SpaceX Updates (Thread 8)

[+John. Subscriber¹]

13 minutes ago, DocM said:

SpaceX core numbering system

 

First stage: 100xx

 

Second stage: 20xx

 

Reuse: the stage gets a "-x" suffix. 

 

CRS-8 was stage 1021, so when it's reflown for SES-10 it'll be as stage 1021-2.

I'd love to see the reuse suffix get to "-xx"

[+John. Subscriber¹]

 

[philcruicks]

Not ideal to have delays this early in there year given the already compressed timetable...

 

Hopefully they can make some progress on the backlog once 39A is ready.

[DocM]

Cores are lining up for a run n gun once they get 39A squared away. It's not like the old days when they could only store 2 cores in building A0 at KSC. They have more storage at KSC and finished a new, mammoth storage hangar at McGregor last summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

@jeff_foust

In talk on COSMIC-2, NOAA says Falcon Heavy demo launch scheduled for 2nd Q; STP-2 mission (with COSMIC-2) planned for Sept. 30. #AMS2017

 

[Blue-Vision]

Oh goodie, ahead of schedule.  

[Beittil]

Funny, I thought it would be almost a hand full of years behind schedule

[DocM]

No sense in finishing FH off until Falcon 9 was complete with landings figured out. Otherwise they'd have to redesign it for every block.

[Beittil]

If that is true why did they bother to keep saying 'Heavy if going to fly this year!' all those years

 

 

[DocM]

Because they didn't plan on v1.1 going through as many blocks initially. As landing tests evolved, so did the schedule. Results driven.

[+John. Subscriber¹]

19 minutes ago, DocM said:

Because they didn't plan on v1.1 going through as many blocks initially. As landing tests evolved, so did the schedule. Results driven.

Any word on the final name for block 5? Fullerest Thrust maybe ;)?

[DocM]

So far, F9 Block 5 though I imagine the Feds will use their naming system in permits and EELV documents and call it v1.3.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

 

LEGO might create a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket kit if fans support the idea

 

LEGO

 

Quote

If the fan community has anything to say about it, LEGO may be honoring SpaceX’s history-making Falcon 9 rocket with its very own LEGO model. SpaceX already offers an Estes-style model rocket for sale in its web store and, given the numerous fan-made models of SpaceX’s current and upcoming fleet, a LEGO model would be sure to fill the shelves of SpaceX fans around the world.

 

The Falcon 9 rocket proposal was submitted to LEGO’s ideas page, a place where the toy’s community can submit their own ideas for new models. The submissions have a process which focuses on reaching 10,000 supporters to be put in front of LEGO’s reviewers. Once approved, the product will be brought to the shelves.

 

Currently, the Falcon 9 rocket model has 860 supporters and a little under two months to reach the next milestone of 1,000 supporters. Each incremental milestone grants extra time to reach the next milestone so new supporters can be obtained. A total of 10,000 supporters are needed before the LEGO team reviews the proposed idea.

 

According to the Falcon 9 LEGO proposal, the features of the rocket model would potentially include the following design elements:

Based on Falcon 9’s Flight 20 which carried the ORBCOMM-2 mission
Deployable grid fins
Deployable landing legs
Detachable second stage
Payload fairing
ORBCOMM-2 satellite
9x Merlin Engines
1x Merlin Vacuum Engine
Approx 1:124 scale (~55cm tall)
SpaceX livery decals

For reference, the ORBCOMM-2 mission was flown on December 21, 2015 from Cape Canaveral, Florida and made spaceflight history by being the first rocket to deliver a satellite into orbit and successfully land on the ground. This same flight was featured in a National Geographic behind-the-scenes video which included Elon Musk’s emotional rollercoaster during the event. SpaceX went on to successfully land Falcon 9 on its “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship another four times throughout 2016.

 

More information on how to support the Falcon 9 LEGO model can be found at the project submission page.

 

 

 

 

http://www.teslarati.com/lego-spacex-falcon-9-rocket-design-proposal/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

 

 

Elon Musk's tunnel project won't cut down on LA traffic — at least not at first

http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tunnel-plans-los-angeles-2017-1

 

Appears to be the parking lot tunnel for employees...

[Draggendrop Veteran]

From today...TEL back up...

 

 

 

 

Two days in a row....things are "moving"

[DocM]

SpaceX picks up an 8th Iridium NEXT launch, flying birds which were to fly on Russia's Dnepr before that was cancelled along with spares.

 

This launch will also be a multi-manifest, flying the NASA/GFZ (Germany) mission: GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On)

 

Also,

 

Quote

@IridiumBoss

My Ops team is really rocking on shaking out our new Iridium NEXT birds. Just hit 1000 testing activities since launch. Going well!
>
1st launch sat testing showing great progress.  Just had first cross-link  connectivity between 2 of the new NEXT sats.  Moving right along!

 

Quote

Iridium Adds Eighth Launch with SpaceX for Satellite Rideshare with NASA/GFZ

 

Iridium strikes deal with GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences to launch five additional spare Iridium NEXT satellites as well as NASA/GFZ’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on (GRACE-FO) Mission

MCLEAN, Va., January 31, 2017 – Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:IRDM) announced today that it has contracted with SpaceX for an eighth Falcon 9 launch. Along for the ride are the twin-satellites of the NASA/GFZ Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission, which will be deployed into a separate low-Earth orbit, marking the first rideshare deal for Iridium. An agreement of this kind is economical for all parties, and affords Iridium the ability to launch five additional satellites for its next-generation global satellite network.   The rideshare is anticipated to launch out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by early 2018.

“This is a very smart way to get additional Iridium NEXT satellites into orbit,” said Matt Desch, chief executive officer at Iridium. “This launch provides added resiliency to our network for not much more than we had planned originally to launch 72 satellites, including two with Kosmotras.”  Desch continued, “We are pleased to be sharing a rocket with NASA and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences for this additional SpaceX launch, and GFZ has been a great business partner throughout this process.” 

Not only is this launch a rare opportunity to ride with NASA, but it also represents a particularly compelling economical solution. The Company had always expected to launch additional satellites after the Iridium NEXT construction was completed to utilize the nine ground spares built into the program. This rideshare represents a material savings from other supplemental launch options due to the efficiency of sharing the rocket with GRACE-FO, and the incremental cost during the Iridium NEXT construction period is immaterial when considering the avoidance of unspent amounts contemplated under the Kosmotras program. It also affords Iridium the opportunity to rearrange its launch and satellite drifting plan and launch these five satellites directly into their operational orbital plane while increasing the number of planned in-orbit spares by three satellites.  Further, this development allows Iridium to complete the whole operational constellation at a faster rate than it would have with seven launches. Iridium will still consider launching satellites with Kosmotras once approvals are available. 

Iridium NEXT is the company’s next-generation global satellite constellation.  Replacing Iridium’s existing network of low-Earth orbit satellites, Iridium NEXT is poised to re-energize the mobile satellite industry with faster speeds and higher throughputs for all industry verticals.  The launch of the Iridium NEXT constellation represents an unprecedented feat for satellite communications, and has been coined the largest “tech refresh” of its kind.

The Company has contracted with SpaceX for seven dedicated Iridium NEXT launches, deploying 70 Iridium NEXT satellites into low-Earth orbit, across a 13-month period out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This eighth launch will increase the constellation’s count to 75 total in-orbit satellites, nine of which will serve as on-orbit spares. The first set of Iridium NEXT satellites was successfully launched on January 14th and is currently under test in orbit.  For more information about Iridium NEXT, please visit www.iridiumnext.com.

GRACE-FO is a successor to the joint NASA/GFZ GRACE mission, which launched in 2002 and is still in operation. The twin GRACE-FO satellites, which operate in tandem, will continue GRACE’s legacy of tracking changes in the distribution of Earth’s mass over time by creating monthly maps of Earth’s gravity field. The movements of masses of water, ice, air, and the solid Earth are driven by processes such as precipitation, droughts, floods, the melting of snow and ice, ground water usage and storage, and even tectonic events such as large earthquakes. GRACE is improving our understanding and knowledge of a variety of important Earth system processes:  the terrestrial water cycle and changes in ice sheets, glaciers and sea level, surface and deep-ocean currents; and variations in Earth’s lithosphere and mantle density. These measurements provide a unique view of the Earth system and have far-reaching benefits to society and the world’s population. The mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

 

 

[DocM]

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Just a follow up to Doc's above post on the extra iridium rideshare...

 

Article has some data...

 

Iridium buys eighth Falcon 9 launch, shares with Earth science mission

http://spacenews.com/iridium-buys-eighth-falcon-9-launch-shares-with-earth-science-mission/

 

Quote

Iridium said in the statement that the additional cost of the shared Falcon 9 launch is “immaterial” because of the “avoidance of unspent amounts” on money under the original plans for a Dnepr. Iridium also plans to adjust its plans for launching its remaining satellites and their arrangement in their various orbital planes so that the five additional ones can be launched directly into their planned operational orbits.

 

The rideshare launch does bring with it additional complexity in terms of both integrating the two different sets of satellites and launching them into separate orbits. While the Iridium satellites fly in orbits at 780 kilometers high with an inclination of 86.4 degrees, the GRACE-FO spacecraft will operate in an orbit 490 kilometers high at an inclination of 89 degrees.

 

Iridium did not disclose the terms of the new contract, including what portion of the launch costs — a Falcon 9 has a list price of $62 million — it will pay. Iridium noted in the statement that GFZ “has been a great business partner throughout this process.” It added it would also consider launching additional satellites with Kosmotras “once approvals are available.”

 

Worked out well ...

[Draggendrop Veteran]

All this talk of COPV and associated issues, and then this from NASA...

 

NASA MSFC Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Patent License: Cimarron Composites

 

Quote

Status Report From: Marshall Space Flight Center 
Posted: Tuesday, January 31, 2017

 

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)] [Notices] [Page 8863] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2017-02007]

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

 

[Notice: (17-003)]

Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Patent License

 

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

 

ACTION: Notice of intent to grant exclusive patent license.

 

SUMMARY: NASA hereby gives notice of its intent to grant an exclusive patent license in the United States to practice the invention described and claimed in U.S. Patent Number 7,867,589 entitled ``Hybrid Cryogenic Tank Construction and Method of Manufacture thereof;''

 

U.S. Patent Number 7,641,949 entitled ``Pressure Vessel with Improved Impact resistance and Method of making the same;'' U.S. Patent Number 8,561,829 entitled ``Composite Pressure Vessel including Crack Arresting Barrier;'' U.S. Patent Number 8,297,468 entitled ``Fuel Tank for Liquefied Natural Gas'' and U.S. Patent Number 6,953,129 entitled ``Pressure Vessel with Impact and Fire Resistant and Method of making same'' to Cimarron Composites, having its principal place of business in Huntsville, Alabama (USA). The fields of use may be limited to design and manufacturing of composite tanks and pressure vessels for aerospace and other commercial applications.

more at the link...

http://spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=49817

[DocM]

SpaceX doubling their footprint at the Port of LA for stage processing, expecting to fly every 2 weeks.

 

http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/20170131/spacex-wants-to-double-its-footprint-at-the-port-of-los-angeles

 

Hawthorne-based SpaceX, which is working through a backlog of rocket launches, wants to double the space it leases at the Port of Los Angeles to park and handle recovered space equipment.

The Board of Harbor Commissioners will vote at its Thursday morning meeting on a deal to enlarge Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s footprint at San Pedro’s outer harbor. The company hopes to lease 4.6 acres of land and water area along Berths 51 to 53 for $23,735 a month, plus insurance and any incidental costs.

In addition to extra space, the lease agreement allows the company to have berthing rights, install a chain-link fence around the property, build a concrete rocket-support pedestal, and add an office trailer, guard shack and portable restrooms, according to a staff report prepared for the commission.

The cutting-edge Hawthorne rocket maker, founded by billionaire CEO Elon Musk, is the first private company to ever return spacecraft from missions intact. It’s working to rapidly reduce the cost of getting into orbit by building reusable equipment. Already, its launch costs are several times cheaper than those of legacy aerospace companies that held a monopoly on government contracts until SpaceX snagged its first NASA deal in 2014.

ORIGINAL LEASE FOR 2 ACRES

Last year, SpaceX entered into its first contract to park equipment at the port in San Pedro. It leased about 2 acres to store the specially made barge it uses to recover launched rockets at sea. That vessel, which the company calls an “autonomous spaceport drone ship” named Just Read the Instructions, received the Falcon 9 rocket booster that delivered 10 communications satellites to orbit on Jan. 14 from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

This was the seventh successful booster recovery for the company.

The 16-story-tall booster was then towed on its barge to the San Pedro parking space on Jan. 17, where it remained until Jan. 26 near Miner and 22nd streets, drawing daily crowds of gawkers.

If the Harbor Commission approves the company’s lease expansion, it will provide enough space and access to comfortably park and offload the massive equipment on a regular basis. SpaceX plans at least six launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base through 2018 that will require at-sea landings, which means San Pedro will be getting an eyeful of the company’s rockets.

LAUNCHES PLANNED EVERY 2 WEEKS

Though SpaceX’s launch manifest is not publicly available, company officials said they intend to launch every two weeks from bases in Florida and California.

The company’s next two launches are set to take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Most of its launches have been from Cape Canaveral, but a Sept. 1 rocket explosion destroyed the equipment and its launchpad.

The port parking spot actually is on the campus of AltaSea marine research facility. Boeing Co. is also working in partnership with AltaSea to lease space in the outer harbor that may be used for its unmanned submarine Echo Voyager.

Additionally, marine archeologist Robert Ballard, the scientist who discovered the sunken Titanic in 1985, parks his deep-sea exploration research vessel Nautilus along the AltaSea property.

PIONEERING EXPLORATION

Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino heralded the SpaceX expansion as the latest step in the region’s increasing transformation to being on the cutting edge of pioneering exploration.

“Along with Boeing, Catalina Sea Ranch and the Exploration Vehicle Nautilus, AltaSea and the Port of LA are the home of space exploration and underwater exploration,” Buscaino said in a written statement. “My hope is that Elon Musk continues to see AltaSea and the Port of Los Angeles as an asset to his operations and continues to grow his company’s presence in San Pedro.”

[Beittil]

Well, seeing is believing... they been promising to ramp up for several years now but with an exception or two their cadence has pretty much been once per 5-6 weeks at best.

[Blue-Vision]

This time it was NASA's call, I believe. They wanted SpaceX to get the CRS mission out the door first.

[DocM]

There's a bit of a slowdown at Vandenberg as SpaceX switches to an autonomous GPS based tracking and flight termination system, but the base isn't ready yet (KSC has had it.)  After that's cleared there'll be regular Iridium NEXT launches, about 6 more this year. The 8th launch is 2018.

 

KSC is hopefully 2 a month until the LC-40 repairs are finished, supposedly this summer. After that, and with a little luck,  there may be another ramp up.

[Beittil]

Don't get me wrong here btw, I am a big fan of SpaceX and absolutely love all the stuff they are doing... but like I said, I take those launch cadences with a grain of salt for now. They have been talking about 1-2 week launch cadences for years now and so far there has always been one excuse or another for yet more delays, and then I am not even taking two 'rapid fires' into consideration

 

I do believe they will one day reach that cadence though, but I don't see it happening before Block 5 is active and they finally stop tinkering with specs and configs from one launcher to the next!

[DocM]

OTOH; 

 

Even counting AMOS-6, in just 9 months of 2016

 

SpaceX tied Atlas 5 for the highest number of successful launches with 8, and beat Ariane 5 which had 7. Delta 4 flew 4 times. Antares and Pegasus once.

 

22 US launches, and SpaceX did 36.4% of them.

 

Only Long March family (all types - 22) and the R7 family (Soyuz - 14) flew more often. India (7) and Japan (4).

Edited February 2, 2017 by DocM