SpaceX (general discussion)

Florida Today article about ZUMA giving more details on the launch confirming it is a government payload.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/10/18/spacex-targeting-november-mystery-zuma-launch-falcon-9-kennedy-space-center-ksc-florida/775284001/?hootPostID=a0eed3369fbd44121783ee9f4308f609
 
You need paid access to view this article, and not just free access, which unfortunately I don’t have.

NRO: SpaceX ‘Zuma’ Payload Not Its Bird

CAPE CANAVERAL—The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office says a mystery payload known as Zuma, which is slated to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 next month, does not belong to the ...

http://m.aviationweek.com/awinspace/nro-spacex-zuma-payload-not-its-bird
 
SpaceX to launch its own armada of satellites:

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starlink-satellite-broadband-internet-service-2020/
 
SpaceX suffers Merlin engine test mishap

WASHINGTON — SpaceX said Nov. 8 that it suffered a failure of a Merlin engine during a recent test at its Texas facility, but that the incident would not delay any upcoming launches.

The incident, which took place Nov. 4 and was first reported by the Washington Post, may have involved a new version of the Merlin engine being developed by SpaceX for the next upgrade of the company’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

“SpaceX experienced an anomaly during a Qualification test set up of a Merlin engine at our rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas,” the company said in a statement to SpaceNews. No one was injured in the test, the company said, and “a thorough and fully transparent investigation” is underway, in coordination with various government agencies.
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Company sources say SpaceX can continue those launches, even while this investigation continues, because the engine that suffered the testing mishap was an upgraded version for the forthcoming “Block 5” version of the Falcon 9. The company is currently flying the Block 4 version of the rocket, and has not set a firm date for starting flights of the Block 5 version.

That would explain why the company is able to continue Falcon 9 launches even while the investigation, which may take several weeks to complete, continues, as the engine that failed is not used on existing versions of the rocket. It would also explain why the company said the mishap took place during a “qualification test” of the engine, which would normally not take place once a version of that engine has entered service.

Other engine tests at the McGregor site are reportedly continuing while the investigation into this incident takes place.
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http://spacenews.com/spacex-suffers-merlin-engine-test-mishap/
 
Busy Space Coast December Ahead As SpaceX Reactivates Damaged Cape Launch Pad, Aims For Year End Maiden Falcon Heavy Blastoff

https://www.universetoday.com/137061/busy-space-coast-december-ahead-as-spacex-reactivates-damaged-cape-launch-pad-aims-for-year-end-maiden-falcon-heavy-blastoff/
 
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/spacex-static-fire-zuma-falcon-9-engine-no-issue-manifest/

The test mishap reported above apparently was an explosion in the test stand, not.caused by the engine itself, which wasn't even firing when the stand went up.

Also, they static fired the rocket for the mysterious Zuma mission before mating the payload to the rocket.
 
According to this article it is an NRO payload in spite of denials.

Although Ars understands the payload is being launched for the National Reconnaissance Office, the mission's press kit offers absolutely no details about the payload. It simply refers to the payload as the "Zuma spacecraft," which is bound for low-Earth orbit. (And indeed, the NRO has denied that Zuma is its satellite).
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https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/11/spacex-to-launch-a-secret-but-significant-payload-thursday/

More speculation.

One theory proposed by Marco Langbroek, an experienced tracker of satellite movements who lives in the Netherlands, suggests the Zuma payload could be related to a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite launched on a Falcon 9 rocket in May.

The secretive NRO spacecraft, designated USA-276, flies in an orbit inclined 50 degrees to the equator, similar or identical to the track Zuma is expected to take.

What’s more, the USA-276 satellite will fly over Central Florida around 8:08 p.m. EST Thursday (0108 GMT Friday), eight minutes after the opening of the Falcon 9’s launch window.

A launch in the first part of Thursday’s launch window would place Zuma very close to USA-276.

“I readily admit, this all to a high degree remains speculation and wishful thinking, of course,” Langbroek wrote on the SeeSat-L forum. “We’ll see what happens. But I found it curious enough to draw attention to it.”
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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/15/top-secret-zuma-payload-puzzles-satellite-trackers/
 
SpaceX expects government support for development of BFR launch system

LUXEMBOURG CITY — The president of SpaceX said she expects the company would receive additional funding from the U.S. government to support the development of its large reusable launch system.

Speaking at the NewSpace Europe conference here Nov. 16, Gwynne Shotwell noted that SpaceX is already receiving funding from the U.S. Air Force supporting the development of Raptor, the engine that will power the vehicle known as BFR, or Big Falcon Rocket, and the reusable spacecraft known as BFS or Big Falcon Spaceship.

“I do anticipate that there is residual capability of that system that the government will be interested in,” she said. “I do see that we would likely get some funding from the government for BFR and BFS.” She added, though, that work on the vehicles was not contingent on receiving government funding.
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http://spacenews.com/spacex-expects-government-support-for-development-of-bfr-launch-system/
 
SpaceX Statement:

“We have decided to stand down and take a closer look at data from recent fairing testing for another customer. Though we have preserved the range opportunity for tomorrow, we will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date.”
 
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket with the Zuma payload has been lowered horizontal at launch pad 39A in Florida. The mission remains postponed indefinitely.
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It was potential concerns about fairings that led SpaceX to postpone this week’s planned launch from Kennedy Space Center of a secret U.S. government mission called Zuma on a Falcon 9 rocket.

The company said it stood down to review the results of fairing tests performed for another customer.

“We will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date,” said a statement Thursday.

Not typically considered one of a rocket’s most complex or high-risk systems, giant fairing structures are nonetheless critical to a mission’s success.

The nose cones protect satellites worth hundreds of millions of dollars from the stresses of a rocket’s climb through the atmosphere, including aerodynamic pressure, weather, heating and the rocket’s rumble.
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Source:
Florida Today.com
 
Better safe than sorry, you just can't go potentially destroying a satellite like Zuma which is worth millions or billions of dollars to the US government.
 
SpaceX Classified Zuma Launch Delayed Until At Least December

CAPE CANAVERAL—SpaceX’s launch of a classified mission for an undisclosed U.S. government customer will be delayed until at least December pending resolution of a possible payload fairing issue and for annual maintenance at the Eastern Test Range, which supports launches from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape ...
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http://m.aviationweek.com/awinspace/spacex-classified-zuma-launch-delayed-until-least-december
 
Article by SpaceNews about next year increase of SpaceX launches from 20 to 30
and introduction of Falcon 9 "block 5" next year

http://spacenews.com/spacex-aims-to-follow-a-banner-year-with-an-even-faster-2018-launch-cadence/
 
Debut of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket now planned early next year

SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy rocket is expected to roll out to pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the first time next month for a hold-down firing of its 27 Merlin main engines, but the mega-rocket’s inaugural test launch will slip into January, officials confirmed Tuesday.
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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/28/debut-of-spacexs-falcon-heavy-rocket-now-planned-in-january/
 
SpaceX made excellent launch and reuse of first stage and Dragon capsule.

Also a surprise: Launch Pad 40 is not rebuild, They build complete new one !

New Blast pits, launch tower and Hydraulic.
New Infrastructure for refurnish landed Falcon 9 and compatible with Launch Pad 39A.
So personal can use both and it's equipment compatible.

how far is Texas launch site construction ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4XJS_oftH8
 
Spotted this picture while hunting for Falcon Heavy images. Supposedly it is a fairing "grabber" which invokes images of this thing dashing under a parachute suspended fairing and catching it but I would guess it is simply a transport cradle used after fishing the hardware out of the sea.
 

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Odd Configuration, those arms have no hydraulic system to grab something
looks more like holder for some thing, maybe for a Net ?
could be that's recovery ship for Payload faring ?

fredymac for more picture for Falcon Heavy, already look here ?
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,12339.msg321084.html#msg321084

got one of these
DRezf3BU8AASJRT.jpg
 
What do you think Admiral?
 

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fredymac said:
Spotted this picture while hunting for Falcon Heavy images. Supposedly it is a fairing "grabber" which invokes images of this thing dashing under a parachute suspended fairing and catching it but I would guess it is simply a transport cradle used after fishing the hardware out of the sea.
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I wouldn't be surprised if it does catch parachutes mid-air - apparently landing them in water has been relatively unsuccessful (they're just too thin and fragile for their size), plus it's my understanding that they're using or looking at using steered parachutes, which would allow fairly precise landings (combined with the ship sailing along to reduce the relative horizontal velocity).

In arguably more exciting news - we have photos of the Falcon Heavy maiden payload (of a 1st generation Tesla Roadster):
 

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fredymac said:
Spotted this picture while hunting for Falcon Heavy images. Supposedly it is a fairing "grabber" which invokes images of this thing dashing under a parachute suspended fairing and catching it but I would guess it is simply a transport cradle used after fishing the hardware out of the sea.
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The hardware is ~5 m wide and 12 m long. Those arms are far too large to be a cradle. It's more likely a net will be suspended between the arms to land the fairing on.
That ship is one of the fastest offshore support vessels available by the way: top speed 32kn.
 
Hobbes said:
That ship is one of the fastest offshore support vessels available by the way: top speed 32kn.
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http://www.seatranmarine.com/vessels-1/mr-steven
:eek:
 
Quite a light show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRzZl_nq6fk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyKAJsQngIc
 
There look like puffs from the maneuvering system on the 1st stage but they didn't try to land it did they?
 
sferrin said:
There look like puffs from the maneuvering system on the 1st stage but they didn't try to land it did they?
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Oddly Not this Time
But they made complet Return Procedere landed But there was no ship to Land on...
Why is unclear to me
 
Michel Van said:
sferrin said:
There look like puffs from the maneuvering system on the 1st stage but they didn't try to land it did they?
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Oddly Not this Time
But they made complet Return Procedere landed But there was no ship to Land on...
Why is unclear to me
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They performed a controlled landing in the ocean (for the purposes of gathering flight data, etc). The reason they didn't land this one on a barge is because it's a Block 3 Falcon 9, SpaceX is limited in their floorspace and they want to have the entirety of their Falcon 9 [non-Heavy] fleet at the Block 5 configuration. Evidently SpaceX's believes that it's cheaper to expend a Block 3 (maybe recycling some recovered components) and build a new Block 5 in its place.
 

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