Technology and media, 27 Mar 2018, 13:20
Taiwanese scientists accuse SpaceX of creating a hole in the ionosphere ... instead of the traditional curved one, which resulted in an anomaly. The scientists explained that Falcon 9 during the passage of the ionosphere, it created circular shock waves instead of the more typical ones ..., in March, a rocket was launched from the Canaveral Space Center in Florida Falcon 9 with the Spanish telecommunications satellite Hispasat, and in February into orbit ... GovSat-1. A Taiwanese Formosat 5 satellite using a booster Falcon 9 was sent into space on August 24 last year. Satellite weighing...Technology and media, 01 Feb 2018, 04:15
SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket with communications satellite SpaceX successfully launches rocket Falcon 9 with a communication satellite GovSat-1. Launch video posted on YouTube-...Middle East. Earlier, on January 8, SpaceX successfully launched a rocket. Falcon 9 with the Zuma spacecraft. The launch was the first for the company in... WSJ finds out the cost of a lost US secret satellite ... satellite. According to the company, at the time of launch, the rocket Falcon 9 worked properly. launch Falcon 9 with the Zuma satellite took place on January 8 from Cape Canaveral ... rockets. According to the interlocutors of the agency, Zuma, together with the second stage Falcon 9 fell into the ocean. SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket with 10 satellites launch vehicle Falcon 9 successfully launched from the spaceport in California. She must lead to ... . US private space company SpaceX successfully launched its launch vehicle Falcon 9 which carries ten Iridium Next communications satellites. Straight... Falcon 9 Falcon 9 New engine for Falcon 9 rocket exploded during testing ... , tests of this type of engine are suspended. New generation rocket engine Falcon 9 American company SpaceX Elon Musk exploded during testing, the company ... the rocket engine will continue. SpaceX plans to launch a rocket this year Falcon 9 at least three times. The next launch is scheduled for next week... ... seen in the video from the platform. After the rocket has landed Falcon 9 Rocket caught fire Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on the evening of October 30 ... rocket mission Falcon 9 Falcon 9 . A dark story about how Falcon 9 Falcon realized that... Fire breaks out after Falcon 9 rocket lands ... rocket mission Falcon 9 . In mid-September, Space X founder Elon Musk posted a video on his Twitter with a selection of unsuccessful landings. Falcon 9 . A dark story about how Falcon 9 , the first returnable orbital-class rocket, was eventually able to land. "May be, Falcon realized that he still loves us, or finally read the instructions, ”he wrote under the video. Before that, in August, Falcon 9 was... ... -carrier Falcon 9 . instagram: elonmusk "A dark story about how Falcon 9 Falcon understood... the Dragon space truck to the International Space Station (ISS) using Falcon 9Technology and media, 14 Sep 2017, 13:33
Musk releases video of failed Falcon 9 rocket landings ... booster Falcon 9 . "A dark story about how Falcon 9 , the first returnable orbital-class rocket, was eventually able to land. May be, Falcon realized that ... the Dragon space truck to the International Space Station (ISS) using Falcon 9 . And in July, the company was able to launch a communications satellite into orbit ... Falcon 9 , which launched from Vanderberg Space Center in California, successfully landed on... SpaceX on Twitter. "First stage Falcon 9 landed on the platform,” reads, in particular, in the message. Rocket Falcon 9 with Taiwanese Earth sensing satellite Formosat... SpaceX landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket on an offshore platform The first stage of the launch vehicle Falcon 9 , which launched from the Vanderberg Space Center in California, successfully landed on ... . "First stage Falcon 9 landed on the platform,” reads, in particular, in the message. twitter: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/900795590560317441 Rocket Falcon 9 with Taiwanese... Falcon 9 . This was reported on the company's Twitter. During the flight of the rocket ... posted on his Twitter NASA. SpaceX launched a rocket to the ISS Falcon 9 NASA also released footage of the separation of the second stage of the rocket from the ship ... at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Last time booster Falcon 9 SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon truck to the ISS ... Dragon truck to the International Space Station via booster Falcon 9 . This was reported on the company's Twitter. During a rocket flight... at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Last time booster Falcon 9 was used to launch the Intelsat 35e communications satellite on July 6... SpaceX launches Intelsat 35e satellite into orbit on third attempt ... into orbit an Intelsat 35e communications satellite using a booster Falcon 9 . This is stated in the message of the company on Twitter. The rocket launched... officially announced the successful launch of the satellite into geotransfer orbit. launch Falcon 9 broadcast in live on YouTube. Putting a satellite into orbit... services on the territory of several continents. Earlier, on June 25, SpaceX launched Falcon 9 carrying 10 Iridium NEXT satellites. One day before...The Falcon 9 is a disposable launch vehicle manufactured by SpaceX, the middle class of the Falcon family. First launched on July 4, 2010. The cost of removing commercial cargo by the Falcon 9 is $61 million. The SpaceX Falcon 9 itself is used more to service a contract with NASA, to launch the Dragon spacecraft as part of the International Space Station supply program. The Falcon 9 will also be used to launch the manned version of Dragon V2. SpaceX has so far unsuccessfully attempted to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 on a floating barge, but something is going wrong. If successful, SpaceX could significantly reduce the cost of launching rockets, since most of them will be sent for modernization and re-equipment, rather than being created anew. P.S. SpaceX finally landed the rocket. A new era has begun.
SpaceX intends to create a globally accessible Internet as part of the project by launching 12,000 communications satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch of the first sixty satellites was supposed to take place in May, but the mission was postponed twice in a row: first because of, and then because of the need to check the equipment. Finally, a week after the series of problems began, the company successfully launched a dozen satellites - the launch took place from Cape Canaveral on May 24 at 5:30 am Moscow time.
A new SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle carrying the Bangladeshi communications satellite Bangabandhu-1 successfully lifted off from Cape Canaveral late Friday evening. The device successfully entered geostationary orbit. The launch was supposed to take place the day before, but it was canceled a minute before the start. The company did not explain what it was connected with. However, on Twitter (the head of SpaceX) said that the launch was canceled by automatics.
The launch of the Falcon 9, with which SpaceX launched another satellite into orbit on January 31, was supposed to be experimental. The first stage of the rocket, after being launched according to the plan, landed back in a more economical way. To avoid damaging the offshore landing platform in the event of failures, the stage was planned to be landed at sea, where it would sink. However, in practice, she remained floating on the surface, and now SpaceX is considering towing it to shore. About what is happening writes Elon Musk on his Twitter account.
This time, the first stage used for launch was serial number B1032, which had previously been used twice for Falcon 9 launches. However, unlike previous cases, B1032 was not planned to be salvaged for reuse. Instead, the company conducted an experiment on her: she had to sit down sharper and more economically than usual. Today, the Falcon 9's first stages are powered by just one of nine Merlin 1D engines. In the last launch, the rocket had to be slowed down by three engines at once. This is a more complicated way (you need to coordinate the impulses from three different engines so that the stage does not fall on its side during landing). But it is more economical: faster braking means less fuel consumption during landing, the stages have less time to fight against the earth's gravity.
Since such a landing was the first in history, it was unclear whether the stage would damage (if it did fall on its side) SpaceX's offshore landing platform. Because of this, the stage was planted in the sea. It was supposed to get telemetry from the rocket showing how successful the three-engine deceleration method was, and then accept that it would sink. However, as can be seen in the photo, the step sat down so smoothly that it did not sink into the water and did not pick it up when the seams were destroyed. Since, after running out of fuel, the first stage is mostly occupied from the inside by empty tanks, it weighs less than water and floats on its surface.
Elon Musk notes that the company did not expect such a turn of events, believing that the stage would still sink. The miscalculation was due to the fact that so far no one had the experience of a controlled landing of the first stages on water. To understand how this affects the parameters of the stage, SpaceX plans to send a ship to it and tow it to the coast for a detailed study.
From the new experimental landing, it is obvious that landing on three working engines at once is safe enough. The company intends to plant its first steps in this way in the future. This will reduce the amount of fuel consumed to save the stage, and thereby increase the payload of the reusable version of the Falcon 9.
Falcon 9 (Falcon 9) - a family of medium-class launch vehicles of the Falcon series, developed in the early 2000s by the American company SpaceX.
History of Falcon-9 missiles
SpaceX, owned by the famous Silicon Valley billionaire Elon Musk, despite its fame, is quite young - it entered the space flight market only in 2002.
On the initial stage, its main bet was the light Falcon 1 launch vehicle - a cheap rocket ($7.9 million per launch) could deliver about a ton of cargo into space with a minimal budget. The Falcon 1 was a simple two-stage liquid propellant rocket with the first stage powered by a single Merlin 1A engine and the second stage by a single Kerstel engine.
The rocket flew 5 times, of which 3 launches were unsuccessful. SpaceX achieved not bad technological results (considering that there was practically no experience), but they made a mistake with the market niche - it turned out that there was almost no demand for cargo up to 1 ton and the rocket was not in demand. In 2009, the Falcon 1 missile launches were completed.
However, SpaceX's main trump card remained - simple and cheap, while the powerful and reliable Merlin 1 engine created by the company was available and modernized. And for a rocket, the engine is the most important part.
Design of Falcon-9 missiles
Falcon 9 is a medium-class two-stage liquid-propellant launch vehicle.
Falcon 9 was originally designed with reusability in mind. The first stage of the launch vehicle is equipped with equipment for its return and vertical landing on the landing pad or floating platform Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (it also received more famous name Of course I still love you - Of course, I still love you), using their own engines. The second stage is one time. In December 2015, after delivering 11 satellites into orbit, the first stage of the Falcon 9 FT rocket successfully returned to Earth for the first time.
The return of the stage is carried out according to the following scheme:
Having separated at an altitude of about 80 km at a speed of about 3.4 km / s, the first stage performs a maneuver of avoiding the flame of the second stage, then, by inertia, continues to move up to an altitude of approximately 140 km. When the peak altitude is reached, a turn is made and the engine is briefly turned on to set the direction to the landing site. The duration of the engine depends on the place of landing. In preparation for entry into the atmosphere, the first stage turns again and, at an altitude of about 70 km at a speed of about 1.3 km / s, brakes by turning on three engines. The lower part of the first stage and landing legs are made using heat-resistant materials to withstand the high temperature created during reentry. At an altitude of about 40 km, the engines turn off, the speed drops to 250 m/s. Already near the surface, the central engine turns on and the stage slows down to 2 m / s, providing a soft landing vertically on the retractable supports.
The use of reusable elements (landing legs and fuel) can reduce the maximum payload of the launch vehicle by 15-30%, depending on the landing site and the speed of the Falcon 9 at the time of separation of the first stage.
First stage The rocket is built according to the standard scheme for rocket science: an engine block, above which a fuel tank and an oxidizer tank are located from the bottom up. Both tanks are aluminum-lithium. Kerosene is used as a fuel, and liquid oxygen is used as an oxidizing agent.
The rocket's propulsion unit is made up of nine Merlin liquid-propellant engines. In version 1.1, the engine block was rebuilt compared to the base version 1.0. Version 1.0 had nine engines lined up in 3 rows, creating a square shape, version 1.1 had 8 engines lined up in a circle and the ninth in the center.
The first stage connects to a second composite intermediate adapter that hides the second stage motor.
Separation mechanisms are completely pneumatic, unlike most rockets that use squibs for such purposes. This type of mechanism allows its remote testing and control, increasing the reliability of the staging process.
Second step- in fact, a smaller version of the first. The ideology of total savings to reduce the cost of the rocket, adopted by SpaceX, forces designers to go for the maximum unification of modules. The second stage uses the same materials, tools and processes. The walls of the tanks for fuel and oxidizer made of heavy-duty aluminum-lithium alloy are the load-bearing structure of the stage. It also uses kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel components.
The second stage uses one liquid rocket engine Merlin Vacuum is a modification of the base engine for operation in space. Features a significantly enlarged nozzle to optimize engine performance in a vacuum. The engine can be restarted multiple times to deliver payloads to different operating orbits.
On-board systems are represented by avionics complexes, which are equipped with both stages. Most of the systems are designed and manufactured in SpaceX, which reduces their cost.
Each Merlin engine is equipped with its own controller that monitors every parameter of the engine throughout its life. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle is capable of successfully completing the mission even with an emergency shutdown of 2 of the 9 first stage engines.
The fairing, made of composite materials, is located at the top of the second stage and protects the contained payload from aerodynamic, thermal and acoustic effects during flight in the atmosphere. Consists of two halves and separates immediately after leaving the atmosphere.
Modifications
Falcon 9v1.0 - The first version of the launch vehicle, also known as Block 1. There were 5 launches of this version from 2010 to 2013. Used 9 Merlin 1C engines. The engines were arranged in a row, according to the 3 by 3 scheme. The nominal operating time of the first stage was 170 s. The second stage used 1 Merlin 1C Vacuum engine. The nominal operating time of the second stage is 345 s.
The rocket was capable of delivering up to 9 tons to low Earth orbit. In fact, the rocket was only used to launch the Dragon spacecraft into low reference orbit.
During launches, tests were carried out on reuse both stages of the launch vehicle. The initial strategy for using a lightweight thermal barrier for steps and parachute system did not justify itself, and was replaced by a controlled landing strategy using its own engines.
Version 1.0 was discontinued in 2013 with the transition to Falcon 9 v1.1.
Falcon 9v1.1- the second version of the rocket, first launched in 2013.
The fuel and oxidizer tanks for both the first and second stages of the Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle have been significantly lengthened compared to the previous version 1.0.
The first stage uses 9 Merlin 1D engines, with increased thrust and specific impulse. The new type of engine received the ability to throttle up to 70%. The arrangement of engines has been changed: instead of three rows of three engines, a layout with a central engine and the arrangement of the rest in a circle is used. The nominal operating time of the first stage is 180 s. The second stage uses 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum engine. The nominal operating time of the second stage is 375 s.
The declared mass of the payload to be launched into a low reference orbit has grown to 13 tons.
On version 1.1, testing of the first stage landing capabilities began. The version with this feature received an index (R) - reusable - reusable.
Falcon 9 launch video
Falcon 9FT- Full Thrust - Full thrust. Created at the end of 2015, the latest version of the rocket. For 2017, only it applies.
Main changes:
- modified engine mounting structure;
- landing legs and first stage are reinforced to match the increased mass of the rocket;
- the design of the lattice rudders has been changed;
- the composite structure between the steps has become longer and stronger;
- the length of the second stage engine nozzle has been increased;
- a central pusher has been added to improve the reliability and accuracy of launch vehicle stages undocking.
The fuel tanks of the upper stage are increased by 10%, due to which the total length of the launch vehicle has increased to 70 m.
The launch weight increased to 541 tons, due to an increase in the capacity of the fuel components, which was achieved through the use of a supercooled oxidizer.
AT new version launch vehicles use cooled propellant components. Liquid oxygen will be cooled from −183 °C to −207 °C, which will increase the density of the oxidizer by 8–15%. Kerosene will be cooled from 21 °C to -7 °C, its density will increase by 2.5%. The increased density of the components allows more fuel to be placed in the fuel tanks, which, together with the increased thrust of the engines, significantly increases the performance of the rocket.
The new version uses modified Merlin 1D engines operating at full thrust (in the previous version, the thrust of the engines was deliberately limited), which has significantly increased the thrust performance of both stages of the launch vehicle.
The nominal operating time of the first stage was reduced to 162 seconds. The operating time of the second stage engine has increased to 397 seconds.
The first launch of the FT version took place on December 22, 2015. 11 satellites were successfully launched into the target orbit, and the first stage successfully landed on the landing site at Cape Canaveral for the first time.
FalconHeavy- the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, unlike the Falcon 9, will have an additional pair of boosters attached to the side. In fact, the first stage of the Falcon 9 plays the role of a universal rocket module. The rocket will be able to launch up to 53 tons of payload into a low reference orbit. With the return of the side boosters and the central unit, the carrying capacity will not exceed 32 tons.
Operation of Falcon-9 missiles
Falcon 9 is actively used to deliver government and commercial cargo to orbits of different heights. Also, as part of an agreement with NASA, SpaceX uses Falcon 9 and Dragon unmanned vehicles to deliver cargo to the International space station. The cost of launching a commercial satellite into space with a Falcon 9 rocket is about $60 million (2015).
launch pads
Currently, Falcon 9 launches into space have been carried out or are being prepared from the following sites:
- Cape Canaveral, US Air Force Spaceport Site SLC-40.
- Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, site - LC-39A
- Base Vandenberg, site SLC-4-East.
- The McCregor test site in Texas is used to test reusable first stage systems.
- SpaceX spaceport in Texas. It is under construction.
landing pads
SpaceX uses 2 landing sites for the return of the first stages:
- Cape Canaveral Air Force Base - Landing Zone 1.
- Vandenberg Base - Launch Complex SLC-4-West.
- Marine platform Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship, located in the Atlantic Ocean at the point of optimal stage landing.
Data retooling planned launch complexes, with the construction of up to 5 sites, 60 by 60 meters in size, for controlled landing of both the first stage and side boosters for the Falcon Heavy.
The first test attempts to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 were carried out on a specially made floating platform Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship, which is a converted barge.
On March 30, 2017, Falcon 9 made its first re-launch. In flight, the first stage was used, which had already flown once and landed on Earth (in 2016). The mission was recognized as successful, the satellite was launched into a given orbit, and the stage returned to Earth for the second time.
Falcon-9 rocket stages at the SpaceX factory
Another launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle failed. The Falcon 9 rocket was prepared by SpaceX, a private US company founded by Elon Musk.
Falcon and NASA
NASA signed a contract with the company back in 2008 to launch the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and the Dragon spacecraft. The very idea of producing this type of launch vehicle is dictated by the fact that a series of unsuccessful launches of the Space Shuttle followed. And Elon Musk himself plans to reduce the cost of space flights by 10 times. However, this project at that time was estimated at $1.6 billion.
The failed one frustrated a number of tasks that NASA set for itself, except for the launch of the Space Shuttle to the ISS. The Falcon 9 rocket carried 1.8 tons of cargo.
The main task that was planned to be performed by this launch was to replenish food supplies for members of the ISS. In addition, the rocket also carried the International Docking Adapter (IDA), developed by Boeing. This 526 kg docking port was supposed to facilitate the docking of the Dragon spacecraft to the ISS. For the same purpose, Dragon also tried to deliver a spacesuit for spacewalks. Undoubtedly, the loss of such important components will adversely affect the graphics scientific works aboard the ISS.
But that's not all! The Falcon 9 rocket explosion destroyed 8 Flock 1f satellites commissioned by Planet Labs. Moreover, each of them carried three CubeSats, which were supposed to monitor the Earth in optical mode.
Falcon 9 Specifications
The design of the rocket is designed in such a way that avionics devices and on-board computers are installed at each stage, which are designed to control all flight parameters.
All avionics used on board the rocket are manufactured by SpaceX. Also, in addition to its own navigation system, GPS equipment is used to improve the accuracy of launching into orbit.
In addition, each engine has its own controller, which constantly monitors all parameters of the engine. And each controller is equipped with three processor units to improve system reliability.
The Falcon 9 rocket is two-stage, and this version went through two modifications:
- version 9 v1.0;
- version 9 v1.1.
The difference between the second version and the first is that a more advanced engine is installed on it. And they are also distinguished by the location of the engines in the lower stage.
And although in both versions the engines run on kerosene with an oxidizer from liquid oxygen, the Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket already launches 4.85 tons of payload into space, while the US Falcon 9 v1.0 rocket - only 3, 4 t.
At the same time, the length of version 1.1 is 68.4 meters with a launch weight of 506 tons.
To understand these parameters, the Russian Proton-M rocket is shorter by 10 meters, the launch weight is greater - 705 tons. But Proton-M puts 6.74 tons of payload into orbit.
According to NASA, the Falcon 9 launch cost is $60 million, while Proton-M costs $30 million more.
So what about the first step?
A Falcon 9 rocket is launched by NASA from two launch pads. They are located one in Florida, the second in California. Work is also underway to deploy two more launch pads.
Since 2013, SpaceX has been constantly working on creating technology for the reusable use of Falcon 9 v1.1 components. The first attempt to save the Falcon 9 took place in January 2015. According to calculations, the stage was supposed to land in the area floating platform. But bad weather at sea did not allow picking up the stage of the rocket.
To date, these efforts have not been successful. None of the launches made led the company to save the stage.
Expert opinion
Although the media reports that the last successful launch of the Falcon 9 (in December 2015) made it possible to save the lower stage of the rocket, experts doubt the further use of the first stage. Experts believe that, given the temperature of the heating of the rocket body both at launch and during descent, after it passes through the atmosphere, there is extremely little chance of reuse this element of the rocket.
But that's not all. For reusable use, additional elements are needed - these are landing racks and the necessary fuel supply. And this, in turn, reduces the payload by up to 30%.
Reliable rocket?
From 2010 to 2013, five launches were made, of which four were fully normal.
But the launch of the Falcon 9 in October 2012 was considered "partially successful" by experts. Then the rocket "Falcon 9" for the first time sent equipment to the ISS on a Dragon truck. But during the launch of the Orbcomm-G2 satellite, a failure occurred, as a result, the satellite was launched into a lower orbit than planned.
The result of this "partially successful operation" is deplorable. Orbcomm-G2 did not stay in orbit for long and on October 12 of the same year burned up without a trace in the Earth's atmosphere.
In this regard, it is interesting how SpaceX explained the failure. According to experts, a part of the casing from the fairing near the first-stage engine was torn off.
Causes of the disaster
The explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket in June 2015 did not add credibility. It did not stay in flight for long - 2 minutes 19 seconds. As soon as the rocket entered hypersonic mode, an explosion occurred, and after 8 seconds the Falcon 9 fell apart. NASA, together with SpaceX, launched an investigation into the causes of the disaster.
The head of SpaceX put forward his version. According to his theory, the accident occurred as a result of overpressure in the oxidizer tanks on the upper stage. This happened at a time when the first stage had not yet separated.
Other accidents
Of course, accidents in the space industry are not uncommon. Yes, only in the US current year there were three accidents (taking into account the catastrophe that the Falcon 9 launch vehicle suffered).
In October 2014, after launching from the spaceport on Wallops Island, the private Antares launch vehicle exploded. It was expected to launch a Cygnus truck (both manufactured by Orbital Sciences) into orbit towards the ISS.
Also in 2014, another SpaceShipTwo crashed. It was assumed that suborbital tourist flights would be carried out on it. And the developer company Virgin Galactic is still trying to eliminate the causes of the crash.
The first Proton-M took place on April 7, 2001. Then the rocket with upper stage "Breeze-M" successfully launched the satellite "Ekran-M" into orbit. An improved version of the control system was installed on this rocket, which made it possible to improve testing based on heptyl, which, as you know, is a toxic substance both for humans and for environment. Also, the new system made it possible to increase the mass of the payload launched into orbit.
Since then, 90 Proton-M launches have taken place, but only 80 of them were fully regular. The main reason emergency situations caused by a malfunction in the accelerating unit.
Undoubtedly, such statistics are not a successful indicator for missiles with such rich history. In any case, the explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket will help to better understand its malfunctions and take them into account at the next launch.
What's next?
At the moment, to deliver cargo to the ISS is able to:
- Russian "Progress";
- Japanese HTV;
- dragon;
- Cygnus.
NASA pins great hopes on Dragon as a vehicle that is able to return cargo from the ISS to Earth. The contract with this company was extended until 2017, and another 15 launches are planned.
AT last time The Falcon 9 launch vehicle with the Dragon transport successfully completed its mission on December 22, 2015.
NASA has no doubt that the accident with the Falcon 9 will in no way interfere with the creation of manned spaceships. As part of this program, SpaceX intends to launch the Falcon Heavy rocket. This launch is able to compete with both the Russian Proton and the European Ariane 5.
The accident that the American Falcon 9 rocket suffered showed once again that no one is immune from disaster in space exploration.
