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13 hours ago, Wjolcz said:

It's interesting how a shorter logo and a couple of contrasting elements can seem like the stage is shorter than previous versions. I know it's not but it looks like it. Really looks like a proper XXI century rocket. Can't wait to see it with Dragon V2.

Edit: Wikipedia says that Dragon 1 will be flying to ISS at least until 2021 (but it also says CRS-17 will happen before CRS-16), so is Dragon V2 exclusively for crew or can we expect to see it performing cargo missions too? Or maybe both at the same time?

We will see both crew and cargo on Dragon 2, but the sticker price for Dragon 2 is higher.

Dragon 1 will fly existing pressure vessels until they are all retired, but no new Dragon 1 pressure vessels will be built.

4 hours ago, NSEP said:

Here are some pictures that will make you go. Mmmm yes

tTyqDD6.jpg

Falcon 9 Interstage and Fairing production.

 Mmmm. Yes.

Yes, you see the interstage and the fairing there, but you also see Falcon Heavy side-booster nose cones, too.

EDIT: Sniped by @cubinator.

31 minutes ago, tater said:

 

The hype is maximum.

narrow_interstage.png

Looking more closely at this picture, I think it's absolutely certain that the interstage narrows between the grid fin attachment points and the S2 coupling. You can see blue between the red and the black.

I wonder if S2 has any changes.

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23 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

I wonder if S2 has any changes.

Giant party balloon, mayhap? :D

So... only three days between static fire and launch, if all goes well... have they ever done a turnaround that short before? Usually it's closer to a week. Seems odd, considering how many times they've delayed just the SF, but if the barge is barging they're obviously committed.

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1 hour ago, sevenperforce said:

Looking more closely at this picture, I think it's absolutely certain that the interstage narrows between the grid fin attachment points and the S2 coupling. You can see blue between the red and the black.

 

I think it's an optical illusion due to the grid fins and the clamps (?) that attach S2.

 

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26 minutes ago, tater said:

 

I think it's an optical illusion due to the grid fins and the clamps (?) that attach S2.

 

Well, damn. You're right. And I was so sure.

Not an optical illusion, per se; it was actually a compression artifact.

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3 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

so, how many Bothans died to bring us this information?

Many.

So is it just going to be Block 5s from now on? Will the Bangabandhu Booster refly a couple more times.

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16 minutes ago, NSEP said:

Many.

So is it just going to be Block 5s from now on? Will the Bangabandhu Booster refly a couple more times.

I believe we will see at least one more reflown block 4 booster, the TESS booster is supposed to be used for the next CRS mission. I don't know if any other block 4's are going to fly, though.

I'm pretty sure that there won't be any more new block 4 boosters, though.

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The killer argument: with the money it takes to just keep the SLS program going (with 1 launch per year), NASA can pay for 13 expendable (!) Falcon Heavy launches or 6 fully expendable (haha) BFR flights. Every year.

Edited by sh1pman
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10 minutes ago, sh1pman said:

The killer argument: with the money it takes to just keep the SLS program going (with 1 launch per year), NASA can pay for 13 expendable (!) Falcon Heavy launches or 6 fully expendable (haha) BFR flights. Every year.

But then if there was no NASA there wouldn't be SpaceX. They kept funding SpaceX even when Falcon 1 kept failing. Elon himself said that.

I'm not a fan of SLS but I think you have to consider that.

I'm also not a fan of Everyday Astronaut. He seems like a hardcore tryhard fanboy. I keep him in subs in case he makes an interesting video but I don't watch everything.

Edited by Wjolcz
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1 minute ago, Wjolcz said:

But then if there was no NASA there wouldn't be SpaceX. They kept funding SpaceX even when Falcon 1 kept failing. Elon himself said that.

I'm not a fan of SLS but you have to consider that.

The video only compares the rockets. Actual NASA vs. SpaceX comparison is in the first video. I highly recommend watching it first, and, by the way, it does address the financial aid and contracts that NASA gave to SpaceX. But again, this second video only deals with the rockets.

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33 minutes ago, sh1pman said:

The video only compares the rockets. Actual NASA vs. SpaceX comparison is in the first video. I highly recommend watching it first, and, by the way, it does address the financial aid and contracts that NASA gave to SpaceX. But again, this second video only deals with the rockets.

Alright. I just watched it. And yeah, I have to agree with him. That's why I have a strong feeling that SLS will be the last one of its kind. A super heavy launcher that will get replaced by cheaper and better launch systems.

I still think it's unfair to compare national companies vs private companies though. It is often that the national companies pour the money to do the research and then that research is available for anyone who wants to use it. It's not like BFR will be revolutionary. I mean, it will be but not really technology-wise but instead cost-wise. In my view BFR is evolved Space Shuttle. I might be wrong about this, but to me it feels like they took the shuttle and made it actually better and more sensible. As Everyday Astrounaut points out: it's just that making rockets simply got easier.

Someone simply had to start first and and let others figure that stuff out. And the ones who started it are now lagging behind.

Edited by Wjolcz
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26 minutes ago, Wjolcz said:

I still think it's unfair to compare national companies vs private companies though

Agreed. That’s why we’re only comparing apples to apples, I mean rockets to rockets.

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