Giant net to catch Falcon 9 fairing
This link provides a series of pictures, taken from a distance, of the giant net, and the structures that hold it up, that will be used by the SpaceX barge ship to try to catch the rocket’s fairing during its next launch later this week. (See comments.)
Hat tip reader Kirk Hilliard. The pictures don’t show the barge itself, but they do give a sense of the size of the net. This suggests that SpaceX has equipped the fairing with small jets capable of guiding it to the barge, where it will be caught as it falls at high speed. It could also be that they have found that the fairing itself can act as a parachute and slow itself down as it descends, meaning that impact will not be that intense.
Regardless, I wonder if they will have any cameras on board either the fairing or the barge, and whether they will broadcast them live as it comes down. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t, as it would possibly reveal proprietary information, but the images would certainly be impressive to see.
If they succeed, they will have a rocket that is almost entirely reusable, with only a single 2nd stage engine (out of 10 total) and the second stage itself not reused.
Posted from the Israeli city of Tiberius on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
This link provides a series of pictures, taken from a distance, of the giant net, and the structures that hold it up, that will be used by the SpaceX barge ship to try to catch the rocket’s fairing during its next launch later this week. (See comments.)
Hat tip reader Kirk Hilliard. The pictures don’t show the barge itself, but they do give a sense of the size of the net. This suggests that SpaceX has equipped the fairing with small jets capable of guiding it to the barge, where it will be caught as it falls at high speed. It could also be that they have found that the fairing itself can act as a parachute and slow itself down as it descends, meaning that impact will not be that intense.
Regardless, I wonder if they will have any cameras on board either the fairing or the barge, and whether they will broadcast them live as it comes down. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t, as it would possibly reveal proprietary information, but the images would certainly be impressive to see.
If they succeed, they will have a rocket that is almost entirely reusable, with only a single 2nd stage engine (out of 10 total) and the second stage itself not reused.
Posted from the Israeli city of Tiberius on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Mr. Stevens is a ship not a barge. Here is a picture.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Teslarati/status/943300377570508800
Oops. Mr. Steven. No s. Your link is the first I have seen with the net attached though.
Sorry Bob, I should have given more background. Here is a photo from two months ago giving a much better view of Mr. Steven with arms, but without any rigging or net. Mr. Steven is a fast crew supply and transfer vehicle. The plan is to provide a soft (and dry) landing for the fairing haves as they come in under steerable (and flarable) parachutes.
There had been a lot of theorizing going on about complicated arrangements of nets and bouncy castles, so if this is the complete rig, then it’s a simpler approach than many expected. We’ll know Tuesday night if they are heading out for a recovery attempt Wednesday morning, and the assumption is that will try for just one fairing half on the first attempt. Opinion is divided over whether they would need a second ship to recover both fairing halves, or if they could stagger the parachute openings sufficiently to give them time to lower the first half to the deck and get another net rigged to catch the second.
Oops, messed up my link. https://cdn.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Fairing-grabber-2-Reddit-user-vshie-e1513734085764.jpg
Here’s a link to Mr. Steven’s specifications. This ship is definitely no barge. With a 28 kt. top speed, she’s (he’s?) capable of matching many classes of warship.
Kirk always finds us the good pictures.
It is a remarkable example of cutting edge technology paired with technology from the earliest times of humanity. Humans are always making new things but also always finding innovative ways to use old things.
Heck, modern rocket flight is the pinnacle of fire making and we probably started down that path before we were even humans.
The circular error probable must be both relatively small and relatively predictable for SpaceX to attempt this. I’m impressed already.
I wonder if, after catching the first fairing, they could lower the aft part of the net, attach a tether to the fairing, and then wench it off the net into an inflated bag floating after the back of the boat. Then the aft part of the net is re-raised to catch the second fairing. Detach the inflated bag with the first fairing so that they can maneuver the ship to catch the second fairing.
Kirk-
yes– great picture!
Spider-Man Theme
(1967)
https://youtu.be/SUtziaZlDeE
(1:01)
Anybody know what happened to the Hispasat 30W-6 launch that was supposed to go off in the wee hours Sunday AM from Cape Kennedy? It seems to have disappeared. Thanks