Maybe this was covered earlier somewhere else - Why is the shuttle rotating service tower being left in place, is it too expensive to remove?
Great article! If the FSS has crew access ambitions, does that mean they'll be launching F9 from that pad too, or does it mean a manned FH? 28 Merlin engines; that's a lot! (I'm counting the Merlin Vac). I hope I can see a launch someday. I was, however, shocked to see ASDS refereed to with the B-word.
Great article as always Chris, I am excited to see the progress pictures as they come out and I do have to wonder if 39A will be ready for FH this summer, seems like a lot of work is needed to the pad before summer, but knowing the pad updates are underway is awesome!!
Quote from: CJ on 02/19/2015 06:22 amGreat article! If the FSS has crew access ambitions, does that mean they'll be launching F9 from that pad too, or does it mean a manned FH? 28 Merlin engines; that's a lot! (I'm counting the Merlin Vac). I hope I can see a launch someday. I was, however, shocked to see ASDS refereed to with the B-word. I believe they aren't human-rating FH at present and the article links to Dragon V2 when discussing the FSS so I assume Chris is referring to Commercial Crew launches.
I believe they aren't human-rating FH at present and the article links to Dragon V2 when discussing the FSS so I assume Chris is referring to Commercial Crew launches.
Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars.
Quote from: Endeavour_01 on 02/19/2015 09:36 pmI believe they aren't human-rating FH at present and the article links to Dragon V2 when discussing the FSS so I assume Chris is referring to Commercial Crew launches. The internet is your friend. I lifted this directly from the SpaceX website just 30 seconds ago:Quote Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars.
Quote from: clongton on 02/20/2015 12:57 amQuote from: Endeavour_01 on 02/19/2015 09:36 pmI believe they aren't human-rating FH at present and the article links to Dragon V2 when discussing the FSS so I assume Chris is referring to Commercial Crew launches. The internet is your friend. I lifted this directly from the SpaceX website just 30 seconds ago:Quote Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars.That's true but, although I don't know where on the internet, I know I've read somewhere that they are not now going to human rate FH right away. Just like they aren't doing cross feed right away either.
That's true but, although I don't know where on the internet, I know I've read somewhere that they are not now going to human rate FH right away. Just like they aren't doing cross feed right away either.
Yeah, now I was pretty much saying it was a done deal in draft, but given the lack of a comment back from SpaceX on the five pad depiction in the cool video they put out, because they can't speak about it too much before it's all a done deal, I thought "proposed" would work best for that representation.We know that is where they will land (reported it last year). We know they have a deal with the USAF, but technically it's still their proposed site until they have some sort of announcement or groundbreaking. I remember the situation with 39A and they preferred it wasn't classed as done until Ms Shotwell took to the podium like she did. So that's the story behind "proposed". But we all know that's where it will be.
45th Space Wing, SpaceX sign first-ever landing pad agreement at Cape CanaveralBy 45th Space Wing Public Affairs, / Published February 10, 2015PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- Brig. Gen. Nina Armagno, the 45th Space Wing commander, recently signed a five-year leasing agreement with SpaceX that will allow for the creation of the first-ever "Landing Pad" at Launch Complex 13 at historic Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.SpaceX plans to repurpose the launch complex to successfully support their construction of a vertical-landing facility suitable for the return of reusable first-stage boosters of their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles that are currently launched from LC-40 at CCAFS."The way we see it, this is a classic combination of a highly successful launch past morphing into an equally promising future," Armagno said. "It's a whole new world, and the 45th Space Wing is committed to defining and building the Spaceport of the future."LC-13 was originally used for operational and test launches of the Atlas ICBM, and Atlas B, D, E and F missiles were also test launched from there.It was the most-used and longest-serving of the original four Atlas pads.Now it will be used in an amazing new way."For decades, we have been refining our procedures for getting successful launches skyward here on the Eastern Range. Now we're looking at processes on how to bring first-stage rockets back to earth at the first landing pad at the Cape," she said. "We live in exciting times here on the space coast."
Quote from: oiorionsbelt on 02/20/2015 02:58 amThat's true but, although I don't know where on the internet, I know I've read somewhere that they are not now going to human rate FH right away. Just like they aren't doing cross feed right away either.Garrett Reisman of SpaceX mentioned it very clearly in response to a question in a presentation he did late in 2014. While he was not sure about many things regarding Falcon Heavy he was very clear in this point. They are not going to manrate Falcon Heavy. At least not initially.
Quote from: guckyfan on 02/20/2015 06:53 amGarrett Reisman of SpaceX mentioned it very clearly in response to a question in a presentation he did late in 2014. While he was not sure about many things regarding Falcon Heavy he was very clear in this point. They are not going to manrate Falcon Heavy. At least not initially.No, he was NOT clear on that. He specifically said he wasn't involved in the FH program and wasn't familiar with the status. Clear as mud.
Garrett Reisman of SpaceX mentioned it very clearly in response to a question in a presentation he did late in 2014. While he was not sure about many things regarding Falcon Heavy he was very clear in this point. They are not going to manrate Falcon Heavy. At least not initially.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 02/20/2015 12:39 pmQuote from: guckyfan on 02/20/2015 06:53 amGarrett Reisman of SpaceX mentioned it very clearly in response to a question in a presentation he did late in 2014. While he was not sure about many things regarding Falcon Heavy he was very clear in this point. They are not going to manrate Falcon Heavy. At least not initially.No, he was NOT clear on that. He specifically said he wasn't involved in the FH program and wasn't familiar with the status. Clear as mud.Yes he said that. He was not familiar with the status in most points, that was also clear. But this is the one point connected to his line of work and he was absolutely clear on this one point. Not on the others as I already mentioned in my first post.
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 02/19/2015 02:03 pmQuote from: kch on 02/19/2015 01:56 pmQuote from: CJ on 02/19/2015 06:22 amI was, however, shocked to see ASDS refereed to with the B-word. It does have the facetious quotes around it, though ... clearly not intended to be a serious reference! You had me in a panic then! Yeah, Barge is just because the news site gets a huge amount of passing traffic where a lot may be reading an article for the first time here. Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship could result in confused faces. Barge helps them visualize it.The guys out on the tug moving it around call it a barge. I'll take a real working sailor's opinion over Elon's somewhat wishful naming conventions any day. Though I would understand if maintaining fully positive relations with the company required use of the S-word in all "official" capacities.
Quote from: kch on 02/19/2015 01:56 pmQuote from: CJ on 02/19/2015 06:22 amI was, however, shocked to see ASDS refereed to with the B-word. It does have the facetious quotes around it, though ... clearly not intended to be a serious reference! You had me in a panic then! Yeah, Barge is just because the news site gets a huge amount of passing traffic where a lot may be reading an article for the first time here. Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship could result in confused faces. Barge helps them visualize it.
Quote from: CJ on 02/19/2015 06:22 amI was, however, shocked to see ASDS refereed to with the B-word. It does have the facetious quotes around it, though ... clearly not intended to be a serious reference!
I was, however, shocked to see ASDS refereed to with the B-word.
Quote from: guckyfan on 02/20/2015 06:53 amQuote from: oiorionsbelt on 02/20/2015 02:58 amThat's true but, although I don't know where on the internet, I know I've read somewhere that they are not now going to human rate FH right away. Just like they aren't doing cross feed right away either.Garrett Reisman of SpaceX mentioned it very clearly in response to a question in a presentation he did late in 2014. While he was not sure about many things regarding Falcon Heavy he was very clear in this point. They are not going to manrate Falcon Heavy. At least not initially.No, he was NOT clear on that. He specifically said he wasn't involved in the FH program and wasn't familiar with the status. Clear as mud.
In order for the FH to NOT be man-rated they would have to un-man-rate the F9 v1.1 and remove the design components and redundancies that make it a man-rated vehicle.