SpaceX Tuesday...
Discussion
callmedave said:
Eric Mc said:
The pace at which SpaceX is doing things is on a par with what NASA could do in the early to mid 1960s i.e. they had a free hand and fairly unlimited budgets to push through missions and tests at a very fast rate. NASA can't do this any more.
SpaceX can.
I am very impressed with what Musk is doing and I am confident that most, if not all, of his plans will come to fruition.
Took the words out my mouth Eric.SpaceX can.
I am very impressed with what Musk is doing and I am confident that most, if not all, of his plans will come to fruition.
Let's just hope his finances stay healthy.
I'm worried that his whole edifice will be brought down by some sort of class action brought by relatives of those who have killed themselves in stupid accidents in his autonomous cars. I think that's a FAR more risky technology from a financial point of view compared to rockets and spacecraft.
Edited because I spelled "rocket" as "racket" Far be it for me to accuse Elon Musk of financial impropriety.
I'm worried that his whole edifice will be brought down by some sort of class action brought by relatives of those who have killed themselves in stupid accidents in his autonomous cars. I think that's a FAR more risky technology from a financial point of view compared to rockets and spacecraft.
Edited because I spelled "rocket" as "racket" Far be it for me to accuse Elon Musk of financial impropriety.
Edited by Eric Mc on Saturday 23 July 17:53
SpaceX completed a full cycle tet of a landed booster today, the JCSAT booster from May launch. 2min of fury, no RUD, looked good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZQY902xQcw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZQY902xQcw
RobDickinson said:
SpaceX completed a full cycle tet of a landed booster today, the JCSAT booster from May launch. 2min of fury, no RUD, looked good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZQY902xQcw
Wow, so that sort of confirms they are good for a relaunch? What other systems might be broken?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZQY902xQcw
SES seem particularly keen. They operate a fleet of communications satellites including the ASTRA cluster that Sky use. SpaceX have already launched satellites for them before, the last one being back in March.
SpaceX currently charge $62 million per launch via a new Falcon 9 (for a 2018 schedule).
I imagine that $62m covers the total build cost of the rocket, so they really only have fuel, oxygen and overheads that need to be covered on subsequent launches.
Clearly, if they can reuse rockets successfully, they can start dropping that initial cost price.
SpaceX currently charge $62 million per launch via a new Falcon 9 (for a 2018 schedule).
I imagine that $62m covers the total build cost of the rocket, so they really only have fuel, oxygen and overheads that need to be covered on subsequent launches.
Clearly, if they can reuse rockets successfully, they can start dropping that initial cost price.
Beati Dogu said:
SES seem particularly keen. They operate a fleet of communications satellites including the ASTRA cluster that Sky use. SpaceX have already launched satellites for them before, the last one being back in March.
SpaceX currently charge $62 million per launch via a new Falcon 9 (for a 2018 schedule).
I imagine that $62m covers the total build cost of the rocket, so they really only have fuel, oxygen and overheads that need to be covered on subsequent launches.
Clearly, if they can reuse rockets successfully, they can start dropping that initial cost price.
A lot will depend on how many times a booster can be reused - the more times then the lower the launch cost I'd guess, as the cost of manufacturing the booster would be spread across more launchesSpaceX currently charge $62 million per launch via a new Falcon 9 (for a 2018 schedule).
I imagine that $62m covers the total build cost of the rocket, so they really only have fuel, oxygen and overheads that need to be covered on subsequent launches.
Clearly, if they can reuse rockets successfully, they can start dropping that initial cost price.
30% is still a staggering saving by any standard and of course the second stage and fairings are brand new builds.
They're working on ways to recover the payload fairings, which we may start seeing soon. That alone would save a few million dollars per launch.
If they can get the hardware costs down by reuse, the beauty is that the cost of fuel and liquid oxygen are almost negligible in the scheme of things. Less than $250,000 per launch.
They're working on ways to recover the payload fairings, which we may start seeing soon. That alone would save a few million dollars per launch.
If they can get the hardware costs down by reuse, the beauty is that the cost of fuel and liquid oxygen are almost negligible in the scheme of things. Less than $250,000 per launch.
NASA has ordered a second manned Dragon mission 
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-orders-seco...
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-orders-seco...
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