Falcon 9 at Cape Canaveral

[Urwumpe]

So TEA/TEB are used to start the turbine as well as to ignite the engine?

Yes, both have different roles.

 

[tblaxland]

According to Spaceflightnow, this from Elon Musk regarding the start-up sequence:
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/001/status.html

The valve that didn't actuate is the ground side isolation valve to release ground supplied high pressure helium to start the first stage engine turbopumps spinning at several thousand rpm. Once that happens it generates enough pressure to start the gas generator, which is a small rocket engine that powers the turbopump. There are no vehicle side valves actuated for spin start (just check valves), so it is an all engines or none situation.

I'm guessing the high pressure helium goes through the gas generator turbine.

 

[Star Voyager]

Also from Spaceflightnow, the launch is April 12 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

 

[anemazoso]

Wow, April 12! I hope it really launches on that date. Would be pretty cool for it to launch on the 49th anniversery of Yuri's flight.

 

[Urwumpe]

Wow, April 12! I hope it really launches on that date. Would be pretty cool for it to launch on the 49th anniversery of Yuri's flight.

Yay. Yeah, really a good milestone date.

 

[RisingFury]

April 12th is Monday! I can't do Monday! :beathead:

 

[Dambuster]

Just watched the test on Spaceflight Now, it looks like it all worked! There was quite a bit of smoke, I saw a little bit of flame, and no explosion

 

[DaveS]

All indications so far i that the Falcon 9 had a successful 3.5 second hotfire at 12:30 pm EST. Standing by for more information as it becomes available, however it did look like the engines did ignite and ran for the full duration of the test this time.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Sweet!
Go SpaceX!

 

[Star Voyager]

Pictures of yesterday's ignition:

http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/001/100314gallery/

 

[bwog]

I don't want it to launch on the 12th, because I'll be on vacation and probably on the road.

 

[RisingFury]

Send them an eMail! :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Send them an eMail! :thumbup:

"Dear Mr. Musk,

I am writing to request a change to the April 12th launch date of your Falcon 9 rocket, as I will be away on that date and will be unable to view the launch.

I would be grateful if you would change the launch date to one that is more convenient for me (sometime around early May will be ideal).

Thank you in advance,

An anonymous spaceflight observer."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[Quick_Nick]

Make sure to suggest a Tuesday...
And ALWAYS hail !

 

[Andy44]

We have to find a way to get Musk to put a small probe model in the dummy Dragon payload for good luck.

 

[anemazoso]

We have to find a way to get Musk to put a small probe model in the dummy Dragon payload for good luck.

That would be so freakin awesome!

I have a buddy that works at the Hawthorne, CA plant as a machinist. He knows about Orbiter but doesn't really use it. It's too bad, I'll call him though and try to explain this. Hopefully he won't think I'm weird

 

[Urwumpe]

I think it would be too good to be true. But maybe the many failures and problems with the Falcon 1 make him open for some classic superstition.

 

[zerofay32]

Yes but what happends if something still goes wrong....:embarrassed:

 

[Arrowstar]

Yes but what happends if something still goes wrong....:embarrassed:

Then clearly the Probe did not bestow its Divine Providence on the Falcon 9. This would suggest more sacrifices (in the form of burned rocket fuels) are necessary. :lol:

 

[bwog]

Yes but what happends if something still goes wrong....:embarrassed:

Then I'll be happy

One of my favorite things to do is watch rockets blow up. But that's after watching them launch successfully, of course.