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That cut to black nearly gave me a damn heart attack haha. Satellite connection lost because rocket exhaust is basically a giant ionized cloud of noise. Elon

by hwillis 10y ago

That cut to black nearly gave me a damn heart attack haha. Satellite connection lost because rocket exhaust is basically a giant ionized cloud of noise. Elon looks like he hasn't been getting enough sleep or showers, and like he's about to back flip and start happy crying.

jacquesm 10y ago
You could see the flicker of the rocket exhaust reflecting on the panel at the back of the drone ship in the split feed so it was at least extremely close when it cut off. Probably the rocket exhaust interfering with the transmission as well as the blast simply pushing the platform out of alignment.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
david-given 10y ago
My heart attack moment was during the launch when I started seeing flame flickering around the tops of the engines... and then I thought to look at the altitude indicator, and realised they were at about 10km, and it was just the plume expanding as the atmospheric pressure dropped.
- Flame 10y ago
  I got extremely worried when I saw that happen too. I didn't even think to look at the altitude indicator.
  - vmasto 10y ago
    I got extremely worried as well and it wouldn't have made a difference looking at the altimeter because I have no idea about how rocket engines behave.
- tdy721 10y ago
  The flames around the top of the engines is normal, it's the exhaust from the turbo pumps feeding the main engines. Check this page, the Merlin uses an open cycle, where fuel/oxidizer used to fuel the pumps is just dumped overboard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas-generator_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas-generator_cycle This picture clearly shows both exhausts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine_family)#/media/File:SpaceX_Testing_Merlin_1D_Engine_In_Texas.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine_family)#...
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    For some reason that effect was much more pronounced during this flight (at least in the video) than in previous launches that I watched. Maybe it was because of the camera angle looking more at the side of the rocket when usually you are looking more at the bottom.
  - lutorm 10y ago
    Yeah, it's normal, and it usually ends up getting sucked backward, presumably due to the turbulent airflow in the space between the end of the vehicle and the engine nozzles: Echostar: https://youtu.be/zEfEBJfD_RE?t=18m23s https://youtu.be/zEfEBJfD_RE?t=18m23s JCSAT: https://youtu.be/QZTCEO0gvLo?t=17m38s https://youtu.be/QZTCEO0gvLo?t=17m38s CRS-9: https://youtu.be/ThIdCuSsJh8?t=17m45s https://youtu.be/ThIdCuSsJh8?t=17m45s
boznz 10y ago
Bit worried myself, One of those grid stabilisers on the first stage was definitely melting on the way back (@26mins on Youtube) just before first stage camera went on the fritz.
- xorxornop 10y ago
  It just got covered in soot from the ablative protection (okay, probably some Al2O3 too, from the subsequently burning grid fin) on the grid fins burning off. GTO/GEO missions come in _really_ hot!

by hwillis 10y ago

jacquesm 10y ago

You could see the flicker of the rocket exhaust reflecting on the panel at the back of the drone ship in the split feed so it was at least extremely close when it cut off. Probably the rocket exhaust interfering with the transmission as well as the blast simply pushing the platform out of alignment.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

david-given 10y ago

My heart attack moment was during the launch when I started seeing flame flickering around the tops of the engines... and then I thought to look at the altitude indicator, and realised they were at about 10km, and it was just the plume expanding as the atmospheric pressure dropped.

Flame 10y ago
I got extremely worried when I saw that happen too. I didn't even think to look at the altitude indicator.
- vmasto 10y ago
  I got extremely worried as well and it wouldn't have made a difference looking at the altimeter because I have no idea about how rocket engines behave.
tdy721 10y ago
The flames around the top of the engines is normal, it's the exhaust from the turbo pumps feeding the main engines. Check this page, the Merlin uses an open cycle, where fuel/oxidizer used to fuel the pumps is just dumped overboard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas-generator_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas-generator_cycle This picture clearly shows both exhausts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine_family)#/media/File:SpaceX_Testing_Merlin_1D_Engine_In_Texas.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine_family)#...
- jacquesm 10y ago
  For some reason that effect was much more pronounced during this flight (at least in the video) than in previous launches that I watched. Maybe it was because of the camera angle looking more at the side of the rocket when usually you are looking more at the bottom.
- lutorm 10y ago
  Yeah, it's normal, and it usually ends up getting sucked backward, presumably due to the turbulent airflow in the space between the end of the vehicle and the engine nozzles: Echostar: https://youtu.be/zEfEBJfD_RE?t=18m23s https://youtu.be/zEfEBJfD_RE?t=18m23s JCSAT: https://youtu.be/QZTCEO0gvLo?t=17m38s https://youtu.be/QZTCEO0gvLo?t=17m38s CRS-9: https://youtu.be/ThIdCuSsJh8?t=17m45s https://youtu.be/ThIdCuSsJh8?t=17m45s

boznz 10y ago

Bit worried myself, One of those grid stabilisers on the first stage was definitely melting on the way back (@26mins on Youtube) just before first stage camera went on the fritz.

xorxornop 10y ago
It just got covered in soot from the ablative protection (okay, probably some Al2O3 too, from the subsequently burning grid fin) on the grid fins burning off. GTO/GEO missions come in _really_ hot!