from the aim-for-the-stars-land-back-on-Earth dept.
SpaceX had originally scheduled to launch a rocket on Wednesday, February 24 but has decided to postpone the launch by at least 24 hours:
SpaceX on Wednesday postponed for at least 24 hours the scheduled Florida launch of a Falcon 9 rocket on a satellite-delivery mission and attempted return-landing at sea to allow extra time to chill the rocket's propellant, the company said.
Blast-off of the 23-story-tall booster and its payload, a SES SA communications satellite, was rescheduled for 6:46 p.m. EST (2346 GMT) on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, SpaceX said.
"Rocket and spacecraft remain healthy," the company said in a message posted on Twitter as the delay was announced. Hours earlier SpaceX had described weather conditions at the launch site as a "60 percent go" and said it was tracking thick clouds and high winds.
Following the delay, the company issued a further statement explaining: "The team opted to hold launch to ensure liquid oxygen temperatures are as cold as possible in an effort to maximize performance of the vehicle."
The statement left unclear how much, if any, weather was a factor in the postponement.
Meteorologists forecast an 80 percent chance that weather would be suitable for liftoff on Thursday.
I, for one, will be anxiously awaiting the launch and hopefully successful barge landing of this flight. I well remember the 60s and the progression of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo flights that culminated with the moon landings and return of moon rocks to earth. I followed many a space shuttle launch and landing, too. And now we see the space race heating up again. Exciting times.
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According to SpaceFlight Now, SpaceX's SES-9 launch was again aborted in the final minutes. That launch was, in itself, originally planned for Wednesday February 24, 2016.
As of this writing, no new launch date/time has been announced. Per SES's Twitter feed: SES and SpaceX are now targeting to launch #SES9 on Sunday, 28 February, at 6.46pm ET, with a backup date on Monday, 29 February. (Hat tip to gman003.)
What's the problem? Well, for one, this IS rocket science. For background, please refer to the eminently-readable explanation written by Space Shuttle Flight Engineer Don Pettit: The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation. Overcoming Earth's gravity takes a lot of energy. The greater the payload and/or the altitude, the more fuel and oxidizer you need to get there. But, that has its own mass, which requires even more power to lift. In short, something like 90%-95% of the rocket's launch mass ends up being fuel and oxidizer.
The SES-9 communications satellite is destined for GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) That is much higher than LEO (Low Earth Orbit) where, for example, the ISS (International Space Station) orbits. The Falcon-9 is designed to deliver up to 4.85 mT (4850 kg) to GTO. This is where things get interesting. SES-9 comes in at a hefty 5330 kg — 480 kg over nominal lift capacity to that altitude. So, the challenge becomes how can SpaceX get something so massive to such a high orbit?
SpaceX has found a way to increase the lifting capacity of the Falcon-9 by using fuel and liquid oxygen that have undergone additional chilling. How does that help? The SpaceFlight Now article explains it well:
[Continues.]
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 25 2016, @08:01AM
hi. this is your friendly neighbour from the parallel universe where wednesday is the 24th of february.
I just wanted to tell you that we're also very excited about the new space race.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 26 2016, @12:51AM
and scrubbed again on Thursday