Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Very questionable for today. Some strong storms are possible with the flow going up coast.

https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/KXMR

casinterest wrote:

Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Very questionable for today. Some strong storms are possible with the flow going up coast.

https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/KXMR

Just listening in, SpaceX is saying the weather should be good, one cell over Orlando, but that is dissipating. Fingers crossed.

I just can't get over the difference between a Shuttle flight deck and the Dragon displays.

jetwet1 wrote:

casinterest wrote:

Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Very questionable for today. Some strong storms are possible with the flow going up coast.

https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/KXMR

Just listening in, SpaceX is saying the weather should be good, one cell over Orlando, but that is dissipating. Fingers crossed.

I just can't get over the difference between a Shuttle flight deck and the Dragon displays.

Absolutely.

On the other hand, those assistants with the black uniforms and weird head gear give off a strange vibe, IMO.

I feel like they wouldn't be out of place at a party at Elon's house!

Air Force 1 just flew by.

Crew Demo 2 is doomed...

Revelation wrote:

jetwet1 wrote:

casinterest wrote:

Very questionable for today. Some strong storms are possible with the flow going up coast.

https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/KXMR

Just listening in, SpaceX is saying the weather should be good, one cell over Orlando, but that is dissipating. Fingers crossed.

I just can't get over the difference between a Shuttle flight deck and the Dragon displays.

Absolutely.

On the other hand, those assistants with the black uniforms and weird head gear give off a strange vibe, IMO.

I feel like they wouldn't be out of place at a party at Elon's house!

Lol, I was thinking a Devo cover band.

Edit :and now it's raining.

This stream is so cringy its painful

jetwet1 wrote:

casinterest wrote:

Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Very questionable for today. Some strong storms are possible with the flow going up coast.

https://www.wunderground.com/hourly/KXMR

Just listening in, SpaceX is saying the weather should be good, one cell over Orlando, but that is dissipating. Fingers crossed.

I just can't get over the difference between a Shuttle flight deck and the Dragon displays.

Hopefully it will be good to see.

The Dragon is not meant to be flown it is meant to be ridden in .

AIRWALK wrote:

This stream is so cringy its painful

Watch this interview with Elon and Jim Bridenstine for a bit. Should pass the time. Tim did another good job on the interview. Some interviewers just know when to let the big guys talk. Lots of good tidbits and insight for everyone including Spacex competitors on were NASA is right now. They go into the future after telling Tim they were concentrating on now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ZLysa9Qqg

AIRWALK wrote:

This stream is so cringy its painful

Have to do something to fill the airtime... I've muted it while multitasking until T-30 minutes or so.

There's probably a drinking game for this kind of thing. If they say "first manned launch from US soil in nearly a decade" one more time, I may start drinking!

Range is still RED at 3:33 PM EDT. Let's hope weather clears. Either way it is a good dry run.

Well they just announced they are still "GO for launch"! (Youtube stream) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aymrnzianf0

Tugg

Radar looks good for Florida.

https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us ... -canaveral

Might even be a clearing in a few minutes.

AIRWALK wrote:

This stream is so cringy its painful

Yeah I agree, where is John Ira when you need him?

TangoandCash wrote:

Have to do something to fill the airtime... I've muted it while multitasking until T-30 minutes or so.

There's probably a drinking game for this kind of thing. If they say "first manned launch from US soil in nearly a decade" one more time, I may start drinking!

True, but that isn't any difference compared to 10-15 years ago with the shuttle launches which broadcasts felt like less is more. When there wasn't as much to tell/announce
they just left the stream running with various external camera feeds, and when there were interesting things going on John Ira would come on and explain it in professional but
still simple way, perhaps just a clouded mind (it was almost 10 years since I last watched a full shuttle launch stream) but it felt more authentic.

Thunderboltdrgn wrote:

AIRWALK wrote:

This stream is so cringy its painful

Yeah I agree, where is John Ira when you need him?

TangoandCash wrote:

Have to do something to fill the airtime... I've muted it while multitasking until T-30 minutes or so.

There's probably a drinking game for this kind of thing. If they say "first manned launch from US soil in nearly a decade" one more time, I may start drinking!

True, but that isn't any difference compared to 10-15 years ago with the shuttle launches which broadcasts felt like less is more. When there wasn't as much to tell/announce
they just left the stream running with various external camera feeds, and when there were interesting things going on John Ira would come on and explain it in professional but
still simple way, perhaps just a clouded mind (it was almost 10 years since I last watched a full shuttle launch stream) but it felt more authentic.

Switch to Tim's More entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn3Kax3mExc

Sounds like a scrub.

SCRUB!

AIRWALK wrote:

This stream is so cringy its painful

The NASA one is one big "public service ad". It stinks. I tried watching "Everyday Astronaut" and he had a lot of problems because he was running solo from the parking lot and depending on WiFi and an iPhone because his plan to use the media center was canceled by COVID-19. The spacex.com feed had some cringing moments, but overall it was the best, IMO.

And it's a scrub

Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Not great, Bob. Scrubbed due to atmospheric charge.

Launched officially scrubbed.

This weekend when the alternates are scheduled are forecasted for similar weather - scattered thunderstorms. Hopefully the weather man is wrong in this regard.

(My post is too short and does not contain sufficient intelligent text - but I think it's pretty clear and communicative )

See y'all Saturday May 30 at 3:22 pm EDT!

Tugg

I can drink beer Saturday

Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Despite my misgivings I drove down to the Cape for the launch, its only a 30 minute drive for me (I can see the launch easily from my house which is 40 miles from the launch pad but wanted better pictures). Weather was crap all day but I didn't want to miss history. Weather at the location was meh but imo it was the downrange weather that scrubbed it. On a plus note when I got home Air Force One flew right over my house (have several photos of it) on its way from the Space Shuttle Landing Runway back to DC. I will be going back Saturday for Round 2.

HaveBlue wrote:

Francoflier wrote:

How's the weather holding up in Florida? The forecast looks a bit average, and I saw they had storms passing over the facility a couple of hours ago with more on the way it seems...

Despite my misgivings I drove down to the Cape for the launch, its only a 30 minute drive for me (I can see the launch easily from my house which is 40 miles from the launch pad but wanted better pictures). Weather was crap all day but I didn't want to miss history. Weather at the location was meh but imo it was the downrange weather that scrubbed it. On a plus note when I got home Air Force One flew right over my house (have several photos of it) on its way from the Space Shuttle Landing Runway back to DC. I will be going back Saturday for Round 2.

Nope it was weather at the pad. Field mills showed too much potential for lightning in the atmosphere. It was stated clearly on the comm network. Also the weather officer stated conditions were improving and would probably be green for launch ten minutes after the launch window closed. In short, the weather around you probably seemed fine, but it was not fine at the pad, and down range weather was not the issue.

What's exactly the danger to the rokkit when it flies through bad weather?

- lightning --> electronics on board may get spunky, and then you have the fuel
- clouds --> cameras don't get a good view, maybe also rain/hail
- windshear --> ?

The latter I don't really get. Important is the windshear. But when the F9 screams along at 2 Mach, isn't the windshear negligible?

While it may seem negligible, the whole rocket is under a considerable amount of stress during ascent and excessive winds causing it to have to work harder to maintain course will only make those loads higher and reduce margins, leading to reduced safety for the whole trip up. They know what they are willing to put up with and what they want to avoid.

flyingturtle wrote:

The latter I don't really get. Important is the windshear. But when the F9 screams along at 2 Mach, isn't the windshear negligible?

No it's not negligible. Imagine going over a speed bump at 100 km/h vs at 10 km/h. It might not look particularly threatening but the stress on your vehicle will be far greater, potentially damaging your shock absorbers.

Further, the rocket is built to withstand nominal aerodynamic forces within a relatively tight margin. Additional loads could induce stresses beyond what they are designed for. For example, most aircraft have a maximum speed VNE and a somewhat lower maneuvering speed VA and gust speed VB because the margin for control surface forces and gusts is reduced at high speeds.

LightningZ71 wrote:

While it may seem negligible,

Nomadd wrote:

that stress is a major consideration.

mxaxai wrote:

Imagine going over a speed bump at 100 km/h vs at 10 km/h.

Thank you all, this really clears it up!

/me goes back to whacking Kerbals and planning rescue missions

flyingturtle wrote:

/me goes back to whacking Kerbals

You know there is such a thing as discretion, right? Some things need to just be kept private!

Weather is not looking good for Saturday with the current estimate of a 40% chance to launch. But as always we're talking weather so we won't know till that day really.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/weather/ ... index.html

Tugg

A fun read!

Thanks guys.

One fellow posted a picture at 0847 EDT Wednesday of his motorhome in the parking lot at SpaceView Park in Titusville. He waited all day, before heading back to North Fort Meyers. He will be leaving about 4 am again Saturday to try to get to the same spot for the next try.

I have a possibly dumba** question - how come there is no leeway in the launch countdown, like there was in the majority of the STS launches? A good example was the final STS launch (135), where the countdown paused for just over 2 minutes at T-31 seconds while they worked an issue.

Is it because the Dragon has less ability to maneuver once in space to make up for lost time?

Aw crap:

A fourth prototype of SpaceX’s next generation Starship rocket exploded right after a test at the company’s south Texas test site on Friday. Shortly after SpaceX ignited the engine on the test rocket, a massive fireball engulfed the vehicle in flames, leaving very little hardware still standing and apparently causing damage to the test site.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/29/2127 ... -fire-test

It happens around 1:49pm (lower left corner):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCnl4IZOPe0

Nomadd, how ore your ears?

Tugg

afterburner33 wrote:

I have a possibly dumba** question - how come there is no leeway in the launch countdown, like there was in the majority of the STS launches? A good example was the final STS launch (135), where the countdown paused for just over 2 minutes at T-31 seconds while they worked an issue.

Is it because the Dragon has less ability to maneuver once in space to make up for lost time?

The 'critical' moment in the launch windows is at T-35 minutes. If the liquid propellant is loaded into the rocket, the way I'm reading the information is that the ignition and liftoff must occur at ZERO. The Falcon system is not designed to hold past zero, or go early, after the propellant is loaded.

The Space Shuttle had two SRB that could sit loaded and ready to fire for a long, long time. Procedure was to bring the Shuttle liquid fueled engine to full power, and if they were not happy with the power output, they could abort the launch AFTER main engine start. However, once the SRBs were fired, it was going to launch. Period.

The reason for the foam sprayed onto the exterior of the Space Shuttle External Tank was to prolong the amount of time the liquid fuel would be viable. That also added a lot of weight that had to be lifted off the pad. Heck, just the white paint for the first to Shuttle launches was responsible for 600 lbs of liftoff weight. Everyone was happy with the decision to not paint the foam. The foam had a design weight of 4,832 lbs according to the information on the Wikipedia page.

My understanding - which may be wrong - is that the Space Shuttle liquid fuel LOX and Hydrogen were loaded long before the crew boarded.

EDIT - Found it - the Space Shuttle liquid fuel loading started at T -5 hours 15 minutes. The reason for all the foam, and weight of the foam, was to extend the time for the fuel to remain viable after it was loaded. Here is a description of the fuel flow of the Space Shuttle.

https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/prop/flowsequence.html

Great link, that is some precise choreography!

We're currently go for launch, including weather and they just went go for propellant load.

rfields5421 wrote:

afterburner33 wrote:

I have a possibly dumba** question - how come there is no leeway in the launch countdown, like there was in the majority of the STS launches? A good example was the final STS launch (135), where the countdown paused for just over 2 minutes at T-31 seconds while they worked an issue.

Is it because the Dragon has less ability to maneuver once in space to make up for lost time?

The 'critical' moment in the launch windows is at T-35 minutes. If the liquid propellant is loaded into the rocket, the way I'm reading the information is that the ignition and liftoff must occur at ZERO. The Falcon system is not designed to hold past zero, or go early, after the propellant is loaded.

The Space Shuttle had two SRB that could sit loaded and ready to fire for a long, long time. Procedure was to bring the Shuttle liquid fueled engine to full power, and if they were not happy with the power output, they could abort the launch AFTER main engine start. However, once the SRBs were fired, it was going to launch. Period.

The reason for the foam sprayed onto the exterior of the Space Shuttle External Tank was to prolong the amount of time the liquid fuel would be viable. That also added a lot of weight that had to be lifted off the pad. Heck, just the white paint for the first to Shuttle launches was responsible for 600 lbs of liftoff weight. Everyone was happy with the decision to not paint the foam. The foam had a design weight of 4,832 lbs according to the information on the Wikipedia page.

My understanding - which may be wrong - is that the Space Shuttle liquid fuel LOX and Hydrogen were loaded long before the crew boarded.

EDIT - Found it - the Space Shuttle liquid fuel loading started at T -5 hours 15 minutes. The reason for all the foam, and weight of the foam, was to extend the time for the fuel to remain viable after it was loaded. Here is a description of the fuel flow of the Space Shuttle.

https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/prop/flowsequence.html

Falcon9 can be held, regular sattelite launches can be held for hours. Notably the Falcon Heavy test launch was held for a couple hours. The issue with Dragon launches is that the ISS has an instant launch window. The Space Shuttle I believe could slip by 10 minutes but not with Falcon 9.

Regular satellite missions can be held at T -35 prior to fuel loading as long as the required orbital insertion can be made within the launch window.

The ISS missions are much more timing critical. While the Falcon 9 ISS is a requirement due to fuel loading criteria, the Space Shuttle did have much more in flight orbital maneuverability than the Dragon Capsule.

Of course the one point which is not controllable by NASA, SpaceX, or anyone is the weather.

The 'candle has been lit' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So far so good!

I'm finding the view of the stage one booster returning more interesting than the Dragon taking off.

It's funny how SpaceX's mission control looks just like a call center, the dominant workplace aesthetic of the 2020s.

I suppose the Jetsons should have prepared me for this.

Bob and Doug in orbit! Falcon 9 on the ASDS! Good launch!

zanl188 wrote:

Bob and Doug in orbit! Falcon 9 on the ASDS! Good launch!

Take off, you hoser! (ref: Bob and Doug McKenzie...)

59 years and 25 days ago I watched a tiny B&W TV screen in my school auditorium with about 230 other kids and the staff as Alan Shepard took the first ride into space from the US.

Wonderful to see the US back into the launch business, and Delos David "D. D." Harriman would be so proud !!!

Incredible. They've nailed everything so far. My son got to watch this for his 8th birthday. Feeling very proud today, I thought it was especially poignant to see a black air force officer (fellow astronaut?) comment about things that are possible when Americans work together.

Revelation wrote:

zanl188 wrote:

Bob and Doug in orbit! Falcon 9 on the ASDS! Good launch!

Take off, you hoser! (ref: Bob and Doug McKenzie...)

Before I googled I first thought you meant Bob McKenzie they icehockey writer at TSN as I am not familiar with the Bob and Doug you are referring to.

Thunderboltdrgn wrote:

Revelation wrote:

zanl188 wrote:

Bob and Doug in orbit! Falcon 9 on the ASDS! Good launch!

Take off, you hoser! (ref: Bob and Doug McKenzie...)

Before I googled I first thought you meant Bob McKenzie they icehockey writer at TSN as I am not familiar with the Bob and Doug you are referring to.

Ahh, the 80s were a great time to be a young adult!

The back story is quite amazing, the skit started out as an inside joke to mock the Canadian TV networks for insisting on more Canadian content even though the show was written, produced and filmed in Canada, then it took off.

Bob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "Great White North", a sketch which was introduced on SCTV for the show's third season when it moved to CBC Television in 1980. Bob is played by Rick Moranis and Doug is played by Dave Thomas. Although created originally as filler to both satisfy and mock network Canadian content demands, the duo became a pop culture phenomenon in both Canada and the United States.
...
They rode the crest of a fad, peaking in 1982-83, that produced one comedy album, The Great White North, and a movie, Strange Brew. The album released by Anthem Records in Canada and Mercury Records in the US, went platinum in sales, won a Grammy nomination and broke the top ten on Billboard's Top LPs and Tapes list in March, 1982. It is noted for the song "Take Off" which featured fellow Canadian Geddy Lee of the rock group Rush chorusing between the McKenzies' banter. On this album, they also sing their own improvised version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas", which is frequently played on the radio around the holidays in both Canada and the United States. While hugely popular in the U.S., the album was also #1 in Canada for six weeks, suggesting that Canadians appreciated the duo as an affectionate self-parody.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_and_Doug_McKenzie