Fairings all lined up in a row at the new (very old) BFR facility. Photo by Pauline Acalin of Teslarati.
https://twitter.com/w00ki33/status/1004461872962125825
https://twitter.com/w00ki33/status/1004461872962125825
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Fairings all lined up in a row at the new (very old) BFR facility. Photo by Pauline Acalin of Teslarati.
https://twitter.com/w00ki33/status/1004461872962125825
That picture doesn't seem consistent with the fairings having to be perfectly clean to perform as needed! Roof overhead doesn't look too up to date either, so birds nests and puddles w mosquitoes would be likely. Could these be some pulled from ocean or Q/C rejects?
At this point, SpaceX is recovering about 75% of the fairings. They are just recovering them from a soft landing in the ocean. The ocean water ruins them according to all sources. They seem to be piling them up in various places. Maybe they plan on recycling them in some way.
After manufacturing, new fairings are brought into a cleanroom, cleaned, and then are inspected/cleaned again before encap.
Re-used fairings would follow a similar cycle.
Nikxice
Active Member
Only have to paint 'em up , flip 'em over and stick on four legs. Wallah....The 2020 Roadster SpaceX carport option. Plenty of room to piggyback park.
They have to be light so they take away minimal loft capability, they need to be strong enough to survive the atmospheric launch environment, and they have to be reliable enough to deploy every time.
I agree, and having worked around clean room operations and equipment, I'd think they'd have to be cleaned even if they didn't hit the water. Ocean spray would contaminate them if nothing else.
Is that how the Americans perceive voilà?
isn't that a string instrument?
The particulate contamination from outside makes cleaning an imperative.
Typically the last fairing inspection/cleaning is done with a black light. Tape is often the preferred method of removing particulate contamination.
thegruf
Active Member
At a slight tangent - whats with the catch net idea?
Just seems expensive and limited.
Why not a oversize inflatable mattress?
Might need a few weights to hold it down, but so long as the weather is calm(ish) which it is likely to be, you could make the thing a big as you like and cheap too. Could use trawler like technology to reel it in until the faring is within reach of a grab arm.
Just seems expensive and limited.
Why not a oversize inflatable mattress?
Might need a few weights to hold it down, but so long as the weather is calm(ish) which it is likely to be, you could make the thing a big as you like and cheap too. Could use trawler like technology to reel it in until the faring is within reach of a grab arm.
Fairing is not fully controllable. They need to get the net under it, hence the fast boat.
thegruf
Active Member
thegruf
Active Member
alternatively, bunch of swarmed drones with bigger net slung between them and catch it before it gets to the surface, much more responsive than a boat, computers could sync it up. make for a super soft landing too
ccutrer
Active Member
thegruf
Active Member
technology is already available,
It would need some Spacex math for sure, entirely doable though.
Hey- if by some wild chance my overactive imagination clicks with somebody at Spacex I want to be the one taking the video
Sure would be one heck of a sight, and a bring a whole new meaning to (ahem) drone delivery services
It would need some Spacex math for sure, entirely doable though.
Hey- if by some wild chance my overactive imagination clicks with somebody at Spacex I want to be the one taking the video
Sure would be one heck of a sight, and a bring a whole new meaning to (ahem) drone delivery services
