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

[Ripley]

GEO's altitude is 35786 km. This launch is going to a so called "super-synchronous transfer orbit", in which the apogee is above the GEO altitude. Remember that the higher you go, the less delta-v you need for making plane changes, such that in some cases the delta-v saved for lowering the inclination to 0 is higher than the delta-v needed to lower the apogee to GEO altitude. It make sense if either the launcher cannot go to a lower inclination orbit or that it allows faster drifting to the planned GEO slot. :tiphat:

Simplifying a lot, this is the same concept:

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lever"]Lever - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[Kyle]

---------- Post added at 08:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------

LOX and RP-1 loading has been completed without issue.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

10 minutes to the webcast.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Webcast started - ah, the smell of highly refined kerosene.....

 

[N_Molson]

Webcast started - ah, the smell of highly refined kerosene.....

Currently I see a geek in a geekzone that says insanities after insanities like "the Merlin 1D is the most efficient rocket engine ever designed"... :hmm: Now a redhead geekette comparing the Falcon 9 to a SR-71... Its a geektrap ! :blink:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Holding at T-13 minutes due to first stage valve issue.

 

[orb]

Countdown timer recycled to T-19 minutes and holding.

EDIT: New launch time 22:54 UTC. Picking up the countdown from T-17:20 minutes.

 

[N_Molson]

Now holding at T-19 minutes, the countdown actually went up.

Perfectly :ninja:'ed :lol:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

The 1st stage LOX vent valve issue has been resolved. New launch time of 22:54 UTC / 5:54 pm EST.

 

[orb]

Abort at T-06:11.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Hold called at T-6 minutes.

 

[N_Molson]

Vehicle is getting safed

2249 GMT (5:49 p.m. EST)
The launch team is safing the Falcon 9 rocket and preparing to recycle the countdown. It's not clear what caused the abort, but the launch window extends until 6:43 p.m.
EST (2343 GMT), so there's time to resolve any minor issue.

2247 GMT (5:47 p.m. EST)
ABORT. The countdown was aborted at T-minus 6 minutes, 11 seconds.

2247 GMT (5:47 p.m. EST)
T-minus 6 minutes, 30 seconds. The Falcon 9's heaters are being deactivated, and the rocket will be transitioned to internal power in a few seconds.

 

[orb]

Recycling to T-13 minutes and holding.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Recycle back to T-13:00. Problem is with the rocket going to internal power.

 

[orb]

New T-0 at 23:30:00 UTC.

T-18:25 minutes and counting.

 

[orb]

Abort at T-03:40 minutes.

 

[N_Molson]

Looks like its not for today... rather tonight here...

 

[Kyle]

That'd be a scrub then.

 

[orb]

Next launch attempt in 3 days.

 

[N_Molson]

Never attempt something important on Monday. Mondays are your best warranty for bad luck. :yes: