SpaceX (general discussion)

[.Tyler H]

I am building a fairly detailed model of the Falcon 9,
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/119891277@N06/36128348144/in/dateposted-public/]
and I cannot find really any pictures of the 2nd stage engine details or close up pictures of the Falcon 9 RCS systems.

Do you guys have any photos of those on here? It would be greatly appreciated.

Tyler

 

[sferrin]

SpaceX lands another while launching an X-37 into orbit.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Updated story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-07/spacex-to-launch-secret-spy-craft-mission-if-weather-cooperates

 

[Flyaway]

Elon Musk shares another photo of SpaceX’s future space suits

https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/8/16278404/spacex-nasa-space-suits-crew-dragon-elon-musk-commercial-crew

 

[sienar]

Considering that its a military payload, what are the odds of ever seen the launch/landing footage? A bit better than winning the lottery? Which is a real shame, given that the hurricane would likely make for dramatic footage after the separation.

 

[sferrin]

Considering that its a military payload, what are the odds of ever seen the launch/landing footage? A bit better than winning the lottery? Which is a real shame, given that the hurricane would likely make for dramatic footage after the separation.

What are you referring to? We already saw the 1st stage land and X-37 landings have been shown in the past. It'll probably be 2-3 years before this one comes down though, I'd think.

 

[Flyaway]

Considering that its a military payload, what are the odds of ever seen the launch/landing footage? A bit better than winning the lottery? Which is a real shame, given that the hurricane would likely make for dramatic footage after the separation.

What are you referring to? We already saw the 1st stage land and X-37 landings have been shown in the past. It'll probably be 2-3 years before this one comes down though, I'd think.

Doubt it will be three years being as OTV-6 is due to be launched in 2019.

 

[sferrin]

Considering that its a military payload, what are the odds of ever seen the launch/landing footage? A bit better than winning the lottery? Which is a real shame, given that the hurricane would likely make for dramatic footage after the separation.

What are you referring to? We already saw the 1st stage land and X-37 landings have been shown in the past. It'll probably be 2-3 years before this one comes down though, I'd think.

Doubt it will be three years being as OTV-6 is due to be launched in 2019.

It does make one wonder if they'll ever put both up at the same time.

 

[Mat Parry]

When I visited KSC ~ 2 years ago, a tour guide joked that when they towed the X-37b into the former shuttle orbiter processing vehicle building they would all make exaggerated gestures to not look at the secret spacecraft, he said it was an open joke within workers at Kennedy that it was a spy satelite.

Taking that anecdote at face value, given the number of times "responsiveness" is mentioned in the linked video below, if the second OTV was launched whilst the first was on orbit, it might be instructive to take a look at geopolitical events at the time (to work out what a second OTV might be responding to)

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5232.msg313667.html#msg313667

 

[TomS]

None of the others have launched in obvious response to specific geopolitical developments. The evidence so far seems pretty clear that whatever they're doing isn't time-sensitive surveillance.

 

[sferrin]

None of the others have launched in obvious response to specific geopolitical developments. The evidence so far seems pretty clear that whatever they're doing isn't time-sensitive surveillance.

Based on what they've said so far it sounds like they're testing a lot of different materials to see what prolonged exposure to space does. While the Shuttle came back, it was never in space for more than a week or so at a time. If one were thinking there might be a future need for large numbers of satellites they'd want to bring the cost down any way they could. Maybe they're looking at stuff that hasn't traditionally been used for making satellites.

 

[fredymac]

Spacex blooper reel. I have to imagine Blue Origin will be able to put together one of their own in the course of getting all the bugs ironed out on landing a New Glenn although hopefully with a somewhat steeper learning curve due to experience with New Shepard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ

 

[sferrin]

NASA would have said, "We quit!!!" approximately 72 times by the end of that clip.

 

[Hobbes]

You forget how many failures there were in the early days of NASA.

 

[fredymac]

I think it is the contrast with the NASA of 50 years ago that is at issue. Development tempo, launch rates, and the progress (with the attendant failures) that resulted made it possible to think "2001: A Space Odyssey" was not too far fetched. Spacex and Blue Origin are making it possible to restore some of those lost dreams even at this early stage of development. Once a profit making space tourism industry is up and running, competition and the drive for market expansion may finally pry open the door to the large scale space development everyone took for granted way back when.

 

[sferrin]

You forget how many failures there were in the early days of NASA.

NASA ain't what it used to be.

 

[Michel Van]

You forget how many failures there were in the early days of NASA.

NASA ain't what it used to be.

with new completion by Blue Origin, SpaceX and what ever the Chinese and Hindus comping up
it for ULA, Arianespace and NASA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ycDWywGls

 

[Michel Van]

I had post here several time that Chinese companies want to build reusable rockets
Here "Link Space" who build now the New Line 1 rocket
it bring 200 kilograms into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) of 250 to 550 kilometers.
using KeroLox engine and first stage is reusable
Link Space aim for launch price of $4.5 million
and if Successful bigger rockets like New Line 2 and 3

According Link Space they tested already Hardware like single vector-thrust-engine

http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/space-flight-news/footsteps-spacex-chinese-company-eyes-development-reusable-rocket/

https://www.chinaspaceflight.com/usr/uploads/2017/09/17/1505646953353779.jpg

 

[FighterJock]

I think that it is time that every aerospace company not just SpaceX and Blue Origin built reusable rockets for launching satellites into earth orbit.

 

[icyplanetnhc (Steve)]

Spacex blooper reel. I have to imagine Blue Origin will be able to put together one of their own in the course of getting all the bugs ironed out on landing a New Glenn although hopefully with a somewhat steeper learning curve due to experience with New Shepard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ

This video is glorious. ;D

Always takes some exploding fireballs before getting that new rocket technology down.

 

[TomS]

Reminds me of this from the Right Stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwi_0DEd_0

 

[Flyaway]

SpaceX forces Air Force to revise launch mindset

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The emergence of Elon Musk’s SpaceX as a legitimate and competitive player in the space-launch arena has prompted the U.S. Air Force to re-evaluate the way it perceives launch operations, said Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, commander, 45th Space Wing.

“SpaceX does not launch on schedule,” Monteith said Sept. 20 during a space warfighting panel at the annual Air Force Association Air Space Cyber Conference. “They launch on readiness.”

This launch-when-we’re-ready-to-go attitude has had an impact on SpaceX operational needs and costs, said Monteith, who also is director of the Air Force Eastern Range, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.

“They have forced us — and I mean forced us — to get better, infinitely better, at what we do,” he said. “We are adopting commercial business practices and becom[ing] more efficient and more affordable.

“Working with them, we have been able to reduce our main launch footprint by 60 percent and reduce the cost of a single launch by over 50 percent,” he said. “Based on the autonomous flight safety system they developed with us they will help us get to 48 launches a year.”

That number includes launches for all Air Force facilities and right now, he said, the service is conducting about half that launch total annually.

http://spacenews.com/spacex-forces-air-force-to-revise-launch-mindset/

 

[Flyaway]

Elon Musk is Giving an Update on SpaceX’s Mars Plans Next Week

Many have been waiting for Elon Musk's updates about SpaceX's plans for Mars, which was first revealed last year. Next week, Musk will speak in the same event where his plans were first unveiled, this time about tweaks they've made.

https://futurism.com/elon-musk-is-giving-an-update-on-spacexs-mars-plans-next-week/

 

[FighterJock]

Elon Musk is Giving an Update on SpaceX’s Mars Plans Next Week

Many have been waiting for Elon Musk's updates about SpaceX's plans for Mars, which was first revealed last year. Next week, Musk will speak in the same event where his plans were first unveiled, this time about tweaks they've made.

https://futurism.com/elon-musk-is-giving-an-update-on-spacexs-mars-plans-next-week/

I hope that SpaceX will run a live feed of the speech.

 

[Flyaway]

Regarding the question above.

Hello #IAC2017!! Will any of the sessions be webcast? @iafastro @IAC2017 @IAC_2017 If so, what's the link?

https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/912152256287567872

Hi! Unfortunately no sessions will be webcast.

https://twitter.com/iafastro/status/912157612698779648

Australia's Science Channel sez SpaceX will broadcst Musk's talk Fri and then it will have live panel disc about it.

https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/912163289102200832

 

[flanker]

It will be streamed.

 

[FighterJock]

It will be streamed.

Lets hope they also stream the speech on the SpaceX main website or their YouTube site, not many of us have Twitter accounts or want one.

 

[TomS]

It will be streamed.

Lets hope they also stream the speech on the SpaceX main website or their YouTube site, not many of us have Twitter accounts or want one.

Sounds like it's going to be on the Australia Science Channel website:

https://www.australiascience.tv/theme/iac-2017/

 

[FighterJock]

It will be streamed.

Lets hope they also stream the speech on the SpaceX main website or their YouTube site, not many of us have Twitter accounts or want one.

Sounds like it's going to be on the Australia Science Channel website:

https://www.australiascience.tv/theme/iac-2017/

Thanks TomS, any word on timings yet?

 

[Michel Van]

This link show the streaming date in local time
https://www.australiascience.tv/elons-mars-plans-live-expert-analysis/

For me it's 28 september at 22:40 brussels time

 

[Dragon029]

I recommend keeping an eye on https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/ for additional livestreams.

Elon's presentation will be at 1400 to 1500h Friday 29th September in Adelaide, Australia (UTC+9:30).

For the UK (GMT) that's 0530h Friday.
For the US east coast (EDT) that's 0030h Friday.
For the US west coast (PDT) that's 2130h Thursday.
For the Aus east coast (AEST) that's 1430h Friday.

 

[FighterJock]

I recommend keeping an eye on https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/ for additional livestreams.

Elon's presentation will be at 1400 to 1500h Friday 29th September in Adelaide, Australia (UTC+9:30).

For the UK (GMT) that's 0530h Friday.
For the US east coast (EDT) that's 0030h Friday.
For the US west coast (PDT) that's 2130h Thursday.
For the Aus east coast (AEST) that's 1430h Friday.

That is way too late for me being in the UK, I will try to catch the repeat later on during the day, that is if it available.

 

[DWG]

not many of us have Twitter accounts or want one.

?! Twitter's not a streaming media source* though you may find some interesting commentary there as a lot of the aviation journalists do have Twitter accounts.

* the closest it comes is live-tweeting, where someone presents a running commentary, I've done that for parliamentary debates in the past, and I've seen it done for stuff like trials and public inquiries, so Musk's presentation might well get covered that way by one or more of the attendees.

And Adelaide time, ugh! Try running a project with most of the team in the UK, but a significant subset in Adelaide.

 

[Flyaway]

Decent article from The Verge as to what we might expect from Mr Musk’s speech.

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2017/9/26/16360348/spacex-elon-musk-iac-mars-colonization-interplanetary-transport-system

 

[TomS]

not many of us have Twitter accounts or want one.

?! Twitter's not a streaming media source*

It actually does have some live streaming capacity now,. it used to be part of the stand-alone Periscope app but they rolled into Twitter proper a few months back.

http://mashable.com/2016/12/14/twitter-live-stream-without-periscope/#2Zu9XuMYWsq8

 

[DWG]

Wasn't aware of that (obviously!), but I tend to access Twitter via TweetDeck anyway. I'm not sure live streaming will deliver a lot of Secret Projects relevant stuff, but traditional tweets from the usual suspects (governments, journalists, corporate PR departments) often deliver relevant material.

 

[Mach42]

Official SpaceX livestream @Youtube.
https://youtu.be/S5V7R_se1Xc

Elon Musk Teaser/Spoiler: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZm88uhg1yN/
Another one: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZm_FXPg6YZ/

Considering the addition of wings for EDL, it has similarities to the LM lander, only it's massive.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Two cargo landers to Mars in 2022, two more and two manned landers in 2024. Ambitious.

 

[Michel Van]

Two cargo landers to Mars in 2022, two more and two manned landers in 2024. Ambitious.

They scale down from NOVA type rocket down to Saturn V class booster
If they manage to build and test that Big Fucking Rocket within 5 years, would be record braking.
and quite embarrassing for rest of Aerospace Companies worldwide...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqE-ultsWt0
Not Only that, they want to create Ballistic Passengers and Cargo flights around the World !!!
I wish Philip Bono were still alive, so he could see his vision (ROMBUS / PEGASUS) can become a realty.
oh By the Way, the use also BFR also as Big Dumb Booster for Satellite and very big payload launching and Recovery
ULA and Arianespace, are you ready to throw in the towel ?

here the Presentation, since SpaceX shutdown the Videostream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-f19ynm5OM

ISS and DSG crews will get familiarize, that Dragon getting a hell bigger in 2022
I wonder will Blue Origin answer BFR with "New Armstrong" ?

 

[mrmalaya]

I know it's fashionable to go all giddy at anything Elon Musk says (Lord knows the BBC got very hot under the collar about this ), but surely there is room for a BFR full of scepticism here?