Antares launches; Falcon 9 aborts
Of the two launches scheduled for tonight, Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket was the only one to launch, lifting off on schedule at 9:16 pm (Eastern). This was the company’s third launch this year.
SpaceX’s launch however aborted at T-2 seconds. No word on why the rocket’s computer’s shut down, or when they will reschedule.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race remain unchanged:
25 China
15 SpaceX
10 Russia
4 ULA
4 Europe (Arianespace)
The Antares launch however puts the U.S. back into a tie with China, 25-25, in the national rankings.
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Of the two launches scheduled for tonight, Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket was the only one to launch, lifting off on schedule at 9:16 pm (Eastern). This was the company’s third launch this year.
SpaceX’s launch however aborted at T-2 seconds. No word on why the rocket’s computer’s shut down, or when they will reschedule.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race remain unchanged:
25 China
15 SpaceX
10 Russia
4 ULA
4 Europe (Arianespace)
The Antares launch however puts the U.S. back into a tie with China, 25-25, in the national rankings.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
A few hours ago, Elon tweeted a terse explanation: “Unexpected pressure rise in the turbomachinery gas generator.”
Lord, was it frustrating to see that clock hit T-2 and . . . nothing. Still, I know a scrub beats a RUD.
They must be having difficulty with the cause, or the repair, as the re-scheduled launch for tonight just got pushed to the 5th.
They now have two scheduled for the 5th, one in the AM, one the PM.
sippin_bourbon wrote: “They must be having difficulty with the cause, or the repair, as the re-scheduled launch for tonight just got pushed to the 5th.”
I see this differently. Having a set launch date suggests to me that they have a plan for corrective action.
Edward,
Ideally, yes
However, I do not know what the posting of these dates are based on.
Is it presumed repair/readiness of the vehicle, or is it simply the next window based on the target orbit and an assumption that it will be fixed by that time?
sippin_bourbon asked: “Is it presumed repair/readiness of the vehicle, or is it simply the next window based on the target orbit and an assumption that it will be fixed by that time?”
It is based upon a reasonable plan to correct the problem by the scheduled launch time.
Due to the large amount of coordination that is necessary between multiple institutions, launch dates are not set willy nilly but based upon the readiness and scheduling of all these institutions. If SpaceX does not have a reasonable expectation of being ready on a launch date, then a lot of work can be done without reasonable expectation of a launch.
The Delta 4-Heavy that is currently trying to launch does not yet have a new scheduled launch date because they don’t know when they can reasonably expect to be ready, so there is no reason to schedule all the facilities, equipment, and personnel. Let all those people get other work done while ULA resolves their issues.
Edward
I get what you are saying.
I initially saw what appeared to be new launch time/dates, but then saw them pushed.
Hence my question.