Questions tagged [asds]
Autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) is SpaceX mobile landing barge that serves as a landing platform for Falcon 9R first stage recovery after they boosted rocket's upper stage and spacecraft towards orbit. SpaceX named their first operational ASDS, in service since November 2014, "Just Read the Instructions".
20
questions
13
votes
1answer
2k views
Why did the Falcon Heavy center core fall off the ASDS OCISLY barge?
On the second flight of the Falcon Heavy, they successfully landed the side cores at LZ-1 and LZ-2, and the center core downrange on the ASDS Of Course I Still Love You.
Reports have come in that ...
4
votes
5answers
339 views
What if anything makes launching a recovered SpaceX rocket from a drone ship implausible?
Since SpaceX lands their rockets on drone ships (aka ASDS, barges), I'm curious what if anything would prevent rockets from being relaunched from the ship.
Obviously the ship would need ...
5
votes
0answers
199 views
Does the downrange position of an ASDS vary, depending on payload mass?
SpaceX in its recovery attempts can either do a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) or land downrange on an ASDS landing barge.
The Telesat 19V and 18V payloads were some of the heaviest payloads on the ...
7
votes
1answer
2k views
When will the first use of the SpaceX rocket grabber be on an ASDS?
SpaceX has been caught developing a thin flat robot to drive out on the ASDS deck and grab a landed stage. Some are calling it the SpaceX Roomba (Xoomba?) others are campaigning for the name Attitude ...
2
votes
1answer
404 views
Do the SpaceX ASDS orient themselves in a particular direction before a landing? Is there a “landing ellipse”?
The SpaceX Autonomous spaceport drone ships have longer and shorter direction, both for the flat, apparently land-able area, and total footprint in the water. The ships have vertical projections at ...
0
votes
1answer
400 views
From which direction was the Falcon 9 1st stage's landing approach (BulgariaSat-1)?
Looking at this cropped section of the screenshot described below, this is what I think I see:
A: Shadow from the leg support on the right, but not the left.
B: Scorch marks?
C: Scorch marks?
D: ...
3
votes
2answers
293 views
SpaceX stage 1 reentry control?
In watching today's BulgariaSat-1 broadcast:
It was mentioned that the drone ship had acquired the 1st stage as it was returning. I had always been under the ...
2
votes
2answers
209 views
Has F9 landed on ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans?
Watching the CRS-11 hosted webcast starting at T -00:08:24 got me thinking about SpaceX launches on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the US. Have there been ...
13
votes
2answers
4k views
Why does the video feed always fail during Falcon 9 landings?
I'm in love with SpaceX and Falcon 9, I watch every live stream and the most special, most amazing, most thrilling part of each launch is the 1st stage landing. Seeing the smoke (or vapor) clear and ...
29
votes
4answers
2k views
What started the explosion on the crashed Jason-3 stage landing on the barge?
If you watch the truly awesome video of the Jason-3 first stage landing on the ASDS Barge Just Read The Instructions, it is pretty clear that for one thing, they landed it. Then the leg gave out, ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
Falcon 9 - fuel needed to hop back from a barge
There were multiple mentions of the future ideal first stage ASDS landings - if the mission won't have enough deltaV to do a RTLS, then just land on the barge, refuel and "hop" back to the launch site....
20
votes
3answers
3k views
How does SpaceX plan to achieve reusability of the Falcon 9 *second* stage?
Update 08 April 2017: Elon Musk tweeted an indication that they're revisiting the possibility of second stage recovery, so this question is again relevant, and the details of the new solution may be ...
3
votes
2answers
322 views
ASDS Position during Falcon 9R first stage recovery
For the coming CRS-7 mission to the ISS, where exactly will SpaceX position the ASDS for the Falcon 9R first stage recovery attempt?
Obviously it will be in the Atlantic Ocean.
6
votes
1answer
410 views
What did SpaceX change in the upgrade of the ASDS?
The original ASDS (Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship known as "Just Read The Instructions" (JRTI) was based on the Marmac 300 hull. It has been replaced with the Marmac 304 hull for use in the CRS-7 ...
21
votes
8answers
5k views
Why isn’t the “JRTI” barge larger?
The barge that SpaceX's Falcon 9 was trying to land on is creatively called "Just Read The Instructions"(hereafter known as JRTI).
I've been told that SpaceX is using the barge to avoid a land based ...
13
votes
1answer
895 views
What is the SpaceX barge topped with?
For having a Falcon 9 (almost) land on it, the SpaceX barge doesn't seem to have faired too badly:
Click for full version
In June 2015 the first model barge was replaced, and here is an image of the ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Why did the RCS thrusters on Falcon 9 fire in the wrong direction?
In the video below we can briefly see the valiant attempt of a lone Nitrogen RCS thrust to keep the Falcon 9 upright during the failed landing attempt of CRS-6.
However, as the stage continues to tip ...
22
votes
4answers
3k views
How does the Falcon 9 know where the landing barge/pad is?
The descending Falcon 9 has got to hit (preferably gently) the tiny target of the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) in the middle of the ocean. How does the Falcon 9 know where the ASDS is?
...
8
votes
3answers
759 views
How will the SpaceX landing barge (ASDS) get to the proper location?
The barge, the ASDS (Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship) that SpaceX plans to demonstrate landing with is based out of the east coast of the US. But the landing site will be well downrange off the coast....
8
votes
1answer
573 views
Where will SpaceX take CRS-5 after it lands?
If SpaceX's plan to land the CRS-5 first stage on their Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship goes perfectly, there will be a 50 (ish) meter rocket on a barge in the Atlantic. Leaving aside the interesting ...
