Falcon 9: Iridium NEXT #6/ GRACE-FO (fairing recovery pictures)

[Dr Mordrid]

Date: May 19, 2018
Time: 1104 ET, 1304 PT (2104 UT)
Pad: Vandenberg SLC-4E
Core: B1043.2 (ZUMA)
Landing: no (2nd use Block 4)
Entry experiments: likely

Iridium NEXT #6
Number: 5 satellites
Mass (each): 860kg
Dispenser: 500kg
Orbit: 625km
Inclination: 86.66°
Mission: communications constellation

GRACE-FO (NASA/German DLR)
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On
Number: 2 satellutes
Mass (each): 580kg
Orbit: 490km
Inclination: 89°
Mission: "GRACE-FO, scheduled for launch in 2018, will continue the work of tracking Earth's water movement to monitor changes in underground water storage, the amount of water in large lakes and rivers, soil moisture, ice sheets and glaciers, and sea level caused by the addition of water to the ocean."

[Dr Mordrid]

New launch date: May 21

Times: 1253 PT, 1523 ET, 1923 UT

[Dr Mordrid]

So, 1547;58 Eastern

And, the next 2 Iridium launches will be on F9 Block 5

Iridium Corporate ✔ @IridiumComm
Update to the Launch Update: Due to range availability at VAFB, #Iridium6/#GRACEFO is now targeting 1 day later; NET 5/22 with backup of 5/23. Instantaneous launch on 5/22 = 12:47:58 pm PDT (19:47:58 UTC) #IridiumNEXT #HereWeGo
6:24 PM - May 15, 2018

[Dr Mordrid]

@IridiumBoss
We were ready for 5/21, but the base isn't. Let's hope for good weather and a great launch on 5/22 instead. This is a great picture, btw... #WeAreReady

https://twitter.com/IridiumBoss/stat...62455454199818

NOTES

The Block 5 Falcon 9 upper stage (all upper stages are Block 5 now) will release the GRACE-FO satellites to their 89° plane first, then after they're clearly perform a plane change burn to 86.66° and release the Iridium NEXT satellites.

After deploying the satellites the upper stage will perform a disposal burn and re-enter - possibly doing recovery tests as part of the new upper stage re-use development program. Telemetry from these tests can't penetrate the re-entry plasma plume, so a new antenna will broadcast it up to existing Iridium NEXT satellites for relay back to SpaceX. Yeah, SpaceX and Iridium are collaborating bigtime.

5 Iridium NEXT satellites below, 2 GRACE-FO satellites on top.

[Dr Mordrid]

@nextspaceflight
#SpaceX recovery vessel Mr. Steven has left the Port of LA and is heading down range to support a fairing recovery attempt during the Falcon 9 Iridium-6/GRACE-FO mission.

https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/...10836879196160

Mr. Steven's net is to catch payload fairing halves coming down on a GPS-guided parafoil for reuse. $5 million a set. Later it may be used to catch incoming Falcon 9 upper stages for reuse. Mr. Steven is a VERY fast pump-jet.

Yes, SpaceX is assembling its own navy.

[Dr Mordrid]

[Dr Mordrid]

Mr. Steven came sooooo....close!!

Eric Ralph @13ericralph31
Mr Steven returned to port around 7pm PST May 23 with both Iridium-6/GRACE-FO fairing halves aboard, by all appearances intact! Seawater immersion means no reuse, but they may find use as drop test articles to refine accuracy @NASAJPL @IridiumBoss @nextspaceflight @Teslarati pic.twitter.com/NFF16Jqw3d
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Given the fact that they seem to have figured out how to recovery fairings intact from the ocean surface, it's truly just a matter of time before @SpaceX engineers & techs refine the accuracy enough for Mr Steven to catch them out of the air. Live coverage included, perhaps...
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Lastly, these incredible photos were taken by @chuckbennett (Instagram username is the same) a skilled photog & editor (you may recognize him from past work w/ The Daily Breeze). Meanwhile, @w00ki33 is heading down to capture the fairings from the docks, so very neo-noir

[Dr Mordrid]

Gradually getting the GPS parafoils down closer to Mr. Steven for a dry catch. Once they dry catch the fairings, upper stages (and perhaps Dragon) are next.

SpaceX ✔ @SpaceX
Falcon 9 fairing halves deployed their parafoils and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean last week after the launch of Iridium-6/GRACE-FO. Closest half was ~50m from SpaceX’s recovery ship, Mr. Steven. http://instagram.com/p/BjdAcCuFegz
3:21 PM - May 31, 2018