Falcon 9 v1.1: NOAA/ESA Jason-3

[Dr Mordrid]

#2 in a rapid-fire series

Launch: January 17, 2016

Launch window: 1048;18 Local (PST)

Spaceport: SpaceX SLC-4E, Vandenberg AFB

Stage landing attempt: yes

Mission Summary

Jason-3 is the fourth mission in U.S.-European series of satellite missions that measure the height of the ocean surface, the mission will extend the time series of ocean surface topography measurements (the hills and valleys of the ocean surface) begun by the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite mission in 1992 and continuing through the currently operating Jason-1 (launched in 2001) and OSTM/Jason-2 (launched in 2008) missions. These measurements provide scientists with critical information about circulation patterns in the ocean and about both global and regional changes in sea level and the climate implications of a warming world.

[Dr Mordrid]

Spacecraft attached to F9 today

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2015/12/14/engineers-attaching-jason-3-spacecraft-to-falcon-9-rocket/?linkId=19578847

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with the determination of a January 17, 2016, launch date for Jason-3, the spacecraft is being mated to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket today. Launch time is 10:42:18 a.m. PST. The electrical connections with the launch vehicle will be established tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 15.* Work to begin encapsulation into payload fairing will begin January 5.

[Dr Mordrid]

Everything on track so far. Mission patch,

[Dr Mordrid]

Per NSF & L2

Rollout is happening now for tomorrow's F9 static fire. This static fire will be longer than the usual ~3 seconds because of the delay since it was last fired at the McGregor test center.

SpaceX and USAF Flight Readiness Reviews passed, ASDS drone ship and tenders ready to sail to the stage landing coordinates. The launch is still on for January 17.

[Dr Mordrid]

@SpaceX
Full-duration static fire complete at our California pad. Preliminary data looks good in advance of Jason-3 launch. https://t.co/sBi5hdkcef

https://blogs.nasa.gov/jason-3/?linkId=20283012

At Space Launch Complex 4 on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the static test fire of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the upcoming Jason-3 launch was completed Monday at 5:35 p.m. PST, 8:35 p.m. EST. The first stage engines fired for the planned full duration of 7 seconds.* The initial review of the data appears to show a satisfactory test, but will be followed by a more thorough data review on Tuesday.* With this test complete, the next step in prelaunch preparations is to mate the rocket and the Jason-3 spacecraft, which is encapsulated in the payload fairing. This also is planned to occur as soon as Tuesday.*

[Dr Mordrid]

Streaming,

SpaceX website webcast (Livestream mirror)

http://www.SpaceX.com/webcast

Livestream

https://livestream.com/spacex

YouTube Live Event (appears launch day)

https://www.youtube.com/user/spacexchannel

NASA TV

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

January 14, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY M01-16

NOAA’s Jason-3 Spacecraft Ready for Launch

The launch of Jason-3, an international mission led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue U.S.- European satellite measurements of the topography of the ocean surfaces, is scheduled for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.* Liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 4 East is targeted for 10:42:18 a.m. PST (1:42:18 p.m. EST) at the opening of a 30-second launch window. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on the Western Range on Jan. 18 at 10:31:04 a.m. PST (1:31:04 p.m. EST).

Jason-3 will maintain the ability to monitor and precisely measure global sea surface heights, monitor the intensification of tropical cyclones and support seasonal and coastal forecasts. Data from Jason-3 will support scientific, commercial and practical applications related to ocean circulation and climate change.* Additionally, Jason-3 data will be applied to fisheries management, marine industries and research into human impacts on the world’s oceans.

The mission is planned to last at least three years with a goal of five years.

Jason-3 is a four-agency international partnership consisting of NOAA, NASA, the French Space Agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), and EUMETSAT (the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites). Thales Alenia of France built the spacecraft.

NOAA in collaboration with the international European partners is responsible for the Jason-3 mission. JPL is responsible for NASA Jason-3 project management. NASA’s Launch Services Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, is NASA’s launch service provider of the Falcon 9 rocket.
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[Dr Mordrid]

229.5 feet of beautiful

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/688472805919207424

Rocket is vertical in advance of tomorrow's 1:42pm ET launch attempt of Jason-3 science satellite @NASA @NOAA @CNES https://t.co/lpzI9YrL1y

[Dr Mordrid]

From a SpaceX video guy,

Yes. We will have a multi-camera setup on YouTube that allows you to switch between the two.

You'll be able to view it here:

Once we go live you'll see two boxes at the top that. Pick the 'Hosted Webcast' version to select the main webcast and pick the 'Rocket Views' version to get only the Rocket and Countdown Net audio. I'm not 100% sure if that works on mobile or not, we're relying on YouTube's multi angle feature to do this. Let me know how it goes after launch and I'll evaluate if we'll continue this method in the future or if we do something different.

You will see the graphics on the rocket views version. Biggest difference is that it is unhosted. So no crowd shots, no cool cheering. Just the rocket and the nets.

[Dr Mordrid]

Pure rocketcams and countdown network feed. No commentary, cheering crowds or banter.

[Dr Mordrid]

Webcasts have begun. All stations reporting GO.

[Fat Tone]

Watching closely, fearing the worst for the landing at the moment, hoping for the best. Jason-3 looks good though.

[Fat Tone]

Hard landing and a broken leg, so I guess its not vertical. Seas did look pretty rough. Plenty of successes, just not the nice landing.

[Fat Tone]

So they managed a soft landing but one of the legs didn't lock out - how frustrating to be the victim of such a simple thing.

[Dr Mordrid]

Yup. A collet failed to lock. On an obsolete rocket and leg design. All the new Full Thrust F9's like used for the ORBCOMM launch have stronger legs. Still, they came REALLY close, within 1.3 meters of dead center, and would have stuck it if not for the collet.

@SpaceX

First stage approaches center of landing droneship in Pacific

[Dr Mordrid]

@elonmusk
However, that was not what prevented it being good. Touchdown speed was ok, but a leg lockout didn't latch, so it tipped over after landing.

@Uncle_Gus
@elonmusk Does that mean the same thing would have happened on land?

@elonmusk
@Uncle_Gus probably