Update: After loading a full two-stage rocket with liquid oxygen and kerosene (RP-1) propellant, SpaceX fired the new Falcon 9 Booster B1061, checked the vehicle’s flight readiness and – successful test confirmation is pending – crew Dragon’s operational astronaut Continuing Saturday, November 14 Entrance to the track for the liftoff.
SpaceX has decided to delay the Falcon 9’s imminent stationary ordeal to replace the rocket’s busy upper phase component, a 24-hour slip that is not expected to affect the start date of the operational astronaut launch.
Previously expected around 7:49 pm on Tuesday, November 10, SpaceX decided to push the first steady fire of the Falcon 9B1061 before (net) on Wednesday evening, November 11. As always, SpaceX will put the rocket (and spacecraft) through a view, but the lift-off Fana’s real launch is similar to the launch short, loading the Falcon 9 with propellant and igniting all nine Merlin 1D booster engines to test the vehicle’s health.
Unsurprisingly, for SpaceX’s crew dragon mission, the highly valued spacecraft (i.e. payload) remains installed on the rocket during the Falcon 9’s prelinchy static fire. In doing so, it also serves as a complete hardware- and software-in-the-loop dress rehearsal for stationary fire-integrated rockets and spacecraft, verifying that autonomous software responsible for recognizing failed rockets and activating the crew dragon’s abortion system. Is working. As expected.
In the event that Falcon 9 Did Failing at some stage during the static fire test, the crew dragon’s abortion thrusts will burn immediately, pulling the squid spacecraft to safety and reducing the result of an already costly error.
Speaking during a media conference call on November 10, Benji Reed, senior director of SpaceX Human Spaceflight Programs, noted briefly that SpaceX has decided to replace the component of the Falcon 9’s upper stage ‘purge system’ and bring the entire rocket down after that day. Despite a 24-hour static fire delay, crew-1 stays on track to launch the mission (RET) as early as 7:49 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, until the Falcon 9 completes the stated static fire today.
Regardless of the outcome of today’s steady firefighting effort, SpaceX will immediately face a possible hurricane on Thursday and will try to launch the latest United Atlantic Alliance (ULA) latest Atlas V NROL-11 launch on Friday, once again raising potential-existing questions. Which company will get priority in case of ULA delay. Stay tuned to find out!
