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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u25yQ...eature=related

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

[Space Racer]

Why the US Can’t Get Astronauts Into Space

This article shows the heavy lift capabilities of a few well-known launch systems.

http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/04/1...ts-into-space/

[Space Racer]

My favorite websites for commercial space transportation and exploration news:

http://www.spacetoday.net/

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/news/commercial/

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/home/

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/

http://www.space.com/spaceflight/

http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/

http://www.parabolicarc.com/

http://moonandback.com/

http://www.aviationweek.com/SPACE.aspx

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/space/

http://www.floridatoday.com/section/space

[Space Racer]

Kennedy Space Center Video Feeds:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/video/

This has links to other info/video at top right. I couldn't get them to work in Firefox. Apparently there's a problem with Java. I think they work OK in IE.
It's hard to tell, cuz nothing's happening.

This link (from above website) has a NASA countdown clock and some video.
The video above the clock is NASA TV.
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/cdt/

I don't know what this one is. Maybe something will show up some time between now and launch day.
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/

I found an online countdown timer. NASA's wasn't running yet, so I found my own. It can be reduced and moved out of the way. I have one running on two computers. One is set for 1:00 PM on Friday, 18 May, for the pre-launch briefing, and the other for 3:30 AM Saturday, 19 May, when launch coverage begins.
http://countdown.onlineclock.net/

SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon coverage schedule:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/comm..._schedule.html

[Space Racer]

A Tour of Cape Canaveral and SLC 40

Cape Canaveral is big. This is a 2-part helicopter tour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahzCikwSNSI

Space Launch Complex 40 (SpaceX launch site) (and SLC 41) is mentioned at 7:54 to 8:06 and 11:40 to 12:22 in part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAjQJNySaN8

SLC 40 location:
http://afspacemuseum.org/CCAFS/CX40/CX40.gif

Other launch pad locations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La...ce_Station.jpg

SLC 40 aerial photos. South is at the top. The ocean is to the left:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/...-imagery-1.htm
(These photos are out of date, as you will see in the following links.)

Some background info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SLC40
http://afspacemuseum.org/CCAFS/CX40/index.htm
http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Foru...ML/000122.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggX0jxxxocI

A tour of the facility at SLC 40:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHVId...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGHbXOBcWc
http://www.universetoday.com/85307/b...ch-complex-40/

[Space Racer]

Launch aborted at liftoff. The countdown went all the way to zero, the engines ignited, but the computer shut the rocket down about one second after ignition.

The SpaceX The Falcon 9 aborted its launch attempt on May 19 with an engine cutoff. Following the cutoff, the launch team has established the Falcon 9 rocket is in a safe configuration. Early data shows that the chamber pressure on engine 5 was high. The teams will continue to look at the data and assess a launch attempt on May 22.

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

The next launch opportunity will be at 3:44 AM Tuesday, May 22.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/status.html

[Some Dude]

I sent them a resume. never heard a peep

[timebuilder]

I sent them a resume. never heard a peep

I never applied. When I was the right age, I was sitting in the second row at the Fillmore East in NYC watching Clapton kick off his Derek and the Dominoes tour.