More spin stabilization testing is done at the request of engineers yearning for additional data
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
well, in between daytime hrs Simon & crew have managed to get the first Mk1-B parts staged. Here's what's left of our available rocket parts
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
we're still unsure what caused the signal noise detected in last week's launches, but we do plan to investigate further w/Mk1-B launches
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Launch day! Who's excited? We are! The launch clock now stands at L-3hrs and here's the timeline moving forward
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
success! Payload & booster are both intact, booster is damaged as expected. Both fell around 300m northeast of the pad
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
POP goes the chute! Cheers in launch control. Another successful launch! Recovery prospects looking good too as the payload descends slowly
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Great work to all the teams today! We'll have more news on future Progenitor missions after some data analysis over the next few days
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
late start to the day to make up for overtime yesterday. Flight analysis begins of the two Mk1-B flights and we have ALL THE DATA this time
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
we hear the KSC grounds keepers are grumbling about the mess we're making of the lawn around the launchpad - mainly the boosters "landing"
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
news on future Progeny launches comes sooner than expected as Drew approves a 3rd Mk1-B launch: bit.ly/ProgenitorPR3
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
after spending yesterday going over the data, engineers were unsatisfied with the spin rate on the first launch, want more fin angle applied
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
tracking station reports that initial analysis shows they did indeed intercept some sort of signal interference during the Mk1-B launches
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
studies of the signal are ongoing, helped now by greater frequency range data collected during these last two launches
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Simon reports good progress on bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-B3, on schedule to finish being built today, then tested on Monday & launched on Tuesday
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
time to check out all that's transpired this past week. Missed anything? We got you covered 🙂 Good weekend to all! bit.ly/OpsSummary10-3…
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
we're seeing a gathering of dark clouds off to the west - usually a sign the jet stream has dipped and is forcing moisture up over the mtns
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
western range isn't tall enough to shield us from rainfall, clouds will continue to build until they dump lots of rain on us today or tmrw
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Simon reports the Mk1-B is tested & ready for launch tomorrow. Now we just have to wait and see what the weather does. No rain yet still
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
still no rain locally, but we hear rumbles to the west getting closer and streams in the area have been gradually increasing in volume
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
it began raining earlier today & has been coming down steady since. Sky completely overcast. Will resched if no change 3hr prior to launch
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
L-3hr weather check: still raining. bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-B3 launch is pushed to the very end of our daytime window. New L-0 time: 18:45 UTC
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
L-3hr weather check: *still raining* 🙁 we're scrubbing for today. New L-0 time will be tomorrow 10/12 @ 16:05 UTC. Rain, rain go away...
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
it finally stopped raining, looking clear to both horizons. bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-B3 launch prospects are looking good again. Cya tomorrow!
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
L-3hr weather check: looking good! Approval has been given to begin rollout and mounting operations for bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-B3
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
reminder on the launch operations timeline, same as all other Mk1 launches (except the 1st, which was a bit less well-defined but similar)
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Flight Director Lanalye's launch control team is assembled for final briefing, mounting ops for the 198kg rocket proceeding well on the pad
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
astronauts promised they'd sit in the back and be quiet, so have been allowed into launch control by Flt Dir Lanalye to witness operations
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
workers prepping to clear the pad. Check that fin angle. Lead Eng Simon: "5° may be overkill but valuable data will be collected either way"
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
when mounted, the Mk1-B rocket stands 6.7m tall. Alone it is 3.1m high, roughly four times taller than the average kerbal
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
L-20min: time to get excited - preflight & launch rehearsal complete, rocket status is nominal, final weather check is good
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
range safety protocols now in effect. Anyone approaching the launch pad will be shot. Hahaha no, ok j/k. But srsly - stay away from the pad
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Launch ctrl is GO. Tracking station is GO. Wx is GO. Range safety is GO. Progeny Mk1-B is GO. Flight is GO! Final all-around checks nominal!
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
L-2min: remember, really fast action for these launches so next report on launch status will be when we have a chute, anomaly or impact
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
chute deployment command sent by launch control was good & we have a chute! We also have a booster sitting next to our tracking station 0_0
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
booster flyback was way worse this time for some reason. Thankfully it just missed one of our communications dishes. That would've been bad
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
recovery crews are onsite with the payload, which is intact & only 116m almost direct south of the pad. Next they will go check the booster
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
waaay too close for comfort. Hopefully not a problem when this is higher up and further downrange as a second stage on the Progeny Mk2
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
post-launch ops winding down - time now for lunch ops. Then the engineers are cracking open the telemetry data unit to begin their analysis
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
graphical plot of today's launch telemetry from the TDU. Each pixel is 0.5s. Boost phase lasted only 3s, coast 27.5s & 119.5s to landing
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
the scatter on the AoA plot shows how much the payload tumbled after it was released from the booster. Everything else pretty obvious
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Progenitor Program engineers say they expect the full Progeny Mk1-B flight analysis to be released with our weekly ops review on Friday
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
RT @justhereforksa: Rocket didn't spin / "Angle the fins" Simon said / Now we're all dizzy.
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
did we seriously forget to share a launch photo earlier this week? Shame on us! Here's bit.ly/ProgenyMk1-B3 just before booster burnout
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
we apologize for being too busy to edit and post a lot of videos, but then again we're happy to be so busy! We will always do what we can...
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
catch up on new developments this past week in our Weekly Ops Summary - bit.ly/OpsSummary10-1…. have a great weekend everyone!
