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SpaceX Discussion Thread


Skylon

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Just now, CatastrophicFailure said:

Woohoo, launch time!

Also, found this... :o 

 

 

Great!  Isn't the Ariane 5/6 a more reliable rocket though?  The FH is cool, but shouldn't they launch using something that's had more than one flight for such an expensive payload?

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Just now, DAL59 said:

Great!  Isn't the Ariane 5/6 a more reliable rocket though?  The FH is cool, but shouldn't they launch using something that's had more than one flight for such an expensive payload?

It isn't big enough. Launching Clipper on an Ariane 5/6 would necessitate using several gravity assists to get to Jupiter, including a Venus assist. This would then require re-designing Clipper to handle the thermal environment of the inner solar system.

Plus, Clipper isn't flying for another 5 years or so, which gives FH plenty of time to rack up successful flights.

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6 minutes ago, DAL59 said:

Great!  Isn't the Ariane 5/6 a more reliable rocket though?  The FH is cool, but shouldn't they launch using something that's had more than one flight for such an expensive payload?

2/3 of the Falcon Heavy was already flight-proven, wasn't it?

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1 minute ago, Ultimate Steve said:

Sounds really interesting, keep me posted if anything else interesting happens.

Sounds like the status from that will come over Twitter again...

Booster is extra sooty today, and there are 64 satellites in the fairing.

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20 minutes ago, DAL59 said:

Great!  Isn't the Ariane 5/6 a more reliable rocket though?  The FH is cool, but shouldn't they launch using something that's had more than one flight for such an expensive payload?

What the others have said, but I think you’re thinking James Webb. Europa Clipper is (currently) scheduled to launch on SLS. Needs a big rocket. 

Go, you dirty, schizophrenic thing, go!

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