SpaceX Falcon Heavy (updates & maiden flight)

[DocM]

The amped-up FH center core structural test article is rumored at McGregor, so once its design is confirmed good they can start shipping cores. 

 

[Beittil]

I wonder what sort of procedure they have for removing the side booster nose cones from the interstage, they usually place that cap on it that locks itself to the stage after which they can lift it... but i suppose now they need some guys in a cherrypicker going up to unlock that nosecone first.

[Blue-Vision]

I'm pretty sure that Falcon Heavy's debut is determinate on 39-A being ready rather than the rocket itself being ready.  Always enjoy news about FH, of course.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

link

 

link

 

 

from...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/spacexgroup/permalink/10154574477871318/?comment_id=10154574483756318&comment_tracking={"tn"%3A"R9"}

 

Falcon Heavy test article?.....

 

here is an overlay...

 

link

 

link

 

 

[DocM]

That's not a booster, it's the new beefed up center core.

 

 It's rumored at least one FH booster will be a previouslycflown stage. 

[+John. Subscriber¹]

2 minutes ago, DocM said:

That's not a booster, it's the new beefed up center core.

 

 It's rumored at least one FH booster will be a previouslycflown stage. 

I was going to say. Is it wider than a normal core?

[DocM]

Thicker hull, massively beefed up Octaweb to take the loads, Octaweb mounts & longerons for the lower ends of the boosters, and a new beefed up "Sport" interstage with upper mounts for the boosters. 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Nothing official, but gathered from tweets and recent articles...

 

1) Appears 39A was scheduled to be ready in November 2016, just not for FH, F9 could launch though.

 

2) FH requires new tracking systems for multicore landings, ordered from Orbital Systems, to be received on January 1, 2017 and will be installed then. This would conclude that FH would not have been able to launch in November 2016. Presently only have one tracking antenna at the cape, two more coming in so that all 3 stages can RTLS. (SpaceX payed for the gear)

 

3) Rumor of a "previously enjoyed" booster to be used on initial flight. No idea of the accuracy, but S1 has been proven to be the toughest stage ever built...unless someone has landed and tested one as much....(crickets)...

 

4) Have not heard anything on the construction at LZ-1 for the additional core landings.

 

5) Rumor has it that the damage at LC-40 is "moderate"...which I take as being a lot better than "nuked".

 

Anyone have anything else?

 

Thought this was a good article...will bring a reality smile

 

Why Exploding Rockets Are Not Always a Bad Thing

http://www.space.com/34051-exploding-rockets-arent-always-bad.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=socialtwitterspc&cmpid=social_spc_514648

 

[anthdci]

Going back to the cross feed system, or lack of it. I know it was talked about nearly a year ago. But I heard it mentioned somewhere fairly recently and was curious how they would manage the fuel in the centre booster. I presume they cant run all 3 at full power or all 3 will run out of propellant at the same time so will the centre booster be throttled back while the side boosters are in action then have it's power increased as those boosters prepare to and do detach?

[SALSN]

With the cross feed system I think the idea was to run all three cores at full throttle but feed fuel from the outer cores to the inner core, so at the time the outer cores separate the inner core would still have lots of fuel.
With that plan dropped I'm not entirely sure how they will do it, I think it depends on the mission. They could drop the two boosters early with enough fuel to return and let the middle one burn for longer and land it on a barge. But like I said, that would probably depend on the mission, whenever it is possible to send the three boosters back that would probably be the cheapest solution.

[Blue-Vision]

I think they'll do it the "Delta-IV" way. Center Core will be in a partial-thrust mode until a bit after the two Side Cores separate, then it's a "Full Thrust" mode (see what I did there? ) until it's spent and staging occurs. No reason to abandon what works.  

[DocM]

And we need to remember that 100% on that center core will be the Block 5 thrust of 1.9 million lbf.  Early FH's will likely use the Block 4 for a few launches for reuse testing.

[Blue-Vision]

16 minutes ago, DocM said:

And we need to remember that 100% on that center core will be the Block 5 thrust of 1.9 million lbf.  Early FH's will likely use the Block 4 for a few launches for reuse testing.

Sweet, we'll get to see the performance of a Block-IV for a few launches.  Even if it's on a FH, it'll fly. Works for me.

[DocM]

Blocks 3 (current) and Block 4 will fly as boosters first, maybe one of each on the maiden flight. It's just that we won't see an all Block 5 FH for a few flights. 

[Blue-Vision]

That should give them a good baseline for the dataset. And since they won't be flying any super heavy payloads for a while, it won't be that big of a deal. AKA "no problem".  

[Blue-Vision]

....  .... 

[DocM]

HEADS UP!!

 

A Falcon Heavy side booster left Hawthorne last night!! Obvious because it had a nose cone in place of the interstage, and the front dolley wheels were repositioned.

 

 

[+John. Subscriber¹]

I said a rude word as I was watching that video the first time haha

 

"Ok there's the engines....then the stage....still normal stage...NOSE CONE OMFG!"

[DocM]

Rumors are this is the Thaicom-8 booster.

[Blue-Vision]

Soon, Daniel-san ... soon.

 

Show me wash car. Hei. Show, wax-on, wax off ... hei. Show, paint the fence ... yosh'. Now show sand the floor ... hei. 

 

*Bow* You ready now.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Me, I'm excited and need more patience...I wanna...

 

 

like...now...later will be fine though.    

[DocM]

Sit your stick man on this 3k image,

 

[Blue-Vision]

And there's *more* info forthcoming ... when it's cool to let it out of the bag. Right now it's not quite public. Will be soon, though.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Thanks Doc...I'm in stick man heaven.....

[DocM]

On I-10, one hour east of Tuscon.

 

https://imgur.com/a/Vbxrx#zPdInH5