SpaceX

[ckessel]

Which makes sense, but would be scary and motivating at the same time. Hahaha.

Scary yes, motivating, probably not. Intel had their "Rant and Rave" review process and having worked with two guys that were in the BIOS group, they have just horrific stories. Intentional sabotage to avoid being in the bottom 10%, hiring new college grads so you could fire them for being "bottom 10%" so you could keep your core group, etc.

I would sincerely hope SpaceX would implement that sort of thing in a much better way, but Intel has had more than it's share of defenders say "Hey, they made lots of money" as if somehow that excuses all (and mistakenly presumes they would have made less with a different review system).

 

[Cosmacelf]

I haven't heard anyone say that either SpaceX or Tesla uses such a rigid firing scheme.

 

[chickensevil]

SpaceX Launches 3D-Printed Part to Space, Creates Printed Engine Chamber for Crewed Spaceflight | SpaceX

I don't think it had been mentioned before this release that:

On January 6, 2014, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket with a 3D-printed Main Oxidizer Valve (MOV) body in one of the nine Merlin 1D engines. The mission marked the first time SpaceX had ever flown a 3D-printed part, with the valve operating successfully with high pressure liquid oxygen, under cryogenic temperatures and high vibration.

This seems really awesome that they have used the 3d printed part in a real flight! I hope they move all their engines to 3D printing soon!

 

[Cosmacelf]

Yeah, when I had a SpaceX tour about 6 months ago, I saw the 3-D Titanium printer working away, and my host casually mentioned they were printing production parts, which blew my mind.

 

[ElSupreme]

SpaceX Launches 3D-Printed Part to Space, Creates Printed Engine Chamber for Crewed Spaceflight | SpaceX

I don't think it had been mentioned before this release that:


This seems really awesome that they have used the 3d printed part in a real flight! I hope they move all their engines to 3D printing soon!

The real value doesn't lie in 'on ground' manufacturing. The thought is you can fly up the 3D printer, and a bunch of material (I think they are using sintered Titanium). You get two very helpful things.

The first is that you don't have to bring up spare parts. Just some printer material, and the printer. Then print whatever part you may need. Saves weight and space.
The second is that you can produce very large volume parts that would be hard to place into a delivery vehicle. Allowing you to construct a spacecraft in orbit.

 

[malcolm]

Sadly one good jolt (or sneeze) in zero-g and your pre-sintered Titanium powder goes everywhere.

 

[rabar10]

Perhaps ironically, NASA is sending a 3D printer up to the International Space Station on the next Dragon mission (CRS-4), though this test printer is an extrusion-based unit (think very precise hot glue gun), and not a sintered-powder unit like what is needed for the metal parts SpaceX is creating and now flying.

3D PRINTER HEADED FOR SPACE STATION IS READY FOR LAUNCH | Made in Space

 

[evme]

I wonder what the implications of this will have on space travel?


NASA: New "impossible" engine works, could change space travel forever

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) - Anomalous Thrust Production from an RF Test Device Measured on a Low-Thrust Torsion Pendulum

Anyone has any idea how this works? Mario?

 

[aronth5]

FAA Launch Listing
Any bets on what this flight was and when the video will be available?
Should be interesting.

 

[Grendal]

Texas, SpaceX announce spaceport deal near Brownsville - SciGuy

Brownsville deal is now official.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Yes, this seems to be how Elon likes to run his companies. He isn't slow to get rid of non performers.

And also people who impede the productivity of others. I remember reading an interview where Elon said that Tesla had to fire a production supervisor who was unnecessarily damaging the morale of workers.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Just a reminder that the next launch is in less than an hour...

 

[FredTMC]

Just a reminder that the next launch is in less than an hour...

wow. Thx for posting reminder! I'll watch.

(mod note: a few posts moved to the launch thread, live launch video available on the video thread)

 

[Grendal]

The Falcon 9 isn't big enough to land the first stage on GTO missions. Those high orbits require too much fuel. Falcon heavy, due next year, will have enough reserve to reuse stages even for GTO orbits.

Think about how crazy it will be to land three first stages simultaneously! I think that is the idea with FH is to have the stages separate and each one land. Am I right about that?

 

[chickensevil]

Think about how crazy it will be to land three first stages simultaneously! I think that is the idea with FH is to have the stages separate and each one land. Am I right about that?

That will be closer to a 4 stage rocket. Because my understand is that the link burns the fuel from just the side rockets first (while allowing for all 27 engines to be firing). Then the two sides separate and the single stack continues to burn. Then it separates leaving just the, what is currently, second stage vacuum engine to finish taking the object where it needs to go.

So it will be two boosters landing at roughly the same time, then the third, and finally the fourth (if and when they finally get there for that piece). With them having the accuracy of a helicopter (ideally) they can make the landing pads pretty close to each other. Just a question of where they will have them land.

I have no clue how they are going to figure out doing the second stage landing since the engine won't work properly inside the atmosphere.

 

[Grendal]

I have no clue how they are going to figure out doing the second stage landing since the engine won't work properly inside the atmosphere.

Thanks for the informed response.

From what I understand, the first stages are the most expensive part of the rocket (except for the payload) so getting them back in one piece is the most critical aspect to reusability. Preferably there will be some sort of depot in orbit built where all the second stages can go to be recycled or refueled and reused for other tasks in and around orbit. That's the kind of future in space that I've been waiting to see.

 

[chickensevil]

Thanks for the informed response.

From what I understand, the first stages are the most expensive part of the rocket (except for the payload) so getting them back in one piece is the most critical aspect to reusability. Preferably there will be some sort of depot in orbit built where all the second stages can go to be recycled or refueled and reused for other tasks in and around orbit. That's the kind of future in space that I've been waiting to see.

It is important though:

According to their site (Capabilities Services | SpaceX) it costs 61.2M to launch.
Rocket fuel makes up .03% of that or about 200,000$
True cost will depend on how many times they can reuse the rockets but based on the estimates and information SpaceX officials have given us the cost would drop down to about 18 million for just the first stage. Second stage would drop that further down to 5-7million.

I don't have a good link to direct quote where I got those figures from, if I can find them I will happily share. But yeah, First stage is significant enough in and of itself that it would be a huge win.

- - - Updated - - -

Forget it, I'll link it anyway. http://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/wiki/faq
So take that information for the reliability of anything else. I know I have heard them talk about it many times before in press conferences about how much the total package of the launch would cost based on percentages and estimated reductions and such. So I feel confident in those numbers being pretty good.

Keep in mind too, that you are paying to use their vehicle and that doesn't at all take into account the payload cost itself, and all of that.

 

[Doug_G]

I have no clue how they are going to figure out doing the second stage landing since the engine won't work properly inside the atmosphere.

Probably doesn't need to be optimized for atmospheric operation, because by the time it's doing it's thing much of the mass of the spacecraft will be gone (payload and fuel).

 

[Cosmacelf]

Has Elon or anyone mentioned why they aren't using parachutes to help slow down the first stage during recovery?

 

[Lloyd]

I believe that's because they want to land it on a pad at a particular location. Parachutes do not allow directional recovery.