Re: Spacex launch (or lack of it)


Rüdiger Klaehn wrote:
> It was a mistake in using the ground equipment. They left a manual vent
> open that should have been closed. Therefore they used up a lot more
> LOX than they would have otherwise. And they also had the problem that
> the LOX was used to cool helium bottles, so they lost some helium as
> well.
>
> At least that is what I could decode from the discussions on the
> various blogs. Especially the out of the cradle blog was very
> informative.
>
> Presumably, the unisolated stage in the hot, humid air also has a very
> high boiloff rate. This would have been much less of a problem at
> vandenberg. There it also would not be a problem to get a few tons of
> LOX in a day or so. So moving the inaugural launch from vandenberg to
> kwaj really complicated the whole thing.

True, but it was probably the correct decision at the time. If they had
the problem they encountered saturday at Vandenburg, they probably
would have had to wait through the winter to try again. Kwaj is going
to be their main pad because of scheduling ease anyway, so it's better
they work out the bugs now.

>
> On the other hand, building an orbital launch facility at the equator
> in the middle of nowhere in less than 6 months is a major logistical
> nightmare, so I guess we should cut them some slack. And when they get
> it to work, they will have a major asset for their future developments.
>
> This island is really tiny. If they want to use it to launch the falcon
> 9s9, they will have to build some major infrastructure. There will not
> be much left of the island after they are finished with it. I don't
> think they will be able to launch the falcon 9 without some kind of
> flame trench.

Yeah, I can just imagine the first Falcon 9 digging a big hole in the
island.

Tom

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Space Access Update #111 04/05/05 2nd try
    ... >> A look at a Vandenberg map in the Cambridge Encyclopedia ... >> of) the standard space launch azimuth. ... If SLC 3W could handle Atlas, it can handle Falcon. ... SpaceX is talking late Summer, ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • SpaceX Falcon Aimed Toward California?
    ... The first SpaceX Falcon 1 is supposed to launch ... from an island at Kwajalein in the Marshall ...
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  • Re: SpaceX Falcon Aimed Toward California?
    ... > The first SpaceX Falcon 1 is supposed to launch ... > from an island at Kwajalein in the Marshall ... > available to support the launch. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Spacex launch (or lack of it)
    ... LOX than they would have otherwise. ... building an orbital launch facility at the equator ... This island is really tiny. ... If they want to use it to launch the falcon ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: SpaceX Launch Update
    ... Falcon 1 has been removed from its hangar and erected on the launch ... is competing with the delayed NASA ST-5 Pegasus for range ... will be flying from Vandenberg while Falcon will be flying ...
    (sci.space.policy)