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Yeah, not sure if it was the weather or maybe trouble arming the FTS? They were up on those cherry pickers fiddling with it for a long time.
SpaceX Falcon 9 historic landing thread (1st landing attempt & most recent missions)
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boatgeek
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Apparently the second stage of the March 4 Starlink launch didn't have enough propellant to do a deorbit burn, so it came down uncontrolled Thursday night. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking at the sky at the right moment, so I missed it.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/a-falcon-9-rockets-second-stage-just-burnt-up-over-seattle/
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/a-falcon-9-rockets-second-stage-just-burnt-up-over-seattle/
SpaceX is preparing for a test flight today. Elon mentioned the afternoon.
Reinhard
Reinhard
Apparently scrubbed due to FAA inspector not being able to make it in time.
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So, they may try again Tuesday. Pretty windy though, 20 mph. Sort of puzzled they would have tried Monday given the cloud cover. Clouds an issue for most of the week (50% or more)
Here is a good chunk of info on how the FAA inspector thing occurred:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=53270.msg2212823#msg2212823
"Here’s how the Starship/FAA-inspector thing went down, according to a person familiar: The inspector was in Boca last week, waiting for SpaceX to fly. It didn't, and he was told SpaceX would not fly Monday (today) or possibly all of this week bc it couldn’t get road closures.
So he went home to Fla. On Sunday, SpaceX was able to get road closures and they emailed the inspector to come back. But he didn’t see the email. Finally SpaceX got through to officials on the phone late Sunday night, but by then it was too late to get someone there by today.
In an attempt to be more efficient, the FAA has been waiting for SpaceX to complete a static fire, before sending the inspector so that he isn’t just waiting around.
But it’s a fast-moving test program, and they’re swapping out engines and making changes on the fly. And so the FAA put in its statement that SpaceX “must provide adequate notice of its launch schedule.”
Here is a good chunk of info on how the FAA inspector thing occurred:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=53270.msg2212823#msg2212823
"Here’s how the Starship/FAA-inspector thing went down, according to a person familiar: The inspector was in Boca last week, waiting for SpaceX to fly. It didn't, and he was told SpaceX would not fly Monday (today) or possibly all of this week bc it couldn’t get road closures.
So he went home to Fla. On Sunday, SpaceX was able to get road closures and they emailed the inspector to come back. But he didn’t see the email. Finally SpaceX got through to officials on the phone late Sunday night, but by then it was too late to get someone there by today.
In an attempt to be more efficient, the FAA has been waiting for SpaceX to complete a static fire, before sending the inspector so that he isn’t just waiting around.
But it’s a fast-moving test program, and they’re swapping out engines and making changes on the fly. And so the FAA put in its statement that SpaceX “must provide adequate notice of its launch schedule.”
T minus 13 minutes.
It's crazy to me that they're likely to launch, there's so much fog you can barely see the rocket on the pad. Since this is a test launch I'd think they'd want visibility to study and learn from in case of either failure or success.
But as usual, they didn't ask my permission so they can do whatever they want.
It's crazy to me that they're likely to launch, there's so much fog you can barely see the rocket on the pad. Since this is a test launch I'd think they'd want visibility to study and learn from in case of either failure or success.
But as usual, they didn't ask my permission so they can do whatever they want.
Official SpaceX stream right from the fog:
Dang it.
Was only partly watching. Clearly it was a failure but didn't see a boom. Was that part off camera somewhere?
0011001100
A Person
Exploded upon relit for the landing burn. Things happen but it will be interesting to see what SpaceX says
Right. Watching the nasa spaceflight feed a few parts could be seen falling in front of the camera around 2:21 or so.
Bummer.
Bummer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/30/spa...-but-appears-to-crash-on-landing-attempt.html
Musk: "At least the crater is in the right place."
Musk: "At least the crater is in the right place."
heada
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SpaceX is kinda like us. We all do great on the up part. Its the down where most of the issues are.
Disappointing, but I'm excited that the next flight will be SN15, which has tons of improvements. Admittedly I don't know if those improvements will be visible to us.
When one of these models blows up way up high, I wonder what sort of clean up process gets invoked.
I thought restart was a mile or so up there. I could easily be wrong though.
On the video feed from Space X showing the engine view you can hear the BOOM! on audio a little after the video froze.
Wonder if Space X will rethink launching under pea soup conditions. I imagine analysis of what went wrong will depend 100% on telemetry with no good videos.
Notice how the Space X spox said "another exciting test" and "another interesting flight" after the explosion?
No mention of "blew up" or even "an anomaly".
Well, I gotta go and mow the yard.
Er, I mean "enhance the landscape".
Wonder if Space X will rethink launching under pea soup conditions. I imagine analysis of what went wrong will depend 100% on telemetry with no good videos.
Notice how the Space X spox said "another exciting test" and "another interesting flight" after the explosion?
No mention of "blew up" or even "an anomaly".
Well, I gotta go and mow the yard.
Er, I mean "enhance the landscape".
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SN15 is experiencing the pucker factor now.
heada
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I thought engine re-light happened at ~1km AGL (0.6mi or ~3200ft)
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Apparently it blew up in mid-air shortly after engine re-ignition. Lightweight debris drifted a LONG way. I won't be surprised if there are more FAA safety issues as a result.
Is it too early to laugh and pretend that 4 failures in a row, with a massive mid-air explosion, is not a setback?
Sorry, I got really "ticked" when within a couple of minutes of the explosion, one of the "expert commentators" on NASAspacelfight talked about the "awesome" explosion. Freaking idiot (and I do not mean freaking).
Is it too early to laugh and pretend that 4 failures in a row, with a massive mid-air explosion, is not a setback?
Sorry, I got really "ticked" when within a couple of minutes of the explosion, one of the "expert commentators" on NASAspacelfight talked about the "awesome" explosion. Freaking idiot (and I do not mean freaking).
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Just before the video froze you can see a split second of an engine lighting up. Spox says "We've just passed through 1 kilometer altitude, getting ready for the relay". whatever that means. On the audio you can hear the engines burning for a couple of seconds then Boom! and silence.
I think 'relay' is actually 'relight'.
Elon hasn't filed a MESS report... 
He has to clean up his own MESS
He's in the clear; NAR, TRA and CAR were not involved in certifying his motors.Elon hasn't filed a MESS report...
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Ironically, the fog went away afterwards, a very clear sunny day. A peice of debris where it say "CH4 tanks" in the banner.
There is a "Debris Hotline". Actually, two, it seems:
https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex-debris-hotline/https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2015/06/29/spacex-debris-recovery-hotline/
This aerial view. It's like it peeled along one side as it blew & landed in peeled form. Well, the middle and upper part, rear portion gone.
There is a "Debris Hotline". Actually, two, it seems:
https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex-debris-hotline/https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2015/06/29/spacex-debris-recovery-hotline/
This aerial view. It's like it peeled along one side as it blew & landed in peeled form. Well, the middle and upper part, rear portion gone.
I know we tend to make a lot of flip remarks about all this, but I'm pretty bummed over this. It might indicate a new problem/failure mode. I just hope they got enough data to sort it out. It's the first "Raptor go boom" on relight ever, right?
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