SpaceX Launch Webcast is now live

[Yelmurc]

For anyone interested SpaceX is attempting to launch another rocket and land the first stage on a barge in the ocean. This is the second attempt.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast

check it out if your interested

[bladeXcrasher]

Hopefully a leg doesn't collapse this time from not locking in place

[lockedout]

I bet it fails again.

[Yelmurc]

A boat has moved into the launch range, for safety reasons they need it to move out of the way. Chris Hadfield is doing a periscope while we wait if you want more info.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1YpKkPlekamGj

[ringpriest]

Launch aborted on the ground at T-0:00. It's cool watching them professionally handle an abort, but it looks like that's one payload won't be going to space today. No cause for the abort yet.

[Dug]

Jeez that's a shame.

[ParanoiD84]

Yeah shame, wanted to see it take off.

[Varteras]

Not quite scrubbed yet. 50 minute window to determine if they'll launch tonight.

EDIT: Scratch that. A few minutes later they confirmed launch is scrubbed.

[phitness]

A boat has moved into the launch range, for safety reasons they need it to move out of the way. Chris Hadfield is doing a periscope while we wait if you want more info.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1YpKkPlekamGj

lmao thats some really crafty corporate interfering right there. I wonder what company commissioned that boat to move into range and cause the flight to be scrubbed.

Sounds like spacex needs to invest in a more secure facility to do these launches. also why do they keep landing on a barge? Is is just so that failures end up in the ocean instead of on land possibly causing more dmg. I cant imagine that a barge is the best landing pad.

[bladeXcrasher]

lmao thats some really crafty corporate interfering right there. I wonder what company commissioned that boat to move into range and cause the flight to be scrubbed.

Sounds like spacex needs to invest in a more secure facility to do these launches. also why do they keep landing on a barge? Is is just so that failures end up in the ocean instead of on land possibly causing more dmg. I cant imagine that a barge is the best landing pad.

Flexibity in recovery of the first stage

[Masark]

also why do they keep landing on a barge? Is is just so that failures end up in the ocean instead of on land possibly causing more dmg. I cant imagine that a barge is the best landing pad.

TL : DR : Landing on the barge lets them launch heavier payloads.

At the point where the 2nd stage separates, the rocket is moving at about mach 5. To land on land, the rocket has decelerate to 0, then come back. This requires a significant amount of fuel be kept in reserve, rather than burned in the launch.



Conversely, for a barge landing, it doesn't need to decelerate to 0 (it's already going in the right direction, so it can follow a largely ballistic flight path), meaning less fuel keeps to be kept in reserve (meaning more mass can be launched).

[techgeek]

Apparently the boat strayed into a restricted zone. I'm going to laugh if I get to read about the boater footing the bill for the cost of aborting the launch.