Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 with SES-8, December 3, 2013

[Kyle]

Preliminary NET set for November 30th, 2013 at 5:40pm EDT (2240 UT)

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Preliminary NET set for November 30th, 2013 at 5:40pm EDT (2240 UT)

NO-GO for today! The next launch window is on Monday, December 2nd.

 

[N_Molson]

SF Now :

1330 GMT (8:30 a.m. EST)
SpaceX has announced the next Falcon 9 launch attempt will be no earlier than Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration has not granted approval for a Sunday launch due to heavy air traffic following the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

[Kyle]

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk 13h
Abort was caused by oxygen in ground side TEA-TEB. Upper stage on separate internal circuit, so doesn't face same risk.

 

[Urwumpe]

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk 13h
Abort was caused by oxygen in ground side TEA-TEB. Upper stage on separate internal circuit, so doesn't face same risk.

Interesting... TEA-TEB reacts pretty violently to oxygen since it is meant to light the rocket engine even in contact with cold liquid oxygen.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

TEB was used to ignite the engines on SR-71s... So exposure to even a nitrox atmosphere is enough to set it off.

Fun fact: each J-58 engine had 16 starts worth of TEB on board for starting the engnie and/or afterburner. So, by the time you get airborne, you have 14 shots left (1 for starting the engine, and one for starting AB on takeoff) If you ran out, well, you hoped that the backup ignition source worked! :lol:

 

[mojoey]

Looks like they're aiming for a launch tomorrow Somewhere between 2200 and 0030 UTC time:

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_4703.html

 

[Urwumpe]

Looks like they're aiming for a launch tomorrow Somewhere between 2200 and 0030 Local time:

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_4703.html

That late? Damn, can't watch it.

 

[N_Molson]

Don't worry, that will be another abort. The actual launch can only take place Tuesday, you know it.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Looks like they're aiming for a launch tomorrow Somewhere between 2200 and 0030 Local time:

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_4703.html

:nono: That's, um, UTC! Check the 1st post for the new launch time - it's 22:41-00:07 UTC (5:41-7:07 pm EST).

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

The problem is just: The rocket does not get better with every scrub. The pre-launch preparations are only slightly less stressful to the material than the actual flight.

That's interesting. Care to elaborate any more on why?

 

[mojoey]

:nono: That's, um, UTC! Check the 1st post for the new launch time - it's 22:41-00:07 UTC (5:41-7:07 pm EST).

Edited to reflect

 

[Kyle]

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk 1m

Engines are cycling cleanly w ground pneumatics. Replaced gas generator on engine 9 (center) as a precautionary measure.

 

[Urwumpe]

That's interesting. Care to elaborate any more on why?

Thermal and pressure cycles for example. When ever you fill LOX into a tank, the tank shrinks rapidly, and if you do that too fast, it could even burst. Everytime you go from tanking pressure to flight pressure, you create stress in the structures. At low temperatures, the elasticity is reduced and you can cause microfractures in structures, that would be no deal at room temperature. Seals, that go through such thermal and pressure cycles, can be worn out already after a few launch attempts.

And of course: Everytime you operate a system, it ages. A normal valve might need to be operated a few thousand times before you noticed it, but this aging process is much faster if you have LOX nearby. Also, batteries age with loading cycles, pyrotechnics need to be replaced even if you did not fire them after some time outside the box.

 

[Kyle]

Still no "official word" on a launch attempt today from SpaceX, although it sounds like they're going to try today. SpaceX's webcast has yet to be set up for today's attempt.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Unofficial news from NASASpaceflight that SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 with SES-8 will NOT make a launch attempt on Monday - per source information. Needs confirmation however.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Unofficial news from NASASpaceflight that SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 with SES-8 will NOT make a launch attempt on Monday - per source information. Needs confirmation however.

Dan Leone ‏@Leone_SN 4m
@SpaceX spokeswoman told me "we're now targeting launch on Tuesday with Wednesday as a back-up day." @NASASpaceflight was first though.

So another 24 hour slip.

 

[N_Molson]

Tuesday. Here we are. :yes:

 

[Loru]

Sorry but could not resist after those scrubs:

On serious note - I hope they'll launch. We need some private aerospace doing something in actual space.

 

[Ripley]

Now on SpaceX page (and on Twitter too)
http://www.spacex.com/news/2013/11/25/ses-8-falcon-first-9-geo-transfer-mission

LAUNCH UPDATE: All known rocket anomalies have been resolved. The team will spend another day rechecking to be sure. Currently targeting launch on Tuesday with Wednesday as a back-up day. The window for Tuesday is 22:41 UT to 23:47 UT (5:41 pm EST to 6:47 pm EST).