

SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Launch Status & Live Video - neurotech1
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/006/status.html

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rst
Launch window opens at 9:00 AM PDT (noon Eastern). They'll be trying to hit
the beginning of the window, but delays are possible.

A few significant events after launch:

    
    
      T+01:18 -- max Q (highest aerodynamic pressure)
      T+02:43 -- first stage engines stop
      T+02:50 -- staging
      T+02:57 -- stage two ignition
      T+03:37 -- fairing around the payload jetissoned
      T+08:54 -- stage two engine cutoff
      T+14:15 -- payloads start to separate.
    

A lot of this is new hardware. This is the first flight for "Falcon 9 1.1",
which features new engines, stretched tanks, and a complete rework of the
structural truss that mates them together. It's also the first flight for the
fairing, which has to hold together against high Mach-number winds and then
cleanly fall off on command. (It doesn't sound like much, but there have been
several launches that lost payloads due to fairing problems. What makes rocket
science hard is that _anything_ that goes wrong, no matter how minor, can cost
you the mission.)

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Luc
Meanwhile, Orbital Sciences' Cygnus just got grabbed by the robotic arm and is
berthing with the ISS:
[http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/](http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/)

(not to derail, it's just nice there's so much space stuff going on today).

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joezydeco
I'm guessing NASA TV won't be carrying the Falcon launch because this mission
is for the Canadians? Their online schedule shows no change.

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speeq
[http://new.livestream.com/spacex/F9-6](http://new.livestream.com/spacex/F9-6)

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samwillis
Is this the first test of their return procedure when they are going to re-
light the first stage after separation and fly it over the ocean and "land" it
in the water?

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neurotech1
This is the first flight of the Falcon 9 v1.1 version.

They are going to test the propulsive return profile by doing a retro burn and
then slowing down with another burn before hitting the water.

