DocM Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Payload: Bangabandhu 1 commsat Customer: BTRC (Bangladesh) Launch date: April 24 Launch time: TBA Core: B1046.1 BLOCK 5 #1 Pad: KSC LC-40 Stage landing: ASDS Of CourseI Still Love You Satellite bus: Thales Spacebus-4000B2 Orbit: Geostationary transfer orbit GEO position: 119.1° East Transponders: 14 C-band, 26 Ku-band Propulsion: chemical Mass: ~3500 kg Unobscured Vision and anthdci 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) From Nice to Boston to KSC, via Antonov Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Bangabandhu-1 rescheduled to May 4 Mass refined to 3.7 tonnes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsItPluggedIn Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Any reason for the 10 day delay, or was it just too busy for them over this month? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 (edited) This launch has a lot riding on it because Block 5 is essentially a new vehicle with new turbopumps, higher thrust Merlin's (210,000 lbf), a new Octaweb (version 3.0), new heat shields, new state of the art helium COPV's (COPV 2.0 co-developed with NASA) W/matching plumbing and a dozen other things. Besides SpaceX and the customer crawling all over it, NASA and the USAF are using this launch to validate the new core design for their launches - especially for Crew Dragon DM-1 (uncrewed, August), DM-2 (w/crew, Dec/Jan) and the USAF's STP-2 Falcon Heavy launch (NET June 13). All that is a recipe for delays if ever there was one. Edited April 12, 2018 by DocM Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Yep. A minimum of 3 validation flights before they'll ease up on the inspections, then 3~5 more before they'll settle into the "routine" of Block-5 stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 13, 2018 Author Share Posted April 13, 2018 IIRC: 3 for USAF, 7 for Commercial Crew before atronauts fly on it (counting DM-1), 14 for nuclear powered payloads (RTG, KiloPower etc.) Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 21, 2018 Author Share Posted April 21, 2018 May 4th: 1600-1825 Eastern, 2000-2225 GMT And B1047.1, aka Block 5 #2, is on the test stand at McGregor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 25, 2018 Author Share Posted April 25, 2018 Likely slip to the 7th. Waiting for confirmation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 (edited) Rolling out for the static fire test, now on LC-39A. Behold F9 Block 5: human rated, more powerful Merlin 1D's, upgraded turbopumps, new upper stage, new helium subsystem, COPV 2.0, black composite Interstage, titanium grid fins, bolted-together Octaweb, new layered heat shields, black Legs 2.0 (retractable), and more. Edited May 4, 2018 by DocM Unobscured Vision, bguy_1986 and anthdci 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Those Merlins are gonna sound downright angry at launch time. The whole rocket is going to perform like it's got something to prove. It's like going from a Ferrari 430 to a Ferrari 458. The difference in attitude from the vehicle will be noticeable quite early, characteristics of the vehicle radically improved, etc. Can't [snipping] wait. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted May 7, 2018 Global Moderator Share Posted May 7, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 9, 2018 Author Share Posted May 9, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthdci Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 looks like its missing a nose cap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 Those were static fire images, they are by default without payload. Especially since Amos 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthdci Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 6 minutes ago, Beittil said: Those were static fire images, they are by default without payload. Especially since Amos 6. I thought the static fire was still done with payload attached due to having to bring the booster backwards and forwards too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 It was, until amos6... anthdci 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+rdlenk Subscriber² Posted May 10, 2018 Subscriber² Share Posted May 10, 2018 Lovely morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted May 10, 2018 Global Moderator Share Posted May 10, 2018 Pushed back a little. Good though...gives me time to get home from work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted May 10, 2018 Global Moderator Share Posted May 10, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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