Spacex Launch April 30: Animation, Photos

[Space Racer]

Looking forward to the Spacex flight to the International Space Station.

Here's a 2-1/2 minute animation of the flight: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/video...a_id=128674521
(Crank up the volume!)

NASA Commercial Space Transportation page: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/comm...cex_index.html

Spacex photos and info: http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

[Space Racer]

Here is some info about the COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) program and the upcoming demo flight:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerc...ation_Services
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COTS_Demo_Flight_2

[Space Racer]

Dragon Cargo Configuration and Crew Configuration: http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php

Popular Mechanics Dragon Diagram: http://www.popularmechanics.com/scie...te-spaceflight

DragonLab data sheet: http://www.spacex.com/downloads/dragonlab-datasheet.pdf

A Pictorial Review of SpaceX’s Eight Dragon Spaceships: http://www.geekosystem.com/dragon-review/

Dragon design concepts (Red Dragon, DragonLab, Dragon Cargo): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_%28spacecraft%29

[Space Racer]

NASA's Consolidated Launch Schedule for the next several months:

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html


12 Space Missions to Watch in 2012:

http://www.space.com/14054-2012-spac...countdown.html


Worldwide launch schedule:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/

[Space Racer]

The competition:

http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/Video/FlashVideo.shtml
(Click on Delta IV over on the right.)

Who the heck is the ULA?
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/...Overview.shtml

Not to mention

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ight_companies

and a few of the "orbital launch systems" being developed in other countries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...launch_systems

But the Falcon 9 Heavy, Falcon X, and Falcon X Heavy have got them beat:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_...nd_XX_concepts

[Space Racer]

Watch NASA TV:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Upcoming Dragon flight coverage schedule:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/comm..._schedule.html

[Space Racer]

The Falcon/Dragon launch has been postponed until May 7, 2012.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/...nch-date-slip/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-57...g-final-tests/

https://twitter.com/#!/elonmusk/stat...29917654941696

http://gizmodo.com/5904792/spacex-se...-cots-2-launch

http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1...-launch-may-7/

http://news.yahoo.com/spacex-plans-h...032605200.html

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012...Statement.html

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/comm...cex_index.html

[Space Racer]

New Spacex update, including info about a test fire on Mon 30 April, which will be webcast on spacex.com:

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

[Space Racer]

The SpaceX webcast can be viewed via Livestream:

http://new.livestream.com/

[Space Racer]

April 30, 2012

Today, Monday, April 30, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) will webcast a static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket’s nine powerful Merlin engines in preparation for the company’ss upcoming launch. The webcast will be accessible by clicking the home page banner on spacex.com beginning at 11:30 AM PT /2:30 PM ET, with the actual static fire targeted for 12:00 PM PT /3:00 PM ET.

http://www.spacex.com/updates.php

Home page: http://www.spacex.com/

[Space Racer]

Well, the test fire was anticlimactic, to say the least.
The countdown was delayed for an hour. The burn finally took place around 4:15. (I didn't think to check the clock until about 4:25.) It lasted about 2 seconds. The countdown clock stopped at T+00:03.

It wasn't much of a burn. The rocket spewed a little smoke, kind of like a locomotive blowing off steam, and then it was over.

I watched it on four links:
http://www.spacex.com/
http://new.livestream.com/
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-mobile

All four showed the same video from the same cameras.
The SpaceX link was courtesy of Livestream, without the prerequisite registration. But SpaceX started a few minutes later than Livestream and the others. It looked like someone at SpaceX dropped the ball.

Ustream's channel is the same as NASA TV. Ustream has a hi def version and a mobile version. I watched the mobile version because it streamed better on my slow DSL connection. I liked it the best of the four. The slightly fuzzier resolution wasn't a problem.

NASA TV timed out from time to time. I had to close it and restart it each time. Refresh didn't get it. (This may have had something to do with the computer I used.)

Livestream and SpaceX had the clearest picture, but they spent half the time buffering. Livestream's picture expanded the most.

Livestream had a running commentary from viewers, some of whom were not too bright. It was the only one of the four that required registration. It wasn't user friendly.

Ustream doesn't have a DVR function. With the others, I could go back 20 minutes into the broadcast if I wanted.

Ustream's hi def connection (http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv) buffers constantly. I can't watch it. I was glad they had the mobile version.

I'll probably stick to Ustream for the launch.

[Space Racer]

May 7th launch appears unlikely:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article...._p0-454135.xml

http://www.space.com/15515-spacex-sp...adline+Feed%29

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/spacex-dela...181654780.html

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/comm...cex_index.html

[Space Racer]

The new launch date is May 19.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/...nclick_check=1

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/120504date/

http://www.space.com/15557-spacex-ca...nch-delay.html