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back to article HOVER ROCKET space station podule mission LIGHTNING HOLD DRAMA

NASA has postponed today's launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket – loaded up with supplies for the International Space Station, including a new espresso coffee machine – after an approaching storm started blasting out. The craft was set to liftoff about an hour ago from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Launch postponed due to …

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  1. king_tut

    Clarifications

    A couple of little clarifications. It could be argued that the rocket sort-of splits into thirds, not into half: the first stage tries to land, the second stage gets up to orbital speed, and then the third stage (aka payload) Dragon craft is what docks.

    It also wasn't a 60-second launch window - it was an instantaneous window AFAIK. Most ISS launch windows are instantaneous as they have to basically launch when the ISS is overhead (more accurately, when it can launch into the same plane as ISS - having the same inclination and LAN). They could launch a little before/after, but it would require a load more delta-V by Dragon.

    But then I've been drinking wine for a while now, so I may be wrong :)

    6 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Thumb Up

      Re: Clarifications

      All wine affected comments are admissible, no such thing as 'wrong' after a tipple!

      Good luck to the SpaceX team,,,

      7 0 Reply
    2. Francis Boyle Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Clarifications

      This splitting rockets into segments things sounds like a good idea. Further proof that Musk is a genius.

      1 0 Reply
  2. Mikel

    I musk be patient

    It will go when it's time.

    - impatient to see the reusable rocket era kick off.

    2 0 Reply
  3. Gene Cash Silver badge

    4pm == rain in Florida

    It's that time of year when it pretty much always rains some time around 4pm in Florida. The clouds rolled in and the weather rapidly went from nice'n'sunny to total shite in about 45 minutes.

    The Texas site will be a lot better, as it has the same "shoot rockets down the Atlantic without hitting anyone" advantage, but no NASA/USAF red tape and a lot better weather.

    0 1 Reply
    1. Vinyl-Junkie
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      Unhappy

      Re: 4pm == rain in Florida

      "A lot better weather"?

      Obviously you weren't watching the MotoGP this weekend!

      2 0 Reply
    2. cray74
      Reply Icon

      Re: 4pm == rain in Florida

      "The Texas site will be a lot better..."

      But would have the drawback of being in Texas. ;)

      3 1 Reply
      1. Francis Boyle Silver badge
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        Re: 4pm == rain in Florida

        Don't worry the rednecks guns don't have sufficient range to shoot down a rocket - not until someone builds a nice laser rifle at least.

        1 0 Reply
  4. The lone lurker

    Shades of Apollo 12

    Couldn't they have tried SCE to aux?

    1 0 Reply
  5. Kharkov
    Angel

    Better safe than sorry...

    Although an F9 lifting off, getting zapped by (1.21 jigawatts of) electricity and then exploding would make for killer video...

    More seriously, while it's sad that the weather closed in, forcing SpaceX to abort the launch (it was pretty close though), it's better to be safe and do it later. There's a lot riding on this launch, as the world is expecting that this time, they'll recover the 1st stage successfully, and hopefully with stunning video of it making a beautiful (photogenic) touchdown on the good ship (barge), Just Read The Instructions.

    Tough break for ULA though, they just announced their new rocket, the Vulcan. Methane-fueled and something about getting the expensive engines back and reusing them but I'm not sure about the details - perhaps we'll get an El Reg article about it? - and it looks like ULA is being largely ignored by the media as people focus on SpaceX.

    Like I said, I'm not particularly clear on ULA's new beast but I doubt that they can, even with returning & reusing the engines, come close to SpaceX on price and, once reusability (of the 1st stage at least) kicks in, the faster turnaround leading to more rockets to launch.

    ULA will have a new rocket, more expensive than the Falcon 9, without the track record of the Falcon 9 (yes, I'm assuming that there will be few or no 'oopsies' moments) and probably without the rapid turnaround/relaunch of the Falcon 9. In effect, a new piston-engine passenger plane after Boeing has been selling the 707 for five years or so. Not a high chance of commercial success, I think.

    1 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Better safe than sorry...

      According to the BBC article I just read the "boosters" get reused (I think the first stage would separate into engines plus tank and the tank gets lost) and the mechanism is: some kind of heat shielding, a parachute and then a helicopter "plucking it out of the air". Which all sounds pretty hairy to me...

      0 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: landing barge "Just Read the Instructions"

    After last time, perhaps it should have been called "Some Assembly May Be Required" :)

    9 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Custard
      Reply Icon

      Re: landing barge "Just Read the Instructions"

      The next one is going to be called "Of Course I Still Love You", so looks like they're fairly confident of many loving returns after a firey departure...

      0 0 Reply
    2. Elmer Phud
      Reply Icon

      Re: landing barge "Just Read the Instructions"

      It seems there are a few people about who have read Ian M Banks.

      1 0 Reply
      1. Midnight
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        Re: landing barge "Just Read the Instructions"

        I'm still hoping to see a barge named "Stood Far Back When The Gravitas Was Handed Out".

        0 0 Reply
      2. Expectingtheworst
        Reply Icon

        Re: landing barge "Just Read the Instructions"

        Indeed - RIP

        I will miss no new novels from his SF side. I will start reading his Ian Banks novels to see how much the M makes to the writing !

        0 0 Reply
  7. x 7

    if it doesn't fly today, how long before they have to take it offline to defuel / refuel?

    0 0 Reply
    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
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      I assume they can leave the kerosene as long as they want. I seem to remember the limit on liquid oxygen is 48 hours?

      0 0 Reply
      1. Vulch
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        They drain the tanks immediately after an abort when it's an instantaneous launch window. Fuelling starts around 4 hours before a scheduled launch so they'll start refilling in about an hours time (just after 5pm Tuesday) for tonights attempt.

        1 0 Reply
  8. x 7

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

    for those who didn't know

    0 0 Reply

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  9. DropBear
    Flame

    Elon Musk just tweeted "Ascent successful. Dragon enroute to Space Station. Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival."

    I guess we might not get to see a video this time either...

    1 0 Reply
    1. Vulch
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      Couple of still pictures on his Twitter feed now with the comment "Looks like Falcon landed fine, but excess lateral velocity caused it to tip over post landing"

      Also "All we have right now is low frame rate video (basically pictures). Normal video will be posted when ship returns to port in a few days."

      0 0 Reply
      1. x 7
        Reply Icon

        excellent launch and the rest of it sounds not bad. Remember its one hell of a learning curve for all involved. Just hitting the target is pretty good.

        To give credit where its due, they made the launch look easy.

        0 0 Reply

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