Sunday`s Hispasat mission scrubbed due to fairing issues:
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/967270883713679360Standing down from this weekend's launch attempt to conduct additional testing on the fairing’s pressurization system. Once complete, and pending range availability, we will confirm a new targeted launch date.
OCISLY and companions where already on their way, now facing some waiting time at sea or return?
I really loved the progress they made on fairing recovery and looking at that fairing in the water, they are almost there. Yet their recovery effords tests the customer`s paitience a lot it seems. This was the second fairing related delay.
Looking forward, they need two fast fairing recovery ships, up to three ASDS for FH, three tugs, and three support ships to recover every possible reusable item. That`s a fleet of 8 ships making scrubs pretty expensive in the future. Should add considerable fixed cost having them waiting between down range landing missions.
The russians wouldn`t need those as they have uninhabited space downrange to land their boosters and fairungs if they copy the concept.
Spacex`s recovery concept seems the most promising -and the only working of course- now. I do not understand BlueOrigins concept of using a big ship for landing. Much more dangerous, much more fix costs than a ASDS and a tug with mission only costs, serving other customers in between the missions. And if they have an engine failure like FH center core but hiting the ship, loosing it would be much more expensive than replacing what is essentially a barge with some added station-keeping propulsion. Wil be interesting to see if they really go this way.