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Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) SpaceX and Boeing developments

Discussion in 'SpaceX' started by Grendal, May 12, 2016.

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  1. Nikxice

    Nikxice Active Member

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    Wonder if SpaceX will eventually share more info about this Crew Dragon "test article". Most of the previous chute test videos they've shared appear to be aerodynamic boilerplate spacecraft. There's also a couple of clips that show tests performed with angular, almost box shaped type craft. Overall, it looks like only a minor hiccup as SpaceX nears completion of chute testing.

    Other than the possibility of COVID-19 creating a launch delay, SpaceX and NASA also want more to learn more about the Merlin engine failure on Starlink-5. A quote from the link below, "Musk said that a “thorough investigation” would be required before the rocket’s next launch."
    NASA to participate in SpaceX engine anomaly investigation - SpaceNews.com
     
    • Informative x 1
  2. Watts_Up

    Watts_Up Active Member

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    • Informative x 1
  3. Cosmacelf

    Cosmacelf Well-Known Member

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  4. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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    I have seen so many flat out incorrect online headlines about that news.
     
  5. Nikxice

    Nikxice Active Member

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    For the time being there's probably good reason for SpaceX to hold off publishing any photos or video of this chute test. Would guess that rags like the Daily Mail would be tempted to publish even more shameful headlines.

    SpaceX Crew Dragon Destroyed in Remote U.S. Desert
    Test Article Impacted Ground at Terminal Velocity :rolleyes:
     
  6. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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  7. Nikxice

    Nikxice Active Member

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    The "worm" on the F9 booster looks good. Funny mention in the article because I never thought of the worm as retro. The "meatball" is considered to be the traditional NASA retro logo. When NASA first introduced the worm in the mid-70's it was scorned by employees and also some in the public. Today both logos are popular, the meatball is even quite "hip" on kids T-shirts.
    https://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/08/the-saga-of-nasas-short-lived-lost-logo/
    Side story. My dad worked 40 years in CT as an engineer for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. One day in the early 80's I can remember him coming home from work absolutely livid. He wasn't alone. The company had decided to replace the company logo with a more space age design. A few years later it was a happy day at home when the company had finally caved, even hosting a special reveal to reintroduce the original Pratt & Whitney flying eagle logo, including the words at the bottom, Dependable Engines.
     
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  8. mongo

    mongo Well-Known Member

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    Boeing to refly uncrewed demo mission
    Twitter

    In October or November
     
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  9. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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  10. Nikxice

    Nikxice Active Member

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    second Starliner vehicle at no cost to the taxpayer." It's great that Bailout Boeing is reminding everyone that they've got this covered. For accounting purposes, factoring the U.S. government is set to fork over billions of dollars to keep them from folding really needn't be a consideration.
     
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  11. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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  12. Nikxice

    Nikxice Active Member

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    Some remarkable news reported this evening from Michael Baylor on Twitter.

    Michael Baylor
    @nextspaceflight

    SpaceX has been given NASA approval to fly flight-proven Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon vehicles during Commercial Crew flights starting with Post-Certification Mission 2, per a modification to SpaceX's contract with NASA.


    Below is a link to the contract requirements. The document shows a signed date of May 15, 2020, so it looks like this deal was in the works well before the launch of DM-2. Modification 78 can be found in the last paragraph.
    https://beta.sam.gov/awards/90121604+IDV

    MOD 78: THE PURPOSE OF THIS BILATERAL MODIFICATION IS TO EXTEND THE DEMO-2 FLIGHT TEST FROM TWO WEEKS TO UP TO 119 DAYS AND ADD THE REQUIREMENT FOR 45TH OPERATIONS GROUP DETACHMENT 3 (DET-3) JOINT TEST TRAINING FOR PCM-1 THROUGH PCM-6 IN EXCHANGE FOR ALLOWING REUSE OF THE FALCON 9 LAUNCH VEHICLE AND CREW DRAGON SPACECRAFT BEGINNING WITH PCM-2.
     
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  13. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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    Wow! That is a huge step for NASA. Good for them.
     
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  14. Cosmacelf

    Cosmacelf Well-Known Member

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    So it looks like a barter. Instead of SpaceX charging NASA more for a longer Demo 2 mission, they are allowing SpaceX to reuse boosters, at presumably a cost savings to SpaceX. Boeing would have just charged NASA an extra $100M or so.
     
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  15. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    That is amazing yet unsurprising news. NASA has already allowed previously flown boosters for the cargo resupply missions. There have been over 30 successfully reflown boosters with only the one loss of engine anomaly on a fifth use booster. Even there, the payload made it to its expected orbit.

    Here is a great video from Scott Manley on the history of Commercial Crew and how SpaceX came to succeed at resurrecting human crew launches in America.
     
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  16. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    This sends such a loud and clear message throughout the industry! The crazy re-flown boosters from SpaceX are allowed to fly humans.
    Wow, and finally!
     
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  17. duncan

    duncan Member

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    One (very good) argument is that "Pre Flown" boosters are actually "operationally proven" so they should be standard for human flights with "brand new" units being treated with more suspicion
     
  18. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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    SpaceX has been making that argument for several years now. Gwynne regularly uses the phrase “flight proven” when discussing the advantages of F9 reusability. A whole new concept in aerospace, it’s finally becoming accepted.
     
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  19. SO16

    SO16 Active Member

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    Elon was on camera in the recent natgeo special saying to Jim B. that their insurance rates are the lowest in the business because of reusability and being flight proven. That’s huge.
     
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  20. Bobfitz1

    Bobfitz1 Active Member

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    I would expect the relaunch inspections to guarantee structural elements are 100% sound after previous launch(s) will be even more rigorous for manned launches. I still remember the one inflight RUD due to a sub standard strut.
     

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