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SpaceX Missions Thread
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Monday, 08.10.2012, 18:27 | Message # 16 |
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| Quote Musk himself acknowledged that engine failures are serious things. "I’ve seen where an engine blew up and there is nothing left," Musk said. "It doesn’t bother me too much if it’s on the test stand. It bothers me if it’s on the rocket on a flight vehicle." So expect some long days and late nights at SpaceX as its engineers hunt for the source of the problem.
I would still say it is a success for the most part. Though as I have said many times before if the rocket doesn't explode and gets its payload into space it is a success. Can't say I would feel that way inside the capsule as engines explode though 
Edit:
Seems like a lot of people are taking this as terrible news.
Take this for example
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science....3506860
You can find plenty more like it too.
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Edited by DoctorOfSpace - Monday, 08.10.2012, 18:42 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Tuesday, 09.10.2012, 05:28 | Message # 17 |
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Seems like a lot of people are taking this as terrible news.
I know, what else is new 
It really saddens me to see that people just don't get it. Yeah, it's not good that an engine blows up in flight, but it is GREAT that an engine blowing up in flight does not affect the mission. That the vehicle was able to achieve its objectives despite this failure is a tremendous credit to the design of Falcon 9.
Check out this troll here (in the post about the 2nd stage/Orbcomm orbit):
https://www.facebook.com/jsrpage
You can have a guess as to who schooled him 
UPDATE: It appears that the engine did not explode after all. It was shut down following a pressure loss, and that event coupled with the passage through max-Q caused the aerodynamic fairing to rupture.
SpaceX's comment:
Quote (SpaceX) Approximately one minute and 19 seconds into last night’s launch, the Falcon 9 rocket detected an anomaly on one first stage engine. Initial data suggests that one of the rocket’s nine Merlin engines, Engine 1, lost pressure suddenly and an engine shutdown command was issued immediately. We know the engine did not explode, because we continued to receive data from it. Our review indicates that the fairing that protects the engine from aerodynamic loads ruptured due to the engine pressure release, and that none of Falcon 9’s other eight engines were impacted by this event.
UPDATE 2: It has now been confirmed that the Falcon 9 second stage did not restart, and that the prototype Orbcomm satellite is not in its intended orbit. However, this is not due to any malfunction in the stage but instead due to insufficient propellent remaining after compensating for the lost engine on the first stage, and so the Falcon 9 launch was a near-complete success. This does not affect the CRS-1 mission, which is proceeding as planned.
All forum users, please read this!
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Tuesday, 09.10.2012, 05:34 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 12.10.2012, 18:47 | Message # 18 |
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| For those of you who may not know, them SpaceX CRS-1 Dragon spacecraft successfully rendezvoused and was berthed to the International Space Station on Wednesday (UTC). It will remained berthed at the station for a total of 18 days before returning to Earth with nearly a ton of cargo.
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Sunday, 28.10.2012, 12:55 | Message # 19 |
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| Just a reminder to everyone, Dragon will be coming back to Earth today. It has already been unberthed from the space station and will be released to depart in around 30 minutes. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is scheduled for 19:20 UTC.
You can watch here: http://www.spacex.com/webcast/
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Sunday, 28.10.2012, 13:07 | Message # 20 |
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) Just a reminder to everyone, Dragon will be coming back to Earth today. It has already been unberthed from the space station and will be released to depart in around 30 minutes. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is scheduled for 19:20 UTC.
Won't be able to watch any of it. 
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Monday, 29.10.2012, 01:25 | Message # 21 |
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| Dragon has successfully returned 
Video of the splashdown!
Video of the ISS departure:
Different ISS departure video, 15x speed:
Dragon aboard ship, heading home
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Tuesday, 30.10.2012, 01:16 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Tuesday, 26.02.2013, 09:30 | Message # 22 |
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| In keeping with tradition I have made a Facebook cover photo (or whatever else you want to use it for) and forum signature image in support of the upcoming SpaceX CRS-2 mission which is set to launch on Friday at 15:10 UTC. It's a shameless reuse of the image I made last time, I just swapped the patches out. Click for high res.
And the sig image
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Wednesday, 27.02.2013, 01:24 | Message # 23 |
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| Yesterday SpaceX completed a full launch rehearsal complete with engine firing. The vehicle is in good shape and ready to launch
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Friday, 01.03.2013, 02:14 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 01.03.2013, 00:07 | Message # 24 |
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| Falcon 9 has rolled out to the pad
EDIT: SpaceX CRS-2 Pre-Launch Press Conference (both informative and entertaining, definitely worth a watch!)
(seriously, stay to the end, there are lolz to be had  )
ANOTHER EDIT: Late loading of cargo onto Dragon as it sits at the front of the Falcon 9 on the launch pad ready to be lifted into place.
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 01.03.2013, 10:09 | Message # 25 |
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| It is now 6 hours until the scheduled launch of SpaceX CRS-2 at 10:10 EST (15:10 UTC). If you want to watch, the NASA TV coverage starts at 8:30 EST (13:30 UTC), and the SpaceX webcast (by far the better viewing option) starts at 9:30 EST (14:30 UTC) at http://www.spacex.com/webcast
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 01.03.2013, 15:11 | Message # 26 |
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| 1 hour until launch; the SpaceX webcast will start in 20 minutes. Everything is go.
Falcon 9 on the pad earlier this morning
Rollout and erection
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Friday, 01.03.2013, 15:29 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Friday, 01.03.2013, 18:04 | Message # 27 |
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| Dragon is in orbit! The Falcon 9 appears to have performed flawlessly.
However, it seems that there has been some problem with the Dragon spacecraft (in the video footage the solar panel fairings were never jettisoned, though whether that is the problem or not remains to be seen).
More information should be available within a few hours.
UPDATE 1: According to Elon Musk, there's an issue with Dragon's RCS
Quote (Elon Musk) Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override.
UPDATE 2: The major issues with Dragon seem to be limited to the thrusters:
Quote (Elon Musk) Holding on solar array deployment until at least two thruster pods are active
UPDATE 3: Looks like Dragon might soon be back on track for ISS rendezvous 
Quote (Elon Musk) Thruster pod 3 tank pressure trending positive. Preparing to deploy solar arrays.
UPDATE 4: YAY!!!
Quote (Elon Musk) Solar array deployment successful
Attempting bring up of thruster pods 2 and 4
Also, here is a new sig image to correspond to the post-launch phase of the flight:
EDIT 5: NASA's launch coverage video with multi camera angle replays afterward (best looking launch video on the web )
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Saturday, 02.03.2013, 04:18 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Saturday, 02.03.2013, 04:16 | Message # 28 |
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| All of Dragon's thrusters are functioning normally now, and it has begun maneuvering to meet up with the ISS. Due to the delays it will not be able to rendezvous Saturday morning as originally planned, but might arrive on Sunday instead. More information should be available sometime on Saturday.
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| Destructor1701 | Date: Saturday, 02.03.2013, 04:45 | Message # 29 |
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| Ordinarily, I'd be all over this, but I spent today packing for a holiday... I forgot all about this!
Thanks for the coverage, HD, it's allowed me to get up to speed very quickly!
Edited by Destructor1701 - Saturday, 02.03.2013, 04:45 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Sunday, 03.03.2013, 10:27 | Message # 30 |
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| Dragon is on target for grappling at 6:00 EST (11:00 UTC) Sunday Berthing should occur four hours later.
UPDATE: Grappling is now scheduled for 6:31 EST. NASA TV coverage starts at 3:30 EST (8:30 UTC).
UPDATE 2: Capture time has been moved up, could be as early as 5:45 EST, and no later than 10 minutes after that.
UPDATE 3: Dragon has been captured by ISS, even earlier than scheduled. (Unfortunately I missed it since NASA TV and Ustream never work right with slow connections... )
UPDATE 4: Dragon is now attached to the station!
UPDATE 5: Crew has opened the hatch and moved into the spacecraft FAR ahead of schedule.
Dragon approaching ISS
Dragon grappling and berthing video
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Monday, 04.03.2013, 12:48 |
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