SpaceX - Falcon 1 launch - Page 2

mugaliens · #31 (**permalink**) 05-August-2008, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lukas

I missed the live videocast and was looking for a video too. Just found this one of Launch #3.
It shows the abort in the initial attempt and the launch until the camera cuts out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eGiqqoYP5E

have fun mugs.
Nice analysis of #2 btw. Will have to look into it in more detail when I have more time.

Thanks for the nod on #2.

I'd like to comment on #3, but aside from the aborted first try, the flight appeared nominal all the way through to the non-separation of stages 1 and 2. Not much to see, I'm afraid.

SpaceX has a nasty habit of cutting out their webcasts whenever anything goes wrong.

That's not only particularly secretive, it's not even nice!

Swift · #32 (**permalink**) 06-August-2008, 09:07 PM

I thought it was mentioned somewhere (but I can't find it), but there were several loses because of this launch failure.

Quote:

Lost along with the rocket were three small satellites, one for the Department of Defense and two for NASA, including an experimental solar sail, NanoSail-D.

Gone too were the ashes of 208 people including James Doohan, better known as "Scotty" of Star Trek fame, who had paid to have their remains scattered in space.

I really sorry to see the loss of the Nanosail satellite.

MaDeR · #33 (**permalink**) 08-August-2008, 05:03 PM

Well, SpaceX at last relased full, uncut video. Because I hate asx, I will give version from youtube:
http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhci-93Xnxw

With sound! (microphone stuffed with camera inside rocket)

For drama, you do not need BOOM like in films. Sometimes one "thup" is sufficient...

publiusr · #34 (**permalink**) 08-August-2008, 05:24 PM

Discussion:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=6.0
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5482

GeorgeLeRoyTirebiter · #35 (**permalink**) 08-August-2008, 07:40 PM

I'm surprised no one has posted this yet.

BA Blog: Falcon doom found: a whisper of thrust

Quote:

Elon Musk of Space X has released the news of what happened to the Falcon 1 rocket that failed to reach orbit last week.

"The problem arose due to the longer thrust decay transient of our new Merlin 1C regeneratively cooled engine, as compared to the prior flight that used our old Merlin 1A ablatively cooled engine. Unlike the ablative engine, the regen engine had unburned fuel in the cooling channels and manifold that combined with a small amount of residual oxygen to produce a small thrust that was just enough to overcome the stage separation pusher impulse.

We were aware of and had allowed for a thrust transient, but did not expect it to last that long. As it turned out, a very small increase in the time between commanding main engine shutdown and stage separation would have been enough to save the mission."

As can be seen in the video MaDeR linked to (thanks!), the stages separated a little, but because the lower stage still had a bit of thrust, it rammed into the upper stage.

publiusr · #36 (**permalink**) 08-August-2008, 08:02 PM

Ironically--this is where parallel staging like what Energiya had might have been a lifesaver--with plenty of sideslip.

Any rocket can have problems, however.

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