DocM Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Working to a NET of December 15, and a possible land landing attempt at the new SpaceX Landing Complex 1 at KSC LC-13. Concept Maiden flight of Falcons 9 Full Thrust: a +30% performance upgrade with upgraded engine thrust, larger S2 tanks, propellant densification by super chilling, new legs and other upgrades. Quote Sierra Nevada Corporation Completes Shipment of 11 Satellites for ORBCOMM’s OG2 Mission 2 Launch SPARKS, Nev. (Nov. 30, 2015) –Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has delivered 11 ORBCOMM Generation 2 (OG2) satellites to the launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, for ORBCOMM’s upcoming OG2 Mission 2 launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is targeted for mid-December 2015. As the prime contractor for ORBCOMM’s OG2 satellites, SNC is responsible for the design, manufacture and integration of the OG2 satellites in the constellation. “SNC looks forward to completing the OG2 constellation with the delivery of 11 flight-proven and highly-capable satellites for the Mission 2 launch,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, corporate vice president of SNC’s Space Systems. “These 11 satellites were integrated and tested in a high-volume production environment, demonstrating our ability to efficiently integrate and produce constellations in this class. In addition to the design and build of all OG2 satellites, SNC will also support launch, in-orbit testing and deployment of these satellites simultaneously from our Satellite Operations Center in Louisville, Colorado.” SNC successfully completed the Pre-Ship Review in late October 2015, and soon thereafter, all 11 satellites were shipped to the launch site, initiating launch operations. During launch operations, with the support of SNC engineers and technicians, the OG2 satellites will undergo further post-transport testing, fueling and inspection. This approach builds upon the OG2 Mission 1 launch and deployment of six spacecraft in July 2014. Following the launch and the completion of in-orbit testing, the spacecraft will be incorporated into ORBCOMM’s global machine-to-machine (M2M) communications network, consisting of the Mission 1 OG2 spacecraft currently in operation as well as ORBCOMM’s Generation 1 (OG1) spacecraft. ORBCOMM’s ubiquitous M2M network provides tracking, monitoring and control services for remote and mobile assets in core markets including transportation and distribution, heavy equipment, industrial fixed assets, oil and gas, maritime and government. “ORBCOMM and SNC are pleased to be in the final stages of the launch and test of our advanced next generation OG2 satellites,” said Marc Eisenberg, ORBCOMM’s chief executive officer. “We expect to be offering our customers in Q1 2016, an enhanced, more efficient communications network, significantly increasing network capacity, coverage and performance, including an Automatic Identification System (AIS) payload on every spacecraft.” All OG2 spacecraft are based on SNC’s flight-proven SN-100 satellite bus, which can be tailored to support a variety of applications, including communication, Earth observation, weather and space science. The SN-100 is designed for a five-year-minimum life and utilizes a modular payload deck that can be rapidly integrated and tested using highly automated scripts to test all functions. This allows the baseline satellite to be quickly and cost-effectively configured to meet the needs of many customers. MOOG satellite dispenser 11 OG2 satellite shipment Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 It's a thing of beauty, that dispenser and the birds. What an efficient way to get them uphill ... and say what ya want, but the entire process of OrbComm fab & delivery is efficient. I appreciate the skill it takes to make a mission like this work. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 2, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 2, 2015 I'm pretty confident about the pad landing....would still like to see a marine landing soon though, which is the real tough one on a control system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/1/9832206/nasa-spacex-falcon-9-ground-landing-reusable-rockets Quote SpaceX will try to land its next Falcon 9 rocket on solid ground, NASA says When SpaceX launches its Falcon 9 rocket again, the company will attempt to land the vehicle back on solid ground, Florida Todayreported. So far, the company has only attempted landing their rockets on ships out at sea, but SpaceX's ultimate goal is to eventually touch down its rockets on land-based spaceports. If the company's landing is successful, it will be the first step toward making the Falcon 9 a reusable rocket. The "very exciting news" came from a NASA representative, who made the announcement today to members of the press at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Their plan is to try to land [the next booster] out here on the Cape-side," said Carol Scott of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, referring to Cape Canaveral, where SpaceX typically launches from. Scott said she had recently talked about the landing plan with a SpaceX executive. SpaceX declined to confirm the news. > Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I still find it weird that a NASA spokesperson would make such a statement about this. Considering this launch is in no way related to NASA and the fact that SpaceX would need FAA/45th Space Wing approval for this... I mean, we all know it is in the planning for SpaceX to eventually start landings at LC-1... but I'd be pretty amazed if NASA very specifically meant it would already be happening for this RTF mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 2, 2015 Author Share Posted December 2, 2015 Shared interests. It's to further promote KSC as a commercial spaceport, which pays the bills and anything along that line is job security for a facility which NASA depends on. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 2, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 2, 2015 Just my opinion, but once Blue origin made the "landing", some mainstream media have been running this like a contest. It is no contest to those in the know...apples and oranges. This can put more than a bit of undeserved bad press on SpaceX....which is not called for in this scenario. This all boils down to one big factor......bureaucracy.......We all saw the landing attempts.......if SpaceX had permission to land on the pad, last year, this would have been avoided.....period.......this is partly an olive branch, in my opinion, and hopefully a lightening of the red tape silliness. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 3, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 3, 2015 USAF Confirms SpaceX Awaiting FAA Approval for Booster Landing at Cape for Return to Flight The USAF 45th Space Wing confirmed to AmericaSpace today that SpaceX is in fact seeking FAA approval to land their Falcon-9 booster on solid ground at Cape Canaveral for their Return to Flight mission, which is expected to fly very soon. SpaceX has refused to comment on anything regarding Return to Flight or an attempted landing at Cape Canaveral. Photo: Mike Killian / AmericaSpace Quote Although information remains scarce, comments from the Air Force today confirm that SpaceX is pressing ahead with its plans to land the Falcon-9 RTF Orbcomm first-stage booster on solid ground, rather than aboard the deck of the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) in the Atlantic Ocean. Earlier this year, Air Force Brig. Gen. Nina Armagno, commander of the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, signed a five-year lease with SpaceX to create a “Landing Pad” at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s historic Launch Complex (LC)-13. Utilized for Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests and operational Atlas launches from August 1958 through April 1978, LC-13 was deactivated in 1980. More than three decades passed before SpaceX leased it in February 2015 and efforts to construct five landing pads for its returning Falcon 9 first-stage hardware got underway. The site is now designated “Landing Complex-1”. “One thing that is true in recent news is that SpaceX is waiting on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for both return to flight and doing a land landing vs. drone ship,” explained Chrissy Cuttita, operations chief of 45th Space Wing Public Affairs, based at Patrick Air Force Base, in response to an inquiry from Zero-G News’ Managing Editor Matthew Travis, who shared the information with AmericaSpace this afternoon. more data at the link...... http://www.americaspace.com/?p=89127 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 10, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 10, 2015 Mission patch.... Unobscured Vision and DocM 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Hmm, that seems more like a patch Orbcomm made for this launch and not like the mission patch that SpaceX would create for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 11, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 11, 2015 5 minutes ago, Beittil said: Hmm, that seems more like a patch Orbcomm made for this launch and not like the mission patch that SpaceX would create for it... It is an Orbcomm mission patch....(reddit).... the manufacturer, which I would assume, would only matter to collectors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 11, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 11, 2015 View of Orbcomm sats all stacked to go... https://twitter.com/Marc944Marc/with_replies Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Direct link Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Ooohhh, that's a thing of beauty right there, Doc. LOVE IT! Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 12, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 12, 2015 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Please note that the nitrogen thrusters near the grid fins have been moved. This fits well with the talk of them being modified. Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) 11 birds prepared for encapsulation. Static fire scheduled for Wednesday. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 16, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 16, 2015 bits and bytes... And SpaceX ASDS on the move. May be for engine or avionics testing...speculation, will probably find out later as it is obviuosly too early for deployment. http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=36326.5520 This way, if hard landing approval not in, "bobs" your uncle. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 The lead time for ASDS to get to its landing zone is about 2.5 - 3 days, so its not really early. Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 17, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 17, 2015 Hopefully, SpaceX will get authorization to come home and land on the "driveway" instead of the backyard "pool".... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) http://twitter.com/MatthewBTravis/status/677312508387028998"Well a #Falcon9 static test tonight would've been nice. Maybe tomorrow " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 17, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 17, 2015 This was creative..... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) I've taken pics through a big spotting scope with my LG G4, and you can buy FLIR and optics attachments for phones. Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted December 17, 2015 Veteran Share Posted December 17, 2015 Good idea and it won't take up much pocket room..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 Weather will play a big role in the first Landing Zone 1 touchdown and FAA won't sign off until that's cleared. If they don't, ASDS's coordinates will be uploaded before launch. ASDS had some thruster work done last week and was seen sailing out yesterday for tests. F9 FT on the pad yesterday. She overnighted there and a static fire is scheduled for this afternoon. Full size image at NSF: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=38148.0;attach=1087247;image Thumbnail (800x) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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