- Aug 28, 2014
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Space Flight Updates - Russia pullingout of ISS?
- Thread starter ThreatMatrix
- Start date
- Jul 16, 2018
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- Aug 28, 2014
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Elon made a poor choice with Boca Chica for his scheme of rapid testing. They can't launch on the weekends and wind is a real problem in that area. They only have 3 maybe 4 days a week that they can launch. Plus they put the shipyard on the opposite side of the road from the launch complex. So even if they built another road they'd still have to close the beach access road to get across it. And they have to make a sharp 160 degree turn when transporting rockets to the pad. AND the locals bytch about environmental impact. They really should move the operation to the cape.
They were ready to go last week but the weather got in the way then the weekend came and now Monday is the day but the winds are suppose to be high again.
They were ready to go last week but the weather got in the way then the weekend came and now Monday is the day but the winds are suppose to be high again.
- Aug 28, 2014
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ITAR won't let him.
They could move it all to the Cape. They have the Robert's road facility and are leasing Launch Pad 39A (as well as SLC-40). It would solve a lot of their problems.
- Aug 28, 2014
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SN15 nailed the landing.
It was pretty overcast so the videos aren't great. Main improvement were the Raptor engines. Interestingly they didn't have to replace any of the new Raptors after static fire tests. All flights before with old raptors at least one Raptor was replaced.
During the previous attempts there were fires in the engine bay but I didn't see any during this flight. However after it landed something caught fire which burned for a while. The water canons didn't seem to do a very good job of putting it out but it went out eventually. The other thing that was different was that the pad ninjas got out to the safe the vehicle really fast.
It was pretty overcast so the videos aren't great. Main improvement were the Raptor engines. Interestingly they didn't have to replace any of the new Raptors after static fire tests. All flights before with old raptors at least one Raptor was replaced.
During the previous attempts there were fires in the engine bay but I didn't see any during this flight. However after it landed something caught fire which burned for a while. The water canons didn't seem to do a very good job of putting it out but it went out eventually. The other thing that was different was that the pad ninjas got out to the safe the vehicle really fast.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Founding Member
It was a beautiful thing to watch....... I wish the video was better but "you get what you pay for"......
Historic day for SpaceX and Humanity in general.
It wasn't a perfect landing, it was just barely on the concrete, but all in all a Triumph of Engineering.
Historic day for SpaceX and Humanity in general.
It wasn't a perfect landing, it was just barely on the concrete, but all in all a Triumph of Engineering.
- Aug 28, 2014
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Starship orbital attempt filed. No Early than June 20
What steps need to be completed to get there?
1) Looks like they will be relaunching SN15 it- it has been placed on the launch stand.
2) The Orbital tower needs a lot of work but they can prolly get that finished by July
3) Finish building the booster.
- Staging 170 seconds into flight
- Booster will splashdown in gulf 20 miles downrange.
- Starship will perform a "soft landing" 62 miles NW of Kauai
What steps need to be completed to get there?
1) Looks like they will be relaunching SN15 it- it has been placed on the launch stand.
2) The Orbital tower needs a lot of work but they can prolly get that finished by July
3) Finish building the booster.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Founding Member
I wish they would try to land but I can see the wisdom in not wanting to risk infrastructure on the first orbital launch.
Still, this promises to be quiet the show.
I still have concerns about the stability of the whole thing on the launch table. Every other tall Booster is supported by a gantry, SpaceX doesn't seem to think that's necessary.
Still, this promises to be quiet the show.
I still have concerns about the stability of the whole thing on the launch table. Every other tall Booster is supported by a gantry, SpaceX doesn't seem to think that's necessary.
- Aug 28, 2014
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They'll have the tower completed for launch only it won't have the catching mechanism - whatever the hell that's going to be.
- Aug 28, 2014
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1) Virgin Galactic successful launched their suborbital space plane which is kind of a big deal. This is totally a tourist thing. You get about a two hour flight in space and land like an airplane. It's one helluva a lot better than Blue Origins stupid 5 minute carnival ride hop in the New Shepard.
2) The orbital launch tower at SpaceX Boca Chica adds section 2 of 8. Section 3 & 4 are complete and, who knows might get mounted this week.
2) The orbital launch tower at SpaceX Boca Chica adds section 2 of 8. Section 3 & 4 are complete and, who knows might get mounted this week.
- Aug 28, 2014
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So let's see what else is going on while SpaceX continues the build out.
Apparently SpaceX launched SN8 without FAA approval. In fact the FAA specifically denied permission. But as we know SpaceX launched anyway. The day of the launch SpaceX (including Elon) met with the FAA to discuss weather software. SpaceX's software said that upper winds were safe, the FAA's software said it wasn't. To make a long story short, the countdown clock was paused for an hour while meetings were going on. After an hour the clock was restarted because nobody told the launch controller otherwise. The meeting broke up minutes before planned lift-off and an FAA official even called Launch Control and told them not to launch. However they just figured the FAA didn't have the latest info so they continued the launch.
The fallout has been that congress got involved*. Also the FAA told SpaceX to clean up their act particularly communications between launch day personal. SpaceX doesn't trust the FAA's weather software which they consider inaccurate and errs conservatively. So SpaceX offered to add some weather equipment at their own expense to help the FAA out. This appears to be as far as it goes except...
* The congressional investigation has been instigated by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Cantwell is from the great state of Washington which happens to be the headquarters of Blue Origin. Blue just lost the HLS contract to SpaceX. So Cantwell is doing anything she can to discredit SpaceX.
Apparently SpaceX launched SN8 without FAA approval. In fact the FAA specifically denied permission. But as we know SpaceX launched anyway. The day of the launch SpaceX (including Elon) met with the FAA to discuss weather software. SpaceX's software said that upper winds were safe, the FAA's software said it wasn't. To make a long story short, the countdown clock was paused for an hour while meetings were going on. After an hour the clock was restarted because nobody told the launch controller otherwise. The meeting broke up minutes before planned lift-off and an FAA official even called Launch Control and told them not to launch. However they just figured the FAA didn't have the latest info so they continued the launch.
The fallout has been that congress got involved*. Also the FAA told SpaceX to clean up their act particularly communications between launch day personal. SpaceX doesn't trust the FAA's weather software which they consider inaccurate and errs conservatively. So SpaceX offered to add some weather equipment at their own expense to help the FAA out. This appears to be as far as it goes except...
* The congressional investigation has been instigated by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Cantwell is from the great state of Washington which happens to be the headquarters of Blue Origin. Blue just lost the HLS contract to SpaceX. So Cantwell is doing anything she can to discredit SpaceX.
- Aug 28, 2014
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Rocket Labs is legit*. Peter Beck found a niche market in delivering very light payloads <300kg. In the past if you wanted to launch a cube sat you had to wait until you could get a ride share on a medium or heavy lift rocket which were booked way out. Their rockets (Electron) are very small but innovative. Made of carbon fiber, with 3D printed engines and battery powered turbo pumps. When the battery dies they dump the heavy batteries. For their next trick they will catch a booster under parachute with a helicopter.
Recently they announced they are developing a larger rocket (Neutron) capable of up to 8 mT to LEO and 1.5 mT to Mars.
In addition to the rockets, they have also developed the Photon spacecraft which has propulsion, command and control and communications. It's a smart idea. Instead of designing a satellite vehicle from the ground up you just have to design your satellite electronics. For the Mars contract NASA has asked them to use a Photon AND design the satellite. It doesn't look like a launch vehicle has been selected yet but I suspect if Neutron is available they'll select it.
*Out of 20 launches they have lost two payloads which is not good but hopefully is just growing pains. The last failure was in May but the FAA has already approved resuming launches.
Recently they announced they are developing a larger rocket (Neutron) capable of up to 8 mT to LEO and 1.5 mT to Mars.
In addition to the rockets, they have also developed the Photon spacecraft which has propulsion, command and control and communications. It's a smart idea. Instead of designing a satellite vehicle from the ground up you just have to design your satellite electronics. For the Mars contract NASA has asked them to use a Photon AND design the satellite. It doesn't look like a launch vehicle has been selected yet but I suspect if Neutron is available they'll select it.
*Out of 20 launches they have lost two payloads which is not good but hopefully is just growing pains. The last failure was in May but the FAA has already approved resuming launches.
- Aug 28, 2014
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How do you move a 70 meter rocket down a public road? Very carefully.
If you can picture it with a 50 meter Starship on top.
If you can picture it with a 50 meter Starship on top.
- Aug 28, 2014
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BTW if you're not following the tweet wars between Elon and Tory Bruno (CEO/ULA) you are missing out. Elon is livid about ULA's monopolistic practices and he's letting Tory feel his full wrath.
