HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

⬐ bri3d

Aborted again due to a flight computer bringup issue (again); looks like they might not meet their window tonight :(

EDIT: I think the most precise real cause heard was "abnormal data," actually. My bad and thanks to "kindredlight."

⬐ fchollet

Elon Musk just clarified what happened: "Saw pressure fluctuations on Falcon boost stage liquid oxygen tank. Want to be super careful, so pushing launch to Thurs."

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/405134552458620928

⬐ verytrivial

I was watching the stream. Immediately prior to the final hold (more accurately "Hold! Hold, Hold, Hold!") there was a clearly abnormal burst of fuel vented from the midpoint of the vehicle, in two or three bursts. Happened several seconds after they pulled back the support structure. My eyes widened at that point. "Is this normal?!" I thought, and was glad to hear the hold command!

⬐ ra88it

When can we confirm that they missed their window?

(Edit: new window is Thanksgiving day, one minute later than today. Might have to stream this one to the Apple TV for the whole family…)

⬐ nakkiel

It's been called off. Next launch window in three days, one minute later than today's window.

⬐ ars_technician

Entertainment during Thanksgiving dinner. :-)

⬐ jadyoyster

Just confirmed. It'll launch on Thursday instead.

⬐ conradev

They just did on the livestream.

⬐ None

None

⬐ bri3d

Just confirmed on webcast but even before the launch window only extended to 6:43 EST, not enough time to reset the countdown.

⬐ Aco-

argh, so nerve-wracking

⬐ kindredlight

The "confirm flight computer is not in start-up" call is part of the vehicle safing process after an abort or hold is called. It is heard immediately after any hold or abort during the terminal count. This does not indicate the cause of the abort.

⬐ bri3d

True... thank you for the correction. I think the most precise real cause indicated was "abnormal data from stage 1" which doesn't mean much.

⬐ martythemaniak

I played a few games of Kerbal Space program recently, so I can understand what's happening a little better now.

I'd love to have a place somewhere where I can "watch" launches in a way similar to KSP's map view. You would be able to see the rocket, including it's essential info (altitude, speed, the ball thing) and also be able to see the manoeuvres they do.

⬐ daeken

I'd settle for just seeing things like their delta-V maps. It's one thing for me to make my own for KSP missions, it's another to see one for a real world situation.

⬐ unspecified

While I'm a mere Kerbalnaut myself, here is some napkin math that almost checks out. For a GTO payload, the Falcon 9 http://www.spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-v11.html has:

  S1 Mass full: 490,300kg (that's both stages, fuel in both, plus the fairing and payload)
  S1 Mass empty: 100,300kg (S1 mass minus stage one fuel)
  S1 ISP: 282s (sea level) to 311s (vacuum)

  S2 Mass full: 82,300kg (second stage, fuel, fairing and payload)
  S2 Mass empty: 11,500kg (S2 mass minus stage two fuel)
  S2 ISP: 340s (unspecified)

According to this delta-v calculator http://www.strout.net/info/science/delta-v/, that would give delta-v values of:

  S1 delta-v: 4388m/s to 4840m/s
  S2 delta-v: 6562m/s

  Total delta-v: 10.8km/s to 11.3km/s

For GTO, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v gives a delta-v value of 11.8km/s to 12.5km/s, so these numbers fall just under the low end of that range. However, maybe the highly elliptical orbit that this launch is aiming for is slightly more efficient than whatever orbit is assumed for that chart on Wikipedia.

⬐ unspecified

I agree. NASA's MAVEN launch last week had a fantastic live stream that included commentary plus telemetry data, it was space nerd heaven.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/40966344

I couldn't find a better video, that one cuts off 6 minutes into the launch, before they get to the good part where the telemetry shows orbital information. The stream went on for at least 45 more minutes, I grabbed a screenshot 51 minutes into the launch:

http://imgur.com/LUD6XUk

⬐ outworlder

The amount of learning one can do on KSP alone shouldn't be underestimated.

You know you're onto something when you start doing Delta-V calculations while designing your rocket and talking about bi-elliptic transfers and aerobraking on the forums.

It is not enough to become a rocket scientist, but it is enough to understand the basics.

And, as per another comment, you can even begin to understand some of the telemetry data, even if in an intuitive sense.

⬐ None

None

⬐ MrZongle2

Man, I hope SpaceX has far more success with their launches than I do in KSP, otherwise Orlando is going to have quite a fireworks show.

⬐ ssewell

In orbit 1/4 the distance to the moon? Wow! I didn't realize we put satellites into orbit at that height.

⬐ peeters

We put lots of them up there! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_orbit

⬐ kindredlight

Geosynchronous is nowhere near 1/4 distance to the moon. This sat is temporarily going to a highly eccentric transfer orbit on its way to GEO.

⬐ peeters

You're right of course, although I would argue that the difference between 1/11 the distance to the moon (geostationary orbit) and 1/4 the distance to the moon are not off by an order of magnitude, compared to LEO or other lower orbits.

⬐ ssewell

Yep. Keyword is "transfer" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_transfer_orbit

⬐ mnw21cam

Looks like a bi-elliptic transfer to me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-elliptic_transfer

⬐ deletes

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/404067161175379968

⬐ InclinedPlane

We don't, at least not usually. The mission design is for the satellite to go up to 80,000 km where it will do an orbital plane change then settle back down into a geostationary orbit. It actually uses less energy to do it that way than to just do an apogee raise up to GEO then a plane change.

⬐ ramidarigaz

Countdown aborted at T-6:11. Looks like they still have some issues to resolve.

⬐ sillysaurus2

Now they're trying again! T minus 13 minutes! So cool!

⬐ ulfw

OMG so so so cool

⬐ InclinedPlane

Held, reset to T-13m. They have an hour+ long launch window so they have a good chance of lauching today.

Edit: clock is counting down again, launch estimated to be 3:30pm PST.

⬐ JumpCrisscross

66 minute launch window through 6:43PM ET. T-13 cycle must start no later than 6:30PM ET.

⬐ mwilcox

Just reset to 13 minutes.

⬐ Symmetry

I think I heard them mention a computer that hadn't come up properly. Still, they have a reputation for fixing things quickly.

⬐ Shivetya

I thoroughly enjoyed watching their first mission where their programmers made changes while the craft was sitting outside of the ISS because the position markers weren't being spotted as they expected. They do have an amazing ability to change on the fly, not what you expect from a space program except in SciFi

⬐ bri3d

It looks like the countdown overlay is polling every 1 second but is off from the backing timer - some displayed "seconds" last more than a second while the next lasts much less.

⬐ ProCynic

http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/Vetinari's_Clock

⬐ MrZongle2

Aborted for today. Next launch window in.... 3 days it sounded like?

⬐ ramidarigaz

Well, I know what I'll be doing right before Thanksgiving dinner :)

⬐ paragraft

Why is the countdown stuck at T-00:13:00? Shouldn't it be counting down?

Edit: Nvm, saw the overlay saying they're on a hold.

⬐ demallien

For info, even in a completely "nominal" launch there are holds. This is particularly true when you have a tight launch window. The idea is to build some slack into the countdown to allow for the possibility if correcting any unforeseen problems. This is possible because at certain points in the countdown you can safely wait for fairly long durations. So the countdown is started early with respect to its launch window, and if any minor problems crop up they can be corrected during the planned pauses without slipping the launch time, and hence missing the launch window.

⬐ gilgoomesh

There's a valve on the first stage that they're concerned about (looking at a "signature" problem, whatever that means). They think they can resolve their concerns and still make the launch window (which is a little over an hour long).

Clock is running again now. Delay of roughly 20 mins to 22:55 UTC launch.

Edit: so they counted down to T-6min then stopped and reset again to T-13mins due to a first stage internal power problem. They're waiting on trajectory coordination before trying a third time today.

Edit 2: and they've aborted again at T-3:40 due to what looks like a LOX problem. That'll be it for today; the launch window has elapsed.

⬐ lukateake

They will try again on Thanksgiving (Thursday) at 22:48 UTC.

⬐ bond

Here comes their favorite word..."nominal"... :)

⬐ soperj

I hate that this requires flash. Anyone who can continue updating for us that can't watch, that'd be great. Thanks :)

⬐ thekos

Here's the direct streams:

http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/142499_129958_13c898be_1_20...

Or lower quality: http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/142499_129958_13c898be_1_55... http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/142499_129958_13c898be_1_15...

⬐ greglindahl

Flash or h.264, apparently, the video works fine on an iPad.

⬐ TallGuyShort

Even with Flash it's not the greatest video streamer. On Firefox on Linux it kept freezing every 5 or 6 seconds.

⬐ S201

There's a live update thread on reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/1rfc17/rspacex_falco...

⬐ soperj

thanks to the both of you :)

⬐ None

None

⬐ None

None

⬐ TallGuyShort

I'm pretty sure I just heard someone in the background saying over the radio, "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? We going up top. Totally different". Not what I remember hearing as a kid during NASA launches :)

⬐ maaku

The beauty of not being a NASA launch ;)

⬐ AYBABTME

Second language speaker here, what does this sentence mean?

⬐ ra88it

It is a humorous reference to an American sitcom from the 80's called 'Different Strokes'. A lighthearted way of expressing disagreement.

[edit: While I'm at it: the main character 'Arnold' would express disagreement with his brother 'Willis' by saying "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" something like once per episode. This was a running joke for the sitcom.]

⬐ None

None

⬐ jvoorhis

Thanks for this. I heard it too, but thought for sure that I had imagined it.