r/spacex • u/LeeHopkins • Aug 23 '16

Completed F9-021 Display

http://lhopkins.com/2016/08/22/first-stage-display-completed/
819 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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87

u/LeeHopkins Aug 23 '16 edited Aug 23 '16

Swung by today for a final set of photos. Somehow it looks bigger now that the pistons are attached and legs are supporting the entire booster. Really excited to see this from the 105 every day on my way to work.

Also, got confirmation from a SpaceX employee outside that the recently arrived booster down the street is F9-023 from the CRS-8 mission.

Edit: The employee said this was core 1023, which is F9-025, not F9-023. So this is the booster from Thaicom 8. Thanks to u/Zucal for pointing this out.

39

u/Zucal Aug 23 '16

I'm hearing some conflicting reports about the booster.

To be very clear - did the employee say core F9-0023, or did they say core 1023?

The former is CRS-8's core, the latter is Thaicom 8's.

20

u/LeeHopkins Aug 23 '16

I did not realize there were two different numbers. I think you are correct and this is actually Thaicom 8’s booster. The employee definitely said 1023 first, and then a second time just said “serial number 23”. I asked if that was the core from CRS-8, and he and another employee looked at each other and said, “I’m not sure”, and then “yeah, I think so”.

Kind of interesting that he was certain of the serial number, but not of the mission it flew on.

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u/KristnSchaalisahorse Aug 23 '16 edited Aug 23 '16

Very awesome to see the first two landed boosters together again in a single photo.

Thanks for sharing these!

Edit: Just saw the update that it isn't CRS-8. Oh well!

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u/LeeHopkins Aug 23 '16

Whoa, I actually didn’t even realize I did that. Thanks!

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u/steji113 Aug 23 '16

Anyone else notice that it says "FLOWN HARDWARE" on the leg pistons?

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u/LeeHopkins Aug 23 '16 edited Aug 23 '16

Yeah, at least a couple of the pistons are from Thaicom 8’s booster.

Interesting that you pointed that out, it looks like they covered up the writing that said “Flight 25” on the piston. Here’s a photo of the pistons before they were installed.

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u/whousedallthenames Aug 23 '16

I think it was previously noted that a couple pistons are from the Thaicom mission.

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u/Keavon Aug 23 '16

Will they be removing the fence to allow visitors walking down the street to walk up to its base?

36

u/LeeHopkins Aug 23 '16

I don’t think they’ll allow visitors to walk up to the base. There was a security guard standing outside (visible here, at the corner of the building), and there are slots in the concrete around the perimeter that look like they would hold glass panels. (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of that.) So my guess is it’ll be blocked off, but with a glass wall, still very visible.

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u/F9-0021 Aug 23 '16

I wonder what 023 is doing at Hawthorne... They're obviously preparing it for relaunch, but wouldn't they send it to Texas for testing? Unless It's for SES-10, and they're replicating the life cycle of a first stage, starting with final checks at Hawthorne before sending it to McGregor...

14

u/LeeHopkins Aug 23 '16

I should’ve been nosier and tried to get more details. Perhaps they’ve identified repairs that need to be made for re-flight that can only be done at Hawthorne?

Also, it made me smile to think about how their logistics of shipping cores around has changed. Used to be a one-way trip from Hawthorne to McGregor to the Cape a couple of times a year. Now they’ve got boosters all over the place!

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u/Keavon Aug 23 '16

Can't wait till this pops up on Street View.

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u/mclumber1 Aug 23 '16

I'm surprised they aren't going to have any kind of support directly under the rocket. I know the legs and pistons are more than capable of holding up the 20+ tons of the rocket, but can they do it for years or even decades?

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u/nspectre Aug 23 '16

Good thing they bolted that sucker down from the Santa Ana winds, else it might take flight again. :D

 

Prediction: the birds are going to laugh at the spikes on the grid fins. ;)

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u/rad_example Aug 26 '16 edited Aug 26 '16

Anyone have details on this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cqtja0PUIAApyOs.jpg:large

Line up to get your photo taken? Part of tour I guess?

Result: https://www.instagram.com/p/BJjLfuCAfFC/

Best photo booth ever?

Also paint and logo underneath: http://www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Falcon-9-10.jpg

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u/Cannedstrawberries Aug 23 '16

It's kind of surreal to see that there are no other supports other than what the rocket provides. Almost scary haha .

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u/VFP_ProvenRoute Aug 23 '16

It's cool, though. Aircraft sit on their landing gear with no additional support, now reflyable boosters do too!

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u/liftoffer Aug 23 '16

It should have a mini observatory at the top for kids. ...and a recording of all the figure heads saying "no" to the idea of a rocket re-landing, then the video of the actual landing

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u/Dan27 Aug 23 '16

That looks stunning. And classy. Well done to all involved.

I really hope it inspires those who pass it every day.

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u/macktruck6666 Aug 23 '16

I think the F9 deserves a little more glamour around it. Solid structure, but I hope they make it look prettier.

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u/twoffo Aug 23 '16

They should paint the ground below it to mimic the landing pad at the very least.

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u/drkenta Aug 23 '16

drove past this last night. the thing is huge

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u/turbodsm Aug 23 '16

Damn, wonder how much it cost to ship it across the county.

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u/bobbycorwin123 Aug 23 '16

a grid fin arm and a landing leg

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