What's Going On In This SpaceX Rocket Video?
NSF's John Galloway talks through interesting things you can see on the Falcon 9 rocket cam video released by SpaceX. The original video was found on SpaceX's Twitter feed, showing a single take of the booster launch and landing for the Transporter-6 mission from Cape Canaveral SLC-40. Twitter video source quality was 720p. Edited by Thomas Hayden.
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High quality commentary!
Fascinating, clear, precise and enthusiastic technical comments. Thank you.
Yes, please do more segments like this. Very informative! As I watch most of these from my backyard, it's really cool to have the commentary, Great job!!
i wish to add a correction , Air is not particulates , it is Molecules , O2 oxygen is 2 combines oxygen elements , (a Molecule) Carbon Dioxide (1 carbon 2 oxygen Molecule ) so in the absence of other rare elements air really is full of molecules
Every flat earther, that is totally cgi.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣
John, former NASA spokesman at KSC here. That was a darn good analysis. The main reason they delay the leg deployment until the last second is to keep from burning the legs. I wish they'd describe how they navigate the booster with such precision - but that's likely their secret. As always, it is simply astounding. (I was also an AF pilot and WISH we had that kind of precision landing ability!)
They did talk some about it. It's just a fancy flight controller with a GPS and an altimeter. They put into it the target coordinates, the estimated wind, and the rest is the controller solving the trajectory optimization problem in real time. There was a good article on it, which also gave some additional references: _"SpaceX’s self-landing rocket is a flying robot that’s great at math"_
SpaceX actually wrote a paper with NASA a few years ago on propulsive landings. They use something called non-convex optimisation
That's why there's a Navy flight bunch, have a son that's a 18 pilot so I'm biased
Basically PID loop control of engine gimble, cold thrusters and grid fins. Nothing terribly exotic, once it is turned properly. Tuning crashed many rockets but now they've definitely got it!
The problem is that if you can land a rocket on target you can land a bomb on target and the military wants a monopoly on that ability, so sharing how you do it even for educational purposes or hobby size payloads is a no-no.
So are you telling me that there was no cameraman physically hanging on the rocket filming all this? Dang... Technology!
🤣
And all this time I thought Tom Cruise was the camera man 😅
no they're just trying to hide the infinite power of the cameraman
You bust me up! Laughed so hard, Cheeto's came out my nose!
@@richardpark3054 😂😂 you made it visually clear... No need of a cameraman there 😂
One thing you can certainly see is the Go-Pro fisheye lens view of Earth, making it look ridiculous. All the worlds a stage.
Came to the comments to see if anyone else saw that… Why the need for it.. just giving flat earthers more fuel to prove their point…
What do you mean? Fish eye lens and earth looking ridiculous?
@@shtoleva07the camera lens is a fish eye lens. It curves everything in picture. And since when is the whole earth water.
They don't want you to see how flat it really is 😂
😂 no stars,1of many RED FLAGS!! AND WHO TF MADE THE GUY TALKING AN OFFICIAL SPINNING BALL BABBLER 😂😂!!! @opposition13
Missing from the video is the real time velocity display. I find the speed reached by the falling 1st stage is slowed during the re entry burn but is still quite fast. Then the speed starts to climb back up until the atmospheric drag starts to slow it down again. Most of the speed scrub down to landing is accomplished by that drag, so the actual landing burn is short.
One point you didn't mention, but i think fits very well into this discussion, especially adding to the whole point of flame expansion: You can see that at the beginning the engines produce these long orange flames. As the rocket goes up and air pressure falls, the flames expand. But then one more thing happens: the flames become less and less bright, until at some point you can see barely any flame at all. Just before stage separation there is only a black cloud of exhaust gas coming out of the engines. The boost back burn does not produce a visible flame either, again only a dark cloud. Reason: The engines are running fuel-rich. That means that the mixture rate between fuel and oxygen inside the engines is such that not enough oxygen is present to burn all the fuel. There are several reasons why that is done, and i don't want to start that explanation since it would make this comment 5 times longer. But the point is that there is unburnt kerosene and soot coming out of the engine, together with all the exhaust gasses. That is all the black stuff you can see when the engines are running at high altitude. (And also the stuff that causes the "jelly-fish effect" if the lighting is just right) When the engines are running at low altitude, the exhaust flow mixes with ambient air. This allows the fuel from the exhaust stream to react with oxygen from the ambient, and burn. This causes the bright orange flames you see behind the rocket. Or at least the largest part of those flames. But as the rocket rises up in altitude the air density drops, there is less and less oxygen available in the ambient air, and the flames dim down, until they eventually fade out and you only see the soot.
Spectacular Clarification. Thank you so much
Excellent, thanks! I always kinda noticed it but never really thought about it.
You know, the moment you mentioned flame color, I immediately knew where you were going with it and thought to myself, "Oh, hey, that's a neat point." ... but as many of these as I've watched, I just never registered it myself! Thanks!
But..................but..................what about pollution and global warming?? 😲
@@bdickinson6751 One of the purposes of running fuel rich is to *drastically* reduce both mass, which would require a great deal more fuel to offset (and the fuel to *lift* that fuel, Tsiolkovsky's not very forgiving on that), and part/material complexity. By running fuel rich, they give a film over the nozzle that keeps it cool. If they instead went with more "active" cooling (and ran perfect fuel/oxydizer ratios and had an idealistic environment), they would need to potentially change the nozzle material, as well as add all of the mass and complexity of pumping the coolant and removing heat from the coolant too. Energy cost of manufacture of the components themselves would potentially overshadow the fuel saved, and paired with the fuel needed to *then* lift those components, and it's *very* likely far worse, ecologically. Lastly, you *still* have to err towards fuel rich. Rocket engines are just fire. Fuel, oxygen, heat. Given enough heat and oxygen (which you have in a rocket engine) nearly *anything* can work as a fuel. Including the nozzle itself. Excess oxydizer can and often will *find* something to react with to burn when provided an ignition source. Running engine rich is *very* bad for a rocket. The other detail is the fuel used. While hydrogen is great for cleanliness through the launch, that may be offset by the costs of production and infrastructure. It's also simply *very* hard to work with, as shown by the repeated issues on the ground side infrastructure for Artemis 1. RP-1 and Methane are simpler, and simpler allows a much higher launch cadence (which favors reuse, which means *not* producing and then throwing away the rocket after one flight, which is *also* better environmentally). Eventually, maybe, we'll get hydrogen production from green sources, cooling, storage, and use down to allow the same levels of use, but that'll be a while yet. Also, cutting out all spaceflight tomorrow would provide such a negligible change in carbon emissions on the whole that it's *definitely* not the tree to bark up.
I have always said since I first saw Falcon 9 launch that nobody, not even Boeing/NASA with its many years of experience can produce the viewer experience like one gets from a SpaceX launch, the photography is second to none. Now you come along and blow that right out of the sky with more SpaceX photography. That was amazing footage thank you so much for showing it.
Lol cgi
You did great explaining. I really appreciate it because we don't all know a lot about what is going on.
I like seeing this perspective view. I have been lucky enough to watch 14 shuttle launches while living in Titusville back in the late '80s & early '90s. Thanks.
I think these videos are very helpful for those less versed in spaceflight tech. You explained Falcon in a way that my mother would understand, and that's quite a feat!
I would love to like this comment but unfortunately I cannot add a like to the current 69 likes
One little note: Falcon 9 is not falling during the boost-back burn, in fact, it continues to gain altitude well after the end of the burn (at roughly 3:23 min into the flight). During the Transporter 6 mission, the booster eventually crested at 146 km roughly 4:31 min into the flight. - Edit: Sorry, KZhead is reading the mission elapsed times as timestamps for this video, resulting in nonsense links.
It's falling (ballistic) the instant the engines are off. Whether it still has some upward momentum is a red herring unless it has escape/orbital velocity and vector. But it lacks that velocity, so it's falling back to Earth, period.
@@linuxgeex He is talking about the boost-back burn. At this point the rocket is climbing again to increase time of flight for the return. Although Some on the forum have said that this is not always the case.
Yes, and the boost-back burn is a horizontal vector to cancel horizontal thrust and return to the cape. There is also quite a bit of slewing (horizontal flying) by the booster after the entry burn, so the return is more than just a ballistic trajectory. (If the booster loses complete control, it's ballistic flight will leave it short of the lz and it will fall into the water)
@@alankott3129 Even then the boost-back isn't adding velocity. It's actually cancelling out the horizontal component of the vector away from the LZ, and it's still ballistic, which is falling, even if it's falling up temporarily. The flamey bit needs to be pointed a different direction for it not to be falling. NSF is right, he's wrong. Though he's understandably wrong, ie it's not an easy concept for people new to rocketry that you can be *falling* *up.*
@@isbjorneliassen Agreed, but ballistic is the overwhelming flight behaviour, lol. They have a small amount of discretion *where* it is falling, but they reserve what little discretion they have *whether* it is falling for the last few seconds so they don't make a crater ;-)
I've seen quite a few failures when it came to landing those boosters to reuse. I remember when they nailed it, it was a pretty big moment in my eyes. Now successful mission after successful mission.
Very nicely put together video with commentary and inserts.
Simplified without being "dumbed down". Precise explanations with awesome visual examples. As always, great job! Thank you JG and NSF for everything you provide!!
I think the part of the legs deploying because of momentum didn't require a long explanation of what momentum is. Other than that, I agree.
"Whatever you wanna call it" multiple times lol. Precise.
fake af lol
@@Grafight23 haha I was just going to say this 😅
@@MHollywood5 i'd think its pretty precise to call you a prick.
Thanks John, can't get enough of the coverage from SpaceX.
You like cartoons, Eh?
This was a great explination of some things I knew, some things if didn't, and connecting them all together. Looking forward to more of this type of content!!!
Another thing that's great about this video is watching the F9's position relative to the Earth during the boost back burn. You can see it moving downrange as it flips, and then slow down, but still travel upwards as it completes its "altered" ballistic trajectory. The Earth appears to stop revolving below, but keeps getting farther away. The boost back burn is intended to change the horizontal velocity and direction of the booster, but no so much in the vertical. It starts to descend a little later.
Loved that in-depth walk through, yes! With such amazing footage, as well! Thanks Das and NSF-Team!
Agreed!
Yep, bang on! I thoroughly enjoyed watching this one. I think that all the questions were answered.
great break down of everything that happens , like the back drop to your video too from the Martian film, its the Hab. Very cool. Thanks for you commentary !
The greatest show on earth 😊
Been watching NSF and similar content streams for years, familiar with everything you described. Yet, this was perhaps the best overall description of an RTLS F9 mission because of the format. Thanks to spaceX for sharing this footage and everything they have made public and Please provide more content in this format going forward!
Great talk through, thanks Das and NSF team.
I learned more about rocket launches in this video than ive ever learned throughout my life! Thanks!
You need to put out more videos like this!!! Your vibe is welcoming and The indepth explanations of what's going on without sounding arrogant or patronizing is what I appreciate the most.
One of the best NSF videos by far! Great explanation!
Yes!
I hope that Spacex tells us one day how they refurbish the boosters. That would be so awesome to know what the process is and how much is actually refurbished! Awesome video as always!
I think their potential competitors would love to know that process.
@@robertweinmann9408 indeed!
well done John. Been following falcon ( SpaceX ) for years , good explanations of flame color or shape at different levels of atmospheric pressure to no pressure
Why didn’t you put a link to the actual video?
Great work, Das & @NASASpaceflight!
The bit which fascinated me was that you can clearly see the rocket continuing to climb after separation and pitchover... then it fires the slowdown burn and starts heading earthward. Brilliant stuff.
Outstanding video. The genius of it all. The brilliant minds behind all this is just amazing. Well done JG. Oh yeah, I'm subscribed.
Clear , concise explanation of the launch sequence. Would like more detailed video of the flight path and orientation of the booster.
"Everything can be an UFO, if you’re really bad in identifying flying objects." Made my day!
@saschay2k. But when you Master your skills, you can identify them, easier. Nasa is a side-dish of the Bible. Both have same purpose. Distract humanity’s mind. Only lazy parrots are submerged into the Lie. But the Bible gives you hints. Nasa doesnt, nor the Gov.
Yes. I like these fuller, more complete, explanations!
I really enjoyed your commentary on this video. It was very informative and just really cool fun facts to know about all the workings of a take off and landing. Good job nerd. I've subscribed. Lol
Anything is possible with camera magic.
Unreal engine new updated looks legit
So does Transformers 1 -4.
The flight clip (first 35 secs) is compelling! One of the most amazing things I’ve seen in years.
Thank you for doing this. It really helps me understand more of what is going on during a launch and landing. I am grateful that SpaceX is mindful enough of the public to share this with us.
I don't care how many times I watch a booster landing, it still blows my mind that it's even possible!! :o)
😂😂😂
@@James-zp5poBecause it's possible.
Thank you very much, it was a wonderful explanation as to what was happening.
"Everything can be a UFO if you're really bad at identifying flying objects" quote of the year so far
This is a very well done video. Really appreciate the excellent commentary. I would love to see more videos like this!
It really isn’t a well done video unless clouds can rotate 180 and keep its complex intricate shape to be a backdrop for the launch direction and the assent direction IMPOSSIBLE
@@rickyevans5822 Lol, I love it when flat earth people launch themselves up in homemade steam rockets strapped to an rv and accidentally unlive themselves to prove the flat earth.
@@thefunniestfarm4731oh that guy wasn’t a flat earther. He was just using the flat earthers money to have fun in his life. God bless that man.
@@Slacker_eepy If that's the case, too bad he couldn't make it to orbit on their money :( Would have been epic fun.
@@thefunniestfarm4731 for sure. It kinda makes that guy more of a legend to me, as he literally scammed the flat earthers with their stupidity.
Yes, please more of these videos. This was fantastic. Great narrator.
Well, shucks. Thanks! - Guy in the video.
BOOTLICKER🤡🐑🤡💥
Why is it that just moments after take-off, when the land is still clearly the launch area, the edge of the Earth's curve comes into sight? Aren't there meant to be miles and miles of sea before we see that?
The booster was already extremely high up when the horizon became visible. By then you are able to see hundreds of miles of the ocean.
Please do more of these videos. Das does a great job explaining these videos. His energy is so wonderful as he explains these issues.
I just really like the way you explain this, you are easy to understand and get into little details without getting too geeky. Hope you continue and would like to see similar vid on starship.
This video brought me to your channel, pretty damn cool.. Thank you for posting this.
Never seen one of these vids. That was a heck of a good commentary ty for sharing your channel.
Been watching NSF for years now. Great commentary and video-love your work-thanks as always!
So what your saying is You've been watching NASA deception for years 😂
I love hearing Das' enthusiasm for rockets
I’m looking forward 2 watching more of your work thank you!!!!!
This was super cool! Can't wait to show my grandkids. They are all about space and rockets and etc
This video has generated a lot of interest.
Love the narrated commentary. More please! Keep up all the great work you guys do @NASASpaceflight!
Thank you for showing this makes me think there really is some crazy things that we cant see like in the movie geostorm
I loved this and this was the first video of this channel Ive ever watched.
Please continue to cover topics like this. I'm not an engineer and found this information informative and easy to understand.
Every landing I witness makes me giddy inside.
Thanks Das for the deep dive that was cool! I knew a lot of that but it was still nice to get a play by play break down. I know NSF does have a lot of great coverage options but I would enjoy more of these.
I’ve lived in brevard for thirty years. Seeing rockets going up all the time became normal. But when space x had the first reentry landing coming in, they did it at night and I had no idea they were shooting a rocket off. I literally thought we were getting nuked or invaded by something cause it just pops through the clouds. (It was a really cloudy night) one of the coolest things I’ve seen in my life right up there with the total solar eclipse, which I had to drive a few states up to fully see the moon cover the sun. Amazing as hell and so happy to have been blessed to do so.
Yes please to more of these! To include each stage of falcon and starship. I don't have the time to follow as closely as you folks can and a concentration look at all of them is a great thing. Thanks NSF. You folks are awsome!!!
One of the best NSF videos by far! Great explanationn an yes, I like these fuller, more complete, explanations! You (NSF-team) should do more of these analytic videos.
I love how you explained everything, so fascinating. :)
Extremely WELL done video, commentary, and presentation!! CHEERS lad!
12:13 YES please do more of these commentary videos! They are very informative, have great hosts and are very well produced! I yust love them! Please!
No matter how many times I see them land these boosters I am still just as amazed when I see it. Just incredible what they are doing at SpaceX
They make great CGI and also launch some rockets
???cucu@@climbingworkouts
Oh yeah being a hypocrite is truly amazing. Advocating for clean burning emissions through EV’s, while dumping 741,000 lbs of CO2 into our atmosphere every time a falcon 9 launches. Truly remarkable stuff they’re doing….
Insightful analysis. The fact that we're now able to reuse the boosters, saves so much money.
It would be nice if they removed the fish eye lens, making field of view spherical instead of flat.
Don't say flat, you're going to excite the weird people
Thank you so much!!! This was a great video! Please if possible make more these, they are so informative
This was an awesome explanation and I would LOVE to see more videos like this. You did a really good job of explaining things and keeping it interesting.
It's not rocket science
Yes, please do more commentary. Excellent, thank you!
So glad I found this channel such an amazing video
Yes please do more videos like this and I think the question everyone was really asking about was the cords inside the innerstage that you see dangling during stage separation. Also even though it might be old could you do one of these types of videos on the space shuttle. I grew up with them and was in the 5th grade when we lost Challenger. Up until that point she was for some reason my favorite vehicle and I was very sad that day. I was sad for Columbia as well but even sadder when the shuttle program was shut down and today I am proud to say that the falcon 9 and Crew Dragon is my new favorite space vehicle and can't wait to see a launch in person. Please guys at NSF keep up the great videos and thank the whole team for bringing us such great material. You guys are Awesome
5yrs old, such EM damage it caused . hahahahha
That is a really cool video from SpaceX
It's one I've begged for, for so long! Now they need to do the same thing in their livestreams a single take livestream on board the f9 and also a full single tracking camera video would be great!
Very cool production! Thank you
Bro, I think I'm ready for SpaceX. After that great analysis and insight I am not as clueless as yesterday 😂Thanx
I enjoyed the narrative. I had seen the video and understood the general principles of what I saw, but your narrative made things clearer. Thanks!
Excellent review John. Would love to see more of these when possible. Thank you!
Hi John, cool video walk-through - thank you!!
That was a great video with detailed information about the workings of the rocket and launch area. Great Work! Thank You!
Great video! I grew up here on the Space Coast, watching launches ever since the first Mercury rockets. I still get a thrill with every launch! And I really appreciate these informative videos.
Oh so you’ve seen the fake launches first hand?
@@eezz7822 stop being a dumbass person trying to deny what people seen with their own eyes.
they put this videos in the algorithm so u dont see what u really looking for
Excellent video, super interesting, thanks for sharing. Would like to see more like this!
Need more "Das explains" videos, this was cool to watch
I love these kinds of breakdowns! I'm not well-enough educated to notice them myself, but I absolutely love to learn about them. These kinds of videos are my favorite. Please keep them coming! (Especially as we start to get starship videos...)
i bet within the next decade a human can really walk on the moon
@@KillerCuddles-fc6kgcan’t walk on something that’s not a rock
@@eezz7822 I did... I walked on a tree branch after I climbed the tree
@@KillerCuddles-fc6kg .... dude what? You missed me point entirely.
@@eezz7822 LMAO Did I? ;-)
❤❤❤ Definitely do your commentary alongside the camera taken. Thoroughly enjoying it ❤❤ “
Wonderful Please do this more often
This was an awesome examination of the video. Explains all those things we see happening one after the other. The mechanical choreography of this rocket is magnificent. Yes, please do more analysis :)
Doesn't quite explain that mouse in the vacuum of space
Brilliant vid Das, sharp, concise, and extremely informative. Definitely add these type of videos to the channels repertoire
Incredible play by play. More please
At VAFB SLC-4E the flame bucket would direct hot exhaust from Titan III and IV rockets onto a hillside across from the pad 1000 feet away. In summer and fall the hillside would catch fire. Base FD always plowed a big firebreak around the area before launches.
Yes more of this please! Maybe do one for drone ship landing or this but for Falcon Heavy. That would be cool.
Their pinned message is them saying Falcon Heavy coming soon. So :)
@@Vatsyayana87 oh lol Im dumb. I didn't see that the first time lol.
@@forge_gamer5174 lol, i only see the pinned if im just going through looking for questions i might have an answer for.
This is the context I love from you guys. Keep up the amazing work.
Good video i live about 45 min away from cape Canaveral i can see the launches fron my house
So amazing to see this.. we live in such an amazing day and age. Im glad to be here to witness it all.
🤡🤡🤡🤡🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
@@jameyrobbins13 astounding comment you made of yourself.
Hi beloved NSF team. I've been watching your channel for years and I'm always amazed at what we users can learn about it. Whether from your live show (especially the cooperation with the museum in NY, with their super presenter). And I prefer to see your launch-coverings by far (or, for example, the evaluation of the environmental requirements for Boca). So thank you very much again and good luck Thom, Alex, Michael, Jack, Chris B. (hey, you have so many great talents among you and yours stands out too!), Adrian, Ian (!), Colin, Katya, Mary, Mark, Julia, Brady, Haygen, Trevor, Leo, Anthony, Danny, Mihir, Tobias, Tyler, Lee, Will, Pete and last but certainly not least John! (Sorry if I didn't name anyone and thanks for the people behind the scenes too!). All the best for your channel and you personally!
Oh man, one of my favorite videos from you guys ever. Which is saying so much. Well done Das and well done team.
Very informative. The sonic booms they produce when landing, always scare my dog. :) But I think they're super cool!
That was fantastic! Highly informative and a Fascinating glimpse into a world i know very little about. Great upload thanks!
That was absolutely awesome John.. Most people go thru life never getting the opportunity to see something like that up and close... Then to have everything explained like you did... Gives someone like me the entire package.. if you want to call it that. So thank you. If you keep producing.. I'll keep watching..
I have a couple of bridged I want to sell are you interested??? You bumb enough to belive space I said why not ask .
See WHAT?????? WHAT DID WE MISS? BESIDES THIS CGI SHOWING ZERO LAND,ZERO STARS,NO 'ENTRY' NO 'EXIT' 😂!! JUST EDITED CGI BULL💩 AS USUAL,AND WHOS THE GUY UR FOLLOWING??? WHO MADE HIM THE LIAR TO FURTHER MISLEAD FOLLOWERS???
Great video, thanks Das!