SpaceX Updates (Thread 7)

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Grand Master

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1 hour ago, chrisj1968 said:

I'm watching event horizon.. of course a movie. But in theory, would astronauts have to hibernate in some sort of stasis to make a trip from Earth to Mars or would it be From Earth to the moon, resupply with fuel and then catapult to Mars in some sort of sleep stasis?

 

this intrigues me

A current trip would take ~6 months, however certain teams at SpaceX are developing propulsion methods which might cut that down to 3 months, and maybe even faster! The mind boggles.

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SALSN

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3 hours ago, chrisj1968 said:

Any chances for colonizing Saturn? though the atmosphere is terrible to say as an understatement.

Not sure if you are serious, but in case you are:
Saturn is a gas giant, so if you ever reach some solid surface the pressure AND the pull of gravity will crush you, so no, no chance.
At least we haven't got any technology that suggests that this will ever be possible at the moment.
However, perhaps some of the moons could be terraformed, or at least have some sort of base.

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Grand Master

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Iridium’s SpaceX launch slowed by Vandenberg bottleneck 

 

Iridium-Next-2-sats.jpg

Two of the first 10 Iridium Next second-generation satellites are readied for shipment to California for a Space X launch now scheduled for Sept. 12 at the earliest. Credit: Iridium 

 

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GILBERT, Arizona — Mobile satellite services provider Iridium Communications on June 14 said the launch of the first 10 second-generation Iridium Next satellites had slipped by another month, to Sept. 12 at the earliest, because of bottlenecks at the Vandenberg Air Force Base spaceport.

 

Iridium Chief Executive Matt Desch said the company still expected to launch all 70 Iridium Next satellites, on seven SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, by late 2017.

 

Addressing a briefing here originally scheduled to mark the shipment of the first two satellites by truck to the launch base – the shipment will now be delayed a couple of weeks – Desch said satellite production and SpaceX readiness both had been ready for an August launch.

 

“It’s a little later than I had hoped, to be honest. But there are a number of non-SpaceX launches planned in August and early September at Vandenberg, so that’s the earliest they could give us for this launch,” Desch said. “SpaceX is ready, the [satellite] dispenser is ready.”

 

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX is building the 1,000-kilogram dispenser that will separate the 10 satellites into or bit on release from the rocket.

 

Each Iridium Next satellite will weigh 860 kilograms at launch, for a total satellite payload mass of 8,600 kilograms, plus the 1,000-kilogram dispenser, which will make it one of heavier missions for SpaceX. The satellites will be deployed into a 780-kilometer-altitude orbit to replace the current constellation, launched in the late 1990s.

more at the link...

http://spacenews.com/iridiums-spacex-launch-slowed-by-vandenberg-bottleneck/

 

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Grand Master

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Yeah. Too bad they're committed to launching the payload there. Not like they can:

 

- Ship it plus the Falcon-9 to the Cape,

- Launch it from there instead,

- Perform an extra maneuver to adjust inclination at the right time so that you're on your originally planned Orbital Track relative to where you'd be if you'd launched from Vandy (minus the time/position offset because you launched from the Cape instead)  ... sure it's a bit of extra fuel but the S2 can deal with it. SpaceX calls this "fine-tuning the customers' Payload placement" anyway.

 

:D But, as such, it is what it is.

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DocM

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Interesting....

 

I think most have people expected SpaceX to launch the "CommX" constellation using MOOGs ESPA dispenser rings, as were used for the ORBCOMM-2  launch of 11 OG2 birds. 

 

This may not be the case.

 

ESPAs can mount four 181 kg satellites. Add rings to up capacity, with three rings holding 12 birds in a standard F9 fairing.

 

Now it turns out SpaceX has built their own 1,000 kg satellite dispenser which can carry ten birds of up to 860 kg each.

 

8,600 kg of satellites, 9,600 kg total.

 

This will be used for Iridium Next; 7 launches of 10 birds each, but it certainly adds an interesting new capability to their toolkit.

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chrisj1968

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16 hours ago, SALSN said:

Not sure if you are serious, but in case you are:
Saturn is a gas giant, so if you ever reach some solid surface the pressure AND the pull of gravity will crush you, so no, no chance.
At least we haven't got any technology that suggests that this will ever be possible at the moment.
However, perhaps some of the moons could be terraformed, or at least have some sort of base.

yeah I was serious, just not well informed on Saturn.

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Grand Master

DocM

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NSF user ZLSA has created a series of SpaceX infographics.  Those who don't get into the weeds as deep as some of us may find them informative.

 

http://zlsa.github.io/infographics/

 

Example: Red Dragons Mars entry, descent and landing (EDL) flight path as described by NASA Ames,

 

spacex-red-dragon-landing.png

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Grand Master

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But, this is not a done deal yet....

 

SpaceX may face $15,000 port fee for booster return

 

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Port Canaveral is considering charging SpaceX $15,000 every time the company brings one of its rocket boosters to the port after it successfully lands on a drone ship in the Atlantic.

 

Port staff has proposed a new cargo wharfage charge for aerospace and aircraft items that initially would apply to SpaceX, which has set a goal of being able to return and reuse the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket. Canaveral Port Authority commissioners will consider the staff proposal on Wednesday.

 

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"We view their cargo passing over our dock just like any other cargo passing our dock," Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray said. "We're not looking at this as an adversarial relationship. It's no different than anything else coming across the dock. You have to pay for use of port facilities. That's how a port makes its money."

 

But SpaceX is not happy with the proposed fee.

 

“The proposed wharfage fee is 14 times higher than what any other business is being charged for using port facilities," SpaceX spokesman John Taylor said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY. "Port Canaveral is an important partner in our recovery operations. But we expect fees to be fair and reflect our actual use of the port. We’re looking forward to participating in the meeting later this week.”

 

Port Canaveral and its cargo partner, GT USA, provide dockage services to SpaceX's drone ship.

 

The port's current tariff — a document that amounts to a price list for the port's cargo and cruise operations — does not include cargo wharfage rates for aerospace and aircraft items.

more at ...

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2016/06/20/spacex-may-face-port-canaveral-fee-booster-return/86135670/

 

SpaceX has it's own crane rental on the dock.

 

SpaceX pays for it's own fleet operations.

 

SpaceX pays for "pilot" guidance into port.

 

This is just a generic use fee, and a bit high for not supplying any services other than temporary docking. I am sure this will be worked out, should be no different than generic cargo tonnage. SpaceX supplies all it's own services.

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BetaguyGZT

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Hmm ... is there anything stopping SpaceX from building its' own Stage Return Wharf? Say ... on the north end of Canaveral Air Station, where that "new ground" is?

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Grand Master

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Not really worth the investment, in my opinion. SpaceX will probably get the fee reduced, and carry on with propulsive landings later, with FH doing the heavy ones that F9 are doing now and only dealing  with one core at a time...till Boca is ready to use. Minor annoyance...but no big issue. For the launches at the cape, add it in to launch fee, it will get covered and SpaceX launches will still be a bargain.

 

:D

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DocM

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They want $15k to bring in a <30t stage. Normal cargo containers of 25t get charged about $28/t in most ports, so 30t would be about $840 +/-.

 

Ripoff

 

They didn't charge this to NASA for STS boosters, and what about barged in ULA boosters? <crickets>

 

ISTM Blue Origin, Space Florida and KSC may also have something to say about messing up the KSC Master Plan for commercialization etc.

 

 

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Grand Master

DocM

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Also, 

 

CRS-11 will be a re-flown Dragon 1, and there are unconfirmed reports that subsequent CRS  flights will also be re-flown vehicles. 

 

Apparently NASA is happy with the refurb plan.

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Grand Master

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The meeting for port services is tomorrow....

 

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Port Authority meeting

The Canaveral Port Authority plans to discuss the proposed new cargo wharfage fees for aerospace and aircraft items when it meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Canaveral Port Authority Maritime Center Commission Chambers, 445 Challenger Road, Port Canaveral.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2016/06/20/spacex-may-face-port-canaveral-fee-booster-return/86135670/

 

I would be shocked, if it was not reduced, this is real bad publicity. Will be curious "who, representing whom" will be in attendance.

 

The "range"may also have a bit of "pull" for sporadic use of the Navy Basin, if it were ever to get real bad, but I am very optimistic about a reduced port transfer/use fee.

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DocM

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One is the first-landing ORBCOMM-2 stage that'll be SpaceX HQ's new lawn ornament. The other is heading for McGregor. F9-027 is already there, and they're picking up the shipping pace hoping for a run-n-gun fall. 

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