Falcon 9 AsiaSat 8 launched, video posted

[Dr Mordrid]

AsiaSat 8 is a large geostationary commsat to cover from China and SE Asia to the Middle East. No stage landing attempt this time as this will require all of Falcon 9's capabilities. After the Falcon Heavy Reusable (FHR) maiden flight it will handle these big commsats - and much larger.

LiveStream coverage at 1:25 AM EDT Tuesday August 5.

http://new.livestream.com/spacex/AsiaSat8

[Dr Mordrid]

Video's up, another beautiful launch....

[KRSESQ]

Those guys have the best freakin' job in the world. :/

[cjolley]

From the site Doc linked to:

[Jammrock]

Can't wait to watch a Falcon 9 Heavy launch

[Dr Mordrid]

The AsiaSat 6 satellite, almost a twin for this one, is at KSC and it's Falcon 9 should all be there in a day or two.

Launch is in 20-21 days, which would be the 4th time this year SpaceX will have set the KSC record for speed of a pad turnaround.

After that is the Dragon CRS-4 mission to ISS in September, which will also be the next first stage landing attempt - probably on a barge.

They then take off October, this to prepare for the November pad abort test of Dragon V2 using its 3D printed SuperDraco thruster pods at KSC. If successful that will lead to an in-flight abort system test in January at Vandenberg AFB.


Dragon V2 thruster pack burns (artwork)


Dragon V2 (left and right side pics are NOT a mockup - flight hardware)

[cjolley]

In the halls of Congress of course, it's business as usual:

Three Congressmen Are Using Red Tape to Bind SpaceX to Earth

[Dr Mordrid]

In the halls of Congress of course, it's business as usual:

Three Congressmen Are Using Red Tape to Bind SpaceX to Earth

Three House members—Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)—have sent a memo to NASA demanding that the agency investigate what they call “an epidemic of anomalies” with SpaceX missions.

All with ties to to ULA, which is scared sh*less Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy will take most of their large spysat business, leaving them as the backup option. Shelby's accounting language is silly as the anomalies he notes were either irrelevant (previous version of the rocket and engines), caused by supplier issues (suppliers ULA also uses) or already reviewed and passed on by GAO in their Commercial Crew review.

In other words, sour grapes and everyone knows it.