SpaceX rockets and launches

[DotCommunist]

Nah, the launch escape system on the manned version can cope with much worse. The astronauts would have been fine.

correct me if I am wrong but hasn't the only escape from a fucked rocket been managed by a pair of cosmonauts back it the day and was hairy as you like? Whereas every other fuck up in the launch portion resulted in loss of all hands.

I'm sure its a great rexit system but still...this shits supposed to get us to mars eventually. If its still blowing up mid launch then eyebrows will be raised. Even musk can't have enough p's to make it happen if all confidence in the program is lost

 

[Crispy]

I spent many hours once trying to work out, from wikipedia, how many Gs a human can survive. From a quick search the Dragon 2 only provides a max of 6G, which is very survivable. According the the font of all knowledge that's in the same range as the top end of F1 turns, pilots can take up to 9Gs in flight suits and for peak loading you're looking at >25Gs in that orientation to do serious harm, although that does depend on how long you're under that acceleration.

Ah but the question was about the science experiments on this cargo flight. They'll be designed to cope with launch, but probably not for abort.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Ah but the question was about the science experiments on this cargo flight. They'll be designed to cope with launch, but probably not for abort.

Good point, they'd probably have been fine as the Falcon 9 is designed for something in the region of a peak 4-5Gs anyway. Not that much of a difference.

 

[Crispy]

correct me if I am wrong but hasn't the only escape from a fucked rocket been managed by a pair of cosmonauts back it the day and was hairy as you like? Whereas every other fuck up in the launch portion resulted in loss of all hands.

Fairly hairy, but the system performed correctly.

The two crew members were badly bruised after the high acceleration, but were otherwise in good health and did not require any medical attention. Upon being greeted by recovery crews, they immediately asked for cigarettes to steady their nerves. The cosmonauts were then given shots of vodka to help them relax.

The only loss of life during ascent was Challenger, which of course had no launch escape system. Given that the cockpit section of the craft separated from the breakup, with the astronauts conscious (when the wreck was recovered, the controls had been set for an emergency landing), they would have survived if such a system was present.

 

[Crispy]

Tricky business, spaceflight.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Tricky business, spaceflight.

I'm hoping for a message along the lines of:

54 68 65 79 20 73 65 74 20 75 73 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 62 6f 6d 62

 

[MikeMcc]

Nah, the launch escape system on the manned version can cope with much worse. The astronauts would have been fine.

The Dragon 2 versions for both manned and unmanned flight will have launch abort capability. Dragon Cargo will only differ from Dragon Crew in terms of internal fittings. Both will have SuperDraco engines and would still be able to carry out an abort at any point up to orbit. They would still lose the cargo in the unpressurized trunk section though. Were still a while from that though. I believe the inflight abort test was due in November but has probably slipped with all of the other flights.

 

[existentialist]

I'm hoping for a message along the lines of:

54 68 65 79 20 73 65 74 20 75 73 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 62 6f 6d 62

 

[editor]

Here's an entertaining video:

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Apparently the next launch or two are penciled in for December, however in other SpaceX news it turns out that the ULA has dropped out of the bidding process for the upcoming GPS launch contract, leaving SpaceX as the only bidder. Given the large profit margins on those contracts that could be quite nice for Musk's only profitable company.

ULA sits out Air Force launch competition | Spaceflight Now

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

Looks like Blue Origin nailed a controlled landing on the pad from nearly 400,000 feet.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Very cool. Much higher and faster than any of the SpaceX demos have gone with the Grasshoppers. The landing for the passenger pod mockup looked a bit brutal though, maybe they can borrow a Dragon 2.

 

[Crispy]

Shit is ON

 

[MrSki]

Starts off looking like Space 1999 then with the rocket itself you expect to see the Chuckle brothers.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

So it seems the BE-3 engine they use is about 2/3 the size of a Merlin 1D. They've had a test model firing for 500 minutes and 450 start/stop cycles. That is really cool, massive re-use.

This really does start bringing the idea of space tourism into the realm of possibility.

 

[Crispy]

This is a much easier landing than the SpaceX 1st stage. They can come to a hover, get straight and then land with Thrust < Weight. This is due to very deep throttling of the engine, and I suspect a worse dry mass fraction (smaller rockets have a harder time of it due to scaling being squares and cubes of length). The much larger Falcon 9 1st stage will be coming in almost empty with Thrust > Weight. Means sticking the landing first go, with no ability to hover.

This is undoubtedly much more impressive than Grasshopper, but SpaceX did intend to do this sort of thing with their test rocket before it exploded. Now, they reckon they can do away with the intermediate testing and just go straight for the prize.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

True, a small fraction of the size and power and a much simpler mission however to selectively quote you a bit:

SpaceX did intend to ... before it exploded.

Intentions are great, pulling it off without a giant ball of flame is better.

 

[Crispy]

True, a small fraction of the size and power and a much simpler mission however to selectively quote you a bit:

Intentions are great, pulling it off without a giant ball of flame is better.

Maybe I should remind you of Blue Origin's previous attempt?

This is hard, but SpaceX still have the lead.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Perhaps they do, they're further along on a harder course, but it's odd just how many things SpaceX do that i'm excited about which end with the phrase 'before it exploded'.

 

[Crispy]

Twitter rumours say the return to flight is set for the 15th, with a landing attempt on land, back at the cape!

 

[MikeMcc]

Going to be at stupid o'clock in the morning of the 19th. Still not been confirmed on the return to land yet (though the OCISLY barge hasn't moved from it's mooring yet). USAF have OKed it but NASA are still deliberating. It will also be the first flight of the 'Full Thrust' version (previously v1.2). For those not facebook-phobic this group is quite well informed:

Log in to Facebook | Facebook

It's essentially a fan group, but amoungst it's members it does have SpaceX employees (obviously limited on what they can discuss), journolists covering Space flight and folks that work at KSC (one of which maintains the tracking cameras...)

 

[Crispy]

The spacex subreddit is pretty good too. Latest chitchat is leaked stats for the BFR mars rocket. 236 tonnes to LEO. 15m diameter. Height unknown but probably around the 150m mark (for reference, Saturn V was 110m tall and 10m diameter)

Comparison with the F9:



Would be the heaviest flying machine ever built, by quite a large margin (although the inter-war rigid airships were larger still).

 

[MikeMcc]

That's one scary fucking rocket! Even more impressive will be landing the first stage afterwards...

 

[Crispy]

That's one scary fucking rocket! Even more impressive will be landing the first stage afterwards...

I don't know what they'll land it on. Just the landing thrust will be like the launch of a regular rocket, and they need exhaust deflection and sound suppression systems. It is just a little bit crazy. Full details to come early next year, apparently.

 

[2hats]

Launch delayed to tonight to improve chances of a successful landing - the one minute window opens at 0133UTC tomorrow (22nd).

 

[Crispy]

For once, I hope my daughter wakes me up tonight.

 

[Crispy]

This launch (and landing!) is now *tonight* with a 5 minute launch window at 01:29 uk time. Fingers crossed!

 

[2hats]

Two live streams up - direct from SpaceX and on YouTube.

 

[2hats]

Done it. Successful boostback and landing of the first stage at CCAFS.

e2a: all Orbcomm satellites deployed. Only the second stage de-orbit to go.

 

[2hats]