SpaceX Tuesday...

[Beati Dogu]

Well there you go. SpaceX are indeed getting a second fairing capture ship.

Currently called "Capt Elliott McCall" she will be renamed "GO Ms Chief" and is on the way to Port Canaveral now.

Not sure if she's a sistership of Go Ms Tree, but very likely. Same basic design, size and displacement.

Built as supply ships to the oil rigs & big ships in the Gulf, these are fast ships with 4 powerful diesel engines driving 4 steerable water jets.


http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=...

[RobDickinson]

Ah fair enough must be worth leasing the two!

[Flooble]

Interesting that they need such fast powerful ships just for supply runs (the original purpose). I always pictured freighter vessels as being built as slow and cheap as possible. whereas these are real hot-ships.

[loudlashadjuster]

Flooble said:

Interesting that they need such fast powerful ships just for supply runs (the original purpose). I always pictured freighter vessels as being built as slow and cheap as possible. whereas these are real hot-ships.

It’s more about being able to hold a steady position in heavy seas. Pretty important if you’re trying to crane stuff off them, or they’re attached via umbilicals.

[leglessAlex]

loudlashadjuster said:

Flooble said:

Interesting that they need such fast powerful ships just for supply runs (the original purpose). I always pictured freighter vessels as being built as slow and cheap as possible. whereas these are real hot-ships.

It’s more about being able to hold a steady position in heavy seas. Pretty important if you’re trying to crane stuff off them, or they’re attached via umbilicals.

There's also a time aspect to it, right? If you have a rig that isn't working, I'd imagine you need the parts out to it that it might need as fast as possible The extra fuel use of a fast ship is pretty insignificant compared to the revenue lost from having a rig sitting there idle.

[Art0ir]

Always been impressed by the vessels O&G(&W) tend to purchase/lease. Even the crew ferrying units just in the Irish Sea off Morecambe, etc are really overengineered.

[Flooble]

leglessAlex said:

loudlashadjuster said:

Flooble said:

Interesting that they need such fast powerful ships just for supply runs (the original purpose). I always pictured freighter vessels as being built as slow and cheap as possible. whereas these are real hot-ships.

It’s more about being able to hold a steady position in heavy seas. Pretty important if you’re trying to crane stuff off them, or they’re attached via umbilicals.

There's also a time aspect to it, right? If you have a rig that isn't working, I'd imagine you need the parts out to it that it might need as fast as possible The extra fuel use of a fast ship is pretty insignificant compared to the revenue lost from having a rig sitting there idle.

Thanks guys - the things you don't really think of when you aren't in a given industry! I guess it helps to have plenty of money sloshing around too so you can afford the gucci solution!

[Taffer]

Flooble said:

Thanks guys - the things you don't really think of when you aren't in a given industry! I guess it helps to have plenty of money sloshing around too so you can afford the gucci solution!

The boats SpaceX is using would generally be classed as Fast Supply Vessels, and would be used for crew transfer and light supply duties.
A 'proper' Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) is much bigger, slower, but has a larger deck area for cargo, in addition to tanks below deck for water, fuel, drill mud, barite, cement, and other liquid or bulk cargoes needed. Most modern ones tend to be diesel-electric, with azimuthing propulsion pods which, in conjunction with bow thrusters and dynamic positioning systems, allow them excellent station keeping abilities to allow them to conduct cargo ops beside rigs even in fairly rough weather. As you can see, they're a bit bigger than the boats SpaceX is using:

[MartG]

Starhopper next flight delayed pending FAA approval

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1166466/Spa...

[Beati Dogu]

They've mounted some black hexagonal tiles to the side of it now. More to see if they stay on, than for any other purpose I imagine.

[Beati Dogu]

The two NASA astronauts destined to fly the Crew Dragon first have been practicing with a capsule out on recovery ship GO Searcher in Florida. This includes being dragged out backwards on stretchers by the looks of it.



Pic from NASA.

More here:

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-nasa-crew-dragon-...


Meanwhile the former Pacific landing ship is making its way through the Panama Canal. Normally, it's 52 meters wide, so they've had to temporarily remove the side wings to make it under the 33.5 meter canal limit.You can see the wings stowed on deck:



Pic from SpaceXFleet Updates

[MartG]

Update on Commercial Crew progress

https://spacenews.com/commercial-crew-providers-pr...

[Beati Dogu]

Sounds like they've finally got FAA approval for the 200m Starhopper flight. This could happen as early as Monday.


Meanwhile the Tesla Roadster they launched last year has completed its first solo orbit of the Sun.

Not counting the multiple orbits it did while on Earth of course.

[jonny142]

Beati Dogu said:

Sounds like they've finally got FAA approval for the 200m Starhopper flight. This could happen as early as Monday.

Yes , So they say ,live feed now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8CSgRpPT0o

Tim should be live from around 18.30 uk time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fblo3vzsOo4

[jonny142]

'Hop Off 'set for 23.00 UK time

[Beati Dogu]

It's only going to be 150 meters now (roughly 500 ft), because FAA.

[Davie_GLA]

What’s happening? Watching now but is it delayed? Also no official space x feed?

I despise these channels asking for donations and likes.

[Eric Mc]

Are you watching on Everyday Astronaut? Tim doesn't go on about such things and just talks in an enthusiastic way about what he is presenting.

As this is not a "space" launch, there is no launch window as such. They'll fire the thing when they feel ready to do so.

[RobDickinson]

Elon said around now, looks like they are fuelling

[Stussy]

Approx 5 minutes to go

Space x have a stream

https://youtu.be/Jhjyz183poo

Edited by Stussy on Tuesday 27th August 00:00