SpaceX again postponed the launch of Falcon 9

This launch could be unique for three reasons.

12 minutes before the launch, the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket was postponed for a day due to strong wind. A few hours before launch, the head and founder of SpaceX, Ilon Musk, was very concerned about the intensity of the wind and even wrote about it in his Twitter account. In the message, he uncertainly hoped that weather conditions would change, but this never happened. Gusts exceeded the norm by 151% and reached 51 meters per second.

Extreme wind shear over Cape Canaveral. Feels like a sledgehammer when supersonic in the vertical. Hoping it changes ...

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2015

This is the third time limit, the launch was first canceled the day before yesterday. The cancel signal came in just 2 minutes 26 seconds. The reason - problems with the radar of the USAF in Florida. This is a critical component of the space launch, since the rocket must be destroyed if it leaves the planned trajectory during the climb. Musk also said that the first attempt had a problem with the video transmitter at the first stage. This problem is not critical, but getting the picture is desirable.

Prob good though. (Not needed for launch, but nice to have).

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2015

Monday did not like the weather conditions, so the launch was scheduled for 6:05 pm local time on Tuesday (that is, at two o'clock in the morning Wednesday night in Moscow). Today was the third timeline change. The launch will take place tomorrow at 02:03 Moscow time.

Today's start could be unique for three reasons at once. First, this is the first launch of SpaceX beyond the limits of the earth’s orbit. The DSCOVR observatory will be launched , the idea of ​​which was proposed in 1998 by Al Gore, the then vice president of the United States. The cost of the mission is 340 million US dollars. A joint project of NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration should monitor the Earth’s atmosphere, the solar wind and coronal mass emissions. Observing solar activity is important because it adversely affects the operation of radio communication systems, satellites, and electrical power systems, and also increases the radiation dose received by the crew of the International Space Station.
')
For the operation of the device must be placed in the Lagrange L ₁ in a million and a half kilometers from Earth. From there he will be able to constantly see the illuminated side of our planet and the sun. The Falcon 9 rocket will first launch a DSCOVR into preliminary orbit, and after 110 days of maneuvers, the observatory will occupy the required location. Already located at L ₁ and performing similar functions, the Advanced Composition Explorer and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory work outside their resource.

Secondly, it could be a launch with the first successful landing of the first stage for its subsequent use. Working out the return of the rocket will significantly reduce the cost of launches. The second real attempt to land the first stage will be much more difficult due to the nature of the destination point of the payload: almost twice the power load, four times more heat. In this case, the remaining fuel is not enough for three, but only for two engine start.

As on January 10, landing is scheduled for a platform in the Atlantic Ocean. Musk promised that they would take into account the error of the last time, when there was not enough liquid in the open circuit of the hydraulic actuators of the lattice steering wheels.

Rocket reentry will be much time this time around due to deep space mission. Almost 2X force and 4X heat. Plenty of hydraulic fluid tho.

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2015

Thirdly, it could be a unique situation not only for the SpaceX company, but also for astronautics as a whole. The fact is that the launch time coincided with the moment when the space truck Dragon flew out of orbit. The brainchild of Ilona Mask would have to somehow break up into two at once (and taking into account the landing of the first stage - three) very important operations.



But because of the transfer of the launch of Falcon 9 this did not happen. Dragon planned undocked from the ISS for de-orbiting. The cargo capsule has been at the station since January 12.



Two hours ago, Musk reported that the capsule had splashed down near the California coast. SpaceX is working on a soft landing using rocket engines, perhaps a similar system will be tested sometime in the future.

The launch of Falcon 9 was postponed to 18:03 on February 11 local time or 02:03 on February 12 in Moscow. You can watch him at http://www.spacex.com/webcast/ .