
SpaceX ISS launch webcast starts at 4:15 am EDT - DavidSJ
http://www.spacex.com/webcast/
======
DavidSJ
From
[http://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/tud1w/spacex_webcast_...](http://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/tud1w/spacex_webcast_page_is_up_webcast_starts_soon/c4pt8nu):

"[T]he Apollo program was a major effort by the most powerful nation in the
world. Falcon/Dragon is happening because a young genius decided to become a
Heinlein hero, and so started a rocket-ship company. It's sad that most people
have not yet realized it but the most interesting story in the world is
unfolding right now."

~~~
masklinn
> Falcon/Dragon is happening because a young genius decided to become a
> Heinlein hero, and so started a rocket-ship company.

Also, because it's happening 54 years after NASA was setup.

The kind of reading you linked to is disingenuous in the extreme and this kind
of stuff seems common in SpaceX fans. Falcon/Dragon comparable to Apollo 11?
No, not even remotely, Apollo 11 was the first event of its kind, SpaceX is
currently attempting something which has been repeatedly achieved for the last
50 years, something which is almost routine for many nations nowadays: putting
payloads in low orbit.

I don't want to put SpaceX down, what they're doing is great and opens the
door for cheaper and simpler commercial exploitation of low-orbit, but
comparing it to Apollo 11 is infuriatingly off-base and insane. And it's an
insult to all of those who came before SpaceX, all of those who've worked in
space agencies the world over (and especially NASA).

~~~
SoftwareMaven
Most of the SpaceX fans I've seen aren't raving about SpaceX's technology
(which, you rightly point out is a direct descendant of NASA). What they are
raving about is SpaceX's _economic_ model.

~~~
masklinn
> What they are raving about is SpaceX's economic model.

That doesn't strike me as making much sense, why would government contracting
be something to rave about? Because it's government contracts in space?

~~~
SoftwareMaven
Because their model isn't based strictly on government contracting. It is
based on minimizing costs to build a self-sustaining, privately operated space
program. Contractors give you the space shuttle: it doesn't matter how
expensive it is if it's what was in the RFP.

It's the difference between the government contracting out the F22 versus
going to Boeing to buy a 737. And that difference is what makes it exciting.

------
sriramk
Ignition aborted, launch failed. Sigh.

~~~
ramidarigaz
Next window is Tuesday, so not too long. I was really impressed that they were
able to abort nearly 5 seconds after ignition.

~~~
nikcub
Is this the first time a rocket has been aborted after ignition and for it to
have not blown up?

~~~
jah
No. Mercury-Redstone 1 had a launch failure after ignition and launch:

Video: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O4V7JfeTSU>

Description: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-
Redstone_1#Causes_of_th...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-
Redstone_1#Causes_of_the_failure)

------
vibrunazo
If you wonder when that is in your local time:

[http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=4%3A15+a.m.+EDT+in+loca...](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=4%3A15+a.m.+EDT+in+local+time)

------
DavidSJ
Coverage here as well: <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html>

~~~
flexd
HD Stream via UStream <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html>

~~~
vibrunazo
This NASA stream is already live (the official spacex one is not yet). And
it's showing an interview right now.

So there's something to watch while we wait for the launch.

~~~
flexd
That is the NASA stream.

------
rosser
Launch scrubbed just after ignition. Waiting to hear what went wrong.

Next launch window is Tuesday, 22nd May.

EDIT: Abort on "engine 5 chamber pressure high."

------
aiham
"News conference coming up at 5:30AM Central time. Watch live at
<http://www.nasa.gov/ntv> [1]

[1] <https://twitter.com/#!/NASA_Johnson>

~~~
Maxious
"There will be a short briefing at 3:30 AM PT / 6:30 AM ET on NASA TV"
<https://twitter.com/#!/SpaceX/status/203776815850991616>

[http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=6%3A30+a.m.+EDT+in+loca...](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=6%3A30+a.m.+EDT+in+local+time)

50 minutes after this post

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wiggins37
About 3-5 min before the launch time there were many voices chiming in to say
"ready". I remember one of them, "OSM" had to be asked twice before they
responded ready, which was different than all the rest. Anybody on here know
what "OSM" stands for? Is it orbital station module? Anyways, I was just
wondering if it might have been connected with the abort (such as they saw the
high pressure build up in engine 5).

------
mukaiji
The anchorman is Ron Burgundy's less successful brother.

~~~
aiscott
Elon Musk tweeted that joke too. I find it pretty annoying, he's a senior
staff engineer, and that is pretty rude to denigrate him in public like that.
Hopefully they know each other well and it's a running joke or something.

------
dakrisht
Good luck SpaceX and Elon Musk. True pioneers.

------
waterlesscloud
Don't get me wrong, I think this is supercool.

But, what does this make possible that wasn't possible before? How is this
truly disruptive?

~~~
mukaiji
more disruptive than instagram or facebook, or both combined for that matter.

~~~
atarian
That is quite an unfair comparison. Instagram and Facebook are disruptive with
respect to their own fields.

~~~
jrockway
What is Instagram disrupting? Non-grainy photos?

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jacquesm
Fluids over solids any time. Pity it didn't go through, better luck next week!

------
willpower101
I grew up in Cape Canaveral and this was awesome to me! We have to work on the
naming though. Star Wars deserves some love!

~~~
rbanffy
> Star Wars deserves some love!

I disagree. They should sport the Pan-Am logo.

------
pwzeus
sigh...will be rooting on Tuesday

~~~
christiangenco
Careful: <http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html#R>

------
refiammingo
Ignition Aborted. too bad

~~~
christiangenco
Ahh what happened?

------
Vivtek
Or... next launch window.

------
ktizo
Ouch.... that was expensive.

~~~
crusso
A lot less expensive than an explosion on the launch pad. Plus, this
demonstration of ability to detect a possible problem and abort the launch in
progress will likely pay off with NASA trust down the road.

~~~
ktizo
True, that did impress me a lot to be honest. I kept expecting it to go boom
when they cancelled launch after lighting the engines. Is a very cool
capability.

