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SpaceX launches - Drone ship landings lost signal mystery

Omegafanman
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When I watched the Feb 2018 Falcon Heavy test launch I thought the footage was amazing - live feed from very every stage of the rocket / multiple angles from the car etc. Those systems have to cope with a lot in terms of temperature and vibration + speed and distance. The reception and quality look rock solid. Just before the central stage landed on the autonomous drone ship the talking heads advised that we might lose the feed due to vibration - It is also mentioned on the very last section of this video - and sure enough the signal was lost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdmEjsgDs4

It turns out that stage was lost and the ship damaged -
In February 2018, the central core of Falcon Heavy Test Flight exploded near OCISLY, which damaged two of the four thrusters on the drone ship.[18] Two thrusters were removed from the Marmac 303 barge in order to repair OCISLY.[19]
 
ship.jpg crash.jpg
Omegafanman
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Role forward to yesterdays manned Dragon space flight (May 2020) - again I thought the footage was amazing - live feed from every stage of the rocket / multiple angles from the capsule etc. Those systems have to cope with a lot in terms of temperature and vibration + speed and distance. The reception and quality look rock solid…. But at the very moment the central stage was due to land on the drone ship they lost ship to shore satellite communication / video feed was lost - only to be restored after a successful landing. It just strikes me as odd that there is seemingly no technology that can provide continuous feed cover - Perhaps a remote flying camera drone would resolve it (assuming it is a technical issue?)
 
Heavy Lifting .jpg lost.jpg landing.jpg
w154
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I saw that and imagined it’d be a conspiracy theorists wet dream
 
JimInOz
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w154 w154
I saw that and imagined it’d be a conspiracy theorists wet dream

It's not a conspiracy!

The feed was killed to give time for the crew to erect an inflatable central stage and position it.
And also time out to miss the "splashdown" off the port bow!
 
Omegafanman
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w154 w154
I saw that and imagined it’d be a conspiracy theorists wet dream
conspiracy theorist..... or journalist - Its nice to ask questions on occasion :0)

Truth and accuracy + independence + impartiality = Journalist
 
w154
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Omegafanman Omegafanman
conspiracy theorist..... or journalist - Its nice to ask questions on occasion :0)
Of course that’s true... but with the technology and budget available I’m sure they’d do a better job of hiding dodgy landings than just cutting the feed. Given this has happened twice I’m sure they’ll fix it next time, and I’m sure there must be a recording out there.
 
Omegafanman
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w154 w154
Of course that’s true... but with the technology and budget available I’m sure they’d do a better job of hiding dodgy landings than just cutting the feed. Given this has happened twice I’m sure they’ll fix it next time, and I’m sure there must be a recording out there.

They will if enough people ask about it :0)
 
WatchCor
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Wau, so this is the new conspiracy ::facepalm1::. Amazing. So all the widely available images of dozens returning boosters (with correct serials) to port and SpaceX being very open about the boosters they lost wont sway the conspiracy theorist opinions. I won't either.

Happy that the primary mission is progressing as planned. Can't wait for the docking and their arrival to ISS. Live feed available
 
Omegafanman
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WatchCor WatchCor
Wau, so this is the new conspiracy ::facepalm1::. Amazing. So all the widely available images of dozens returning boosters (with correct serials) to port and SpaceX being very open about the boosters they lost wont sway the conspiracy theorist opinions. I won't either.

Happy that the primary mission is progressing as planned. Can't wait for the docking and their arrival to ISS. Live feed available

Why is everyone fixed on conspiracy - its just an observation that it is odd they cant maintain a feed from the drone ship for the central stage landing or have a stand off camera to observe it - when compared to the 360 degree coverage from all other elements. Also even if a % are lost the fact there is even the potential to land/recover and reuse a stage is amazing and a huge cost saver.
 
SpeedyPhill
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little drone taking off to give You those 360° images everybody requested ?
 
Omegafanman
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w154 w154
Too convenient !
True but a stage landing does kick a lot of cr-p and dust up. Then again wind/rain at sea might supress that (weather did not look great).
 
w154
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Omegafanman Omegafanman
True but a stage landing does kick a lot of cr-p and dust up. Then again wind/rain at sea might supress that (weather did not look great).
Nope... try again

SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
little drone taking off to give You those 360° images everybody requested ?

Getting warmer...


🤨
 
Screwbacks
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Omegafanman Omegafanman
True but a stage landing does kick a lot of cr-p and dust up. Then again wind/rain at sea might supress that (weather did not look great).

true. the vimeo clip shows that dark spot was obviously steady while the cam was actively in motion. if that spot was something, it could have dropped like something visible on the screen. the falcon9 surely have dispersed some dirt from the landing pod.
Edited:
 
Omegafanman
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w154 w154
Nope... try again



Getting warmer...


🤨

I don't have 1:34 spare today :0) …. If I was a little drone I would prefer to take off before the landing and retire 10 paces?
 
Foo2rama
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My guess is that the radar on the rocket overwhelms the radio display for a few moments when it lands. There are plenty of videos from a distance that show landing on the drone ship and even more from landing on land.

it’s not a conspiracy as the number of engines they have made and the history of each engine is not exactly hidden knowledge. The only reason spaceX is profitable is that they can reuse the engines.
 
Walrus
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Is there any other camera view released to the public? I’m not suggesting conspiracy but the return and accurate landing is amazing I would like to see the entire thing.
 
Foo2rama
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Google dragon landings. FYI they also released a literal demo real of the early failures.
The double landing of Falcon Heavy is very impressive.
 
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