SpaceX lands rocket booster on drone ship

[forummm]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

[turketron]

I always assumed it was the whole "blowing up" thing since that's happened on a couple of occasions, but it's maybe a little of both?

[AlanStache]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

Why would there need to be someone onboard?  The rocket goes to space and back in under 10min, keeping a boat stationary does not require a grizzled old sea captain with dancing girl tattoos on his forearms :-) 

Does anyone know if the bit of fire that remains under the engine is intentional or not?  Wondering if it is an intentional burn off of the left over fuel after landing.  There is no point in saving 20$ worth of gas and it would be a hazard when people board the barge to secure the rocket.  I would rather be on a barge with a 15 story tower that is not filled with explosives than on a barge with explosives.  Worst case I would rather just be crushed, rather than crushed then burnt. 

[CmFtns]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

There is absolutely no-one on board the ship... It is a "drone ship" therefore they coined the name:
"autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship

[turketron]

The best reason I can think of to have people on/nearby the barge would be to quickly secure the rocket in rough seas, however the first landing they did was pretty windy and seemed pretty stable (given that most of the weight is the engines once there's no more fuel left, it's probably not very top heavy) so maybe that's not an issue. If it's too rough to stay upright unsecured it'd probably be too rough to land on the barge in the first place.

Does anyone know if the bit of fire that remains under the engine is intentional or not?  Wondering if it is an intentional burn off of the left over fuel after landing.  There is no point in saving 20$ worth of gas and it would be a hazard when people board the barge to secure the rocket.  I would rather be on a barge with a 15 story tower that is not filled with explosives than on a barge with explosives.  Worst case I would rather just be crushed, rather than crushed then burnt.

From the comments I've seen on the SpaceX subreddit it's an intentional burn off for exactly that reason, but that's definitely not an "official" explanation.

[forummm]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

There is absolutely no-one on board the ship... It is a "drone ship" therefore they coined the name:
"autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship

Yeah, I knew it was a drone barge. Just wondering if the reason for it was sound/vibration vs explosion risk. Just nerd musings.

[CmFtns]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

There is absolutely no-one on board the ship... It is a "drone ship" therefore they coined the name:
"autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship

Yeah, I knew it was a drone barge. Just wondering if the reason for it was sound/vibration vs explosion risk. Just nerd musings.

Yea... If I worked for spacex and they told me to go stand on the barge and run out and secure the rocket when it landed I would be like "HELLLLLL NOOOOO...!!!"... lol

I would think it would be extremely risky.

[brett2k07]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

There is absolutely no-one on board the ship... It is a "drone ship" therefore they coined the name:
"autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship

Yeah, I knew it was a drone barge. Just wondering if the reason for it was sound/vibration vs explosion risk. Just nerd musings.

Yea... If I worked for spacex and they told me to go stand on the barge and run out and secure the rocket when it landed I would be like "HELLLLLL NOOOOO...!!!"... lol

I would think it would be extremely risky.

I wouldn't even want to know what their insurance rates would be if they actually did try to do that.

[ender]

I wonder if the barge is a drone because the sound and vibrations from the rocket engines would be enough to kill you. On launch with the Space Shuttle, they evacuate everyone for several miles for that reason.

Of course, it could also just be for safety in case the rocket blows up on the ship.

There is absolutely no-one on board the ship... It is a "drone ship" therefore they coined the name:
"autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship

Yeah, I knew it was a drone barge. Just wondering if the reason for it was sound/vibration vs explosion risk. Just nerd musings.

Yea... If I worked for spacex and they told me to go stand on the barge and run out and secure the rocket when it landed I would be like "HELLLLLL NOOOOO...!!!"... lol

I would think it would be extremely risky.

The thing is, the rocket isn't exactly something you could very easily secure yourself given how huge it is.

[brett2k07]

A little bit late on posting this one, but on May 27th they did it again. Looks like they've pretty much got this thing figured out now. They also provided a little bit of a different view of the landing this time with an on-board camera (the video is sped up, obviously). Pretty cool to watch it orientate itself and hit its target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=4jEz03Z8azc

[nereo]

A little bit late on posting this one, but on May 27th they did it again. Looks like they've pretty much got this thing figured out now. They also provided a little bit of a different view of the landing this time with an on-board camera (the video is sped up, obviously). Pretty cool to watch it orientate itself and hit its target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=4jEz03Z8azc

Wow. 
I guess we're still not to the point where we are bored about these successful landings yet.

[CmFtns]

A little bit late on posting this one, but on May 27th they did it again. Looks like they've pretty much got this thing figured out now. They also provided a little bit of a different view of the landing this time with an on-board camera (the video is sped up, obviously). Pretty cool to watch it orientate itself and hit its target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=4jEz03Z8azc

Wow. 
I guess we're still not to the point where we are bored about these successful landings yet.

I don't think I'll ever get bored of watching these landings...

[brett2k07]

A little bit late on posting this one, but on May 27th they did it again. Looks like they've pretty much got this thing figured out now. They also provided a little bit of a different view of the landing this time with an on-board camera (the video is sped up, obviously). Pretty cool to watch it orientate itself and hit its target.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=4jEz03Z8azc

Wow. 
I guess we're still not to the point where we are bored about these successful landings yet.

If it were the same old view from the barge I probably wouldn't have even bothered. But this view from the on-board camera was unlike anything they've shown before, and it was too good not to share in my opinion.

Also, my grandfather worked for NASA for a number of years (on all of the Apollo missions) so there's a bit of sentimental nostalgia playing in there as well. So, like comfyfutons, I'll probably never get bored of watching these landings either.

[forummm]

I used to have a DVR and the NASA channel. I recorded some of the shuttle launches and would watch them, and then rewind and watch again. And again. This was back before Youtube at a lot of stuff on it.

I can still remember the various phases of the launch like the sound suppression water system, the primary ignition, the tilt forwards of the shuttle, the reverse of the tilt, the booster ignition, the explosive bolts, liftoff (sliding slightly forwards while heading up), roll, throttle back for max Q, sound barrier, etc.

[AlanStache]

The next big mile stone will be when one of the landed boosters is actually reused for a commercial flight - that is the point of all this.  Ok well the actual point is to back up the human race with colonies on Mars (and beyond), but the short term goal is to reuse a booster.

[nereo]

The next big mile stone will be when one of the landed boosters is actually reused for a commercial flight - that is the point of all this.  Ok well the actual point is to back up the human race with colonies on Mars (and beyond), but the short term goal is to reuse a booster.

Exactly.  As Elon Musk tweeted, their hangers are slowly filling up with post-flight 1st stages.
Looking forward to seeing them be re-used, not just once, but half a dozen times over the course of just a year or two. 

[EngineerYogi]

The next big mile stone will be when one of the landed boosters is actually reused for a commercial flight - that is the point of all this.  Ok well the actual point is to back up the human race with colonies on Mars (and beyond), but the short term goal is to reuse a booster.

Exactly.  As Elon Musk tweeted, their hangers are slowly filling up with post-flight 1st stages.
Looking forward to seeing them be re-used, not just once, but half a dozen times over the course of just a year or two. 

This photo just made my heart skip a beat.

[brett2k07]

Looks like we'll have more to look forward to than just Pumpkin Spice flavored everything this fall. Elon Musk tweeted that they're looking to re-launch one of the boosters in September/October.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/06/08/spacex-relaunch-rocket-fall/

[Roots&Wings]

I forgot to go outside and see it this morning... sooooo early but awesome they did it again!

Comfyfutons, do you have any recommended viewing spots to see the launches? I'm about 1.75 hrs away and would love to catch a launch in person sometime (saw a nighttime shuttle launch as a kid which was pretty cool). Since it's a bit a of a trek and the launch could get delayed (like the May 26/27 one) I'd likely combine with a beach visit too just in case :) Any tips are appreciated!

[CmFtns]

I forgot to go outside and see it this morning... sooooo early but awesome they did it again!

Comfyfutons, do you have any recommended viewing spots to see the launches? I'm about 1.75 hrs away and would love to catch a launch in person sometime (saw a nighttime shuttle launch as a kid which was pretty cool). Since it's a bit a of a trek and the launch could get delayed (like the May 26/27 one) I'd likely combine with a beach visit too just in case :) Any tips are appreciated!

Here is a good guide to understand the launches and where to view them:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

Spacex launches their Falcon 9 from here: Space Launch Complex 40. I always watch spacex from the south side of the launches near port Canaveral like that guide recommends which is around 10 miles away from the launch pad. However that guide says to watch from 401 @ 28.418787, -80.625062 but I find that that road is super crazy packed and you literally can't park unless you get there 3-4 hours early. I watch from ever so slightly farther away on A1A on the bridge/landbridge that goes across the river @ 28.405583, -80.652307. You will still have a clear view just make sure to go to near that GPS location or slightly farther west so that your view isn't obstructed by all the lights along 401 and port Canaveral. You will need to go east across the bridge and do a U turn and come back west across the bridge then pull off onto the right side of the road like these directions show Directions.

The best launch scenario would probably be a spacex night launch when they are bringing the first stage back to land at the the air force station instead of on the drone ship. If you can make it to one of those launches then you would get to see the launch as well as see the first stage come back home.

I have also been tempted to go to jetty Park beach here: Beach Location but have not done that yet. I'm not sure exactly where I could publicly park or how busy it would be but it would be really cool since it is close and clear view of the landing site if they bring the first stage back to land.

I don't really have any experience with other viewing locations for the other rockets besides the spacex ones.


Where are you coming from? Just a warning... it can be frustrating to come so far and have a launch delayed or canceled. I would estimate that there is a delay till the next day or later in the week probably 25-50% of the time due to things like weather, boats entering the closed waters downrange, tiny anomalies with the rocket that makes computer auto-cancel launches, etc.

[forummm]

One time I got stuck in Orlando for a week waiting for a shuttle launch that kept being postponed every day. I intended to be there just one day. Boss got kind of upset at me, even though I worked remotely the whole time. At the end of the week they just scrubbed the launch for a few months. Then I went back for the rescheduled date and got to the viewing area and then about 10 minutes before the scheduled launch they had a problem. Which extra sucked because I'd already used my tickets at that point (non refundable if the launch gets scrubbed). So I was pretty upset. Then they somehow cleared things up and the launch happened.

[Roots&Wings]

Here is a good guide to understand the launches and where to view them:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

Spacex launches their Falcon 9 from here: Space Launch Complex 40. I always watch spacex from the south side of the launches near port Canaveral like that guide recommends which is around 10 miles away from the launch pad. However that guide says to watch from 401 @ 28.418787, -80.625062 but I find that that road is super crazy packed and you literally can't park unless you get there 3-4 hours early. I watch from ever so slightly farther away on A1A on the bridge/landbridge that goes across the river @ 28.405583, -80.652307. You will still have a clear view just make sure to go to near that GPS location or slightly farther west so that your view isn't obstructed by all the lights along 401 and port Canaveral. You will need to go east across the bridge and do a U turn and come back west across the bridge then pull off onto the right side of the road like these directions show Directions.

The best launch scenario would probably be a spacex night launch when they are bringing the first stage back to land at the the air force station instead of on the drone ship. If you can make it to one of those launches then you would get to see the launch as well as see the first stage come back home.

I have also been tempted to go to jetty Park beach here: Beach Location but have not done that yet. I'm not sure exactly where I could publicly park or how busy it would be but it would be really cool since it is close and clear view of the landing site if they bring the first stage back to land.

I don't really have any experience with other viewing locations for the other rockets besides the spacex ones.


Where are you coming from? Just a warning... it can be frustrating to come so far and have a launch delayed or canceled. I would estimate that there is a delay till the next day or later in the week probably 25-50% of the time due to things like weather, boats entering the closed waters downrange, tiny anomalies with the rocket that makes computer auto-cancel launches, etc.

Thank you for the awesome info! Can't wait to look into this more and plan a trip around an upcoming SpaceX launch. Yeah, I know about the launch delays, so definitely planning other things (likely a beach vacation) around this. Coming from just north of Orlando, so it would be too far a drive for the launch only if postponed. You're lucky you get to experience these all the time!

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

[forummm]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

[nereo]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

... can we talk about Nazis yet?

[forummm]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

... can we talk about Nazis yet?

As soon as they start landing rockets on ships.

[AlanStache]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

... can we talk about Nazis yet?

As soon as they start landing rockets on ships.

Land might be a stretch but...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_X
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision-guided_munition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_Hs_293

[CmFtns]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

Forummm this is about rocket landings not rocket launches

[forummm]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

Forummm this is about rocket landings not rocket launches

How did the rocket get up there to be able to land?

I thought about it while writing, but using launches was funnier.

[cerat0n1a]

Here is a good guide to understand the launches and where to view them:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

Thanks for posting that - coming to the US to watch a launch is definitely part of my future plans.

[CmFtns]

Here is a good guide to understand the launches and where to view them:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

Thanks for posting that - coming to the US to watch a launch is definitely part of my future plans.

I honestly think this guy's little photography website is the best source of information for the average person looking to see a launch or get updates about launches... I forget where I found out about it but he updates it religiously

[Roots&Wings]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

Forummm this is about rocket landings not rocket launches

How did the rocket get up there to be able to land?

I thought about it while writing, but using launches was funnier.

Precisely. I had no idea everyone would be so open to discussing the launch aspect! Since we've established that launches are fair game in the landing thread, does anyone have a good resource for SpaceX's upcoming launch dates?

SpaceX doesn't publish their upcoming launch dates that I could find (only completed mission dates...unless I'm missing the obvious). I only happened to catch their May 26/27 launch/landing because it was featured in the Bing news search rewards that day (one of the hazards of a Mustachian low-information diet).

[CmFtns]

And sorry for the thread derail...back on topic :)

How dare you derail our thread about rocket launches with your discussion about a rocket launch!

Forummm this is about rocket landings not rocket launches

How did the rocket get up there to be able to land?

I thought about it while writing, but using launches was funnier.

Precisely. I had no idea everyone would be so open to discussing the launch aspect! Since we've established that launches are fair game in the landing thread, does anyone have a good resource for SpaceX's upcoming launch dates?

SpaceX doesn't publish their upcoming launch dates that I could find (only completed mission dates...unless I'm missing the obvious). I only happened to catch their May 26/27 launch/landing because it was featured in the Bing news search rewards that day (one of the hazards of a Mustachian low-information diet).

Try their reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex
They don't decide on exact dates until a month or so before it seems and push back a lot of "estimated" dates

[Roots&Wings]

Try their reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex
They don't decide on exact dates until a month or so before it seems and push back a lot of "estimated" dates

Thanks again CmFtns! Apologies for the earlier name mix-up too. Not entirely unsure how to decipher the reddit page at first (or second) glance and will have to explore this a bit more!

EDIT: on third glance, it's blatantly stated there near the top:

Eutelsat 117W B & ABS 2A launch targeting liftoff 14 June, 1432 UTC.

[turketron]

I mostly check SpaceX Stats, their page is a bit easier to read and shows launch times based on my time zone (I need to get better at reading UTC haha) so I know if I need to stay up late/wake up early to watch one: https://spacexstats.com/missions/future

[Roots&Wings]

^ Ah, thank you turketron, that website format is much easier for me to follow too!

[EngineerYogi]

https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

Includes all unclassified launches throughout the world.

[Roots&Wings]

Latest SpaceX landing attempt about to occur momentarily in case anyone else wants to watch live: http://www.spacex.com/webcast

EDIT: latest one was a flop.

[dandarc]

Looks like they've pretty well figured out landing these things.

[dandarc]

Granted, this one looks to have caught fire or something, but the rocket was standing on the deck before the video cut out.

[Luke Warm]

an 'unscheduled disassembly' they called it.

[dandarc]

Not 'rapid' this time?

[CowboyAndIndian]

Not 'rapid' this time?

Yup, rapid this time.

Elon tweeted "rud" then later on gave the explanation.

[dandarc]

Obviously not ideal, but still pretty impressive the thing was upright on the ship at all, given the low fuel situation and a malfunctioning engine.

[markbike528CBX]

If you're looking for a launch to view, look for the phrase "instantaneous launch window" or   "1 second launch window".

I was working night shift near Vandenberg (California), and saw Einstein Gravity Probe B launch on a Delta II 6920??.   
It was about an hour drive each way, and I couldn't hang about long, as I needed to get back to the hotel to sleep.

So comforting that when the launch was scrubbed, I didn't have to worry about seeing it launch in my rear view mirror.

23hr 56min ?? seconds later it launched.  http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/162789main_gpb_fs.pdf

[Roots&Wings]

Nice landing today, http://www.spacex.com/webcast (around 25:00).

[Metric Mouse]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/01/news/companies/spacex-explosion/index.html

Another minor setback for Elon Musk.

[nereo]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/01/news/companies/spacex-explosion/index.html

Another minor setback for Elon Musk.

I get that there are multiple Falcon 9 first stage rockets, but what would a "major" setback look like?  Seems like the loss of one plus the loss of a $100M+ satellite is pretty significant. 
Also... who's financially on the hook for the destruction of hte satellite?  Is the something Space X has to reimburse, or is there some fine print that says "Space X is not responsible for the loss or incineration of any personal property for any reason, sorry no refunds."

[CowboyAndIndian]

. 
Also... who's financially on the hook for the destruction of hte satellite? 

Usually, the satellite owner takes launch insurance on it.

[nereo]

. 
Also... who's financially on the hook for the destruction of hte satellite? 

Usually, the satellite owner takes launch insurance on it.

Huh.  How much does that cost for a ~$150MM satellite on a relatively new launch program like Space X?

[CowboyAndIndian]

. 
Also... who's financially on the hook for the destruction of hte satellite? 

Usually, the satellite owner takes launch insurance on it.

Huh.  How much does that cost for a ~$150MM satellite on a relatively new launch program like Space X?

Like any other insurance, it is priced based on a bunch of factors, the major one of which is the reliability of the launch vehicle.

After the one launch failure last year and this pre-launch failure, my guess is that the premiums are going up in the future.

What information I know is from when I worked for the Indian Space program.

Here some more details about the program
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_insurance