Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Video: CRS-5 Launch

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
It is too bad that any video they capture of the first stage landing will be in the dark. I wonder how far out into the Atlantic the first stage lands. Maybe it will be sunrise in that part of the ocean at that time.

I wonder if they will tell us right away if the first stage landed successfully.
 
It is too bad that any video they capture of the first stage landing will be in the dark. I wonder how far out into the Atlantic the first stage lands. Maybe it will be sunrise in that part of the ocean at that time.

It's a couple hundred miles off Jacksonville, it's not far enough to be noticeably lighter that early I think. Someone transcribed the hazard area bulletin onto Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zp15b_P5ERVk.koWeOnV6-O-o
 
And I suspect that the landing barge will have floodlights shining on the landing area.

Your suspicions are correct;


Hope it all goes well!
 

Attachments

  • Spacex_Barge_Landing_Site_in_Atlantic_Wide.jpg
    Spacex_Barge_Landing_Site_in_Atlantic_Wide.jpg
    54.6 KB · Views: 399
Elon Musk: "Rocket made it to drone spaceport ship, but landed hard. Close, but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho."

How to achieve a less hard landing next time?

They need to combine what they learned from Grasshopper/F9R with actual main stage. They obviously landed on the drone ship and into the eye of the needle. They just need to have a more precise burn in those last few seconds. I expect even hitting at 10 MPH is too much. But holy cr@p they hit the landing pad but just a little too hard. That is a 99% success or more.

Way to go, SpaceX.
 
Successful launch and Dragon on orbit.

The grid fins worked at the first try, conserved enough fuel for explosion ;)*
(In fact test was successful, accuracy changed: ~10 km to ~10 m)

Unlike Grasshopper and F9R-devxes, first stake can't hover so "hover slam" timing need to be precise.



* Elon Musk @elonmusk · Ship itself is fine. Some of the support equipment on the deck will need to be replaced...)

(Or maybe stake hit those and no kaboom.)
 
Last edited:
So the first stage landed on target, meaning within the larger circle I hope? That is impressive if true! Assume that it was still going too fast so there was significant damage to the stage and that it immediately fell over.

If that is the case then this launch represents real progress. Anxious to find out more details!
 
I'm curious about what Elon means by the hypersonic grid fins running out of hydraulic fluid? It is a closed system, is it not? How can it 'run out'?

Also, so, as speculated on here, it sounds like the issue was more related to the final burn than steering. Either way, it seems like the chance of success was significantly more 50% ;)