2007-F02
Falcon 1 Demo Flight 2, with payload carrying AFSS (Autonomous Flight Safety System) and LCT2.
LCT2 (Low Cost TDRSS Transceiver) is a low-cost transceiver for launch vehicles that would allow them to relay telemetry to the ground through the agency's TDRS satellites. The current goal of the LCT2 effort is to produce a transceiver that will significantly lower the flight hardware costs required to communicate through NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and will meet the suborbital and orbital launch vehicle needs for Space Based Range Communications (SBRC).
AFSS (Autonomous Flight Safety System) is a real-time onboard hardware and software system for tracking and possible flight termination. AFSS is designed primarily for small expendable vehicles at remote launch sites where providing traditional ground-based range safety infrastructure, including radio frequency (RF) communication and command links, radar stations, data processing, display facilities, and trained operators, would be extremely expensive. Advantages of using AFSS include global coverage and decreased costs during remote launch site operations.
Remains attached to Falcon stage 2 (although one report claimed it separated).
Planned orbit 330 x 684 km x 9 deg. Actual velocity 5.1 km/s and apo 289 km.
Slosh instability in second stage caused the launch to fail - it was addressed with baffles in later missions.
| F2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Mar 21 | 0110 | Launch from Omelek | |
| T+2:50? Stage 1 sep | |||
| T+2:55? Stage 2 burn, planned 6.5min | |||
| T+3:20 Fairing | |||
| T+4:25 Oscillation in control system | |||
| Oscillation grows with time | |||
| T+7:54 Stage 2 cutoff | |||
| Stage 2 sep from payload? 5.1 km/s | -4200? x 289 x 9 | ||
| Payload and stage 2 reentry | |||
