SpaceX Updates (Thread 9)

[TrevorLahey]

More cladding! 😁

 

 

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Looking nice...they should stick something on top of that old RSS column.    

[flyingskippy]

Is a sub scaled Raptor for F9/H completely off the table now? What happened to the AF contract to develope that?

[DocM]

The Raptor for F9/FH upper stage language was a fig leaf for funding a successor to Russia's RD-180.

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

About SpaceX not getting EELV 2 funding,

 

Space News....

 

Lawmakers: Air Force launch procurement strategy undermines SpaceX

In a Feb. 4 letter addressed to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Ken Calvert argue that the Air Force launch procurement plan creates an unfair playing field.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) are calling for an independent review of the Air Forces space launch procurement strategy. They contend that the Air Force, in an effort to broaden the launch playing field, is putting SpaceX at a competitive disadvantage.

In a Feb. 4 letter addressed to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, Feinstein and Calvert  both with strong ties to the space industry  argue that the path the Air Force has chosen to select future launch providers creates an unfair playing field. Although SpaceX is not mentioned in the letter by name, it is clear from the lawmakers language that they believe the company is getting a raw deal because, unlike its major competitors, it did not receive Air Force funding to modify its commercial rockets so they meet national security mission requirements.
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[flyingskippy]

Funny how the three companies selected, none of them have flight hardware on the test stand that can throttle over 70%.

 

I didn't see that requirement anywhere to launch national security payloads.

 

I could wipe my ass with that money and get more use out of it than the AF will with those three.

Edited February 8, 2019 by flyingskippy

[TrevorLahey]

Used DocM's post to get the latest update on Mr. Steven.  I was interested how long it took to get through the Panama Canal.

 

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

Falcon's future

 

 

 

 

[anthdci]

6 hours ago, DocM said:

Falcon's future

 

 

 

 

So they'll only have 1 heavy, makes sense.

[DocM]

They'll have FH B5 2 center cores soon.

 

And...

 

USAF looks to certify Falcon Heavy re-use

 

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/03/14/air-force-sees-upcoming-falcon-heavy-launches-ask-key-to-certifying-reused-rocket-hardware/

 

SpaceX is gearing up for the first commercial launch of its powerful Falcon Heavy rocket as soon as early April with a communications satellite for Arabsat, and the U.S. Air Force hopes the two side boosters from the Arabsat mission can be safely landed and reused for the military’s first Falcon Heavy mission this summer, an exercise officials said will help certify previously-flown hardware for future national security launches.

[DocM]

 

For the US Air Force STP-2 mission, which is also a qualification flight for NSSL (National Security Space Launch, aka EELV 2), 

Edited April 27, 2019 by DocM

[DocM]

 

[TrevorLahey]

SpaceX hits new Falcon 9 reusability milestone, retracts all four landing legs

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starts-falcon-9-landing-leg-retraction/

 

 

[TrevorLahey]

22 hours ago, DocM said:

 

Pretty quick solution (as long as the test goes well).

[Jim K Global Moderator]

The B1035 Full Thrust core (CRS-11 and CRS-13) is heading to the Houston Space Center as a permanent exhibit.

 

 

 

[DocM]

Critical parts for 7 NASA, 2 Air Force and 1 NOAA SpaceX missions.

 

Hang 'em by the balls

 

https://www.rochesterfirst.com/amp/news/local-news/feds-rochester-area-engineer-faked-inspection-reports-for-spaceship-parts-sent-to-spacex/

 

Quote

Feds: Rochester-area engineer faked inspection reports for spaceship parts sent to SpaceX

A Rochester-area engineer is facing charges, accused of falsifying inspection reports for space parts purchased by Space X for its spaceships.

Prosecutors say the suspect, James Smalley of Penn Yan, worked as a quality assurance engineer for PMI Industries in Gates, which provided machining services for "flight critical aerospace parts." PMI provided parts for Space X including for the company's Falcon launch family along with other Department of Defense contractors.
 >
>
Prosecutors say Smalley faked at least 38 source inspection reports.

In court documents, prosecutors say Smalley admitted to copying the signatures of other inspectors onto reports. When asked why he did it, Smalley said he wanted to "ship ore product for the company."

After the faked inspections were uncovered, SpaceX ended its relationship with PMI, which put the company out of business.

SpaceX found seven NASA missions, two Air Force missions, and one NOAA flight mission were impacted by the parts.

He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

[FloatingFatMan]

I can't access the article in the UK... What are the chances some of these parts ended up in the exploded Dragon 2 capsule?

 

[DocM]

2 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

I can't access the article in the UK... What are the chances some of these parts ended up in the exploded Dragon 2 capsule?

 

Excellent question.

 

We won't know until the report comes out if a fraudulent part caused the accident, but in the criminal charges doc it did say some of those parts ended up in the Crew Dragon DM-1 and DM-2 capsules.

Edited May 25, 2019 by DocM

[DocM]

Video simulation of the upcoming Space Center Houston Falcon 9 display
 

 

 

[Jim K Global Moderator]

9 minutes ago, DocM said:

Video simulation of the upcoming Space Center Houston Falcon 9 display
 

 

 

Kinda reminds me of this one...

 

On 5/10/2019 at 8:49 AM, Jim K said:

The B1035 Full Thrust core (CRS-11 and CRS-13) is heading to the Houston Space Center as a permanent exhibit.

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

 

[DocM]