SpaceX intends to launch the next batch of Iridium Next satellites, with a couple of hitch-hiker science satellites (GRACE-FO) from Vandenburg in a little under two hours.
Mr. Steven is at sea, so presumably there will be another try at catching a fairing half in flight. I kind of doubt they will show live video of that (or any video at all), but it would be nifty to see.
Edit to add that this is planned as an expending launch for the first stage (no landing on barge or back at the base). It is also nowhere near dusk, so wild patterns in the sky are not on offer.
GRACE-FO ia a joint mission of NASA and the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ). The two satellites will be delivered in a lower and a higher orbit. The one in the lower orbit will be faster. After a few days the satellites willl be separated by 220 km and the lower orbiting will be raised to the higher orbit,so that the distance between the two will be maintained. The variation of the Earth's gravitational field due to moving glaciers, oceans and rivers will cause the distance of the two satellites, measured by lasers, to vary. This will make a precise measurement of the fresh waters and oceans height, as was done by the preceding GRACE satellites from 2002 to 2017, whose results were recently announced on "Nature" magazine. After the two satellites are put in a 490 km height orbit, the second stage of the Falcon9 rocket will fire again and deliver the 5 Iridium satellites in a higher orbit.
Mr Steven looks cool. I think the Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr Blue Sky is appropriate music for today. A landmark ( pun ) for the amazing GRACE mission.
Cheers, Mike.
(edit ) Martin tells us there is an eLisa laser test on board GRACE FO.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
side note we are now into our 4th week of rain with another week of rain forecast. I believe that SpaceX has another scheduled launch soon but with this weather I am not so sure it will happen.
What stylish looking vehicles, like from two centuries ahead. Real beauties with the Rutan panache. Virgin will capture the tourists easily with that.
The air is so thin up there it can be hard to get enough 'bite' to keep the long axis stable. Maybe they could benefit from micro-thrusters in that high velocity/altitude region as does SpaceX ?
Cheers, Mike.
( edit ) SpaceFlightNow also has a detailed story on the COPV issue.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
What stylish looking vehicles, like from two centuries ahead. Real beauties with the Rutan panache. Virgin will capture the tourists easily with that.
The air is so thin up there it can be hard to get enough 'bite' to keep the long axis stable. Maybe they could benefit from micro-thrusters in that high velocity/altitude region as does SpaceX ?
Cheers, Mike.
( edit ) SpaceFlightNow also has a detailed story on the COPV issue.
informative read. on the subject of testing. Elon Musk's comment "its nuts" was equally interesting in that it was about the complexity of testing required.
SpaceX intends to launch the
)
SpaceX intends to launch the next batch of Iridium Next satellites, with a couple of hitch-hiker science satellites (GRACE-FO) from Vandenburg in a little under two hours.
Mr. Steven is at sea, so presumably there will be another try at catching a fairing half in flight. I kind of doubt they will show live video of that (or any video at all), but it would be nifty to see.
Here is the launch broadcast URL
Edit to add that this is planned as an expending launch for the first stage (no landing on barge or back at the base). It is also nowhere near dusk, so wild patterns in the sky are not on offer.
GRACE-FO ia a joint mission
)
GRACE-FO ia a joint mission of NASA and the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ). The two satellites will be delivered in a lower and a higher orbit. The one in the lower orbit will be faster. After a few days the satellites willl be separated by 220 km and the lower orbiting will be raised to the higher orbit,so that the distance between the two will be maintained. The variation of the Earth's gravitational field due to moving glaciers, oceans and rivers will cause the distance of the two satellites, measured by lasers, to vary. This will make a precise measurement of the fresh waters and oceans height, as was done by the preceding GRACE satellites from 2002 to 2017, whose results were recently announced on "Nature" magazine. After the two satellites are put in a 490 km height orbit, the second stage of the Falcon9 rocket will fire again and deliver the 5 Iridium satellites in a higher orbit.
Tullio
Mr Steven looks cool. I think
)
Mr Steven looks cool. I think the Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr Blue Sky is appropriate music for today. A landmark ( pun ) for the amazing GRACE mission.
Cheers, Mike.
(edit ) Martin tells us there is an eLisa laser test on board GRACE FO.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Both satellites are healthy.
)
Both satellites are healthy. Telemetry data are nominal. I forgot to say that their orbits are almost polar.
Tullio
virgin galactic:
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virgin galactic: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/virgin-galactic-spaceplane-completes-another-supersonic-test-flight-ncna878301 (scroll down a bit for video portion and note the fuselage action just after flame out)
side note we are now into our 4th week of rain with another week of rain forecast. I believe that SpaceX has another scheduled launch soon but with this weather I am not so sure it will happen.
robl wrote:virgin galactic:
)
What stylish looking vehicles, like from two centuries ahead. Real beauties with the Rutan panache. Virgin will capture the tourists easily with that.
The air is so thin up there it can be hard to get enough 'bite' to keep the long axis stable. Maybe they could benefit from micro-thrusters in that high velocity/altitude region as does SpaceX ?
Cheers, Mike.
( edit ) SpaceFlightNow also has a detailed story on the COPV issue.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Ah yes, the X-15 experience.
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Ah yes, the X-15 experience.
SpaceX launch this Friday but
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SpaceX launch this Friday but weather might not cooperate.
Mike Hewson wrote:robl
)
informative read. on the subject of testing. Elon Musk's comment "its nuts" was equally interesting in that it was about the complexity of testing required.
June 1 launch attempt
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June 1 launch attempt cancelled. Current hope is for June 4 (a bit of a surprise, as the range has a stand-down scheduled spanning that date).