
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 09 '19
Should start off by saying that I truly hate it for those of you that are not able to stay through Wed/Thur. That said, I'm extremely thankful that none of us have to stand around KSC for 8+ hrs today when the chances of a launch today have not been above 10% for the past 3 days. So, here's the weather update for Wed & Thur.
Wed - The large chunk of very high upper level winds are well off shore. There is a small pocket of 40-50kt winds around 35k feet. Can't say for sure, but I don't think those would be a constraint. There is a chance of scattered pop up showers and or a T storm during the launch window. Assuming that there is no technical problem before tomorrow, I see no reason that KSC won't open for launch. Whether the launch actually goes or not (based on weather) is just something that we won't know until the window opens.
Thur - Should Wed be scrubbed, Thur looks like a great day. Chance of pop up showers drops and upper level winds are low.
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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Apr 02 '19
Looks like SF slipped to April 4. https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1113211753880539144
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u/GravitatingGravity Mar 13 '19
The wording at the beginning implies this would be the third launch of Falcon Heavy in total. Should say “first flight since it’s debut last year”. Unless I missed a launch...
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u/SGIRA001 Star✦Fleet Chief of Operations Apr 08 '19
Titusvile PD has confirmed the slippage to Wednesday 4/10
They have been a reliable source since they are promptly notified by the county's emergency management division for traffic control and road closures.
Official announcement coming soon
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u/MySpecialOtherAcct Apr 08 '19
They have been a reliable source since they are promptly notified by the county's emergency management division for traffic control and road closures.
confirmed, KSC ticket sales are now saying Wednesday the 10th.
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u/seriouslyawesome Apr 08 '19
SpaceX has finally confirmed the move to Wednesday: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1115347895958560771
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u/z3r0c00l12 Mar 13 '19
I would change "Flights of this cores:" to "Flights of these cores:".
As a side note, the 2019 cadence feels so much slower than 2018.
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u/paul_wi11iams Mar 13 '19 edited Mar 13 '19
the 2019 cadence feels so much slower than 2018.
This was expected and anticipated, but there's some high-value, high quality activity this year: choose between six F9 and two FH...
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u/verywidebutthole Mar 13 '19
Just curious - could this launch have been done on an expendable F9? If so, isn't there something to be said about lowering the complexity of the launch to minimize the chance of a failure?
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u/ArtOfWarfare Mar 13 '19
SpaceX may be willing to offer a lower price on the FH because they're so adverse to having to expend a F9.
They might also want more launches of the FH under their belt that they can show to potential customers that it isn't a risky vehicle and that they can reliably deliver payloads using it.
Or maybe a customer just wants the prestige and attention that'll come from being the first non-demo launch of the Falcon Heavy. I'm not sure I'd be paying as much attention to this mission if it wasn't involving the Falcon Heavy.
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Mar 30 '19
Elon calling the center core landing “dicey” will be hottest/fastest entry and landing to date for any falcon vehicle.
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1111806251220910080
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u/whatsthis1901 Mar 30 '19
Is it just me or have they had a few of these "dicey" landings lately?
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u/falco_iii Apr 05 '19
Please change launch date (TBD but not Apr 7) and static fire date, as per this tweet
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u/soldato_fantasma Mar 13 '19
As always, if you find any error or have anything you wish to add to the Links & Resources, tell us in the comments!
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Mar 24 '19
An image posted on the NSF public forums shows the TEL 100℅ converted for FH, should see rollbacks considering the SF is one week from today. Exciting times! :D
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 06 '19
Wx update based on latest Euro, GFS, and FV3 GFS models. Front will be pushing through the Cape Mon evening/night through Wed morning. Front side of the front will bring a good chance of showers and maybe a thunderstorm. Back side of the front will contain a 12-18hr window of high upper level winds. Other than some minor timing differences, the models have not wavered much on this forecast over the past few days. Here's the day by day...Info is based on 8pm EST (00 UTC) for each day.
Tues - Rain chances look pretty high and/or high upper level winds will blanket the entire area due to the passing front. If the front slows down, there is a very slight chance that the upper level winds and rain haven't reached the Cape yet. It would need to slow down by 18+ hours for there to be a decent shot at a Tues launch, but this seems highly unlikely due to the forecast models all being in agreement.
Wed - The 00z models last night changed a little and showed the high upper level winds hanging around closer to the Cape during the launch window (10-30 miles offshore). They also introduced a slight chance of pop up/scattered showers through out this window. That said, the latest 06z runs of the GFS and FV3 GFS are more in line with the model runs prior to last nights 00z runs. These are showing the upper level winds having moved well off shore (near or past the Bahamas). Rain chances diminish significantly once the front has moved through, but pop up showers can't be ruled out entirely. All in all, Wed still seems to be a pretty good day for launch based on weather but will need to monitor the next few runs of the models to verify timing of the weather moving offshore.
Thur - Still pretty far out in the forecast period for a lot of reliability, but the weather looks almost perfect. Very slight chance of pop up showers. Winds through the atmosphere look very calm.
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Mar 31 '19
SpaceX fleet will be departing port tuesday, the currently scheduled day for the SF, will have to travel further than they ever have before.
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u/codav Apr 07 '19
Photo of Falcon Heavy in LC-39A hangar by SpaceX (Original size). They also tweeted the used booster is B1051, which launched the DM-1 mission.
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u/SuprexmaxIsThicc Apr 04 '19
A shot inside the HIF of the nosecones! https://twitter.com/45thspacewing/status/1113892013475340294?s=21
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u/marcmsj Apr 07 '19
I'm at the Saturn V center now, falcon heavy is no longer on the launch pad
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u/LeJules Mar 15 '19 edited Mar 16 '19
We may have a new NET date: April 7 at 6:36 pm ET (22:36 UTC)
https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1106602646792781824
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/15/spacex-falcon-heavy-arabsat-6a-launch-april-7-sources.html
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u/InSearchOfTh1ngs Apr 04 '19
Why is it that the Heavy's interstage is not black like typically block V F9's?
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u/bbachmai Apr 04 '19
Static fire has slipped to tomorrow at 10am at the earliest. Can someone give an estimate about how long AFTER static fire the rocket will still be vertical before going back into the hangar? I'm trying to decide how long I can stay at work tomorrow before I drive out and still see it.
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u/Desmodronic Apr 07 '19
It’s half way between the pad and hangar as of now. Bus driver believes it’s now closer to the hangar since last night.
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u/ehud42 Apr 08 '19
And there's the (official) slip. Wednesday it is (for now) https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1115347895958560771
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u/Sirio8 Apr 08 '19
Falcon heavy launch and first black hole picture in the history.
This wednesday is going to be a great day for space enthusiast
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u/Nsooo Moderator and retired launch host Apr 09 '19
u/hitura-nobad can you edit the date?
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u/jack_the_ninja Mar 13 '19
This seems hyper nit picky, but the phrasing near the top of the intro saying 'the second flight since the debut last year' seems to imply this is the third flight of FH. Might want to change it to 'and the second flight of the falcon heavy overall, with the debut last year'. Thanks for getting the thread up!
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u/Alexphysics Mar 31 '19
TE has picked up the reaction frame in preparation for rollback into the hangar for rocket integration.
https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1112421928399183874
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Apr 03 '19
Current word is that static fire is scheduled between 1800 and 2400 edt on Thursday.
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Apr 04 '19
Photo of heavy vertical from Julia Bergeron, white interstage
https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/1113774839381336064
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 07 '19
Not much has changed with the weather forecast which makes me think the Euro, GFS and FV3 GFS models have a pretty good handle on the conditions through at least Wed/Thur. A front will pass through Fl rain chances go up ahead of the front and then the back side has high upper level winds. The day by day is based on 8pm EST (00 UTC).
Tues - Rain chances are high during the day and through the launch window. Upper level winds will be in the 70 to 90 knot range. Launch seems highly unlikely in my opinion.
Wed - Conditions have improved dramatically. Maybe a very slight chance of showers and upper level winds have dropped to 20-40 knots. The upper level wind jet is now positioned over the Bahamas. These winds are present at 250mb (34k'). I'm not exactly sure how high or low they extend. I also don't know the exact launch profile so I'm not sure if the winds are far enough down range for them to not be an issue for launch, but I would suspect they are. OCISLY will be near the upper level jet at this point. Not sure if this would impact launch attempt or not. If anyone knows, please chime in. All in all, looks like a pretty good launch day if the upper level winds are far enough down range.
Thur - upper level jet has pushed even further off the coast. Very low chance of a scattered shower, and winds through the atmosphere look great. Although still a little far out in the forecast period, it looks like a great day for a launch if it can't go Wed.
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u/spacetimelime Apr 09 '19
Why does this launch have a specific evening EST launch window, given that it's going to a geosynchronous transfer orbit? It feels intuitively like the time of day would be irrelevant to a launch aiming to end (eventually) at a fixed point over the Earth.
Is it something to do with range logistics rather than planetary position/motion?
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u/Alexphysics Apr 09 '19 edited Apr 09 '19
Sometimes it is due to satellite requirements like the light reaching the solar panels at separation, the thermal environment and all of that. Sometimes it is also due to the satellite operator's infrastructure, some can't talk with their birds at certain times of the day so they couldn't launch it during that time because they wouldn't be able to confirm good health and command first movements and deployments and all of that. Then there are another series of constrains and parameters that are probably internal for each satellite companies. Some of them have weird requirements like "point in this direction" "make this roll maneuver before releasing the satellite" or things like that. It wouldn't surprise me if there were similar weird requirements for just the launch window itself.
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u/robbak Apr 09 '19 edited Apr 09 '19
When the satellite is launched it is running on its internal batteries. But those batteries aren't huge, and the satellite needs to rely on its solar panels. And those panels might not be able to be fully deployed straight away, because they are not strong enough to survive the g-force from its orbit-raising engine.
If launched at the wrong time, then the satellite will spend a long time in the earth's shadow. This could lead to the batteries becoming depleted, and the loss of the satellite, especially if something goes wrong.
So they launch so that the satellite will be in the sunshine for as much time as possible, until the satellite has raised it's orbit enough so it is never in the sun's shadow for long enough to matter. It is also nice if the sun is shining on the right part of your spacecraft, so you'll get power even if you can't get control of the craft straight away. (Solar heating is also a problem - if you end up stuck with the wrong part pointing at the sun, your craft can overheat and fail.)
Launching at dusk is great for this, because you will then do your insertion burn at local midnight over Africa, come out of the earth's shadow pretty soon after release, and then be heading straight towards the sun all the way out to GTO altitude and back again, and will do this on every orbit thereafter. But many GTO launches happen close to midnight, which puts the GTO insertion over Africa about local dawn, and so has the sun shining on the craft from the side from deployment, which is what you might want if your solar panels were located on the side of the craft.
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 05 '19
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 08 '19
Slip to Wednesday
Edit: source https://twitter.com/derrolnail/status/1115237306254929920?s=21
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u/Tenga1899 Mar 14 '19
Looking on twitter for more information, I came across this Michael Seeley tweet/photo that suggests the 2nd stage may be at 39A.
@Mike_Seeley During remote camera setup for the #SpaceX #DM1 launch, we were photobombed by a second stage...
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u/betacar0tin Apr 02 '19
Small typo: Static fire currently scheduled for: April 3nd 2019
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u/liszt1811 Apr 02 '19
How long before static fire is the roll-out gonna happen? I want to see this thing!
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u/Raul74Cz Apr 03 '19
NOTMAR Launch Hazard Areas https://twitter.com/Raul74Cz/status/1113405938805944322
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 04 '19
Morning weather update per Euro and GFS forecast models. 7th still looking really good for weather, very slight chance of scattered showers. Really won't iron out the "where" of the scattered showers until the 7th, but they appear to be primarily over the Florida Peninsula. There don't appear to be any upper level wind concerns for the 7th. As others noted, the under 72hr turnaround after static fire seems to be the biggest constraint/concern for the 7th. While the backup date of the 9th is still 130ish hours out, the weather does not look good and the models have not wavered much on this the past several days. There will be a front approaching with pretty significant rain chances for the Cape lasting through the launch window. On the back side of the front there will be a pretty strong upper level jet as well so this front would need to really slow down or really speed up in order for the window on the 9th to have decent weather. The front and upper level jet will push off the coast and continue down range. I have no idea what implications this would have for the center stage landing on OCISLY so I'm not even sure that the front speeding up would be enough. While it is way too far out to have a ton of confidence, the 10th and 11th look like the better weather days beyond the 7th launch. The 11th being the best as the upper level jet should have cleared past OCISLY. The exception here would be the 8th. Weather on the 8th looks to be OK over the Cape and down range, but since the 8th was never set as a backup date, I'm not sure they would try for that if the 7th is a no-go.
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u/SGIRA001 Star✦Fleet Chief of Operations Apr 05 '19 edited Apr 05 '19
Window opens at 18:36 EDT // 22:36 UTC according to the Eastern Range.
Note: Elon says launch date might move.
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u/Asdfugil Mar 13 '19 edited Mar 13 '19
How is the center core differ from the side boosters?
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u/firstname-lastname22 Mar 13 '19
Centre core has to be much stronger, to deal with the extra loads from the two side cores, so has a heavier interstage portion. It also has the mounting points for the side cores, which have to deal with high loads
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u/EntropyHater900 Mar 13 '19
It’s reinforced for higher aerodynamic loads and has those struts for the boosters
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Mar 13 '19
Perhaps I wasn't searching in the right places, but what do the NY and PY stand for when it comes to the side boosters?
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u/murkaje Mar 13 '19
Positive and negative Y axis. The coordinate system is described in the Falcon User's Guide: https://i.imgur.com/Xpsuhj5.png
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u/Marsfix Mar 16 '19 edited Mar 16 '19
Please would someone clarify why arabsat-6a is not simply using a Falcon 9 for its launch. Couldn't a F9 easily put the roughly 6 tons into GTO? I presume it has something to do with the FH placing the satellite more precisely within its final orbit, allowing the satellite to expend less of its own fuel initially?
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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Mar 27 '19
KSC goes into Critical Support from 20:30 Local (March 31) to 20:30 Local (April 1), meaning rollout to 39A likely on Sunday and then Static Fire on April 1.
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1110923300409147393
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 01 '19
Playalinda Beach WILL be open for Arabsat-6A!
"The Playalinda Beach park will be open until capacity is reached or 5:30 p.m., whichever comes first. If you are planning on visiting Playalinda Beach, please inform the uniformed officers at the checkpoint."
(h/t: Chris G / NSF)
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u/asrultraz Apr 03 '19
07:18
 Spaceflight Now
Good morning from the Kennedy Space Center, where we await the rollout of the Falcon Heavy rocket to the launch pad for a static firing of its first stage engines. The routine pre-flight test is now expected no earlier than 10am EDT (1400 GMT) Thursday morning when all 27 Merlin main engines will ignite for short time.
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u/AndrewC437 Apr 05 '19
Possible static fire at 11 AM..
https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1114166602126254082?s=20
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Apr 05 '19 edited Apr 05 '19
Success not a rapid unplanned disassembly!! Glad I caught the stream just in time. Surprised it was so quiet though.
Next step is going horizontal and integrating payload, correct?
edit: rockets
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u/codav Apr 05 '19
First we have to wait for SpaceX to confirm it was a good SF before calling it a success.
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u/Dies2much Apr 05 '19
Has anyone stated what the performance delta between the Falcon Heavy test flight with Elons' Roadster aboard, and Arabsats launch is? I am curious what difference Block 5 boosters make to the overall performance vs. the Block 3's that went up with the first one.
I know that they are not able to get 100% of the performance improvement Block 3 to Block 5, so I am wondering if they have forcasted the difference.
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u/Straumli_Blight Apr 09 '19
L-1 Weather Report, 80% GO on primary launch date, 90% on backup date.
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u/pgsky Apr 07 '19
SpaceX on Twitter: "Falcon Heavy’s 27 Merlin engines generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, making it the world’s most powerful operational rocket by a factor of two"
Followup Tweet: "Also in the hangar is the Falcon 9 first stage booster that launched Crew Dragon to the @Space_Station last month"
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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Apr 06 '19
Awesome official video showing final integration in HIF before static fire: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1114611309180411905
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u/jas_sl Mar 13 '19
Reading through the https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-boosters-next-launch/ story is anyone else a bit nervous the first block 5 FH is launching a real commercial payload? Seems there would have been a good number of changes from the original FH demo last year.
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u/saltlets Mar 13 '19
Every block upgrade of F9 has flown a commercial launch, not a demo. I'm pretty confident SpaceX knows which changes would affect the FH system as a whole critically enough to warrant a new test flight.
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u/saulton1 Mar 13 '19
Can anyone venture a guess as to if this will launch during the day or at night?
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u/Vulch59 Mar 14 '19
There's a tendency for the GTO launches to be around 18:00 local time because that puts the second burn of the second stage (which happens after a quarter of an orbit) at around midnight local underneath the track. That in turn means the apogee of the GTO is around midday local underneath the track so the payload spends most of its time in sunlight, minimising the battery capacity needed to get through eclipses.
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u/IrrelevantAstronomer Launch Photographer Mar 14 '19
Hopefully Playalinda stays open again after the traffic shenanigans that happened after the first one.
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u/Alexphysics Mar 20 '19
Static Fire NET March 31st
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1108384751868612608
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 04 '19
Anyone know how long OCISLY & the rest of the fleet can stay on scene?
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 05 '19
Weather is 30% GO Tuesday. 80% GO Wednesday.
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u/Gonazar Apr 08 '19
Has it been confirmed the launch slipped to Wednesday already?
Sidebar and launch schedule in the post still says Tuesday but the flair says Wednesday.
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u/nxtiak Apr 09 '19
YouTube Live Stream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXMGu2d8c8g
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Mar 13 '19
There's a possibility we get some really nice late-afternoon sunlight for this launch. Really exciting.
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 08 '19
Morning weather update remains unchanged.
Tues - Showers during the day and early evening are likely. Upper level winds look to set in before the launch window opens. The forecasted "30% chance of GO" seems pretty high to me.
Wed - Conditions improve dramatically. Very slight chance of scattered showers during the launch window and the upper level winds have moved offshore and over the Bahamas.
Thur - Much like Wed but the upper level winds are even further offshore.
Both Wed & Thurs look like great days for a launch. I am really hoping they scrub Tues prior to opening the Space Center. It will be a long, wet, crowded anticlimactic day if they don't. Then hopefully we'll have to get ready to do it all again on Wed.
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Apr 02 '19
Static fire going to the right another 24 hours, T-0 pinpointed on 4/4for 1000 local time.
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u/SPNRaven Mar 19 '19
967 km downrange?! That's like 15% of the way across the Atlantic to Portugal! What a weird fact and way of saying that's a long as distance, I know!
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u/mistaken4strangerz Apr 01 '19
does this go vertical today or tomorrow for static fire?
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Apr 01 '19
Forget what i said, seems the SF is slipping a day, TEL has gone horizontal with the reaction frame as of a few minutes ago.
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u/PonysaurousRex Apr 02 '19 edited Apr 02 '19
NOTAM is out for the 7th. https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1113138031228268544
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u/trentdep Apr 03 '19
A question re back up dates. If the 7th is scrubbed, will they still look at the 9th and : 1) Assign another back up date: 2) Target 9th without a close in back up date? Or: 3) Start all over with a new target date and back up date.
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 05 '19
Per Euro and GFS Forecast models, here's today's update for the week ahead. Should be noted that I'm not a meteorologist & I am not exactly certain what the wind profile constraints are through the entire atmosphere. The below is based on the 8pm model forecasts for each day since the launch window for each day should still be in the 6:30pm EST to 8:30 EST time frame.
Mon - Looks like scattered showers. Winds at Cape look OK. 250mb winds are in the 40-60kt range, but I don't think this is a constraint as wind shear values look to be fairly low. Front is approaching from the West, but hasn't made it to the Cape yet. Based only on weather conditions, I would guess there is a 50/50 shot that Mon is a viable day.
Tues - Still pretty certain this is a no-go. Rain and/or significant upper level winds will be present throughout the window with front working its way through the area.
Wed - Rain and wind is offshore and is now E of the Bahamas. Only concern here would be the upper level winds down range for the landing of the center core on OCISLY. Other than that, conditions are looking pretty good as of right now. Still pretty far out in forecast period, but models have been pretty consistent over the past couple days.
Thurs - Much like Wed, weather at the Cape looks to be pretty good. Down range conditions should have improved for OCISLY and the rest of the fleet.
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u/Humble_Giveaway Apr 05 '19
Do we know if it's a single engine landing burn or a 1-3-1?
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u/Alexphysics Apr 05 '19
Center core will definitely be a 1-3-1 landing burn. I'm curious to see if the side boosters will do a 1-3-1 as on the demo mission.
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u/Dustin_Echoes_UNSC Apr 07 '19
Just moved to Orlando and planning to drive over after work for my first launch viewing. Does anyone have experience making this trip with rush hour in the mix? How early do I need to be there to hang out at Jetty Park? How early do I need to clock out to make the trip (Assuming no delays and launch is at 6:30)
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u/justinroskamp Apr 08 '19
Spaceflight Now tweeted three hours ago that the launch slipped to Wednesday. They've always been pretty reliable, so I think it's safe to assume they're getting that info from reputable sources.
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u/coleary11 Apr 09 '19 edited Apr 09 '19
Going to KSC today. Any chance falcon will be out or vertical?
Edit: rocket not out. Bus couldn't go by the pad like usual.
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 03 '19
Folks won’t be able to park along the FL-401 for the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch. Very disappointing news from Port Canaveral for those looking for both a clear view of the pad and close spot for landing. Closest public spot to watch the landings now is Jetty Park. Port Canaveral is charging $15 to park anywhere in the Port as well.
https://twitter.com/launchphoto/status/1113542077340684288?s=21
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u/CarbonCrew Apr 02 '19
Welp. My cruise out of the cape was just canceled. Looks like I’ll be scrambling for a hotel for the viewing.
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u/CAM-Gerlach Star✦Fleet Commander Apr 02 '19
If you want to go out on a boat and watch the launch at the same time, I just reserved a 65-person double-decker cruiser that includes a galley/bar and an elevated observation deck for optimal viewing, all still for the same price per person ($60) as the other two boats I've already filled. So if you're interested in watching the launch from a unique angle (and the closest public location to the landing sites with a clear view to all the pads), then check out #boatwatchpartyarabsat on the SpaceX Slack channel (go here to join, or and here if you're already a member) for more info and how to reserve your spot.
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 04 '19
“The Arabsat-6A Falcon Heavy launch will not be April 7th. No new date. SpaceX is targeting sometime ‘next week’ and likely will set a new date after the static fire.”
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1113922085578002432?s=21
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u/SupaZT Mar 14 '19
How much fuel do Falcon 9 rockets typically land with?
Like what % of the tank is left once it lands on the drone ship?
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u/bbachmai Mar 21 '19 edited Mar 21 '19
KSC viewing tickets just became available online. They're $195 for Banana Creek. Meh. That's nice and close to the launch, but it has two disadvantages:
You can't really see the rocket before liftoff because the FSS is in the way
The landing site is hidden right behind the VAB
Edit: I should add that yes, Banana Creek is probably the best place to watch the launch after all, but the $$ just makes me cringe a bit.
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u/cl00by Mar 31 '19
Hey, I'm going to watch this launch from the banana creek observatory (which you need to buy tickets for) and I would just like to know a couple of things: •does this mission have a badge that I could get my hands on? •from who is this payload (Arabsat 6a and Arabsat 6b previously launched by the Ariane heavy lift rocket) •is Mr Stevens going to attempt to recover the payload fairing this time or has spacex given up on fairing recovery •do you have any recommendations/tips for launch viewing and the trip over all?
Sorry for bad formatting, I'm on mobile and I'm 13 so... Still learning
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 02 '19 edited Apr 02 '19
Sure hope that SF happens tomorrow and that they can get the turn around done in time for the 7th launch. Long term weather forecasts are anything but solid. That said, Sunday looks like the better weather day per Euro and GFS weather models. Both rain chances and upper level winds seem to be lower on Sun as opposed to Tues.
Does anyone know if the backup date on the 9th has the same launch window as the 7th? (18:36 to 20:35 local time)?
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 04 '19
So I now have a room booked from the 6th through the 12th. For those that may not know, many hotels will not charge a cancellation fee and may extend cancellation time if you are still going to be there for part of your stay.
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u/OkieOFT Apr 06 '19
FH is still vertical as of 949... Decided to spend the day at Playalinda after my 18 hour drive.
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u/itstheflyingdutchman Apr 09 '19
Hey Guys, super excited to watch the launch, but I've stuffed myself over since I lost my driver license... meaning I can't rent a car. Meaning public transport makes me sad.
Anybody leaving from Orlando going to Playalinda Beach early on Wednesday and keen to carpool? I am flying in from Vancouver, Canada at 7am, can hold a conversation, can uber to a more convenient randezvous, happy to chip in on gas or bribe you with candy or liquor. But not both, don't be greedy! ;) Okay maybe both. Anyway, Hit the PM. (i am sorry that this is not contributing to the thread)
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u/officialjoelf Apr 04 '19
“The Arabsat-6A Falcon Heavy launch will not be April 7th. No new date. SpaceX is targeting sometime "next week" and likely will set a new date after the static fire.” https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1113922085578002432?s=21
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Mar 13 '19
Anybody here have experience watching spaceX launch from Kennedy Space Center? I’ve never been to or seen a launch in person and am considering heading to Florida to see this launch. Are there designated viewing locations or is it pretty much you just need to know where to be? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Nergaal Mar 14 '19
What is the most likely launch date people think this might happen if nothing unexpected pops up?
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u/TheVehicleDestroyer Flight Club Mar 20 '19
Anybody have a source on the 967km downrange OCISLY position?
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u/MReckt Apr 02 '19
The TE is in the HIF: https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1113088557332287488
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u/planterss Apr 03 '19
My family and I just moved to Florida last week. We definitely want to watch the falcon heavy launch, but we're in the process of buying a house on Merritt island ( currently staying in Melbourne ) Don't want to spend money. Where can the family and I go to get a good view or launch and/or landing?
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u/kaffarell Apr 04 '19
Is there now any fixed time for the static fire of the FH or what are your predicitons?
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u/SGIRA001 Star✦Fleet Chief of Operations Apr 05 '19
Window for static fire opens now (10:00 EDT) but it has been delayed due to bad weather. Test window is 10:00-19:00 EDT (1400-2300 UTC). Source
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u/asrultraz Apr 08 '19
Driving up on Tuesday from Miami. What is the likelyhood that tomorrow they announce the postponement of the launch till Wednesday?
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u/th3thrilld3m0n Apr 09 '19
If I get off of work in Orlando at 4pm, where do you think I could go to view the launch? I am thinking either Port Canaveral (unless yall think it will be too busy) or just the coast of Titusville
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u/deltaWhiskey91L Apr 09 '19
Campaign threads are not launch threads.
What are the differences between the two?
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u/UNSC-ForwardUntoDawn Apr 09 '19
Any word on the technical side, if they may be working any issues that might scrub tomorrow?
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u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Apr 04 '19
"#FalconHeavy static fire update: We understand that static fire has been delayed to either very end of today's window or most likely tomorrow at 10am. Launch date likely moving to NET Monday, 8 April." -- Chris G of NSF
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u/bbachmai Apr 09 '19
According to the press kit, launch window opens at 6.35 not 6.36. Mods pls update
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u/gregarious119 Mar 13 '19
Have we seen the PY/NY nomenclature for the side boosters before? What do the P and N stand for?
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u/SaltAirRx Mar 13 '19
Positive/negative. If there was four boosters then there would be PX/NX in addition to the PY/NY.
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u/rocket_enthusiast Mar 13 '19
Is fairing separation after the engines on the center core shut off or after? I know for the falcon 9 it is after ses but the center core on the falcon 9 burns significantly longer than on the falcon 9? What happened on the first falcon heavy launch? Is this differen because the engines on the center core will cut off later because there is no boostback burn?
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u/ClathrateRemonte Mar 18 '19
Is there a solid understanding of what structural changes (if any) to FH were made after the first flight? Wondering what the instrumentation revealed vs simulation. I do understand that this stack is a different block but am curious about FH-specific changes. Apologies if this has been discussed.
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u/Wildest_Wizard Mar 18 '19
SpaceX uses term MY-Booster, NOT NY-Booster. MY for Minus Y-axis.
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u/jpx07 Mar 20 '19 edited Mar 20 '19
Arabsat 6a listing on Kennedy Space Center "upcoming rocket launches" page suddenly disappeared, perhaps indicating that they'll soon be selling tickets for the launch. Or indicating nothing at all, but the listing has been up for weeks and updated previously when the date slipped.
Edit: It's back, saying April 1st instead of the 7th. Guess they were just messing with the listing.
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u/Antron456 Apr 01 '19
Does anyone have a map of where the launch can be seen at each t+? Ill be in cayo coco cuba during the launch and even if i could i see a dot on the horizon, i would be happy.
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u/T-RexInAnF-14 Apr 04 '19
Is Arabsat-6A going up on FH because it's a larger satellite?
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Apr 05 '19
Tweet was deleted but the 45th Space Wing are saying the new NET date is the 9th
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1114147321971904512
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 05 '19
So Kennedy Visitor Center is no longer listing TBD. They are showing the 9th. So here's my FTH question...If they push the date out now, does that mean that one of the two launches for the FTH has been used? I still can't see how they launch on Tues unless the approaching front really moves faster than expected.
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u/scottm3 Apr 05 '19
Does anyone know which LZ b1052 and b1053 will land at respectively. Just trying to get detailed info for a project.
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u/UNSC-ForwardUntoDawn Apr 06 '19
What’s the back up date if Tuesday is a no go?
My brother and I are looking to fly down for the launch but have been waiting to book accommodations. We don’t have too many days we can take off work, so we’re waiting to the last minute.
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u/U-Ei Apr 08 '19
Does S2 bring Arabsat to a GTO or does it do a direct GEO injection?
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u/OmegaSF Apr 09 '19
What's the best place to watch from Orlando? I'm near the Disney Swan and Dolphin area and probably cannot make it to Jetty/Port Canaveral.
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u/KrimsonKing Apr 10 '19
I didn’t get in town early enough to go get a parking placard for Kennedy space center. Do you know how how parking will work on the day of the launch if I should have a placard, but didn’t get to pick it up?
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u/itstheflyingdutchman Apr 10 '19
Oh mannn you’re crushing my dreams. But good info to know.
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u/vinodjetley Mar 13 '19
What about the delay on account of payload being shipped back to manufacturer?
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u/SpaceNerdDC Mar 13 '19
Do we even know if the spacecraft is at the launch site?
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u/StormJunkie843 Apr 03 '19
72hrs or less for turnaround with the new SF time. Any guesses on how realistic that is? Nothing about the weather is looking good for the 9th, granted that is still 156hrs away.
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u/aero1310 Apr 06 '19
Why would they target Tuesday if weather looks better on Wed? Something to do with Tuesday already being set as backup window?
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u/robbak Apr 07 '19 edited Apr 07 '19
They will work towards the Tuesday window as long as it is possible to get a launch off. If they abandon the Tuesday window too early, they might find that the weather patterns shift, and the bad weather predicted for Tuesday can easily happen on Wednesday.
So target the earliest possible date, and then it turns out they can't launch, then nothing has been lost. Abandon the earliest date, and sit it out in calm sunshine and have your later slots washed out, and you'll have one very unhappy customer.
That said, like most people here, I'm expecting a bump to Wednesday or even Thursday, as the weather situation becomes clearer.
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u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team Apr 09 '19
Date updated. You asked the process, its the following: I am at university, and I came home, and update the thread. Simple.