Comments on: SpaceX booster damaged on barge but not lost

By: Jason Hillyer

Jason Hillyer — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 20:26:13 +0000

I think the Falcon Heavy Center Core just wants to be left alone…

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 10:20:50 +0000

Remains of center core arrived in port overnight on OCISLY.
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47862.msg1937656#msg1937656

As much as I hate the loss of the center core, SpaceX =did= land on this tiny platform in the middle of the ocean! The fact that the weather turned rougher than the core could handle soon after landing is no more frustrating to me than a launch scrub due to weather. Primary mission accomplished. =Any= recovered parts are all gravy.

By: mpthompson

mpthompson — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 04:43:10 +0000

Although I’m sad that SpaceX lost/damaged the center core, it does sounds like they were properly prudent and cautious about putting a recovery team on the OCISLY in rough seas. Having a crew member killed or gravely injured would be much worse for SpaceX’s reputation than losing this center core. And, as Richard states, the core is still available for examination and study.

By: Richard M

Richard M — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 00:53:56 +0000

In truth, the greatest value in recovering the center core was the opportunity to closely examine it for how it fared in its high energy return, since this is the first center core of a FH they have ever recovered: To learn from it, and adjust in the construction of future center cores.

SpaceX still has the center core, albeit damaged, so they will still be able to recover important data from it. (And at least they’ll recover the engines and the grid fins, which is a sizable savings!)

Yes, it’s true, they likely would have used it on a future Falcon Heavy launch, though certainly not until at least next year; this won’t crimp their launch schedules, at least. It was more critical to recover the side cores, since SpaceX had banked on being able to use them both on the STP-2 Falcon Heavy launch scheduled for June.

The customer comes first, as Bob says, and they’ve waited long enough for this flight as it is. SpaceX knew recovery was an elevated risk event anyway; and a tipover like this has never happened. I think SpaceX was right in taking the risk to launch this anyway without waiting for the octograbber to get its upgrade.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:54:40 +0000

In reply to Col Beausabre.

Col Beausabre: SpaceX’s first responsibility is to serve their customer. Delaying the launch just so SpaceX can guarantee the 1st stage’s recovery, when they themselves were unsure they would even succeed in landing that core on the barge, would have been bad for business. Better to get their customer’s satellite in orbit as soon as possible. This will help get the Falcon Heavy more contracts, which will give them amply opportunity to recover future cores. In the short run they will still make money from the launch, and in long run they will make even more, as they sell more contracts and recover their core stages.

No one can accuse me of not criticizing everyone if I think they have made a mistake. However, I also think it a mistake to always second guess every decision. In this case it seems to me that SpaceX had its priorities right.

By: jburn

jburn — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:38:33 +0000

Col,
cargo or debris? Typically these launch vehicles are simply discarded to impact the ocean surface and sink.

By: Col Beausabre

Col Beausabre — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:00:37 +0000

Ya know, this episode may illustrate the fact that the NASA’s safety culture – much criticized in this blog as overly cautious – may have a point in regard to what appears to be SpaceX’s apparent “launch it anyway” culture. Failure to have operating methods of securing cargo is such a violation of basic seamanship as to be inexcusable.

By: geoffc

geoffc — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 13:59:22 +0000

The Octograbber/Xoomba they use to secure boosters (the robot discussed) grabs onto attach points on the OctaWeb (ergo the name, and it kinda looks like Roomba, if you squint) which are different on Falcon Heavy since the side cores attach to the points it uses.

Musk has tweeted they plan to upgrade the Octograbber/Xoomba to support the heavy. Note: JRTI in the Pacific does not have one, only OCISLY in the Atlantic uses it. So not usually required.