I flew down for the event.
You can get remarkably close to the rocket before they close the roads,

It was spectacular.
I was exactly 5 miles from the pad when it launched.

Paul that is amazing.
Please go on ….

Lots of crackle? Did your clothes shake?

Super cool and very close! I was 10 miles from the shuttle launch and that seemed real close.

Chip-

My sons handheld cell phone video of the launch.
Amazingly good...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMEja1XsZHQ

I haven't seen any on ship video yet, is SpaceX holding that back?

Also, FAA announce they will be "investigating" the "incident". I sure hope it is not another 7 months before they can fly again.

Mike C.

Anyone know anything about the photo that seems to show missing thermal tiles? Is it designed to survive re-entry with any missing tiles?

I’m sure they must have video from the ship, not sure why they didn’t broadcast it.

FAA sound like they’ll do what they did in the past; supervise SpaceX’ root cause investigation and approve the final result. There won’t need to be an environmental impact study because the pad worked fine. I think whatever delay there is will center on the cause of the two anomalies and how long they take to resolve.

Scott Manley talks about the missing tiles in his most recent video.

Thursday went CRQ TO LRU to SAT pickup an old rocketry friend...
Went SAT to HRL via a tour around boca chica.
Spent two days in a hotel on south padre island.
Friday we drove over to star base and the launch site and marveled on how bit it was and how close they let you get.

Saturday morning got up early to get into Isla Blanca park and watched the launch.
We were exactly 5 miles from the launch. Was really clear to see, seemed less loud than a shuttle launch I saw at 4.1mi.
Sound had a bit of a crackle, but it was missing the deep chest vibrating bass I remember from the shuttle. Probably something about 33 noise sources being more random and not setting up the deep beat frequency from the two big solids going in and out of phase.

The plume was noticeably brighter white.

Around noon went HRL to SKF (SAT was $$$$$) dropped off friend to catch uber to SAT and flight home.
Then SKF to LRU to CRQ 13 total flight hours in the aerostar.
Had a 35kn tailwind going and a 53kn headwind coming back.

I will 100% return to watch the first flight that tries to fly back and land the booster at the launch site.

Was at the south tip of Padre. Awesome show. The “crackle” actually shook the balcony we were standing on.

Chris C.

Thanks for the on-scene color.
Jealous of you guys.

Scott’s video was insightful, I thought.

I need to try to make one.
T

[youtube]https://youtu.be/hF2C7xE9Mj4[/youtube]

Scott seems to provide the best analysis.

Mike C.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/hF2C7xE9Mj4[/youtube]

Scott seems to provide the best analysis.

Mike C.

And he is a (Cirrus) pilot.

TJ

I've always been curious....

Suppose a person was "cast away" behind a concrete wall adjacent to the tower, or standing up on the tower just behind a steel wall.

If you manage to avoid incineration what does all the overpressure and sound do?