Falcon 1, The World's Lowest Cost Rocket to Orbit |
Falcon 1, The World's Lowest Cost Rocket to Orbit |
Guest_Myran_* |
Mar 8 2006, 09:02 PM
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#31
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Guests |
Its not one exact carbon copy, but I cant help thinking its like a rebirth of the Gemini program.
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Mar 8 2006, 10:22 PM
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#32
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239 |
Its not one exact carbon copy, but I cant help thinking its like a rebirth of the Gemini program. In capability, more like 'Big G' perhaps - and nowt wrong with that! Only a few illustrations, and no technical details, have leaked out so far, so it may actually be quite unlike Gemini. The forebody shape is much like the Discoverer re-entry vehicle, so it may come into the atmosphere pointy-end first. The 'Service Module' might not be jettisoned, but could serve as the storage for parachutes or whatever it might take to bring the thing down - remember, these guys are stressing the reuseable aspect above much else. Bob Shaw -------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!
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Mar 9 2006, 09:56 AM
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#33
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1870 Joined: 20-February 05 Member No.: 174 |
A case could be made for a design with a "service module" equivalent compartment inside the re-entry body behind the pressurized crew compartment (which is what I think SpaceX is doing here) ...
AND with external "ports" that could connect to propellent, fuel-cell supplies, etc. to provide extend-mission capabilities. An "external service" module could be little more than an adaptor with throwaway tanks and almost nothing else. All the high-value reusable stuff and short-duration, low-delta-v mission consumables could be inside the entry-shell |
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Mar 16 2006, 02:54 AM
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#34
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 51 Joined: 16-March 05 From: Clay County, Indiana, USA Member No.: 199 |
March 15th update available:
QUOTE Falcon 1 has been removed from its hangar and erected on the launch pad. All systems are currently go for a static fire on March 17 or 18, followed by a launch between March 20 and 25.
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Mar 16 2006, 05:30 AM
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#35
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 19-June 05 Member No.: 415 |
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Mar 16 2006, 06:14 AM
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#36
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 51 Joined: 16-March 05 From: Clay County, Indiana, USA Member No.: 199 |
I just check the site frequently. I signed up, too, but have never received an email from them. It might be a good idea to send them an email to check their mailing list sender.
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Mar 18 2006, 06:00 PM
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#37
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 19-June 05 Member No.: 415 |
It is now close to sundown on the 18th on Kwajalein. There was supposed to be a static firing yesterday or today. I can find no news more recent than Musk's 3/15 update. That update implied that they had accumulated enough LOX on the island and said again that the launch would be beteen the 20th and the 25th but....? His brother (http://kwajrockets.blogspot.com/) is off-line since 2/10. I do see on Space News that SpaceX has recruited another industry vet:
http://www.space.com/spacenews/ Sea Launch President Joining SpaceX PARIS —- Sea Launch LLC President Jim Maser is resigning his post at the end of this month and will become a manager at launcher startup company Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX, according to industry officials. This looks to me like quite an endorsement. A veteran of an incrimental plan to reduce launch costs jumping ship to a radical plan to lower launch costs. However, it is still not the news I was looking for. |
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Mar 20 2006, 06:55 AM
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#38
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 51 Joined: 16-March 05 From: Clay County, Indiana, USA Member No.: 199 |
...Jim Maser is resigning his post at the end of this month and will become a manager at launcher startup company Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX... Another site has him as "...President and Chief Operating Officer": Freshnews.com article |
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Mar 20 2006, 08:33 AM
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#39
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1870 Joined: 20-February 05 Member No.: 174 |
My take on the total lack of news from Kwaj... (no news atoll)... is that they're up to their (anatomical reference deleted) in fiddly stuff and too busy to take a breather and chat at us.
But of course, no news is no news. And that Jim Maser info is most interesting, as is the fact that Kistler's operation has been bought... was it the Rocketplane people, with... was it some French funding... (my brain's going.. I can't remember what I read yesterday) |
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Mar 20 2006, 02:42 PM
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#40
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Member Group: Members Posts: 510 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Southeast Michigan Member No.: 209 |
Kwaj... (no news atoll)... Groaaaaan. Way too early on a Monday morning for that! -------------------- --O'Dave
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Mar 20 2006, 02:47 PM
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#41
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
... (my brain's going.. I can't remember what I read yesterday) Ah -- you're showing the early signs of a disability known as CRS. I, myself, have suffered from CRS for many years, and unfortunately in my case, it's progressing on to the more serious condition, CRAFT. There's really no treatment available at present, either. Oh, BTW -- CRS = Can't Remember S**t. CRAFT = Can't Remember a F***ing Thing. Isn't it impressive how someone with such a serious condition as mine can actually use such technical, medical terms with such alacrity? -the other... um, hold on, I'll get it... -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
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Mar 20 2006, 08:49 PM
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#42
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 6 Joined: 28-February 05 Member No.: 178 |
from nasawatch.com...
"SpaceX Update Editor's note: According to SpaceX sources, the test firing countdown and static fire went fine except that they had a ground helium supply disconnect prematurely during engine startup. One of their flight video cameras also stop working. Neither event is seen as being a big issue, but these things will take a few days to correct. SpaceX is still working toward a launch in the next few days." |
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Mar 21 2006, 01:00 AM
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#43
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 51 Joined: 16-March 05 From: Clay County, Indiana, USA Member No.: 199 |
Thanks argv,
I've not used nasawatch as a resource before. Some interesting stuff there. |
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Mar 21 2006, 08:28 AM
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#44
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1870 Joined: 20-February 05 Member No.: 174 |
Beside NASA Watch, you want to monitor Cowing's companion site, SpaceRef.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/press.html is the link I usually use. From there, also go to the "Mission Status Reports" link near the top of the page. |
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Mar 21 2006, 11:26 PM
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#45
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 51 Joined: 16-March 05 From: Clay County, Indiana, USA Member No.: 199 |
Thanks Ed,
I found a strangely worded March 21 Space.com article. It mentions "...tests will determine whether the firm shoots for a launch sometime between Monday and March 25. The launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. EST (2100 GMT)...". But later it states, "SpaceX is making its launch service debut with today's Falcon 1 launch." I wonder if the last two sentences were copied from a previous article. |
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