SpaceX (general discussion)

The Inspiration4 mission has seemingly acted as a great advert for Space X:

View: https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1439386793326092290


Eric Berger:
Benji Reed says, in the wake of Inspiration4, the number of people approaching SpaceX about orbital flights is increasing significantly. I know they're already negotiating for missions three years from now. I'd expect demand greatly exceeds supply.

A follow-up:

View: https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1439388568477110282?s=21
 
You know, all three NASA past capsules thoroughly maxed out their boosters throwing weight to orbit.

Mercury and Atlas were a good match.

Gemini very nearly busted Titan II limits and needed a separate Agena to drag it 800 miles high.

As for Apollo... crew capsule 6 mt, Saturn IB payload 17 mt... but service module, packed with fuel: 24 mt. Complete Apollo ship 30mt or a bit more.
So in a sense, Apollo and Saturn IB were mismatched for LEO and Skylab; the solution being to offload a lot of that unuseful propellant or even remove some tanks.

But Falcon 9 / Dragon 2 are different. There, the booster has a rather large payload margin to lift the capsule pretty high if needed... from memory: Dragon 2 is around 11 mt when Falcon can lift 22 mt, twice as needed - depends from recovery TBH.
And Falcon Heavy could do even better.

Took me a while to realize this.

Clearly, if a Falcon 9 goes "all out" it can lift a Dragon 2 and crew to a pretty high orbit.
Of course the danger relates to the Van Allen belts.
Depends if the orbit is circularized entirely or if it just the apogee that is high.
Gemini 11 for example wasn't in a circular orbit 800 miles high; it just passed by at apogee, hence for a brief time.

I wonder if a Dragon 2 could go into a Molniya orbit ? (perfectly unseful I know, it is just for the fun of speculating).
 
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This is one private mission to look out for in the future.
February 18, 2020
— A new commercial space mission will fly its passengers higher in Earth orbit than ever before, achieving an altitude last reached by Gemini astronauts more than 50 years ago.

Space Adventures, the only space tourism company to send its clients to the International Space Station, announced on Tuesday (Feb. 18) a new partnership with SpaceX to launch privately-funded customers on the first Crew Dragon free-flyer mission. The spaceflight, targeted for late 2021 to mid-2022, will not dock at the space station, but rather it will circle around Earth at an altitude two to three times greater than the orbiting laboratory.

"Creating unique and previously impossible opportunities for private citizens to experience space is why Space Adventures exists," Eric Anderson, the company's chairman, said in a statement. "This Dragon mission will be a special experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity — capable of reaching twice the altitude of any prior civilian astronaut mission or space station visitor."
eh, that refers to the Inspiration mission that just ended.
 
You know, all three NASA past capsules thoroughly maxed out their boosters throwing weight to orbit.

Mercury and Atlas were a good match.

Gemini very nearly busted Titan II limits and needed a separate Agena to drag it 800 miles high.

As for Apollo... crew capsule 6 mt, Saturn IB payload 17 mt... but service module, packed with fuel: 24 mt. Complete Apollo ship 30mt or a bit more.
So in a sense, Apollo and Saturn IB were mismatched for LEO and Skylab; the solution being to offload a lot of that unuseful propellant or even remove some tanks.

But Falcon 9 / Dragon 2 are different. There, the booster has a rather large payload margin to lift the capsule pretty high if needed... from memory: Dragon 2 is around 11 mt when Falcon can lift 22 mt, twice as needed - depends from recovery TBH.
And Falcon Heavy could do even better.

Took me a while to realize this.

Clearly, if a Falcon 9 goes "all out" it can lift a Dragon 2 and crew to a pretty high orbit.
Of course the danger relates to the Van Allen belts.
Depends if the orbit is circularized entirely or if it just the apogee that is high.
Gemini 11 for example wasn't in a circular orbit 800 miles high; it just passed by at apogee, hence for a brief time.

I wonder if a Dragon 2 could go into a Molniya orbit ? (perfectly unseful I know, it is just for the fun of speculating).
It’s very likely that to achieve the orbit for the mission I posted about above it will use an older first stage to be expended and not recovered. I imagine the only downside is it puts up the price of the flight being fully expendable.
 
This is one private mission to look out for in the future.
February 18, 2020
— A new commercial space mission will fly its passengers higher in Earth orbit than ever before, achieving an altitude last reached by Gemini astronauts more than 50 years ago.

Space Adventures, the only space tourism company to send its clients to the International Space Station, announced on Tuesday (Feb. 18) a new partnership with SpaceX to launch privately-funded customers on the first Crew Dragon free-flyer mission. The spaceflight, targeted for late 2021 to mid-2022, will not dock at the space station, but rather it will circle around Earth at an altitude two to three times greater than the orbiting laboratory.

"Creating unique and previously impossible opportunities for private citizens to experience space is why Space Adventures exists," Eric Anderson, the company's chairman, said in a statement. "This Dragon mission will be a special experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity — capable of reaching twice the altitude of any prior civilian astronaut mission or space station visitor."
eh, that refers to the Inspiration mission that just ended.
Nope Space Adventures plan a mission with an altitude beyond the maximum Gemini mission of 819KM.
 
Yup. Recovery eats around 30%-40% of the booster expendable performance (again, from memory so pas taper)

"Altitude" records to be broken - outside Apollo 8-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17 of course.

Shuttle record altitude is around 600 km+, for Hubble. Circularized to that height, not "apogee only".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-31 621 km : 386 miles high.

The two Agena Target Vehicles that didn't failed pushed
- Gemini 10 to 763 km apogee
- and Gemini 11 to 1369 km, apogee only.


Soyuz never went very "high" because it maxed out its eponymous booster.
 
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View: https://twitter.com/tgmetsfan98/status/1435326418766942209


The next launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, carrying the classified USSF-44 mission, is currently scheduled for NET Oct 9, per a slide presented by Col. Chad Melone at the Small Payload Ride Share Symposium today.

Err… sorry for that dumb question that might appear off topic here, but what is this? And what the heck is this shown of in this type of slides?

A
 

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It seems to have splashed down safely.
Even more significant to me than this mission—was I blurb I read where SpaceX is expanding…and the scuttlebutt is that one location is located along….

Billy Mitchell Boulevard

That, gentlemen—is FATE
I used to work on Billy Mitchell Road, in a different state. We also had a Wright Brothers Dr, Wiley Post Way, Amelia Earhart Dr, Neil Armstrong Rd, and Jimmy Doolittle Rd. :)
 
Err… sorry for that dumb question that might appear off topic here, but what is this? And what the heck is this shown of in this type of slides?
i'm confused just like you
it show series small Sat launcher with unknown Aircraft/Launcher model
or has USAF Space Force leak inadvertent a black program or a future Launcher ?

not the first time that happen
like this Russian page on TV, that let to total Panic in US capitol Hill...
torpedo-plans.jpg
 
Err… sorry for that dumb question that might appear off topic here, but what is this? And what the heck is this shown of in this type of slides?
i'm confused just like you
it show series small Sat launcher with unknown Aircraft/Launcher model
or has USAF Space Force leak inadvertent a black program or a future Launcher ?

not the first time that happen
like this Russian page on TV, that let to total Panic in US capitol Hill...
torpedo-plans.jpg


Michel, all:

Fixed. This is Aevum's Ravn-X drone.

3D image shown here:

What still puzzles me is why this image is showcased in this specific PPT, as if it were an actually flown project?
Time will tell.

A.
 
Courtesy of a poster on NSF.
BFM TV - Clervoy Bonnal

Clervoy is a former ESA astronaut and Bonnal is a CNES executive (he was the author of the recent GLEX paper about human spaceflight with Ariane 6).

In a few bullet points :
* it is a fine achievement
* Bonnal considers it premature, as human spaceflight is intrinsically too dangerous for non professionals
* Clervoy agrees, this is highly energetic and therefore dangerous ; he mentions a Loss of crew probability of 1/100 which in my mind is the Shuttle figure (Clervoy flew thrice on Shuttle) but not the figure I have in mind for Crew Dragon (can someone confirm)
* Bonnal states that after all it is their money so they can do what they want to do with it if they are audacious enough
* Bonnal is dismissive of the value of the science carried out on board (" don't start me on that").
* Bonnal outlines Elon Musk's vision, mentions the 100 seat capacity of Starship, hinting (but not explicitely stating) that he does not believe Elon Musk's vision is achievable
* Clervoy expresses the hope that these astronauts will provide another vision of space flight than the professional ones and that they will become ambassadors of the protection of spaceship Earth

Note that Clervoy calls them non professional astronauts...

So bottom line : very good but premature.
 
View: https://twitter.com/inspiration4x/status/1439737805110976512


Our #Inspiration4 crew took many amazing photos in space during their three-day mission, including this out-of-this-world selfie!

Jared, Hayley, Sian, and Chris are back home on Earth, but our team is still fundraising for @StJude. Join that effort: inspiration4.com/donate
View: https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status/1439847393550295041


We accomplished all of our on-orbit objectives but the most emotional point for me was shortly after splashdown when we learned we surpassed our @StJude fundraising goal. On behalf of @inspiration4x and to all the supporters of our mission - Thank you!

View: https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status/1439851354181275652


Very cool! 1062 took great care of us and the launch photos are incredible. One of the first calls we made shortly after we arrived on orbit, was to make sure 1062 made it back safely to the drone ship. We are looking forward to watching her future missions.
 
I've had several questions about why there are no photos of Inspiration4 after orbit. It's a private mission, and their choice. Families are in regular contact and all is well. There will be some events. The video will eventually show up on Netflix. But this is not NASA, folks.

View: https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status/1439867393266929666


The actual answer is that we only had so many ground station passes to transmit video. NASA and other government users are going to get priority. I suspect a lot of footage will be released shortly. We had quite a few cameras on board.
 
something is going on In Starbase

Frankencrane move to new Position
The GSE are filled with liquid Nitrogene
and The Claw is moved to the launch site

E_vIARJXMAECEjL


E_rjfZqWQAk5mSn


in mean time KSC at Florida
Eu-3CaXXUAAP9y3
 
View: https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status/1440485977059827712


Amazing views from Crew Dragon Resilience’s cupola. @ArceneauxHayley, @DrSianProctor, @ChrisSembroski & I were so fortunate to have this perspective and we will do all we can to share the experience with the . The @inspiration4x mission to inspire and support @StJude continues
View: https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1440483270232182785


Not sure if anyone heard, but some friends went on a fun trip and made a nice video for me during their free time … speechless and can’t comprehend your kindness @rookisaacman @ArceneauxHayley @DrSianProctor @ChrisSembroski
 
The perfect zero G toy would have been a monolith.
USS Discovery Model is also perfect Zero G indicator

At Starbase, the Quick disconnect arm is put on launch Tower

a old cover from 2004
SpaceX not rock Boeing, they kick there Ass across the Room...
E_6BtG_VcAg7l6G
 
The perfect zero G toy would have been a monolith.
USS Discovery Model is also perfect Zero G indicator

At Starbase, the Quick disconnect arm is put on launch Tower

a old cover from 2004
SpaceX not rock Boeing, they kick there Ass across the Room...
E_6BtG_VcAg7l6G
They rock Boeing and ULA and Northrop Grumman and NASA and Arianespace. . .
 
Still better than Apollo "waste management system" - NASA accronym and PC, really...

That's something "For all mankind" got either wrong, or did not explained.

How would dear Molly Cobb pee in orbit ? Soyuz had a toilet, MOL had a toilet, Skylab had a toilet, but Apollo had none. Men and women are equal when poo-poo-ing but not when peeing.

Mike Mullane in his own unique way (trashy, but hilarious) explains how hard it was, for NASA, to solve that idiotic issue: how do you pee in zero-G without a penis to put in a condom with a hose at the end ?


And then, how do you test that on Earth solid-ground 1-G ? Using a vomit comet ? won't last long... (30 seconds)... and the unfortunate volunteer would have to be gentle enough to want to pee at the right time, please...

And then was the case of Discovery maidden flight late August 1984 with Judy Resnik (she was the one who said "Maidden ? there are no maiddens on this flight." to the delight of her flight mates.)

At some point way too early in the mission the WMS urine dump resulted in icicles that could break the shuttle heatshield (no kidding: the urine froze at the worst possible place and could have pulled a STS-27 or worse, a STS-107 on Discovery).

So the crew was told "you can poo-poo, we store it in the tank as usual. But do not urinate anymore because we can no longer dump and the tank will be full very soon. So please go for the Apollo bags".

The crew agree... and then, in true gentlemen fashion, basically offered Resnik to keep peeing in the toilet (and tank)- since well, you know...

And she refused and used the Apollo bags, do you know why ?

Because, being "second woman in space" after (ultra-feminist) Sally Ride, she feared some filthy press or media would learn about it - and say
"she filled the pee tank all by herself, and then once the tank full the mission had to be interrupted. So a woman in space Resnik - caused trouble to a mission".

NO WAY - so she bravely used the bags.

No comment was done by anybody, except by herself in a brief statement

"Apollo bags do not work for women. At all !"

...

There is also the (less serious) case of that astronaut prankster who picked a brown and small sausage out of a food package, and then let if float out of the toilet... the prank worked, his crew mates flying away in panic and disgust.
Only for the prankster to look at them, smile, and eat the... sausage.
 
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View: https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1441009459984154628


Astranis' first commercial satellite gets a rideshare upgrade:

The satellite is moving from SpaceX's Falcon 9 to Falcon Heavy, launching as a secondary payload on the ViaSat-3 mission in spring 2022 – enabling Astranis to bring its broadband service to Alaska "months faster."


Astranis Moves Launch of First Commercial Satellite to Falcon Heavy
Satellite will launch directly to geostationary orbit, meaning broadband internet service will come online months faster for underserved areas of Alaska

September 23, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Astranis announced today that its first commercial communications satellite, set to provide service for Alaska from geostationary orbit, will now launch as a secondary payload on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on a direct-inject mission set for Spring 2022. The mission profile will allow the spacecraft to arrive at its orbital slot within days of launch and removes the need for a multiple-month orbit raise from a highly-elliptical geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

Astranis CEO John Gedmark said, “Launching on Falcon Heavy will get us on-orbit months faster, allowing us to serve customers in Alaska that much sooner. This is a huge win for our customers in Alaska.”

The change of launch vehicle from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 follows the successful launch of a subscale demonstration satellite to orbit, the successful completion of thermal-vacuum testing of a qualification vehicle, and the successful completion of their Critical Design Review. Astranis recently announced that the satellite is in its final stage of assembly after a successful end-to-end payload demonstration that showed results above spec.

Astranis’s small communications satellite is bound for geostationary orbit to serve Alaska, a state that has long faced one of the sharpest digital divides in the United States. According to Broadband Now, 39% of Alaskans are underserved when it comes to internet access — the highest rate of any state. The Astranis satellite will roughly triple the currently available satellite capacity in Alaska while also bringing costs down to one third of current pricing for both residential and wholesale customers.

Pacific Dataport CEO Chuck Schumann stated, “Working with the entire Astranis team has been a wonderful experience and we’re excited to see our satellite readied for launch. There are more than 100,000 rural Alaskans who are ready for an affordable broadband connection and Astranis is helping us bring them modern connectivity. This is a really big deal for Alaska.
 
Rotten FAA

Reading there PDF i found a Limitation on Number of launches during a Year
20 Suborbital Launches with Starship
FIVE Launches with Starship/Superheavy into Orbit
 

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