Webcast starts in a few minutes. Launch windows runs from 11:00 US East coast until about 15:00 today and the same tomorrow.
You can watch here
1150 EDT: Hold is due to low signal on a Flight Termination System (FTS) antenna because of the hardback being in the way. If that is the problem, it will go away at launch. I expect they are studying the issue and will see if the USAF RSO (Range Safety Officer)will waiver them.
1200 EDT: I have heard a rumor that the issue might be with a transmitter belonging to the ETR (Eastern Test Range).
1226 EDT: A fishing boat with engine trouble is crossing the exclusion zone; They have tested the FTS problem by raising and lowering the hardback. No solid word on when they will continue from the hold or scrub.
1243 EDT: They tested the signal propagation by raising and lowering the hardback; the Reel Insanity fishing boat has been convinced to stay out of the exclusion zone. Waiting to hear if the clock is going to start running again.
1312 EDT: Coast guard is apparently chasing a sail boat away. Word is that it is a lovely Friday and lots of rank amateur boaters are out and not even listening or turning on their marine radios. This is about the 3rd one in a couple hours. I think a few Exocet’s would do, ‘pour encourager les autres’…
1318 EDT: They will be launching soon, going back into terminal count.
1325 EDT: 6 minutes to liftoff. Godspeed SPACEX!
1331 EDT: Terminal count abort. Waitting for word on whether there will be a recycle today. They have done this often on Falcon 1’s, even to the point of detanking and refueling on the pad.
1354 EDT: Still no word on a recycle. There is still time in the current launch window and they have the clock reset and frozen at t-15 minutes.
1357 EDT: They are going to recycle. Waiting for notification of when the count will restart. It was an out of limits event at the terminal count down checks that can be worked with. No word yet on precisely what it was, but I will guess it had to do with engine ignition timing being too tight. All engines are supposed to fire at the same time. Just my guess. There did not appear to be an ignition so it would be something to do with pre-ignition events obviously. Pressures, valve timings, etc.
1427 EDT: count is to resume at 1430 and launch at 1445 if all goes well.
1432 EDT: terminal count has resumed.
1456 EDT: Falcon 9 has had a flawless launch to orbit on the very first test flight. It has carried with it the aerodynamic test article for the first commercial crew capsule. I did not in my wildest dreams expect the first try to go this smoothly. I was here with the Executive Director of NSS and we were both screaming like mad men as each major risk area got ticked off. I’m just limp.
We are in a new age folks.
1540 EDT: An initial congrats is out from NSS
1546 EDT: And SFF
Good luck.
Or not watch it, as is the case right now. There was the rocket seemingly all fuelled up, then there was a message that there was a problem, the video feed switched to a static of the SpaceX building, and right now (16:41) there’s nothing.
I really want them to succeed.
Hah. Spoke too soon. Video feed is back up.
the stream at http://www.wfrv.com/news/live still seems to be working. Can’t get anything at the momnet from the spacex site or CNN.
at the moment it’s just sitting there shutdown with gantry away from the rocket.
seem to be having problems
That was awe-inspiring. Thanks Dale.
Well done!
I just did not expect this on the first try. It shows that Elon’s process has been proven. He’s going to go for bigger things. There will be a Falcon 9 Heavy at some point, and if a true heavy lift vehicle is actually needed by the market, I am sure he can and will build one.
It is just a stunning achievement for the first flight of a fully commercially designed vehicle with 9 first stage engines. That takes a lot of ‘right’ to make it work.
I just cannot applaud the efforts of Elon and his team enough. You have to be at least on the edges of rocket science to understand fully what an awesome accomplishment this was.
Nice. Very nice. It makes me happy.
The Falcon has wings!
Shiny!
Just watched webcast replay of the launch.
Truly lovely.
Hearty congratulations to Elon and the team.
I gather that there are still some issues with accuracy of orbital injection – ie, they don’t know where the Dragon now is – but here’s hoping that’s readily fixable.
The next huge step, if it is technically sensible, would be to make Stage 1 recoverable and reusable.
Waaaaaa!!!! That’s magic!
Was this the rocket that woke people up on Australia’s Eastern seaboard? The swirling light they saw?
Are you declaring war on Australia? Well, you missed!