Iridium Next Flight 2 (x10) - Falcon 9 - Vandenberg SLC-4E - 25.06.2017 20:25 UTC

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‏ @CwG_NSF 7 ч назад

Look at those sexy new grid fins! @NASASpaceflight #SpaceX #Falcon9 #IridiumNext

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https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/152616.jpg

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 @CwG_NSF 25 мин. назад

Today's forecast is #SpaceX-y with a good chance of first stage booster recovery. #IridiumNext #Falcon9 #Vandenberg

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/06/25/timeline-for-falcon-9s-second-launch-of-iridium-satellites/

Timeline for Falcon 9's second launch of Iridium satellites

June 25, 2017 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket's ascent to orbit with the second set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium's voice and data relay fleet.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket will lift off Saturday at 1:25:14 p.m. PDT (4:25:14 p.m. EDT; 2025:14 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Data source: SpaceX

Спойлер

T-0:00:00: Liftoff


After the rocket's nine Merlin 1D engines pass an automated health check, the Falcon 9 is released from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

T+0:01:09: Max-Q


The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure. The first stage's nine Merlin 1D engines produce about 1.7 million pounds of thrust.

T+0:02:24: MECO


The Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D engines shut down.

T+0:02:28: Stage 1 Separation


The Falcon 9's first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.

T+0:02:35: Stage 2 Ignition


The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites for an approximately 6-and-a-half-minute burn to inject the Iridium Next satellites into a parking orbit.

T+0:03:16: Fairing Jettison


The 5.2-meter (17.1-foot) diameter payload fairing jettisons once the Falcon 9 rocket ascends through the dense lower atmosphere. The 43-foot-tall fairing is made of two clamshell-like halves composed of carbon fiber with an aluminum honeycomb core.

T+0:05:48: Stage 1 Entry Burn


A subset of the first stage's Merlin 1D engines ignite for an entry burn to slow down for landing. A final landing burn will occur just before touchdown.

T+0:07:45: Stage 1 Landing


The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster touches down on SpaceX's drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

T+0:09:04: SECO 1


The Merlin 1D vacuum engine turns off after placing the Iridium satellites in a temporary parking orbit, beginning at 43-minute coast in space.

T+0:52:06: Stage 2 Restart


The Falcon 9's second stage engine ignites again for a 3-second burn to circularize its orbit.

T+0:52:09: SECO 2


The Merlin 1D vacuum engine shuts down after reaching a target orbit about 388 miles (625 kilometers) high with an inclination of 86 degrees.

T+0:57:10: Begin Iridium Deployments


The 1,896-pound (860-kilogram) Iridium Next satellites begin deploying from their two-tier dispenser on the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage, separating at intervals of approximately every 90 seconds.

T+1:12:00: End Iridium Deployments


The last of the 10 Iridium Next satellites will separate from the rocket.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/81789298@N05/sets/72157683148022571

From today SpaceX / IridiumNEXT Flight2 setup day. Crews prepped the Falcon9 rocket in anticapiton of tomorrow launch at 1:25:14pm PST, the launch window is 1

Из набора:
https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/132247.jpg

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/06/25/falcon-9-rocket-launching-sunday-sports-fin-upgrade/

Falcon 9 rocket launching Sunday sports fin upgrade

June 25, 2017 Stephen Clark


The new grid fins, seen here in black, will aid in the recovery and reuse of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket boosters. Credit: SpaceX

Redesigned titanium steering fins will fly aboard a Falcon 9 rocket launching Sunday from California, part of upgrades SpaceX says will ease the reuse of future boosters.

Спойлер

The Falcon 9 rocket is set for launch at 1:25:14 p.m. PDT (4:25:14 p.m. EDT; 2025:14 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's Central Coast with 10 new-generation voice and data satellites for Iridium's low Earth orbit communications network.

Mounted near the top of the Falcon 9's first stage, the hydraulically-actuated fins deploy soon after the booster separates in flight to begin its descent. On Sunday's mission, SpaceX intends to land the first stage on a drone ship dubbed "Just Read the Instructions" south of Vandenberg in the Pacific Ocean around eight minutes after liftoff.

Elon Musk, SpaceX's chief executive, tweeted that the Falcon 9 is "flying with larger and significantly upgraded hypersonic grid fins."

He added that the grid fins are cast in a single piece of titanium and cut to form their shape. Four of the fins are installed on each Falcon 9 booster.

The upgrade is important, Musk said, because the titanium fins can withstand the heat of re-entry through Earth's atmosphere without shielding. Aluminum fins on previous Falcon 9 rockets had to be replaced after each flight, and video from on-board cameras on some flights showed them on fire during re-entry.

Musk said the titanium fins are "slightly heavier" than the shielded aluminum fins, but the upgrade offers more control authority for stabilization and steering as the pencil-like 14-story booster glides back to Earth.

Depending on the profile for each mission, the first stage's Merlin engines ignite two or three times — in groups of three or with one engine — to guide the booster toward its landing site, either on the coast near the Falcon 9's launch pad, or on a recovery barge at sea.

The new fins "can be reused indefinitely with no touch ups," Musk tweeted.

Asked if the heavier fins need more hydraulic fluid to move, Musk responded: "They will, but the hydraulic system is closed loop, so no fluid lost. They do need more power and energy, but rocket has plenty of that."

The improved control authority is needed on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, Musk said. Made of three modified Falcon 9 first stage boosters bolted together, the huge rocket is scheduled to make its first test flight later this year after four years of delays.

The Falcon 9 rocket can land in heavier winds with the upgraded fins, Musk said.

SpaceX has reused two of its previously-flown Falcon 9 rocket boosters, most recently with the launch of a Bulgarian-owned communications satellite Friday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Both stages needed several months of inspections, refurbishment and tests, steps that SpaceX aims to reduce on future rocket re-flights.

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[tnt22]

‏ @CwG_NSF 34 сек. назад

T-3hrs and COUNTING! #SpaceX #IridiumNext #Falcon9 #Vandenberg

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06/25/2017 20:24
T-minus 3 hours. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg remains set for 1:25:14 p.m. PDT (4:25:14 p.m. EDT; 2025:14 GMT).

The Falcon 9 launching today features changes to the second stage to correct a problem that led to a rocket explosion on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral last September, destroying the vehicle and an Israeli-owned communications satellite. The upgrades are flying for the second time after debuting on a May 15 mission launched from Florida.

Спойлер

The unspecified changes are intended to speed up fueling during launch countdowns, allowing liquid oxygen and helium pressurant to be simultaneously loaded into the launcher.

Investigators blamed a Falcon 9 rocket explosion at Cape Canaveral's pad 40 last September on voids in the skin of high-pressure helium tanks immersed in super-cold liquid oxygen inside the launcher's second stage. Liquid oxygen became trapped, and perhaps froze, in the openings, leading to friction that eventually caused the rocket to explode, destroying an Israeli-owned communications satellite during a countdown rehearsal.

After an engineering inquiry settled on a probable cause for the mishap, SpaceX said future countdown sequences would change to load helium into the rocket before liquid oxygen, a modification the company said would avoid the problem. At the same time, SpaceX said it would make hardware changes to the rocket to permanently fix the helium tank concern.

Those safety upgrades are now making their way into the vehicle.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 16 мин. назад

Unlike Friday's launch that had the luxury of a 2-hour window, today's attempt with Iridium-2 is instantaneous with T-0 at 20:25:14 UTC.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 19 мин. назад

I'm guessing "someone" told SpaceX rocket fans are going loopy for new Grid Fins. So here's a good quality close up! https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxWVmelhKG/?hl=en ...

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 5 мин. назад

Countdown ops started earlier today with #Falcon9 power-up & detailed checks. Range countdown is now also underway for corridor monitoring.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 1 мин. назад

L-1 Hour 45 Minutes: SLC-4E should be clear at this time and final RF Link Checks & Flight Termination System tests in work. #Falcon9

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06/25/2017 21:42
Several major steps are coming up in the next hour, including the start of fueling of the rocket's two stages with RP-1 kerosene.

The SpaceX launch conductor will poll the Falcon 9 team at 12:17 p.m. PDT for a "go" to begin fueling the rocket. RP-1 kerosene should begin flowing into the vehicle at 12:25 p.m. PDT, followed by liquid oxygen at 12:50 p.m. PDT.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 3 мин. назад

Iridium launches have instantaneous T-0 opportunities as they target a specific plane in the constellation. Today's launch goes into Plane 3

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

L-90 Minutes: Automated Countdown must start 30 minutes from now (19:25 UTC). Any hold will mean an automatic scrub for the day. #Falcon9

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06/25/2017 21:46
Some statistics on today's launch:

Спойлер

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• 37th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010
• 42nd launch of Falcon rocket family since 2006
• 4th Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 17th launch of the upgraded Falcon 9
• 2nd upgraded Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
• 2nd launch for Iridium by SpaceX
• 24th overall launch with Iridium satellites
• 4th launch of Thales Alenia Space payloads on Falcon 9
• 23rd Falcon 9 day launch
• 9th Falcon 9 launch of 2017
• 3rd launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2017
• 18th attempt to land a Falcon 9 first stage
  

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[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

L-75 Minutes: Liquid Oxygen ground systems enter chilldown and conditioning prior to the start of the auto sequence. #Falcon9

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