Obviously a discussion/speculation thread.By BFR, I mean the booster. BFS may launch by itself, but the payload capability won't be meaningful.Your thoughts?
So then getting back to the question of how do we pay for this system, this is really quite a profound — I won't call it breakthrough, but realization that if we can build a system that cannibalizes our own products, makes our own products redundant, then all of the resources, which are quite enormous, that are used for Falcon 9, Heavy, and Dragon, can be applied to one system.Some of our customers are conservative and they want to see BFR fly several times before they're comfortable launching in it, so what we plan to do is to build ahead, and have a stock of Falcon 9 and Dragon vehicles, so that customers can be comfortable if they want to use the old rocket, the old spacecraft, they can do that, we'll have a bunch in stock. But then all of our resources will then turn towards building BFR. And we believe that we can do this with the revenue we receive for launching satellites and for servicing the space station.
The tooling for the main tanks has been ordered, the facility is being built. We will start construction of the first ship around the second quarter of next year, so in about six to nine months we should start building the first ship.
I will also add -- in what configuration will BFR first launch? Will the first, and all, launches occur with a BFS attached? Or will BFR launch first with a nosecap, simply to test a downrange droneship landing, or an RTLS landing?
Components may be tested in multiple places, but operationally it will fly from 39A first. Too much infrastructure already in place there to ignore.
Wouldn't 39B be on the table? If not, is Methane the dealbreaker?
Basically Elon said it would be built in their Hawthorne facility. A very short time later Gwynne Shotwell said it will be built near a port for transport reason. My best guess, they are both right. The ordered tooling will be installed in a newly rented space in Hawthorne to build the first few prototypes, accepting the high transport cost and taking full advantage of the local workforce colocation. Starting directly with the new seaside facility would delay work by a year or more. I don't think Elon is willing to accept that.Production will be moved out to the new facility once it becomes available which will take some time. By then the most engineering intensive part of propulsion development will be done. Production will suffer less from distance.