The NSF site thread contained a reference and link to this high-resolution image of the BulgariaSat booster standing shortly after return to Port Canaveral.
If you zoom in several steps you can get an eyeful of soot and toasting witness marks here and there. This was a high-energy reentry, and it shows.
Wow ! I think this is the worst we've see on an intact return vehicle :
.... with quite a difference b/w the uprange and downrange barrel sides. Also there is quite an overall lean from the leg compaction damage :
... where you can use large the white crane framework in the background to judge that. In all I'd say that landing was as close to performance margin, on the success side, as possible. :-))
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
The nearside leg ( with pink tarp ) is clearly one which nearly failed completely. How close are those rocket bells to the surface ?
Cheers, Mike.
I'd say something did fail. Take a look at the right side where the hinges are for the legs to fold down, the pink wrapped one. Why are we looking at a line of rust where the bead runs around the rocket? Is that corrosion from fuel leaking out? Is that damage from a bit of bending of the rocket? I think we were getting real close to another RUD. Might have gotten slightly over 100% of design specs.
Yeah alot has happened there. I guess if that pink leg used up available crush zone then the barrel/hinges may have a problem, perhaps not visually obvious.
Try this for an order of magnitude estimate : you lose thrust at 5m above the barge but you have stopped ( zero vertical velocity ) at that point too ie. you ran out of fuel five metres too soon. What energy do the legs have to cope with when it drops ? Try E = mgh with m = 25,000 kg, g = 9.8 and h = 5 yields approx 1.2 MJ, that's about as much kinetic energy as the family car going at 120 km/h .... :-)
Cheers, Mike.
NB. SpaceX has done eight launches so far this year, as many as all of 2016. With a launch this weekend it will be their busiest year yet, which is ~ $500M of business.
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 was
)
Sorry to burst your bubble, that would be a Titan II-GLV.
Gary Charpentier wrote:Mike
)
Yes. Ooops. I wuz thinking of the Agena component of the missions. Gold Star for you ! :-))
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
Ariane 5 Launch with
)
Ariane 5 Launch with HellasSat 3 & GSAT-17 (VA-238)
Those solids do 90% of the lift at take off.
SpaceX twitter just now
)
SpaceX twitter just now :
"Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting launch of Intelsat 35e from Pad 39A in Florida on Sunday, July 2."
This is serious pad turnaround/cadence. Crossing fingers for a good result.
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
The NSF site thread contained
)
The NSF site thread contained a reference and link to this high-resolution image of the BulgariaSat booster standing shortly after return to Port Canaveral.
If you zoom in several steps you can get an eyeful of soot and toasting witness marks here and there. This was a high-energy reentry, and it shows.
Wow ! I think this is the
)
Wow ! I think this is the worst we've see on an intact return vehicle :
.... with quite a difference b/w the uprange and downrange barrel sides. Also there is quite an overall lean from the leg compaction damage :
... where you can use large the white crane framework in the background to judge that. In all I'd say that landing was as close to performance margin, on the success side, as possible. :-))
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
Here's a close up of the base
)
Here's a close up of the base from the US Launch report guys :
The nearside leg ( with pink tarp ) is clearly one which nearly failed completely. How close are those rocket bells to the surface ?
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
Mike Hewson wrote:Here's a
)
I'd say something did fail. Take a look at the right side where the hinges are for the legs to fold down, the pink wrapped one. Why are we looking at a line of rust where the bead runs around the rocket? Is that corrosion from fuel leaking out? Is that damage from a bit of bending of the rocket? I think we were getting real close to another RUD. Might have gotten slightly over 100% of design specs.
Yeah alot has happened there.
)
Yeah alot has happened there. I guess if that pink leg used up available crush zone then the barrel/hinges may have a problem, perhaps not visually obvious.
Try this for an order of magnitude estimate : you lose thrust at 5m above the barge but you have stopped ( zero vertical velocity ) at that point too ie. you ran out of fuel five metres too soon. What energy do the legs have to cope with when it drops ? Try E = mgh with m = 25,000 kg, g = 9.8 and h = 5 yields approx 1.2 MJ, that's about as much kinetic energy as the family car going at 120 km/h .... :-)
Cheers, Mike.
NB. SpaceX has done eight launches so far this year, as many as all of 2016. With a launch this weekend it will be their busiest year yet, which is ~ $500M of business.
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
another launch this Sunday:
)
another launch this Sunday: 1930 local time.