SpaceX

[Zzzz...]

the fact that it does reference that it'll be earths most powerful rocket by a factor of two.

It is indeed the fact. Actually Falcon 9 Heavy is more then twice more powerful then then next most capable rocket, FH is capable to deliver 53 tons on LEO versus around 25.5 ton Delta IV Heavy is capable of.

 

[Bipo]

Humanity's greatest shame...

Indeed... I've never undenstand why they killed that magnificent rocket

 

[Grendal]

Tomorrow's Orbital launch has been delayed due to cold.

NASA postpones cargo spacecraft launch due to cold - Computerworld

 

[claytorj]

SpaceX stats (.com) said this was the fastest turnaround for SpaceX flights with slightly less than 34 days between them. CRS-3 is currently scheduled for 45 days from now according to the same site.

I believe SpaceX has a short term goal of ~20 launches per year, (half-and-half F9 & FH) and if I'm not mistaken I think they have been on record saying they'd like to be there by the end of the year. So then within a year they hope to be able to turn around in 360 / 20 = 18 days on average.

Although I guess that's assuming they are only using one launch pad.

 

[rabar10]

I believe SpaceX has a short term goal of ~20 launches per year, (half-and-half F9 & FH) and if I'm not mistaken I think they have been on record saying they'd like to be there by the end of the year. So then within a year they hope to be able to turn around in 360 / 20 = 18 days on average.

Although I guess that's assuming they are only using one launch pad.

They would be using two launch pads -- the Cape Canaveral one, as well as Vandenburg AFB on the West Coast (this will be the only one able to do Falcon Heavy launches near-term)

 

[claytorj]

They would be using two launch pads -- the Cape Canaveral one, as well as Vandenburg AFB on the West Coast (this will be the only one able to do Falcon Heavy launches near-term)

Which pad was going to have two staging areas (allowing them to process both a FH and a F9 concurrently)?

 

[rabar10]

Which pad was going to have two staging areas (allowing them to process both a FH and a F9 concurrently)?

Vandenburg, based on info from these two SpaceX pages:
Launch Manifest | SpaceX
Falcon Heavy | SpaceX

 

[Grendal]

I believe SpaceX has a short term goal of ~20 launches per year, (half-and-half F9 & FH) and if I'm not mistaken I think they have been on record saying they'd like to be there by the end of the year. So then within a year they hope to be able to turn around in 360 / 20 = 18 days on average.

Although I guess that's assuming they are only using one launch pad.

You have to wonder what reusability will do to change all this. SpaceX is currently building a F9 a month. Let's say they keep this up and reusability comes on line. In 5 years they will have a fleet of 60 rockets. You could do one launch a week with that. You would probably need more than 2 pads if that happens.

60 reusable rockets would be incredible. That's, with only F9's, 1.8 million lbs. sent to LEO or 600K lbs. to GTO.

 

[aronth5]

Singapore Satellite Industry Forum 2013 - Opening Keynote speaker- Gwynne Shotwell
Her statement that they are targeting a 5-7 million cost per launch (@13:10) has certainly gotten the attention of competitors and customers.
SpaceX is disrupting the space industry far more than Tesla is disrupting the car industry. (at least right now :smile

 

[claytorj]

Regarding the 3 qualification flights needed for EELV certification, I just read this:

While the company has not received formal certification for its Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket to compete for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program launches, Gen. William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, told Space News he has not seen anything from the vehicle’s three flights that would preclude that from happening.

https://www.aiaa.org/Detail.aspx?id=20961

 

[aronth5]

SpaceX Conducts Dragon Parachute Test.
Parachutes are backup to the SuperDraco engines used to land the crew following a launch abort/anomaly

 

[palmer_md]

SpaceX Conducts Dragon Parachute Test.
Parachutes are backup to the SuperDraco engines used to land the crew following a launch abort/anomaly

FYI similar to your post 804, but with additional info. Thanks.

by the way, does SpaceX now own the former power plant property in Morrow Bay? Interesting that they used that property as a location for this test.

 

[aronth5]

FYI similar to your post 804, but with additional info. Thanks.

by the way, does SpaceX now own the former power plant property in Morrow Bay? Interesting that they used that property as a location for this test.

Palmer_md- No SpaceX doesn't. Here is an article regarding the status of the power plant
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/11/08/2772056/morro-bay-power-plant-to-cease.html

 

[Mario Kadastik]

Hahah, SpaceX taking things with humor It's on the right here as well, but for archiving purposes

Twitter / SpaceX: .@DailyDilbert spilled the ...

 

[rabar10]

SpaceX Conducts Dragon Parachute Test.
Parachutes are backup to the SuperDraco engines used to land the crew following a launch abort/anomaly

Interesting in this drop-test (at 00:59) that they intentionally caused the Dragon capsule to tumble as it fell. I guess this is to ensure that the drogue 'chutes are able to correctly stabilize and orient the capsule as it falls, without the cables getting snagged on any external parts, before the main 'chutes deploy.

 

[Grendal]

SpaceX has bought, at least, 87 acres in Texas according to this article.

SpaceX courtship quietly continues as FAA report nears - Brownsville Herald: Local News

SpaceX currently has Florida and Vandenberg for launches. We know they want more.

Testing occurs in Texas and New Mexico.

SpaceX is quickly becoming a major player.

 

[aronth5]

SES and SpaceX: Shaking the Industry to its Roots

Good perspective of why SpaceX is so successful.
From Martin Halliwell, CTO of SES “What is interesting with SpaceX, whenever they had a problem, we had quite a lot of visibility into it. We’ve had the opportunity to be able to work together with them, which is relatively unusual,” he added. “It’s a long-term relationship with these guys,”

http://www.satellitetoday.com/publications/2014/01/21/ses-ans-spacex-shaking-the-industry-to-its-roots/

 

[claytorj]

Interesting Biography on a SpaceX employee: Brandon Pearce.

So what’s it like to work for a daredevil entrepreneur who is trying to reinvent the aerospace industry? According to Pearce, the best and the worst things about working for Musk are actually the same. “He doesn’t feel the need to make reasonable requests,” Pearce says. “The whole idea of SpaceX is not reasonable. The idea that a dot-com millionaire could take [US] $100 million and start a rocket company that within 13 years would be taking supplies to the International Space Station, that’s on track to take crew to the International Space Station—that’s not reasonable.”

Having a boss who dreams big makes work extremely exciting and challenging, says Pearce. “But at the same time, you can never say to Elon, ‘You’re asking us to do that, but that’s not reasonable.’ You have to either figure out how to do it or get as close as you can,” he says.

Brandon Pearce’s Avionics Guide SpaceX Rockets - IEEE Spectrum

 

[StephenM]

Interesting Biography on a SpaceX employee: Brandon Pearce.



Brandon Pearce’s Avionics Guide SpaceX Rockets - IEEE Spectrum

This is awesome. Visionary leaders get visionary things done. Sounds a lot like Steve Jobs and his "reality distortion bubble"

 

[Grendal]

A short clip of Elon saying things we've heard before in an interview by Joseph Gordon Levitt:

SpaceX - YouTube

Part of a very modern TV show.