SpaceX rockets and launches

[2hats]

But tonight it's clear, so we should be able to see the ISS, the just-departed Cygnus, and the on-approach Dragon all in the same pass (how close I can't find out)

The latest data I can find has the Dragon running about 5m56s ahead of the ISS. I think (guess) Cygnus should be several seconds behind the ISS.

 

[Crispy]

Well I saw something about 15m *ago* which was in the right place, but didn't see anything accompanying ISS for at least a few mintes either side...

 

[2hats]

I’ve just seen the ISS and no Cygnus. A report from someone else, on the near continent, looking on a previous pass indicates Cygnus wasn’t visible to them either, so possibly quite a dim target. The timing for the Dragon is almost certainly based on too old data now (I looked several minutes either side of the ISS pass just and couldn’t spot anything, but the sky is still quite bright). Though if you keep watching the ISS plane for up to 90 minutes after the ISS pass you are bound to see the Dragon eventually

Ah - just heard Cygnus has been seen (on the pass just) about 1 minute behind the ISS and the Falcon 9 upper stage was seen tumbling about 19 minutes before the ISS arrived - e2a though I doubt it can have been that since SpaceX report they de-orbited it over the Indian Ocean some hours ago (indeed, now appears to have been some other unrelated upper stage).

 

[Crispy]

Ah that was what I saw - it was varying in brightness.

 

[2hats]

OK, seems the +1 mag object currently trailing the ISS by 85 seconds is the Dragon and the Cygnus (much fainter) is trailing the ISS by about 25 seconds. Another ISS pass low in the W-SW is due shortly starting 00:08BST, entering Earth shadow 00:12:35BST below and between Jupiter and the Moon.

 

[elmpp]

SpaceX Technician Says Concerns About Tests Got Him Fired

• 
  Ex-employee says management told workers to ignore protocols
  
• 
  Company tells jury he was terminated for poor job performance
  

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that corner-cutting is how SpaceX has seemingly managed to achieve so much so quickly.

Corner-cutting their way to reliable space travel

 

[NoXion]

Corner-cutting their way to reliable space travel

The thing with corner-cutting is that while it is possible to get away with it, the more it is done and the longer it is done, the more the chances are that it will come back to bite one on the arse.

 

[2hats]

The thing with corner-cutting is that while it is possible to get away with it, the more it is done and the longer it is done, the more the chances are that it will come back to bite one on the arse.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled."

 

[2hats]

Reuters are reporting that SpaceX has been awarded a contract by the USAF to launch the X-37B starting this August.

 

[A380]

Two reusable launches today. I wonder what their cost per kg to orbit is now?

SpaceX completes launch and landing double bill - BBC News

 

[Crispy]

Two reusable launches today. I wonder what their cost per kg to orbit is now?

SpaceX completes launch and landing double bill - BBC News

Cost or price? You can be assured that the reflown stages are priced lower than brand new ones, but not by that much. Until there is more competition, SpaceX will want to recoup as much of their investment into reusablility tech as they can.

 

[Crispy]

Compliation of all the F9 1st stage crashes, including lots of unseen footage. Boom!

 

[MikeMcc]

The lurching booster is painful to watch. Apparently it will be one of the side boosters on the FH Demo flight though!

 

[Crispy]

Updated BFR presentation. Smaller (from 12 -> 9m diameter). 150t to LEO.
Landing accuracy good enough to come straight back down on the launch mount

Presentation:



Oh, and you can also use it for point-to-point travel. less than one hour, to anywhere on the planet.



They're going to build out a stock of F9s and upper stages to keep the backs covered, but otherwise it's full speed ahead for this design to be the only rocket they fly.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Big Fucking Rocket? (as in BUFF)

 

[DotCommunist]

well, its an almost banksian name for a spacecraft...

 

[Crispy]

Big Fucking Rocket? (as in BUFF)

Yep. Reference to the BFG 9000 gun from DOOM

 

[mauvais]

I would like to know just one little thing: in this brave new world where we all get about between cities by, err, ICBM, do we all die in a lovely fire when the first person forgets to file their flight plan with Moscow?

 

[Crispy]

I would like to know just one little thing: in this brave new world where we all get about between cities by, err, ICBM, do we all die in a lovely fire when the first person forgets to file their flight plan with Moscow?

Probably.

This point-2-point idea is technically feasible and makes great PR, but will never happen politically.

 

[ferrelhadley]

I would like to know just one little thing: in this brave new world where we all get about between cities by, err, ICBM, do we all die in a lovely fire when the first person forgets to file their flight plan with Moscow?

In the same way we currently fly between cities on strategic bombers.

 

[ferrelhadley]

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Target Test Flight Dates | Commercial Crew Program

Space X crewed vehicle has a slippage, now set for March 18 as an uncrewed demonstration and August 18 as a first crewed flight.
Boeing's schedule being August and November 18 respectively.

FWIW Space X going for 2 launches in 3 days later today.

China and Japan have orbital flights going up this week as well.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Falcon Heavy slipped to December, the company citing launch pad availability due to damage to one of the launch pads from last years explosions and scheduling on the 39A pad.

I think most serious observers including from Space X have high expectations of a failure. Very very few new launch systems go up without an early failure or three.

They are also pushing a new satellite constellation for internet provision
SpaceX satellite constellation - Wikipedia

A wild guess would suggest they would target cash rich low population density regions first, Australian outback, US south west, Scandanavia etc. If it works.

I am still thinking their core goal will be automated water mining from asteroids, the future "oil" of space travel.

 

[Crispy]

 

[cybershot]

American's woo'ing and clapping.

 

[editor]

Amazing stuff. Bring on the Moon and Mars!

 

[Crispy]

American's woo'ing and clapping.

I'd woo and clap if that was a rocket I'd help build

 

[Limejuice]

Rocket launches make me unaccountably happy.

 

[Crispy]

Falcon Heavy is in the house hanger!

The most powerful rocket in the world, ladies and gents

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

The most recent launch out of Vandenberg - delivering a bunch of Iridium satellites - freaked quite a lot of people out in California. Understandably so, I think.



Media chopper raw footage

 

[NoXion]

Falcon Heavy is in the house hanger!

The most powerful rocket in the world, ladies and gents

It looks like they've just welded three rockets together.

Very Kerbalesque.