totm nov 2023 SpaceX Discussion Thread

[DAL59]

19 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

Water... collection? 

Taking a surface sample only gives you 5 science points on Earth, but they need a couple more to unlock 3.75 meter parts.

[CastleKSide]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2018/09/10/spacex-abandons-plan-to-make-astronaut-spacecraft-re-usable-boeing-sticks-with-re-use-plan/
 

This article claims that since the crew Dragon will be splashing down it won't be able to be reused. That doesn't seem right to me as they reused a Dragon 1 after a splashdown. Also no sources or quotes from SpaceX. Anybody have info on the current reuse plan for D2?

[Ultimate Steve]

27 minutes ago, CastleKSide said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2018/09/10/spacex-abandons-plan-to-make-astronaut-spacecraft-re-usable-boeing-sticks-with-re-use-plan/
 

This article claims that since the crew Dragon will be splashing down it won't be able to be reused. That doesn't seem right to me as they reused a Dragon 1 after a splashdown. Also no sources or quotes from SpaceX. Anybody have info on the current reuse plan for D2?

IIRC They are reusing it for cargo missions and maybe  non-NASA crew missions, but each NASA crew mission will use a new D2.

[Jaff]

5 hours ago, Xd the great said:

They clip the rocket to the pad. Using giant clips, of course.

 

Yes but the mVac within the interstage sits on that spring loaded pusher. So how does it wiggle when the rocket is on the ground? 

[Ultimate Steve]

3 minutes ago, Jaff said:

Yes but the mVac within the interstage sits on that spring loaded pusher. So how does it wiggle when the rocket is on the ground? 

It probably has a little bit of room left. If the gimbal only affects the nozzle, and the pusher reaches up to almost the combustion chamber, then the part of the nozzle that actually moves will be able to so so without obstruction to a certain extent.

[CatastrophicFailure]

1 hour ago, DAL59 said:

Taking a surface sample only gives you 5 science points on Earth, but they need a couple more to unlock 3.75 meter parts.

More like 9 meter parts. 

[Jaff]

1 hour ago, Ultimate Steve said:

It probably has a little bit of room left. If the gimbal only affects the nozzle, and the pusher reaches up to almost the combustion chamber, then the part of the nozzle that actually moves will be able to so so without obstruction to a certain extent.

Still can’t see it tbh. 

 

Must be be a pretty skookum peice if kit to be able to do it though. 

 

Assumingg the engine gimbals a few degrees 

[Ricktoberfest]

7 hours ago, Green Baron said:

Well, the hurricane was ~1200NM away and a ridge of high pressure in between. They didn't sense much if any of it during the barge landing.

They said they where 655miles out. I never know if they mean nautical or statute miles. Let's assume the first. If they tug the barge with let's say 8 knots (i have no idea i must admit but that may be fast for towing) it is reasonable to say they'll be safe in 80h, that'll be the time when Florence makes landfall in the north. So no immediate danger, maybe some swell from afar. If those 655 where indeed land miles then they are in no immediate danger from the storm, i'd expect.

if if if :-)

That was 650 kilometers. About 400 miles. (Just for clarity)

[cubinator]

3 hours ago, CastleKSide said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2018/09/10/spacex-abandons-plan-to-make-astronaut-spacecraft-re-usable-boeing-sticks-with-re-use-plan/
 

This article claims that since the crew Dragon will be splashing down it won't be able to be reused. That doesn't seem right to me as they reused a Dragon 1 after a splashdown. Also no sources or quotes from SpaceX. Anybody have info on the current reuse plan for D2?

There is a bouncy inflatable platform behind Mr. Steven.

[Green Baron]

1 hour ago, Ricktoberfest said:

That was 650 kilometers. About 400 miles. (Just for clarity)

Thanks, which means they are well ahead of wind and waves even if they'd tug slower. Looks they thought it through :-)

Edited September 10, 2018 by Green Baron

[Xd the great]

1 hour ago, Jaff said:

Still can’t see it tbh. 

 

Must be be a pretty skookum peice if kit to be able to do it though. 

 

Assumingg the engine gimbals a few degrees 

Tbh, i dont think gimballing is needed on stage 2. They have rcs for deorbitong the stage, anyway.

[magnemoe]

7 hours ago, Ultimate Steve said:

IIRC They are reusing it for cargo missions and maybe  non-NASA crew missions, but each NASA crew mission will use a new D2.

Used dragon 2 will be reused for cargo freights. SpaceX probably found it getting an used one re-qualified for manned was not worth it 
 

[.50calBMG]

6 hours ago, Xd the great said:

Tbh, i dont think gimballing is needed on stage 2. They have rcs for deorbitong the stage, anyway.

I dont think the RCS is as strong as you think it is. Plus, you would have to carry more nitrogen in larger tanks if you wanted to use the RCS thrusters for everything, which would, as with almost every other thing suggested for stage 2, cut directly into payload mass.

Edited September 11, 2018 by .50calBMG

[Ultimate Steve]

4 minutes ago, .50calBMG said:

I dont think the RCS is as strong as you think it is.

Yeah, KSP RCS is waaaaay OP compared to IRL RCS.

[Lukaszenko]

10 hours ago, Green Baron said:

Thanks, which means they are well ahead of wind and waves even if they'd tug slower. Looks they thought it through :-)

Right. It's not exactly rocket science 

[Val]

15 hours ago, CastleKSide said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2018/09/10/spacex-abandons-plan-to-make-astronaut-spacecraft-re-usable-boeing-sticks-with-re-use-plan/
 

This article claims that since the crew Dragon will be splashing down it won't be able to be reused. That doesn't seem right to me as they reused a Dragon 1 after a splashdown. Also no sources or quotes from SpaceX. Anybody have info on the current reuse plan for D2?

My guess is:

• Dragon was designed to splashdown and be reusable from the get go.
• D2 was originally designed to land propulsively.
  • Maybe the design is only intended to handle splashdown in an emergency and it would add too much mass to enable reusability after a splashdown?

Edited September 11, 2018 by Val
Grammar and formatting

[Xd the great]

50 minutes ago, Val said:

My guess is:

• Dragon was designed to splashdown and be reusable from the get go.
• D2 was originally designed to land propulsively.
  • Maybe the design is only intended to handle splashdown in an emergency and it would add too much mass to enable reusability after a splashdown?

Human rating propulsive landing will be a pain, and human rating propulsive landing for NASA is a pain in the.

Plus doing so will divert the resources and time from bfr to dragon 2, which is an intermediate product for funding the bfr.

[magnemoe]

54 minutes ago, Xd the great said:

Human rating propulsive landing will be a pain, and human rating propulsive landing for NASA is a pain in the.

Plus doing so will divert the resources and time from bfr to dragon 2, which is an intermediate product for funding the bfr.

My guess to also they will use old dragon 2 for cargo the same way dragon 1 is reused. 

[sh1pman]

1 hour ago, magnemoe said:

My guess to also they will use old dragon 2 for cargo the same way dragon 1 is reused. 

I hope they try propulsive landing for cargo missions at some point. Probably easier and cheaper to repair and refurbish the ship if it didn’t contact with sea water.

[MinimumSky5]

There probably isn't enough downmass for NASA to justify using Dragon 2 for that, just yet. 

[Xd the great]

1 hour ago, magnemoe said:

My guess to also they will use old dragon 2 for cargo the same way dragon 1 is reused. 

I hope they offer extra seats for space tourism.

[tater]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1039531798034882561?s=20

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by tater

[tater]

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by tater

[Xd the great]

Just wondering, are the spacex draco engines strong enough to act as a OMS engine?

[tater]