Dang! Missed the Falcon Heavy launch!

[Marc_G]

I got side tracked at work and forgot to open a browser to watch the Falcon Heavy mission with the GEOS-U satellite.

Went to SpaceX.com and they list it as an upcoming launch, no actual video. Finally watched highlights on X.com. Sweet booster landings.

Things really have advanced quite a bit that we don't have an active thread about an upcoming/in-progress Heavy launch. Glad these things are relatively uneventful!

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I got side tracked at work and forgot to open a browser to watch the Falcon Heavy mission with the GEOS-U satellite.

Went to SpaceX.com and they list it as an upcoming launch, no actual video. Finally watched highlights on X.com. Sweet booster landings.

Things really have advanced quite a bit that we don't have an active thread about an upcoming/in-progress Heavy launch. Glad these things are relatively uneventful!

I didn’t even know about it…

 

[Art Upton]

I didn't hear Boo...

 

[tim cubbedge]

George Gasaway RIP used to keep that thread fairly active. Here an app I use which lets you select any or all launches around the world. Very up to date at least with US launches.
https://nextspaceflight.com/

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

LOL on the NASA broadcast right at liftoff, the announcer almost said "NOAA's nudist satellite" instead of "NOAA's newest satellite"

 

[Charles_McG]

LOL on the NASA broadcast right at liftoff, the announcer almost said "NOAA's nudist satellite" instead of "NOAA's newest satellite"

It isn't nude until the fairings come off.

 

[BEC]

I was in the truck driving home. Watched the replays from both the Everyday Astronaut and SpaceflightNow feeds.

This one had been on SpaceflightNow's launch schedule for some time. There are other places to see what's coming up in the next week/month as well. This is just the place I check first.

I was a bit surprised this was all new Falcon-9 hardware. So SpaceX now has at least two pairs of FH boosters on hand for future missions.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

LOL on the NASA broadcast right at liftoff, the announcer almost said "NOAA's nudist satellite" instead of "NOAA's newest satellite"

I would have made an effort to watch if I had known there would be nudity!

 

[c0c0m0ke]

I am about 40 miles from the pad. I was aware of the launch and looking for it. From my vantage point at home, there are homes and trees that obstruct from the horizon up to maybe 45 degrees. If i shift east or west I can find holes that lower the elevation I can see. But the real problem yesterday was the overcast between me an the pad. There was a strip of blue maybe 5 - 10 degrees wide from directly north and stretching eastward. A wall of thick grey cloud from the horizon and up. NSF had a feed that up to then was working fine, and then just at launch, started buffering. Didn't see a thing. But about 5 minutes later, I heard it.

 

[jadebox]

LOL on the NASA broadcast right at liftoff, the announcer almost said "NOAA's nudist satellite" instead of "NOAA's newest satellite"

I heard that, too - "NOAA's nudist ... newest satellite." It made me chuckle.

We watched it from our front yard. Due to one badly-placed cloud, we only saw it for a few seconds but the flames were impressively bright against the small patch of blue sky.

 

[Joekeyo]

I am about 40 miles from the pad. I was aware of the launch and looking for it. From my vantage point at home, there are homes and trees that obstruct from the horizon up to maybe 45 degrees. If i shift east or west I can find holes that lower the elevation I can see. But the real problem yesterday was the overcast between me an the pad. There was a strip of blue maybe 5 - 10 degrees wide from directly north and stretching eastward. A wall of thick grey cloud from the horizon and up. NSF had a feed that up to then was working fine, and then just at launch, started buffering. Didn't see a thing. But about 5 minutes later, I heard it.

Same for me. I live on the west coast of FL and see launches on a regular basis. I didn't even go outside for the Falcon Heavy. Clouds ruled the day.

 

[c0c0m0ke]

I hate when that happens!

I tuned into the NSF feed an hour and 15 minutes before hand. I thought for a second, if I dropped everything I was doing, fixing dinner, I might be able to drive to a better vantage point. But there are no guaranties that will pan out, with traffic, other unpredictable visual obstructions. I rejected that consideration almost as soon as it crossed my mind, maybe 2 or 3 seconds later. Then it crossed my mind again twice before the launch, one -20 minutes before and then again 5 minutes before launch. Each time, the "negative acceptance" went up exponentially, I rejected the idea almost as soon as they occurred, like a split second later. If I had known 3 hours before the launch, knowing it was a heavy going to fly, I would have had time to look at the weather and plan something that had more promise. Conceivably, 90 minutes is enough time to make a plan and put it into action, but I was already in 'making dinner' mode, I was already committed.

Oh well, maybe next time.