It wasn't a roll control issue It was a slowly blossoming limit cycle present on both the yaw channel and the pitch channel. The coning was a result of propellant slosh

Ah, I get it now. Sounds similar to an aircraft "Dutch roll". Thanks!

From the man himself:



Given the speed determining the likely cause of what went wrong - though perhaps a better word would be awry - along with potential solutions to this issue, and how quickly they could be implemented, I think the word success is justified in this instance.

Will companies cough up for a satellite launch on the next Falcon 1, if relatively straightforward fixes are implemented? Yes - why ever not?

That's the definition of a success, surely?

Andy

I believe they already have.

Doug

unnecessary quote removed - doug

No company has. It is the US gov't

The next flight is US gov't, the flight after that is a Malaysian company - but the word 'client' or 'customer' is probably a better one to use than 'company'.

Doug

Intersting comments on Jonathan Goff's Blog about the Falcon 1 Demoflight 2 PM that was released to the public a few days ago.

At a high level the problem seems to be that they were not quite as disciplined as they needed to be. My main memory of the countdown was that the team did not seem to be totally in control - there was confusion between the various area owners communicating status on the audio feed and there was a definite lack of discipline evident when the count was scrubbed. I would see that as pretty good news provided SpaceX can recognise that and act on it.

A nice update from SpaceX
http://www.spacex.com/updates.php#Falcon9Update081507

To the untrained eye that qualification engine pictured below looks like a wonderfully compact and elegant piece of kit. Great update too.

Could be a monster too, I wouldn't really know, still, looks good!

http://www.spacex.com/00Graphics/Images/F9...20DarpaTech.jpg

And another update at http://www.spacex.com/updates.php#Update121007
although Falcon-1 is only the smallest part of it.

another update at Spacex. Looks like falcon 9 is coming along nicely. Love to be there for the full nine engine test
jb

Another update -- or at least a press release:

http://spacex.com/press.php?page=39

Next Falcon 1 attempt pushed back to June, and DOD will pay for it.

--Greg

SpaceX conducts first three-engine firing of Falcon 9 rocket
http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=40

This might seem kinda daft but I hope some real innovation might come out of it. Thought it should go here because someone actually succeeds then the title of this thread will have to be changed!

NASA awards launch services contract to SpaceX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_1#Launch_log

T minus 9 days and counting

That Wikipedia page's date for the third Falcon 1 launch (23rd June 23:00) has to be taken with a pretty big truckload of salt! It seems to have been based on the "2008 in Spaceflight" page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_spaceflight), where the date has since been changed to the vague "June/July" with a reference to a Space Services Inc. page (www.memorialspaceflights.com/explorers.asp) which states "late June/early July 2008". Musk has stated that he is in no hurry (http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/080516-sn-falcon-3rdlaunch.html). One might say he prefers to be safe than sorry, and one can see why, given how long it has taken to get to this point, and how damaging another failure would be to the project.
The SpaceX site hasn't made any new statements about Falcon 1 for some time. But the most recent quote from Elon I can find is the following in a Live Science blog: "The earliest possible time for the first countdown attempt of Falcon 1 (not necessarily launch) is projected to occur sometime between June 26 and July 7.... "However, until we complete the static fire and have a chance to analyze data, please assume that there is not even an official launch date range,” Elon Musk, chief of SpaceX told me today via email. He said that the launch date for the Falcon 1’s third flight is not known at this time." (http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/06/10/spacex-falcon-rocket-third-flight-the-charm/).

Now The Wikipedia "2008 in Spaceflight" page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_spaceflight), gives a date of 30 June and a time of 2:00 GMT. Wow! Wherever do they get such specific information?? Not only a date but a time!
Anyway lets hope it happens soon!

Let's hope it's successful rather than soon. Third time's the charm.

No word from spacex but check out here. The makers of the cube sat are releasing info first.

Similar information here.
It appears to be by a student (named Kevin) involved in the PreSat, one of two piggyback payloads on the RideShare Adapter under the PnPSat. (The other is NanoSatD.)
He seems to have brought a two-or-so meter radio dish to Kwaj, arriving just after the month's delay was announced.

mmm looks like all that info has been taken off the blogs (kmbr blog is gone now) and the twitter site. Guess too much info was being released to us lurkers
lets hope rumours were false...
jb

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0806/23falcon1/

Here's some concrete news:

http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=43

Press Release: SpaceX Conducts Static Test Firing of Next Falcon 1 Rocket

Firing represents the final major event before launch to orbit.

Hawthorne CA – Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) successfully conducted a full launch dress rehearsal and hold down firing of the Falcon 1 Flight 3 vehicle on June 25, 2008 (Marshall Island Time) on Omelek Island, SpaceX’s launch site at the Kwajalein Atoll. This test is the final step before launch of the Falcon 1 rocket.

This marks the first launch pad firing of SpaceX’s new Merlin 1C regeneratively cooled engine, which operated at full power with only the hold-down system restraining the rocket from flight. In the coming weeks, SpaceX will conduct a thorough review of all data prior to the opening of the launch window for flight, which runs from late July through early September.

“We are definitely not tied to the clock for this launch, and we are checking and crosschecking every aspect of the vehicle and ground systems to ensure a successful mission,” said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. “Our primary concerns remain the safety and reliability of our vehicle, and the successful delivery of the Defense Department and NASA satellites to orbit.”

During launch, SpaceX will use the extensive range safety, tracking and telemetry services provided by the Reagan Test Site (RTS) at the United States Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific. RTS will be closed for the national Fourth of July holiday, and resumes operations on 24 July. The next launch window opens 29 July and runs through 6 August, followed by one from 29 August to 5 September.

The Falcon 1 will carry the Trailblazer satellite for the Jumpstart Program of the Department of Defense’s Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS). Additional secondary payloads include an adapter system developed by the government of Malaysia that holds two small NASA satellites.

SpaceX will provide complete launch day coverage and a live webcast of the launch and ascent into orbit.
Details will be announced as the launch date approaches via the SpaceX.com website.

--------

--Greg

Gee -- since when does an American facility observe holidays like Europe does? For the July 4 holiday, I get that day off, July 4. I have to be back at work the next business day, which happens to be July 7th (the holiday falling on a Friday this year).



I sometimes think it must be odd for Europeans to realize that most Americans get a meager total of two weeks of vacation (aka holiday to non Americans) time per year plus anywhere from seven to nine paid holidays (fixed single-event days off). I once worked for a consulting firm headquartered in France, and our branch of that firm lost a lot of employees the day the Big Chief president of the company came in from France, commented that the European offices would be closed for the entire month of July for "summer holiday," and that us Americans were being lazy and "dropping the ball" by not being productive enough to carry the entire company through that period... *grrrrrr*...

-the other Doug

When the American facility is in the exact middle of nowhere, that's when. It takes days to get "stateside" from Kwajalein, barring private jet transport, so a three day weekend wouldn't do the staff much good.
And if you are complaining about working 1920 hrs per year (40 hrs/wk*48wk), think about the guys at a place like SpaceX. It is unlikely they have many weeks as short as that. It just depends what you want to accomplish. I will be joining many others spending much of this weekend and weekend nights testing hardware for an upcoming spaceflight. Vacations are not at the top of our worry list. Got to get stuff done.

This European sure as hell doesn't get that.

Doug

I've no idea how prevalent the practice is today. The episode I related happened in the early 1990's.

-the other Doug

It's France that traditionally takes July off... google "bonjour paresse" to see what an art-form at it's very peak can look like. At the other extreme, the UK has opted out of the EU-wide Working Time Directive which puts a hard limit of (I think?) 46 hours a week including overtime. I can't remember the last time I worked that few hours in a week. OTOH I umsf[1] on the employer's time, so... swings and roundabouts.

[1] I know, I know, verbing nouns weirds the language.

Don't believe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_spaceflight when it says "NET" (not earlier than) 31 August 2008 for flight 3.
Elon's brother's Kwajalein blog (http://kwajrockets.blogspot.com/) says there is a window of opportunity August 1 to 5.
Falcon 1 is vertical, as seen in a photo there and in his other blog (http://www.kimbalmusk.com/weblog/2008/07/falcon-1-is-ver.html).

Seriously though, where did the parents get their kids names from? Elon, Kimbal... (are there more?)

PS.


I love this statement, which manages to illustrate its own point, not once, but twice!

Ooops! I misrepresented "2008 in Spaceflight". The "NET" (not earlier than) 31 August 2008 date was for flight 4 (RazakSat-1, etc.) not flight 3 (Trailblazer, etc.). Flight 3 is down as "TBD". But it seems there is a good chance it will light up the sky very soon (Aug 1-4) - see previous post.

They're clearly close

http://spacex.com/testcast.php

Doug

FWIW, Wired are reporting rumours it might be this afternoon (US time, presumably.)

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08...-spacex-fa.html

Confirmed! - Today's the day.

"Launch scheduled today
4:00pm (PDT) / 7pm EDT / 23:00 (UTC)
Webcast begins ~30 mins before"

I have not seen it mentioned elsewhere in the forum, but tonight's launch will also carry into space the NanoSail-D solar sail demonstrator. I wish them the best of luck! We need sails!

Yep. That's listed in this e-mail they sent out about an hour ago:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Diane Murphy | VP, Marketing and Communications
media@SpaceX.com
310.363.6714
SpaceX Sets August 2 for Falcon 1 launch
First Privately Developed Liquid Fuel Rocket to Orbit
________________________________________
Hawthorne CA – Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has scheduled the launch of the Falcon 1 Flight 3 mission for Saturday, August 2nd. The launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) / 7:00 p.m. (EDT) / 23:00 (UTC) and remain open for five hours. Webcast will begin approximately 30 minutes before launch. If launch is delayed for any reason, SpaceX has range availability to resume countdown through August 5.

Lift-off of the vehicle will occur from SpaceX’s Falcon 1 launch site at the Kwajalein Atoll, about 2500 miles southwest of Hawaii. Falcon 1 launch facilities are situated on Omelek Island, part of the Reagan Test Site (RTS) at United States Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific.

Designed from the ground up by SpaceX at headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., Falcon 1 is a two-stage, liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene powered launch vehicle. The first stage is powered by a single SpaceX Merlin 1C Regenerative engine – flying for the first time on this Flight 3 mission. A “hold before liftoff” system enhances reliability by permitting all systems to be verified as functioning nominally before launch is initiated. The Falcon 1 second stage is powered by a single SpaceX Kestrel engine.

Falcon 1 is the first new orbital rocket in more than a decade. Merlin is the first new American hydrocarbon engine for an orbital booster to be flown in more than 40 years and only the second new American engine of any kind in more than a quarter century. After achieving orbit, Falcon 1 will be the first privately developed, liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth.

The primary customers for the Falcon 1 launch are the Department of Defense, Government of Malaysia and NASA. Falcon 1 is carrying a payload stack of three separating satellites that will orbit at an inclination of 9 degrees:

• The Trailblazer satellite was developed by SpaceDev of Poway, Calif., for the Jumpstart Program of DoD’s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office, as a test platform to validate the hardware, software and processes of an accelerated microsatellite launch. Trailblazer is deployed from the Falcon 1 second stage shortly after the shut-down of the second stage engine, about 10 minutes into flight.

• Deploying four to eight minutes later will be two NASA small satellites: PRESat, a micro laboratory from NASA’s Ames Research Center, and then NanoSail-D, which will unfurl an ultra-thin solar sail, developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in collaboration with NASA Ames Research Center.

• The three separating satellites attach to the Falcon 1 second stage via the Secondary Payload Adaptor and Separation System, (SPASS), developed by ATSB, a company owned by the Government of Malaysia that develops and commercializes space technology. The SPASS was engineered by Space Access Technologies of Ashburn, Va.

SpaceX will provide live coverage of the Falcon 1 Flight 3 mission via webcast at: www.SpaceX.com . The webcast will begin 30 minutes prior to launch and will include mission briefings, live feeds and launch coverage from the launch site at the Kawjalein Atoll, as well as a special video tour of SpaceX facilities by Elon Musk, CEO and CTO.

Post-launch, high resolution B-roll video footage and photos will be available for download by contacting: media@spacex.com .

About SpaceX

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With its Falcon line of launch vehicles, powered by internally-developed Merlin engines, SpaceX offers light, medium and heavy lift capabilities to deliver spacecraft into any altitude and inclination, from low-Earth to geosynchronous orbit to planetary missions. SpaceX currently has 12 missions on its manifest, excluding the two previous Falcon 1 demonstration flights, plus indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts with NASA and the US Air Force.

As a winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), SpaceX is in a position to help fill the gap in American spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010. Under the existing Agreement, SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for NASA, culminating in Dragon berthing with the ISS. NASA also has an option to demonstrate crew services to the ISS using the Falcon 9 / Dragon system. SpaceX is the only COTS contender that has the capability to return pressurized cargo and crew to Earth. The first Falcon 9 will arrive at the SpaceX launch site (complex 40) at Cape Canaveral by the end of 2008 in preparation for its maiden flight.

Founded in 2002, the SpaceX team now numbers over 500, located primarily in Hawthorne, California, with four additional locations: SpaceX's Texas Test Facility in McGregor near Waco; offices in Washington DC; and launch facilities at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific.

# # #

Falcon 1 launches from the SpaceX launch site in the Central Pacific. The Falcon 1 is the first rocket fully designed and developed in the 21 st Century that will provide both reliable and cost efficient transport of satellites to low Earth orbit. SpaceX’s Falcon 1 will be the first privately-developed, liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth.
###

They're in Hawthorne? Odd. They seem to have an office in El Segundo; I've seen a building with their logo there many times, but no mention in the release.

(EDIT: For those who don't know the LA area, Hawthorne & El Segundo are adjacent to each other E-W respectively.)

Launch put back to 30mins according to Spaceflightnow

Also, according to SpaceX, the live video should start at 4:00 PM PDT

http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

--Greg

Nice timeline for the flight:

http://bp1.blogger.com/_JPsEdStxV08/SJTdst...t3+timeline.jpg

plus a couple more comments on Kimbal's blog

http://kwajrockets.blogspot.com/

--Greg

The webcast has started, the oxygen is loaded, and they're estimating a 5:40 PM PDT launch now.

--Greg

0040UT now.

They just restarted the count, and it's now T-53 minutes, looking at a 5:55 PM PDT (0055 UT) launch.

--Greg

Well, the webcast seems to have failed. :-(

We understand some viewers may be having technical difficulties viewing the webcast. We apologize for any problems, appreciate your patience, and will post video to SpaceX.com as soon as possible following launch.

--Greg (at least it wasn't mission-critical) :-)

Just got home and popped up the webcast. They're 23 minutes into a hold at T-16 minutes. No indication I can see as to why they're in a hold.

-the other Doug

Interesting -- the webcast is working for me right now. They're just saying they seem confident they'll be able to get off within their launch window.

-the other Doug

And now there is a note at the bottom of the continuing webcast saying "Webcast will resume 6:30 (PDT) / 01:30 (UTC)"

-the other Doug

am finally seeing that update too

"Launch Control is working a minor issue"

check out spaceflightnow.com for continuous updates

"The advertised launch window extends to 12 midnight EDT (0400 GMT)".

And just to fill in the time while we wait, I have noted it elsewhere but just thought I'd point out again that I ran my hand down the side of that very rocket last fall as I toured their new facility in Hawthorne.

Count resumed with a recycle back to T-1hr, as near as I can tell. Launch now looks to be scheduled for 8pm PDT, 11pm EDT, 3am UTC.

-the other Doug