SpaceX News

[GIThruster]

I think that's true. In several interviews he's noted that one of the indispensable parts of his success is he gets negative criticism. He says his best friends won't tell him when he's wrong but apparenlty he has people around who will and he values that sort of input.

[krenshala]

You can't fix it if you don't know its a problem. Its nice to hear both that he listens, and that he has people willing to speak up when they see something that they think needs looking at/fixing.

I've worked with folks that wouldn't dare speak up about a problem they found, even though they had a solution! Never understood that mentality. The worst that could happen is you get fired for saying your piece; but then, do you really want to be working some place where they won't pull their head out and listen to what reality has to say?

[GIThruster]

Overnight, Falcon 9 went vertical in preparation for today's launch. The ORBCOMM OG2 mission will launch six OG2 satellites, the first six of a series of OG2 satellites launching on F9.
Launch window opens at 6:08pm ET. LIVE launch webcast begins at 5:35pm ET at www.spacex.com/webcast.

[Betruger]

Hope the weather cleared up, cause IIRC as late as yesterday the odds were 70% for scrub.

[Skipjack]

Yeah, fingers crossed for good weather. If it does not work out today, tomorrows launch window seems to have a better weather forecast.

[Maui]

My opinion of SpaceX took a dive today with their apparent decision to no longer webcast the launches:

"We've actually been ready to move away from the webcasts for awhile," she wrote in an email to Spaceflight Now. "It takes a lot of resources but the main reason is these launches are becoming more routine and the full webcast isn't really appropriate anymore."
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/010/status.html

Honestly, so far, the only thing that's becoming routine is the delays. Honestly, a simple webcam would divert critical resources?

Unimpressed.

[Skipjack]

My opinion of SpaceX took a dive today with their apparent decision to no longer webcast the launches:

"We've actually been ready to move away from the webcasts for awhile," she wrote in an email to Spaceflight Now. "It takes a lot of resources but the main reason is these launches are becoming more routine and the full webcast isn't really appropriate anymore."
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/010/status.html

Honestly, so far, the only thing that's becoming routine is the delays. Honestly, a simple webcam would divert critical resources?

Unimpressed.

That is probably because of all the critizism they have received for delays that were not always their fault, among other things.
Todays scrub was because of bad weather, so was yesterdays.

[Aero]

And SpaceX had scheduled to web cast the launch today, after no web cast yesterday. They Scrubbed before the web cast was scheduled to start. It looked like the weather got really bad if the photo of the water spout just off shore was an indication.

They are now looking at Tuesday for the next launch attempt, per http://nasaspaceflight.com, SpaceX missions section.

[Maui]

That is probably because of all the critizism they have received for delays that were not always their fault, among other things.
Todays scrub was because of bad weather, so was yesterdays.

The next attempt – which was was set to take place on Tuesday – is currently back under evaluation for early July, due to continuing evaluations into what caused a since-replaced component on the rocket’s First Stage to fail during Sunday’s countdown and Eastern Range requirements.

But regardless of the reason for the delays, closing themselves off seems like the wrong strategy for SpaceX (if it is their strategy). The grumblings about the lack of a webcast were far louder than the grumblings over delays.

[GIThruster]

It all depends who is grumbling. Remember these decisions are not based upon public image, but on private support. SpaceX does not need to groom the public for any special projects I'm aware of, and in general a single piece of negative info balances eleven pieces of good info when it comes to image. One catastrophic event shown the public takes 11 positive launches to balance in the mind's eye. So all public access to unproven technology is usually avoided and it has been the rare exception that SpaceX has been doing the webcam stuff. I don't think Boeing, LockMart or ULA have ever done such a thing. Not even SeaLaunch so far as I know. They did shoot their launches, but they didn't release the vid afterward when them em. . .well, you know.

[mvanwink5]

Remember these decisions are not based upon public image, but on private support.

Really? This requires a heavy dose of Memory-Be-Gone jelly. The government trough wars haven't faded from my memory. I guess I need to revisit the definition of the word "is." I just know I will be helped to better use that invaluable skill of double-think as these days it is a necessary way of life.

[GIThruster]

So you think the government trough is governed by public opinion? What kind of evidence could you possibly have for such a thing? I have never seen any evidence that the government gives a hoot about public opinion as regards things like the COTS program or CEV.

I simply see no evidence that SpaceX has any need of a positive public opinion, nor any function for the excellent opinion they already have. Most people just don't care.

Given they have such a positive public view, almost any web cam stuff offers more to damage that opinion than to bolster it. It is not in their interests therfore to televise their work without a specific reason.

[mvanwink5]

Thanks, that helped. Trough - be gone.

[Skipjack]

SpaceX successfully launched 6 Orbcomm sats today. Also returned the first stage to a water landing but the stage was lost:

@elonmusk:
"Rocket booster reentry, landing burn & leg deploy were good, but lost hull integrity right after splashdown (aka kaboom)"

@elonmusk: "Detailed review of rocket telemetry needed to tell if due to initial splashdown or subsequent tip over and body slam"

[GIThruster]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/14/spac ... _truncated