back to article SpaceX Falcon 9 set for fourth launch attempt

SpaceX will reportedly make a fourth attempt to get its SES-9 mission off the ground later today from Florida's Cape Canaveral. The launch window for the Falcon 9 lifter is from 23:35 GMT tonight until 01:05 GMT on Wednesday morning. The first pop at carrying the SES-9 satellite aloft was scuppered by bad weather. A second go …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The last one landed vertically

    It just didn't stay that way.

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: The last one landed vertically

      True enough. Let's see if this time the vertical landing plan has legs.

      1. hplasm
        Coat

        Re: The last one landed vertically

        And if the vertical landing legs work as planned.

        1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

          Re: Re: The last one landed vertically

          Yes, let's hope they've done the legwork.

          1. DryBones

            Re: The last one landed vertically

            It's got legs, and it knows how to use them.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: The last one landed vertically

              If it doesn't work they won't have a leg to stand on.

    2. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

      Re: The last one landed vertically

      Hot legs

      Wearin' me out.

      Hot legs

      Make me scream and shout.

  2. This post has been deleted by its author

  3. choleric

    Re: The last one landed vertically

    As long as they get the last leg right they'll be legends. If they've left something out though they might get the boot.

    1. sojournerman

      Re: The last one landed vertically

      If this worx im getting legless muahahah

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Falcon 9-Liter

    I read that wrong and thought 'lightweight'

  5. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Headmaster

    "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

    I'd have gone for "onboard computers shut down the rocket in an orderly fashion" or something, but that's probably just my pedantry playing up again.

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

      It's only a "dramatic shutdown" if the rocket is more than 3 meters off the pad...

      1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

        Re: Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

        Oh I dunno, if it's breathing fire then it's dramatic in my book. Three metres off the pad and we're looking at "abort crash and burn".

        1. BitDr

          Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

          If it's breathing fire then it's not shut down is it? If it is shut down and still breathing fire then, as the talking head announced in the original "Total Recall"; "get ready for a surprise"!

        2. Bubba Von Braun

          Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

          Three meters up it becomes engine out. Not shutdown all nine.

          Like the Shuttle, Saturn etc.. last seconds are about checking engine performance if all as expected its launch commit, from that point on unless your configuration cant tolerate loss of an engine (aka Orbitals Antares) it goes up to either a bad orbit or to be destroyed for a severely sub-optimal trajectory.

          Falcon 9 has up to two engine out capability, though I think more than a single engine out on initial boost, would result in the aforementioned rapid disassembly process.

    2. Anonymous Blowhard

      Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

      Maybe the shut-down is accompanied by a dramatic synth-drum riff?

    3. 7-zark-7

      Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

      'Dramatically' you say, like this?

      https://youtu.be/S5ZSDCvUwN8

      1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

        Re: Re: "onboard computers dramatically shut down the rocket"

        That's some great footage from inside SpaceX's volcanic lair.

  6. x 7

    nine "Merlin" engines?

    Really? Didn't realise Rolls-Royce still had a piston engine division. Or are they still being made by Packard?

    1. Mint Sauce

      Oh my, I've just tried to imagine what something powered by 108 supercharged cylinders would sound like on full chat :-}

      1. Vulch

        Easy

        Two Lancasters and a Spitfire in close formation.

        1. AndyS

          Re: Easy

          What? Speak up, I can't hear you!

          1. Vic

            Re: Easy

            What? Speak up, I can't hear you!

            Ah. So you saw the Eurofighter display last summer as well, then...

            Vic.

            1. Andy The Hat Silver badge

              Re: Easy

              I'll take your Harriers and raise you to the tune of the 1970's German Starfighter display team low-flying over the crowd with full afterburn ... *#@%!!

              1. x 7

                Re: Easy

                " 1970's German Starfighter display team low-flying over the crowd with full afterburn"

                Was that the German Navy two-man team? The Vikings? Saw them at Yeovilton during the height of the Falklands problem and they really pulled the stops out.....opposition passes at ground level at near-supersonic speed right in front of the crowd. Visible shock waves streaming off the aircraft and into the crowd................yikes. Best air display I ever saw - all the performers appeared to be doing something "special" because of what was happening down south

        2. Kevin Johnston

          Re: Easy

          Last time I was at a Duxford Airshow they had 15 Spitfires (and one Seafire) in the air together....that would be too many Merlins but them again, some people say you can't have too many

          :)

          1. x 7

            Re: Easy

            " 15 Spitfires (and one Seafire) in the air together....that would be too many Merlins "

            some of those would have had 16-cyl Griffins instead of Merlins........even more noise

      2. Cynical Observer
        Facepalm

        I'll see ....

        your sound of nine Merlin Engines/108 pistons

        and raise you 4 Rolls-Royce Olympus turbojets with their associated howl*

        Icon - nearest thing to wiping the tear from my eye.

        *The air show fans should understand!

        1. Matt 116

          Re: I'll see ....

          Yes, I watched five harriers hovering at Farnborough on one of the business days many years ago and that was impressively loud. If I remember correctly I was sitting in a Grippen at the time and the pilot gave up trying to give me the spiel and told me to sit there while they did their stuff!

          1. x 7

            Re: I'll see ....

            Harriers............two days before the Government made the announcement about closing the squadrons they went out with a bit of a bang. Complete squadron + more (I lost count at 12) at low level at 15 second intervals over Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria................and I mean low and tile-shattering. Whole building (a hillside pub) rocked to its foundations. Trying to make a point / swansong I guess as everyone knew what was to be announced. They would then have turned north and headed up the Lune Gorge, I would have loved to have watched that convoy through there

  7. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    Rolls-Royce Merlin engine

    There are alternative uses for ground vehicles:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Merlin_alternative_uses

    http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_511805-Custom-Made-Beast.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0guvOMs8nWc

    http://www.popularmechanics.co.za/wheels/aero-engined-cars-special-kind-of-madness/

  8. JaffaMan

    Please launch tonight!!

    There's only so many late nights in quick succession I can cope with.

    I missed the landing on land when that happened so have watched each (attempted) launch live since then!

    I think I must be cursing them as my live track record thus far is 3 aborts and one KABLAMO on the barge.

    Fingers crossed for tonight!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Please launch tonight!!

      I'm in the same boat watching from CET timezone. 00:45 is not exactly a really late night but by the time the launch is definately scrubbed its more like 01:30 (esp. the last one).and I don't need one after another on school nites....

      I thought geostationary orbits don't have a orbital inclination therefore can be launched at anytime of the day. Can't we have a more European friendly launch time??? (SES is an European customer after all)

      1. Hopalong

        Re: Please launch tonight!!

        Delayed until Friday - wind shear @10KM exceeding the limits - better safe than sorry.

      2. Bubba Von Braun

        Re: Please launch tonight!!

        Its called COLA.. Collision On Launch Assessment and dictates the length of the window as much as other factors.

        Start thinking in three dimensions between lower orbit traffic, the growing levels of junk as well this has been part of orbital operations for years,

  9. Francis Vaughan

    LOX

    The problem with the latest Falcon 9 and its fuels is that they are now using a much colder than normal fuel. Both the LOX and RP-2 are chilled down significantly colder than other boosters. That allows the same tank structure to hold more fuel, and thus extend lift capability. Quite significantly it turns out. The down side is that keeping the fuel cold is a much more critical and difficult task than it has been in the past. They have to load it much later in the countdown, and there is much less wiggle room with delays.

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