Rocketry General Thread

Streams are live!

Techinical webcast is there…search for “Full” If you want non-technical jargin

1 Like

Tweeted. For some publicity for the prototype launch :wink:

5 Likes

:expressionless:

Ugh. So frustrating. =/

missed what happened. Clock stopped. Did they abort?

Edit: oh… holding

They can’t launch because there’s a ship on the sea.

Yeah, sucks. Darn it. :stuck_out_tongue:

It’s not scrubbed yet, though! Fingers crossed!

Damn range safety. I hope we don’t have antares take two. Looks like they’ll still attempt launch but this doesn’t bode well for the landing…a lot of LOX will have boiled off and they will lose fuel from waiting.

I’m wondering how long those tanks can hold for before they have to scrub the mission.

Why should they lose fuel? The spacecraft is still attached to the umbilical, they can keep topping off until launch. I’d guess that tank issues with long cold pressure would be more of a problem.

So far, Battlescape prototype launch > SpaceX Launch. :smiley:

EDIT: Not lose fuel, but the fuel warms up and needs to be supercooled for full capacity.

2 Likes

We have only very recently seen private entities get a good toehold in the field. Give the free market some time to work it’s magic :wink:

Don’t mind me, I’m just feeling my age and wondering if I’ll actually ever see a human step out onto the surface of Mars. It’s all good tho, pushing forward one launch at a time.

Because they are using super cooled lox. Normally, lox is loaded at it’s boiling point so as the lox boils off, they just put more in.

BUT, since they are using super cooled, it actually warms up, gets less dense and they have to vent the pressure. You are losing fuel because it is warmer and you have less mass in the fuel tanks when compared to before the LOX warmed up.

2 Likes

Thanks, that makes sense.

If anyone wants to listen in on the Coast Guard trying to contact the boat, try this link.

2 Likes

And we’re back on countdown. :smiley:

2 Likes

Clock is moving!!!

Every time I have watched it has either blown up or scrubbed. So don’t celebrate yet :wink:

1 Like

How long after launch until the first stage attempts the sea landing.