Massive ‘Fishnet’ for SpaceX Falcon Fairing Catches Mounted on Mr. Steven: Photos

Workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Mr Steven arrived in port on Feb. 11, 2019 after sailing from the US West Coast.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Ken Kremer - - SpaceUpclose.com & RocketSTEM - - 15 February 2019

PORT CANAVERAL, FL – Mr. Steven is taking shape and now sports his nifty fairing ‘fishnet’ and its unlike anything ever seen here on the Florida Space Coast.

The massive fishnet that will be used to catch falling nose cones from SpaceX Falcon rocket launches was mounted on the unique boat whimsically named Mr. Steven by dock workers Thursday afternoon, Feb. 14.

Giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Mr Steven arrived in port on Feb. 11, 2019 after sailing from the US West Coast.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The first chance to put Mr.  Steven to use could potentially happen as soon as next week following a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch tentatively slated for Thursday evening, Feb 21.

Mr. Steven sailed into Port Canaveral for the first time just this week early Monday morning, Feb. 11 after a two week voyage from the Port of Los Angeles.  Read our story here. 

Overhead view of Mr. Steven after workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Since then workers have wasted no time readying Mr. Steven to nab nose cones falling from the sky and spent the past few days outfitting the ship first with 4 massive arms.

Then on Thursday afternoon the workers set about attaching what looks like a giant ‘trampoline’ or ‘fishing net’ which functions as a huge ‘catchers mitt’ to catch used payload fairing halves descending by parachute in mid-air after rocket launches - but before they hit the ocean and suffer corrosion by salts and structural damage by impact.

Workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt mid-air before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Next the captain took the fully rigged Mr Steven out for a brief spin, unberthed and turned the ship 180 degrees around in the ports channel in a test exercise – right beside the OCISLY ocean going drone ship used for sea landings of the spent Falcon 9 first stages.

SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven is fully outfitted with giant ‘fishnet’ and turns 180 degrees in Port Canaveral on Feb 14, 2011 in a test operation. Credit: Jean Wright/Space UpClose

Credit: Jean Wright/Space UpClose

Credit: Jean Wright/Space UpClose

Enjoy our gallery of Space UpClose images taken in Port Canaveral.

SpaceX naval fleet of 4 ships berthed side by side including Mr. Steven after workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Overhead view of SpaceX naval fleet of 4 ships including Mr. Steven after workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Its quite a sight seeing the SpaceX naval fleet of four ships berthed side by side in Port Canaveral, highlighted by the improbable looking Mr. Steven.

Mr Steven will try and catch the fairings with the giant trampoline-like net as they fall from the sky beneath a parachute before smashing into the sea waters.  

Workers mount giant trampoline like ‘fishnet’ attached to four massive arms onto SpaceX’s nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven on Feb 14, 2019 docked in Port Canaveral, FL. The giant net will try to catch falling payload fairings before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Its berthed beside Crew Dragon recovery vessel GO Navigator with hoisting crane and mockup capsule on deck. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX has tried this netting attempt scenario several times already on the West Coast after Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg AFB, California but not yet succeeded.  Although the ship has come close a few times and almost succeeded on the last attempt.

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The twin payload fairings are bolted on top of SpaceX’s Falcon family of rockets and protect the valuable cargo payloads housed inside from destructive aerodynamic forces after launch as the rocket pierces the Earth’s atmosphere. The fairing halves then separate and are jettisoned about 4 minutes after launch and then normally descend in  a free fall and crash into the ocean. 

SpaceX hope to change that past paradigm with Mr. Steven. 

Workers crane a payload fairing half off the deck of SpaceX’s newly arrived nose cone catching ship named Mr. Steven after it sailed into Port Canaveral, FL, on Feb. 11, 2019. The ship will use a giant net to catch falling payload fairings with a giant catchers mitt before they are damaged by splashdown in the ocean. Two fairings on deck in this photo. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

SpaceX CEO and billionaire founder Elon Musk says the ultimate goal is to recover and recycle the nose cone fairings for another launch and thereby help slash the high cost of access to space.

Musk says the payload fairings cost about $6 million out of an overall cost of about $60 million for a new Falcon 9 rocket. That’s contributing roughly 10% and thus counts as a significant share of the overall cost. 

The approximately 5500 mile (8800 km) voyage from the West Coast Port of Los Angeles to the East Coast Port took about 13 days and passed through the Panama Canal. 

Mr. Steven was transporting two fairing halves and the four massive arms on its deck during the long voyage which were easily visible upon its arrival. They were craned off by early Monday afternoon. 

See our photos showing the arrival and craning operation. 

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch is currently slated for Feb. 21 carrying the Nusantara Satu communications satellite for Indonesia and the SpaceIL Beresheet lunar lander.

For more all on this Fox 35 Orlando interviewed me about Mr. Steven’s arrival and fairing recovery goals. 

http://www.fox35orlando.com/news/local-news/spacex-boat-hopes-to-revolutionize-how-we-launch-and-recycle-rockets

Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose interviewed on Fox 35 TV News Orlando about SpaceX Mr. Steven boat and payload fairing recovery goals on Feb 11, 2019. Credit: Fox 35/Ken Kremer

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed on TV and radio about space topics.

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Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS,  NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:

Feb 20/22: “SpaceX Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale