BFR S1 is probably easier to develop, but could McGregor tested 31 rocket beast?1/Phase 1 - testing BFR S1 hopper BFR S1 with limited number of engine, will test landing approach in Texas2/Phase 2 - testing stand BFR S1 -full powerPlatform build in Pacific ocean close to CA shore(retired oil plaform)-BFR S1 testing stand, to test full power 31 engines3/Phase 3 -testing BFR S1 flightFlight from Platform with dummy BFS and land back on platform4/Phase 4 - BFR S1 will start to fly with BFS that will land on drone ship or platform in pacific ocean Hawaii, Alaska5/Phase 5 - BFS will go orbital
I expect the first test flights to be a BFR with disposable BFS boiler plate, or if feeling ballsy an actual BFS.I don't think they'll be doing anything smaller, or hover tests, etc.
When did McGregor get shut down for flight tests?And does the inability to text BFR at McGregor mean that facility's days are numbered? Would they still truck all the engines out there for testing? Or find somewhere closer to Hawthorn to do it?
I suspect they will test individual engines and one full stage fire on a test stand, probably at the Cape. After that, test individual engines and static fire new stage on launch pad. Once flying, no static fire.Landing 'practice' will be regular launches with cradle landings down at/near landing pads. Once confident, cradle will be launch mount.I don't expect to see a grasshopper stage of testing at all, and especially at McGregor (where they cannot do and launch/landing testing any more).
I don't expect to see a grasshopper stage of testing at all, and especially at McGregor (where they cannot do and launch/landing testing any more).
Quote from: AncientU on 09/29/2017 08:26 pmI don't expect to see a grasshopper stage of testing at all, and especially at McGregor (where they cannot do and launch/landing testing any more).Not McGregor, but perhaps the first BFR flight could be an S2 'grasshopper' at LZ1? Just fill the landing tanks and perform a hop with the landing engines. It could prove a large part of the landing envelope, and a lot of the systems.
Quote from: raketa on 09/29/2017 07:11 pmBFR S1 is probably easier to develop, but could McGregor tested 31 rocket beast?1/Phase 1 - testing BFR S1 hopper BFR S1 with limited number of engine, will test landing approach in Texas2/Phase 2 - testing stand BFR S1 -full powerPlatform build in Pacific ocean close to CA shore(retired oil plaform)-BFR S1 testing stand, to test full power 31 engines3/Phase 3 -testing BFR S1 flightFlight from Platform with dummy BFS and land back on platform4/Phase 4 - BFR S1 will start to fly with BFS that will land on drone ship or platform in pacific ocean Hawaii, Alaska5/Phase 5 - BFS will go orbitalDeveloping BFR also would be lower risk as it probably can be used with an interim expendable upper stage if BFS runs into delays.Another thing they can do is make a half height BFR with only 15 or 16 engines using the same tooling as the full sized version to serve the same payloads as Falcon 9 and Heavy.In fact this could fly before the full sized BFS booster.