SNEAK PREVIEW: Today, SpaceX shared some launch footage in Ultra HD 4K. (If your connection is slow, toggle to 1080 HD for smoother playback.)
Hopefully, Monday afternoon, Christian will be watching a SpaceX launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in person. Stay tuned for his reports from the field!
In the meantime, we're reading up on parts of the rocket that make it all possible, including the Merlin engine, which powers the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket.
Manufactured in house by SpaceX, the Merlin engine burns liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellant. Worth noting: Falcon 9 can lose up to two of its Merlin engines on the first stage and still complete its mission. Per the SpaceX Web site, "The nine-engine architecture on the first stage is an improved version of the design employed by the Saturn I and Saturn V rockets of the Apollo program, which had flawless flight records in spite of engine losses."
The press kit for the last SpaceX resupply mission (CRS5) to the International Space Station outlines the launch sequence for Falcon 9 as follows. ...
"The launch sequence for Falcon 9 is a process of clockwork precision necessitated by the rocket’s instantaneous launch window—that is, everything is timed to the exact second of scheduled liftoff. Because an off-time liftoff would require Dragon to use extra propellant to reach the space station, the launch window must be hit precisely. If not, the mission will be attempted on another day. Twenty-eight hours before launch, Dragon is powered up in preparation for the NASA powered cargo delivery and loading. About three hours before launch, the fueling process begins—RP-1 kerosene propellant first, then liquid oxygen. The plume coming off the vehicle during countdown is gaseous oxygen being vented from the tanks, which is why the liquid oxygen is topped off throughout the countdown. Terminal countdown begins at T-10 minutes, at which point all systems are autonomous. After polling Mission Control in Hawthorne, California, and the launch team at Cape Canaveral, the Launch Director gives a final go for launch at T-2 minutes and 30 seconds. At T-2 minutes, the Air Force Range Control Officer confirms the physical safety of the launch area and provides the final range status. Just before liftoff, the launch pad’s water deluge system, dubbed “Niagara,” is activated. Seconds before launch, the nine Merlin engines of the first stage ignite. The rocket computer commands the launch mount to release the vehicle for flight, and at T-0, Falcon 9 lifts off, putting out just over 1.3 million pounds of thrust."MMM, BACON: Here's a leftover shot from Monday, before the Mariners' home opener. We like to walk down Occidental toward the stadium, as there are always a number of vendors and product promoters there, making for a festive, colorful walk up to the game
SUGARY: Our Honda was a rolling cookie mobile today, as we took a few dozen Star Wars and Star Trek cookies to a potluck lunch today.
OVERHEARD: This afternoon, while the kids were doing their (apparently way-too-easy) math assignment. ...
CJ: "That's rather obvious."
Annabelle: "What, do they think we're stupid?"
Time to find some more challenging math!
Really looking forward to the MPA reports from Cape Canaveral.
ReplyDeleteAnd those hands doing the Vulcan salute are awesome.
Start them on Euclid or Trig and watch them change their tunes.