If I payed SpaceX to launch?

[bigdad84]

I was reading that if you pay SpaceX a little under $60 million they will launch your satellite into orbit. According to their website, the fairings for the Falcon 9 are big enough to house a bus. Let's just say I have $60 million dollars to play with and had a spare bus sitting around, would they launch it? If I payed them to? Or are there restrictions on what can be put into space?

Edited November 28, 2013 by bigdad84
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[DaveofDefeat]

If you have the cash, they'll do what you ask.

[KvickFlygarn87]

On one hand, they are a company, so they might. On the other hand, they are quite ideal AFAIK, so they might not because launching a bus won't contribute to SCIENCE!.

[goldenpeach]

I don't know exactly, but i think they have restriction like it has to be solid enough to withstand the launch, safe enough to not make the rocket explode, light enough to be placed in orbit...

Don't quote me on this(nor on anything in this post), but I don't think they mind what you put in space, as long as it doesn't prevent them from making more launch or placing more satellite in orbit.

Also, I don't think they discussed a lot about what they should do if someone wanted to pay 60 millions dollars to put a bus in orbit: who would do that(apart KSP players, of course )

EDIT: double ninja'd!

[Lohan2008]

[hawkinator]

I did some quick research and came up with this:

Assuming we are talking about one of these:

Then on paper it is feasible indeed. The school bus weighs in at about 20,000 lbs. and the Falcon 9 claims to be able to launch a payload of 28,991 lbs. to LEO. That gives you wiggle room for an additional 8,000 lbs. for a service module, which is something you will probably need since the next biggest constraint is a legal one: if they were to put something up there that endangers other assets in LEO, that could come down badly in a big way for them. In other words, you will need a way to keep the darn thing under control while it is up there.

So, seeing as the project sounds viable, does anyone think we should start a kickstarter campaign to send a bus into LEO?

[Kryten]

Uneven weight distribution would be an issue. Practically all of the weight of that kind of bus would be towards the bottom (or to one side, in a launch situation); the engine, chassis, wheels, etc.c.

[hawkinator]

True, you would need to place it so that the center of mass lines up with the center of thrust, which would be visually off-center. Of course, if it has to be too off-center, then it might not fit, but other than that it's not too hard to solve. Of note here is that while the majority of satellites are symmetrical, not all of them are. Asymmetricality does not preclude launchability.

[nhnifong]

Does the Falcon 9 1.1 have enough power to put a dragon capsule on the moon? I would pay them to send me to the moon.

[hawkinator]

Does the Falcon 9 1.1 have enough power to put a dragon capsule on the moon? I would pay them to send me to the moon.

I don't think Falcon 9 has that kind of power, a Falcon Heavy might be able to do it though.

Also:

Subject: Purely theoretical (and slightly silly) question.

Text: If I were to have $56.5 million dollars to pay for a Falcon 9 launch, could I launch a school bus into orbit? (according to the website, the fairing is big enough (the bus is about ten meters long), and my research says that a school bus weighs approximately 9000 kg., which is less than the listed 13,000 kg to LEO for the Falcon 9)

Are there any specific requirements to what can be launched into orbit besides the mass and size?

We'll have to see if they respond.

[Albert VDS]

Does the Falcon 9 1.1 have enough power to put a dragon capsule on the moon? I would pay them to send me to the moon.

You'll have to wait for the Falcon Heavy for that.

[zekes]

only on KSP forums would this question come up...

[nhnifong]

snip

We'll have to see if they respond.

HAH! they probably will

[zekes]

We'll have to see if they respond.

We have a new sport. Space trolling.

[hawkinator]

We have a new sport. Space trolling.

Yea, I hope they don't look at it and just say "oh look, another troll from the internet". I tried to word the email as nicely and respectfully as possible, pointing out specifically that this is not a serious business inquiry. We'll see.

[K^2]

If you need a volunteer to pilot it, sign me up. I have a bit of experience with moving trucks and light planes, not to mention lots of experience playing KSP, so I figure I can drive a space bus.

[hawkinator]

If you need a volunteer to pilot it, sign me up. I have a bit of experience with moving trucks and light planes, not to mention lots of experience playing KSP, so I figure I can drive a space bus.

Sure, although I doubt the SpaceX guys will care about your KSP experience when deciding whether or not to let you fly the rocket

[bigdad84]

So, seeing as the project sounds viable, does anyone think we should start a kickstarter campaign to send a bus into LEO?

This actually crossed my mind. It would be hilarious if something like this actually raised enough cash!

We'll have to see if they respond.

Wouldn't that be something if they responded! My day would be made! Like mentioned though, I honestly think they will just blow it off as a troll.

[K^2]

Sure, although I doubt the SpaceX guys will care about your KSP experience when deciding whether or not to let you fly the rocket

Well, it'd be up to whoever fronts the cash, surely. Besides, the rocket is going to be automated anyways. It's only once the bus is in orbit that it'd need a pilot. Not entirely sure what for, though. This mission needs an appropriately insane objective.

Oh, and not to sound too demanding, but I would need a return vehicle. Nothing fancy. Something similar to a Mercury capsule would do. I can push it out the back once the bus is on the re-entry trajectory. Just needs to not burn up in atmosphere and not go splat on the landing.

[goldenpeach]

I we build a school in space, the school bus will have it's utility.

Ready for a kickstarter?

[bigdad84]

Ready for a kickstarter?

Could such kickstarter really reach such goals?

[hawkinator]

Well... They haven't responded to the E-mail, but then again there is a high likelihood that the person/people whose job it is to answer questions on that e-mail address have gone home for the day (we're going to presume that this is there job and they work like normal office people who pretend to have lives). Unfortunately (for us) SpaceX is an American company, so their people probably get Thanksgiving day off, which is tomorrow. So it is quite probable that no one will even see the email till Friday

Oh well, tell me what you think... http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/59865-Should-we-start-a-Kickstarter-to-launch-a-bus-into-space

And Maybe, just Maybe...

[Kryten]

Given they're planning to launch a rocket tomorrow, I doubt they're going to be off work.

[bigdad84]

Given they're planning to launch a rocket tomorrow, I doubt they're going to be off work.

Right! I forgot about this. Maybe after this launch, and if they succeed in getting a satellite to a geostationary orbit, they will feel confident enough to launch a bus!

[hawkinator]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. Well at any rate, I would say that it's entirely possible that we might not get a response until tomorrow or maybe even Friday. Patience may be required.