SpaceX Updates (Thread 8)

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Grand Master

DocM

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If it occurred at SF-8 min it can't have been fully fueled and pressurized. 

 

The discussion is moving to a problem in the strongback RP-1 line, umbilical, the connector or a strongback hydraulic line. A leak in any can result in a hydrocarbon  aerosol. Added to the GOX boiloff and you have a fuel-air explosive looking for an excuse to go boom.

 

Also,

 

China lost a rocket this week so they'll be investigating.

Proton is standing down to investigate an S2 anomaly

Arians 5 is booked through 2017

Also, ex-NASA and now SpaceX uber-engineer John Muratore is lead for prepping 39A. No doubt he'll be up to his elbows on LC-40 rehab.

 

SpaceX investigation updates....

 

Quote

>
Overview of the incident:

- Yesterday, at SpaceX's Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, an anomaly took place about eight minutes in advance of a scheduled test firing of a Falcon 9 rocket.

- The anomaly on the pad resulted in the loss of the vehicle.

- This was part of a standard pre-launch static fire to demonstrate the health of the vehicle prior to an eventual launch. 

- At the time of the loss, the launch vehicle was vertical and in the process of being fueled for the test.  At this time, the data indicates the anomaly originated around the upper stage liquid oxygen tank.  Per standard operating procedure, all personnel were clear of the pad.  There were no injuries.

To identify the root cause of the anomaly, SpaceX began its investigation immediately after the loss, consistent with accident investigation plans prepared for such a contingency.  These plans include the preservation of all possible evidence and the assembly of an Accident Investigation Team, with oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration and participation by NASA, the United States Air Force and other industry experts.  We are currently in the early process of reviewing approximately 3000 channels of telemetry and video data covering a time period of just 35-55 milliseconds. 

As for the Launch Pad itself, our teams are now investigating the status of SLC-40.  The pad clearly incurred damage, but the scope has yet to be fully determined.  We will share more data as it becomes available.
>

 

Moving to LC-39A

 

Link....

 

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>
With its launch pad likely facing major repairs, SpaceX said it would use a second Florida site, called 39A, which is located a few miles north at NASAs Kennedy Space Center and was used for space shuttle missions.

The pad is on schedule to be operational in November, SpaceX said. The company had planned to use the pad for the first time later this year for a test flight of its new Falcon Heavy rocket.
>

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Jim K Global Moderator

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Any word on why the payload was attached?  Is that (or was that) normal SOP?  I understand test firings ... though I'm curious why test firings occur with the payload in case something like this happens.

 

Also...is it normal SOP for the upper stage to be loaded with fuel for the first stage test?  Just seems like a lot of loading/unloading of propellent (regarding the upper stage).  But...what do I know...I'm medical. :) 

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DocM

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Anthony Medina posted some drone footage of Boca Chica. Looks like the mounds for the hangar & shop, and likely a GSE related slab.

 

 

 

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DocM

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~12 days from WTF? to scheduling RTF...that was quick.

 

@pbdes (Space News)
SpaceX President Shotwell: We anticipate return to flight in November, meaning down for three months. Next flight from CCAFS, then to VAFB.

 

@pbdes (Space News)
SpaceX's Shotwell: We have been told that the Sept. 1 anomaly will not affect Falcon 9's insurance rates. So we expect no impact.

 

@pbdes (Space News)
SpaceX's Shotwell: Falcon Heavy wont launch this year, likely Q1 next year. Could be from Pad 39A or from VAFB, not sure.

 

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+John. Subscriber¹

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2 hours ago, DocM said:

~12 days from WTF? to scheduling RTF...that was quick.

 

@pbdes (Space News)
SpaceX President Shotwell: We anticipate return to flight in November, meaning down for three months. Next flight from CCAFS, then to VAFB.

 

@pbdes (Space News)
SpaceX's Shotwell: We have been told that the Sept. 1 anomaly will not affect Falcon 9's insurance rates. So we expect no impact.

 

@pbdes (Space News)
SpaceX's Shotwell: Falcon Heavy wont launch this year, likely Q1 next year. Could be from Pad 39A or from VAFB, not sure.

 

Where was this information coming from, do you know? They've very sporadic, not sure if this is an interview or what?

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Draggendrop Veteran

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With some SpaceX input...check out the design influence...

 

MARS: Trailer #2

video is 1:43 min.

 

 

 

and

 

MARS: Trailer #1

video is 0:30 min.

 

 

 

‘Mars’: Behind the Scenes of National Geographic Channel’s Global Event Series

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/mars-national-geographic-channel-premiere-date-144321018.html

 

Quote

Still, Wilkes’s favorite location was the Hawthorne, Calif., offices of SpaceX. “Just because what they’re doing is so exciting, and there’s aspects of SpaceX that they’ve historically never allowed an outside crew in to document that we were granted access to,” he says. “Just seeing the energy and enthusiasm on their factory floor is something that I think very few people have seen unless you have the pleasure of actually getting to go there. It harkens back to, I don’t want to say the ‘glory days of space,’ because I’m hoping that we’re back in the glory days, but even going back to the ’60s, where there was just this excitement around the Apollo program, and all the best and the brightest were coming out of universities to work at NASA. That sort of fell off a bit, as we just got stuck, as Elon likes to say, in low Earth orbit. And when you go to SpaceX, you see an age range from 20-year-olds up to 60-year-olds, and people who are clearly the best and brightest out of MIT, and Caltech, and all the great science schools. You also see the slightly more seasoned, probably former NASA or government contractor types walking around. They’re all just intermingling on the factory floor, and they’re building rockets, and Elon’s desk is in the middle of all of it, so it has this mix of being a sort of tech Silicon Valley startup, and, at the same time, they’re building rockets on the same factory floor. I think that’s going to be an exciting thing for people to see.”

:D

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DocM

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MARS-Daedelus-3.jpgThe design of the Daedalus spacecraft in MARS is similar to a biconic side-entry BFS concept outside engineers have discussed in general layout, but not the details or scale.  Lots of artistic license there.

The biconic has the heat shield along its side to minimize heat loading per m^3 and enters like the Shuttle, but it rotates to vertical for the landing. The rear flipperon would be used to protect the engines during re-entry and as an elevator. Sometimes these are split into 2 flipperons which are independently moveable for additional directional control. Flipperons have been used on ESA's IXV vehicle, Blue Origin's SV orbital capsule and the Russian Kliper concept. Multiple engines for engine out capability. 

 

ESA's IXV shows both the biconic concept and shows split flipperons.

 

IXV_large.jpg

 

We'll see how close it is.

National Geographic graphics
MARS-Daedelus-1.jpg

 

MARS-Daedelus-4.jpg

 

MARS-Daedelus-2.jpg

 

MARS-Daedelus-3.jpg

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Draggendrop Veteran

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Actually, I'm curious to know if the flame trench at SLC-40 can handle Falcon Heavy. If so, this is an opportunity. A new strong back such as the one at 39A could be used and the hanger can already fit 3 cores. This would be great for the 5+ tonne lifts.

 

Have to find the silver lining from tragedy.

 

:)

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DocM

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57 minutes ago, Draggendrop said:

Actually, I'm curious to know if the flame trench at SLC-40 can handle Falcon Heavy. If so, this is an opportunity. A new strong back such as the one at 39A could be used and the hanger can already fit 3 cores. This would be great for the 5+ tonne lifts.

 

Have to find the silver lining from tragedy.

 

:)

No. Part of the Titan triple flame duct is concreted and it would cost too much to clear it out.

 

There is a plan to add a new second pad on LC-40, giving them LC-40A and LC-40B (for FH), but that's down the road.  Fixing LC-40(A), getting LC-39A ready, and Boca Chica have priority.

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Unobscured Vision

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I doubt it, even with upgrades. It'll take a 39-A type of Pad, and the clearance of all of the "stuff" and the reinforced superstructure to deal with the "oomph". So, no. Probably not.

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DocM

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There's room. The new hangar has to be 90° or 180° to the existing hangar and a new flame trench, mount, ramp and access roads built (+infrastructure taps.)  Pure guess, but I'd be looking for a draft EIS sometime after Boca Chica opens.

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DocM

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Most recent SpaceX financial info I can find.

 

The Information...

 

>


SpaceX shares recently sold at a price 24% higher than the last fundraising round, a securities filing by Fidelity Investments indicates, a price that would value the firm at close to $15 billion. It suggests that SpaceX shares have continued to rise in the secondary market and likely explains why Fidelity marked up its stake in the company to that level in February.

 

We reported in April that Fidelity had marked up its stake in SpaceX to $96.42 a share in February, which is the equivalent of about $15 billion for the whole company...
>

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