Falcon 9: JCSAT-16 launch (Sunday, Aug 14: webcast links posted)

[Dr Mordrid]

JCSAT-16 communications satellite

Nation: Japan

Launcher: Falcon 9 FT (Full Thrust)
Launch pad: KSC LC-40

Falcon 9 Full Thrust uses superchilled propellants to increase their density, with the liquid oxygen at 66° Kelvin (--207°C, -341°F) and the RP-1 at 266° Kelvin (-7°C, 20 °F)

Launch date: Sunday August 14, 2016
Launch time: 0126-0326 Eastern

Stage recovery: ASDS Of Course I Still Love You
ASDS coordinates: 28.6.11N 74.34.0W

Satellite bus: SSL-1300
Satellite mass: ~5,500 kg

ASDS Of Course I Still Love You has left Port Canaveral, under tow by Elsbeth III, accompanied by her tenders Go Searcher and Go Quest (aka the Go Twins)

YouTube Live Event links once they're postwd

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/763776824207822848

@SpaceXWeather 90% go for Falcon 9 launch of the JCSAT-16 communications satellite. Launch window opens Sunday, 1:26am EDT https://t.co/CnYVyI2Zm1

[Dr Mordrid]

Static fire and Launch Readiness Review completed.

JCSAT-16 YouTube Live Event webcasts

Hosted

[Dr Mordrid]

Technical (Rocket Net)

[Dr Mordrid]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/764594511343411201

Targeting launch of JCSAT-16 communications sat at 1:26am EDT Sunday. Weather remains 80% go http://www.spacex.com/webcast

[Dr Mordrid]

Less than 1 hour and all's well. Propellants loading in about 20 minutes.

[Dr Mordrid]

Prop loading in progress.

A 1 engine landing tonight instead of a 3 engine.

[Dr Mordrid]

Liftoff!

[Dr Mordrid]

Liftoff

S2

[Dr Mordrid]

Landing!!

DEAD CENTER

[Dr Mordrid]

[Dr Mordrid]

Cruising until S2 burn 2 and satellite release.

[Dr Mordrid]

Satellite released

Webcast replays

Hosted

http://youtu.be/QZTCEO0gvLo

Technical

http://youtu.be/OERDIFnFvHs

[Dr Mordrid]

Customer reports JCSAT-16 has phoned home.

Textbook.

[KRSESQ]

She was so pristine and white in the first picture. The second makes one wonder why they bother to paint them at all. They would look way cooler just bare metal. Or better yet: CHROME. That would be awesome.

(Yeah, yeah, I know; thermal protection and all that. But still...)

((It's a straight-up Miracle of the Modern Age® that they can soft-land the things at all.))

[Dr Mordrid]

The discoloration is soot from the engines and ablated thermal protection coatings, including cork panels over the interstage (which scorches because that's where the reentry plasma reconverges) and cork panels behind the landing legs forks. Cork and the TPS coatings are easily replaced & cheap.

A power washer, new cork, Scotch Brite and touch up paint on the logos and she's shiny again.

The stage which underwent 3 full duration tests is in for more, perhaps 7 if she lasts that long. No engine repairs between those burns, just cleanings. Tough SOB the Merlin 1D is.