hosted more talking heads, more Hawthorne crowd shots and enthusiasm
At the moment I am posting, both are only live enough to show a countdown to the expected launch moment a little over 35 minutes in the future. On past experience both with probably actually go live with prelaunch video something like 20 minutes before that.
I can't help reflecting on all those old covers on SF novels with pictures of vertical rocket landings; and how I remember thinking that would forever be quite impossible.
With the vertical landings of these first stage rockets, Space X has made be a believer in the future again. There may be hope.
It is inspiring for sure. It was always possible within the constraints of physical laws and circumstance, though requires fanatical attention to detail. It mostly comes down to energy : how much you have, of what sort, when and where to spend it. There are even Coriolis components ( the world is rotating ) to consider, especially for the ballistic/un-powered segments of the flight. Remember that was a barrel re-use launch too. So all the planning is paying off. What a pressure shot it was : to lose one Dragon is a mishap, to lose two ......
{ I'd just love to see their flight modelling in all the glorious detail. But that's probably highly proprietary at present. Maybe one day some papers will be published. }
Cheers, Mike.
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
Thanks for that. It is a stunning video, and there are resolution options clear up to 4k.
Once again they used a single-engine landing. Clearly they did not need the propellant economy of the three-engine option this time, but I'd guess they could use some more trials to make it more likely to work when they do need it, especially for a barge landing. Maybe a touch of caution regarding avoidable bad publicity was involved.
"Apollo 1, lesson not
)
"Apollo 1, lesson not learned."
+1000
Cheers, Mike.
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
For the February 19th second
)
For the February 19th second try:
Links to the traditional two youtube webcasts from SpaceX
technical more pad shots, fewer talking heads
hosted more talking heads, more Hawthorne crowd shots and enthusiasm
At the moment I am posting, both are only live enough to show a countdown to the expected launch moment a little over 35 minutes in the future. On past experience both with probably actually go live with prelaunch video something like 20 minutes before that.
The first try technical
)
The first try technical webcast link provided a duplicate of the hosted webcast for a while, then was aborted.
Now there is a technical webcast running at a new URL.
They are shooting through a pretty small hole in the rain and cloud, but looking OK.
One more gently used first
)
One more gently used first stage available.
I luv it .... Mike
)
I luv it ....
Mike
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
Mike Hewson wrote:I luv it
)
I just read it was launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A.
The Apollo Moonshot pad ! Awesome !
Bill
.
Landing viewed from nearby
)
Landing viewed from nearby drone
That landing is just plain
)
That landing is just plain fantastic.
I can't help reflecting on all those old covers on SF novels with pictures of vertical rocket landings; and how I remember thinking that would forever be quite impossible.
With the vertical landings of these first stage rockets, Space X has made be a believer in the future again. There may be hope.
It is inspiring for sure. It
)
It is inspiring for sure. It was always possible within the constraints of physical laws and circumstance, though requires fanatical attention to detail. It mostly comes down to energy : how much you have, of what sort, when and where to spend it. There are even Coriolis components ( the world is rotating ) to consider, especially for the ballistic/un-powered segments of the flight. Remember that was a barrel re-use launch too. So all the planning is paying off. What a pressure shot it was : to lose one Dragon is a mishap, to lose two ......
{ I'd just love to see their flight modelling in all the glorious detail. But that's probably highly proprietary at present. Maybe one day some papers will be published. }
Cheers, Mike.
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
AgentB wrote:Landing viewed
)
Thanks for that. It is a stunning video, and there are resolution options clear up to 4k.
Once again they used a single-engine landing. Clearly they did not need the propellant economy of the three-engine option this time, but I'd guess they could use some more trials to make it more likely to work when they do need it, especially for a barge landing. Maybe a touch of caution regarding avoidable bad publicity was involved.