Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-22-2018 10:05 AM
SpaceX on Thursday (Feb. 22) launched Hisdesat's PAZ satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The mission also carried two SpaceX test Starlink satellites, called Tintin A and B, for global broadband.
The three satellites were protected during ascent by SpaceX's first Fairing 2.0, designed for recovery. From Elon Musk on Twitter:
Going to try to catch the giant fairing (nosecone) of Falcon 9 as it falls back from space at about eight times the speed of sound. It has onboard thrusters and a guidance system to bring it through the atmosphere intact, then releases a parafoil and our ship, named Mr. Steven, with basically a giant catcher's mitt welded on, tries to catch it.
The fairing halves successfully made it back from space and, for this first attempt, one side deployed its parafoil. But ultimately, it missed Mr. Steven. From Musk:
Missed by a few hundred meters, but fairing landed intact in water. Should be able catch it with slightly bigger chutes to slow down descent.
As shared by Musk on Instagram:
Falcon fairing half as seen from our catcher's mitt in boat form, Mr. Steven. No apparent damage from reentry and splashdown.
p51 Member
Posts: 1681 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
posted 02-22-2018 01:35 PM
Martitime salvage laws being what they are, I wonder if someone like any of us with a boat happened upon this before Musks's boat did, could we have called it salvage and towed it away?
I know that NASA lays claim to everything of theirs for all eternity, but SpaceX is a private company and I doubt would get the same legal protections.
damnyankee36 Member
Posts: 42 From: Alamogordo, NM USA Registered: Aug 2017
posted 02-22-2018 01:36 PM
Why the necessity to catch the fairings before they hit the water? Water damage? Damage from hitting the water? According to this article, they have recovered the fairings once before. It didn't say if they reused them however.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-22-2018 02:29 PM
Salt water is highly corrosive. The ideal is to recover hardware before it touches the water to reduce the work needed to refurbish it for reuse.
SpaceX has recovered partial and (reportedly) complete fairing halves before, but has not reused any to date.
quote:Originally posted by p51: ...I doubt would get the same legal protections.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and its provisions concerning the ownership of space hardware, applies to all vehicles launched from a party nation, regardless if the launches are government or commercially-sponsored.
SpaceX hardware remains the property of SpaceX until it explicitly releases it. This has already been put to practice after parts of SpaceX rockets have washed up on domestic and foreign shores.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 02-22-2018 07:47 PM
As well as the corrosion issue I believe the assembly is carbon fiber and honeycomb core laminate. Impact loads not good for that construction. Would mean more inspections and possible rework. A net catch would reduce both.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-30-2018 12:04 PM
SpaceX made its second attempt at recovering a fairing halve during this morning's (March 30) Falcon 9 launch of the Iridium-5 payload from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Elon Musk reported the results on Twitter:
GPS guided parafoil twisted, so fairing impacted water at high speed. Air wake from fairing messing with parafoil steering. Doing helo drop tests in next few weeks to solve.
Update: Musk later shared this photo, showing that the fairing survived:
Oh yeah, forgot to mention it actually landed fine, just not on Mr Steven.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-02-2018 08:59 AM
Elon Musk today shared a photo of a fairing descending to Earth:
Falcon 9 fairing opens its parafoil after reentering the atmosphere.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-23-2018 09:19 AM
SpaceX made its third attempt at recovering a fairing halve during Tuesday's (May 22) Falcon 9 launch of the Iridium-6 and GRACE-FO payload from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Per John Insprucker, Falcon 9 lead engineer, via Spaceflight Now:
The payload fairings both successfully deployed parachutes, but they landed in the Pacific Ocean. The fairing recovery ship "Mr. Steven" came very close but not quite. We're going to keep working on that...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-31-2018 04:13 PM
From SpaceX on Twitter:
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 about 50m from SpaceX's recovery ship, Mr. Steven.
Headshot Member
Posts: 948 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 06-01-2018 05:02 PM
Are these recovered fairings going to be re-used?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-01-2018 05:10 PM
SpaceX has not said it has any plans to reuse the fairings it has returned to shore. Right now, the focus seems to be on catching the fairings with Mr. Steven before they hit the water.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-05-2018 05:31 PM
In response to a question on Twitter, Elon Musk has said that the nets on Mr. Steven will be enlarged.
We are extending the net area by a factor of 4.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-14-2018 12:21 PM
From SpaceX on Twitter:
Mr. Steven—now with more net. SpaceX’s fairing recovery vessel has been fitted with a 4x larger net ahead of its next recovery attempt targeted for later this month.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-03-2018 02:06 PM
From Elon Musk (on Twitter) after today's (Dec. 3) Falcon 9 launch of Spaceflight Industries' SmallSat Express mission:
Falcon fairing halves missed the net, but touched down softly in the water. Mr. Steven is picking them up. Plan is to dry them out and launch again. Nothing wrong with a little swim.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-08-2019 11:43 AM
From SpaceX on Twitter:
Recent fairing recovery test with Mr. Steven. So close!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-29-2019 07:01 PM
From SpaceX on Twitter:
One of Mr. Steven’s final West Coast fairing recovery tests before shipping out for the East Coast. Wait for it...
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 04-12-2019 09:23 AM
The fairing halves from the Falcon Heavy Arabsat 6A launch were recovered after they splashed down in the water (the Mr. Steven recovery ship was not deployed). From Elon Musk on Twitter:
Both fairing halves recovered. Will be flown on Starlink mission later this year.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-06-2019 09:23 PM
A fairing half used in SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch of the AMOS-17 satellite was successfully caught by the Ms. Tree recovery boat on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019.
This was SpaceX's second fairing catch; Ms. Tree (renamed from Mr. Steven) caught its first fairing half on June 25, 2019, after the Falcon Heavy launch of the U.S. Air Force's STP-2 mission.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 08-07-2019 07:32 AM
AMAZING!!!!
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 934 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 08-07-2019 11:54 AM
Does anyone know if there is a quick release gadget for the parachute shroud lines? It'd be a real bummer to catch the fairing and then have a gust of wind billow the parachute and pull the fairing off the net and into the ocean.
damnyankee36 Member
Posts: 42 From: Alamogordo, NM USA Registered: Aug 2017
posted 08-07-2019 01:42 PM
I wonder why SpaceX hasn't pursued Rocket Lab's first stage recovery method (mid-air snag by helicopter) for recovering the fairings?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-07-2019 05:15 PM
I saw some speculation that it might have to do with the aerodynamics of a fairing half, as compared to a first stage, but that is really a question that only someone at SpaceX can answer.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1543 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 08-08-2019 02:39 PM
quote:Originally posted by damnyankee36: I wonder why SpaceX hasn't pursued Rocket Lab's first stage recovery method...
Fairing is heavier. It is also out of helicopter range from land. Still would need a large boat for support.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-08-2019 02:54 PM
Based on the published numbers, an expended (empty) Electron first stage and Falcon 9 fairing half weigh almost the same, about 950 kilograms. The fairing may even be lighter, given the available stats are for SpaceX's v1 of the hardware.
damnyankee36 Member
Posts: 42 From: Alamogordo, NM USA Registered: Aug 2017
posted 08-09-2019 05:32 PM
quote:Originally posted by Jim Behling: Still would need a large boat for support.
Makes sense. But, my thinking is that a helicopter recovery might allow several chances to snag the parachute since the recover could be a few thousand feet in altitude.
$6M saved by recovering both fairings seems pretty substantial compared to the costs associated with transporting two aircraft to the recovery area. The cost of a ship is already in the budget too.
I know I am over simplifying things...
oly Member
Posts: 1106 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 08-09-2019 07:49 PM
Committing to a system of recovery that utilizes a helicopter to snag the target may at first glance be considered a simple way of ensuring mission success, however, there are a few downsides committing to this method.
The first is the risk of injury or worse to the aircrew piloting the recovery aircraft. Second is that airborne recovery by aircraft would restrict the available recovery time window to daylight hours, reducing launch opportunities to available light hours.
While nighttime airborne recovery may be feasible using specific technology, it also increases the first risk, injury.
There may come a time when autonomous drones could recover spent spacecraft hardware, but SpaceX shipborne idea allows the widest launch window and lowest risk. They have now proven that the idea works at night.
damnyankee36 Member
Posts: 42 From: Alamogordo, NM USA Registered: Aug 2017
posted 08-10-2019 06:49 PM
Good points!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-11-2019 08:22 AM
For the first time, SpaceX is reusing a fairing.
The fairing previously flown on the Falcon Heavy Arabsat-6A mission is being reflown on Monday's (Nov. 11) Falcon 9 launch of 60 Starlink satellites.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 01-07-2020 01:14 PM
Any word from last night's Starlink 2 launch on catching the fairing? I think I heard on the broadcast they planned on only trying to catch one half.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-07-2020 01:17 PM
Later in the webcast, it was said they came "really close" but missed catching the fairing (half).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-29-2020 09:02 AM
SpaceX successfully caught a fairing half from its fourth Starlink launch on Wednesday (Jan. 29). From the company, via Twitter:
Ms. Tree caught a fairing half – our third successful catch!
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 02-17-2020 10:12 AM
I hope for today's launch of SpaceX’s fifth batch of Starlink broadband satellites, they catch a fairing. At least the one or hopefully both to make up for the booster miss.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-13-2020 07:45 PM
I do not believe SpaceX issued a statement to the effect, but reportedly neither fairing was recovered (at least by boat) after the Spacelink launch in February.
But SpaceX has said that its next Spacelink launch will include a reused fairing.
The fairing previously flew on the Starlink launch in May 2019.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-18-2020 10:03 AM
SpaceX has said that its re-flown fairing missed being caught by the ships Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief after its Falcon 9 launch on Wednesday (March 18).
After landing in the water, both fairing halves were quickly recovered.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 06-04-2020 01:21 PM
Any word on how the fairing recovery went for last night's Starlink launch?
Without a baseball season this is the closest thing to catching a high pop fly.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-05-2020 09:46 AM
There has been no word from SpaceX, but the two recovery ships returned to port with both fairing halves.
Photos show an apparently intact half brought back by Ms. Chief, though whether it was caught or pulled out of the water is unknown. Ms. Tree returned a half with considerable damage.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 06-05-2020 12:17 PM
Thanks for the info. We would call Ms. Tree's fairing BER (Beyond Economical Repair).
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2608 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 06-13-2020 05:24 AM
SpaceX's live feed reported that today's (6-13-2020) Starlink launch included two fairing halves previously flown. Each half was flown on different missions, so that answers a question I had if there was a requirement to reuse the fairings as previous matched sets.
They also stated that both fairings were to be recovered or at least an attempt was to be made. If anyone hears of the results of those attempts please let us know.
Not that the booster recovery is not impressive enough (they stuck the landing on this mourning's fly back, third time for that booster), but catching fairings simply amazes me.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44834 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-13-2020 12:07 PM
One half of the Starlink 9 Falcon 9's fairing previously flew on the JCSAT-18/Kacific1 mission and the other half previously flew on SpaceX's third Starlink mission.
There has been no word yet from SpaceX about the recovery attempt, but here is a brief video shot from the ground showing the fairing halves beginning their return to the ground.
...you can see the fairing half's using their reaction control thrusters for reentry!
mercsim Member
Posts: 238 From: Phoenix, AZ Registered: Feb 2007
posted 06-13-2020 08:53 PM
Can someone confirm there are actually RCS thrusters? I have studied about every released photo of them and haven't seen any. If there were, it would make more sense for them to be cold gas for simplicity and safety.
posted 02-22-2018 10:05 AM
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