Lunar BFR Mission - 1st Manned Lunar Mission since 1972

[ggr]

SpaceX on Twitter

SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard our BFR launch vehicle—an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space. Find out who’s flying and why on Monday, September 17.
Click to expand...​

More detail: live webcast 6pm Pacific on Monday.
First Lunar BFR Mission | SpaceX

 

[Grendal]

SpaceX on Twitter


More detail: live webcast 6pm Pacific on Monday.
First Lunar BFR Mission | SpaceX

Amazing. This is a major development. I'll bet this is different from the tourists that were going to do a lunar flyby in Dragon on a FH. The fact they are calling it a "mission" gives me that impression.

Here's a BFR image posted along with the announcement:

Elon responded to a question about whether this is a new BFR design on twitter. His answer is Yes!
Elon Musk on Twitter

 

[Unpilot]

Man I am glad I can in some small way be involved with a company that is connected to a company that can do this!

 

[ecarfan]

This is incredible news. The lunar tourist mission is back! Can’t wait to see the presentation next Monday. Four days of waiting!

And I am boggled that the BFR design has changed so much. That is a huge vertical stabilizer. Why?

 

[e-FTW]

Just in case there was any doubt, it is not me. Not that the WANT is not strong.

Oh wait, you did not think it was me?

 

[djgarrett21]

Very interesting design changes:
-Tri-leg design
-New engine configuration (7X vs the previous 4-2)
-Some sort of aerodynamic feature near the nose?
-Thermal protection gone from bottom half of the vehicle

This appears to be a completely different design. Large legs + the removal of the thermal protection material means different landing physics; no more glide slope landing and they must be 100% propulsive. For a Mars mission that means much more fuel is needed to scrub speed on reentry.

Much simpler design overall. Probably cost and weight savings getting rid of the TPM and going to a common motor design.

Those legs though, they are huge. I'm interested to hear the design decisions behind those. Perhaps to stabilize landing on uneven terrain.

 

[ThisIsTrue]

I'd tell you it's me, but I had to sign an NDA when I booked the flight, so mum's the word.

 

[ICUDoc]

I'm in.
Sick of life down here, happy to end it spectacularly or enjoy the ride if all goes well.

 

[ecarfan]

SpaceX says its BFR will fly someone around the Moon. We have questions.

Lots of questions. Few if any answers.

 

[Zaxxon]

 

[Nikxice]

To use a hip Apollo era expression, Cool beans! The lunar framed depiction of the BFS indicates SpaceX determined the need for some redesign. Hope next Monday's presentation addresses some of the questions now being raised.

I'll take a shot at the pax list and place a bet on James Cameron. Not many others could capture the imagery, the interest could surpass Starman in the Roadster. Cameron's got the bucks and most importantly, the gonads to go it alone. He'd probably have no trouble crawling into Elon's mini-sub. The sub he dived solo to the bottom of the Mariana Trench a few years ago wasn't a whole lot bigger. He's a known proponent of space exploration, especially interested in colonizing Mars. Although he'll be 65 next year, he's probably a healthy guy who could make it happen. Next guess?

 

[PhantomX]

Amazing. This is a major development. I'll bet this is different from the tourists that were going to do a lunar flyby in Dragon on a FH. The fact they are calling it a "mission" gives me that impression.

Here's a BFR image posted along with the announcement:

Elon responded to a question about whether this is a new BFR design on twitter. His answer is Yes!
Elon Musk on Twitter

Not sure I understand the need for wing. There is no need for cross range, so wing and vertical stabilizer will only add risks. It means more weight and more TPS, which should be minimized as much as possible.

 

[Grendal]

Not sure I understand the need for wing. There is no need for cross range, so wing and vertical stabilizer will only add risks. It means more weight and more TPS, which should be minimized as much as possible.

At this point, I don't understand it either. Elon confirms that this is a new design for BFR and I expect we'll get some details in the announcement on Monday. Long term I expect there will be even more changes as SpaceX tests and learns what the final design will be. That will probably be sometime in early 2020 as the first BFR is built. We'll have some preliminary BFS in 2019 doing the "hop" testing.

 

[Grendal]

Good speculation has it that the passenger will be Yusaku Maesawa. He's worth $3 billion and is seriously into space. When asked who the passenger was, Elon tweeted a picture of the Japanese flag.

 

[ThisIsTrue]

Cameron's got the bucks and most importantly, the gonads to go it alone.

I'd be surprised if it's a single passenger; why not sell multiple seats? Hell, it wouldn't surprise me to see Elon jump aboard (though I think it's unlikely).

 

[anticitizen13.7]

It looks like the front window design from the original ITS has returned to this iteration of the BFR design.

The engine array is also surrounded by what appears to be a circle of movable petals. There’s speculation on Reddit that this allows the same rockets to be used in vacuum or atmospheric conditions.

 

[lunitiks]

You’re all discussing «wings» and «stabilizers» and «windows» on a fake spaceship.

How about moving your peepers to the upper right corner of the image. Helloo? Talk about inattentional blindness. We’re NOT alone

 

[Nikxice]

You’re all discussing «wings» and «stabilizers» and «windows» on a fake spaceship.

How about moving your peepers to the upper right corner of the image. Helloo? Talk about inattentional blindness. We’re NOT alone

Oh, I'm pretty sure everyone noticed the colorful orb in the upper right corner. We were all just waiting for Buzz Aldrin to chime in to confirm it wasn't the same UFO he spotted fifty years ago.
No, Buzz Aldrin didn't see space aliens

 

[nwdiver]

Good speculation has it that the passenger will be Yusaku Maesawa. He's worth $3 billion and is seriously into space. When asked who the passenger was, Elon tweeted a picture of the Japanese flag.

.... now I'm conflicted... not a big fan of the Japanese right now...

Why Japan wants to restart commercial whaling

And yes I realize that blaming some random Japanese person for the sins of their country is like blaming me for Trump... kinda have to own it to some extent

 

[Nikxice]

Elon responding to another twitter user on Sunday. Interesting that the four F9 landing legs were just discussed in another thread and now we're apparently looking at a three legged BFS.

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk
Replying to @johnkoetsier
Design has been changed so the

lands on legs that extend from the tips of the three fins, two of which actuate (mostly for pitch control)

5:23 PM - 16 Sep 2018