BFR and BFS build in LA probably in new facilities but a lot of development work in Hawthorn.
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.
that's what I think too. Alot of sub assemblies could also be built in hawthorn and easily move to the integration facility, think raptors and BFS cabins.
I see everything except the airframe and the google-web engine assembly built in Hawthorne.
The first few test vehicles will be made in Hawthorne and they'll just deal with the transportation issues.
It will launch first from 39A, IMO.
, Falcon Heavy is actually already over the legal sound limit in Boca Chica Village by 2dB, >
Quote from: Dave G on 11/14/2017 02:05 am, Falcon Heavy is actually already over the legal sound limit in Boca Chica Village by 2dB, >Irrelevant if they acquire all the properties at Boca Chica Village, either through purchase or if the local or state government utilize eminent domain.
Quote from: docmordrid on 11/14/2017 02:44 amQuote from: Dave G on 11/14/2017 02:05 am, Falcon Heavy is actually already over the legal sound limit in Boca Chica Village by 2dB, >Irrelevant if they acquire all the properties at Boca Chica Village, either through purchase or if the local or state government utilize eminent domain.In Texas, it's illegal to use eminent domain to benefit a private company.
Quote from: Dave G on 11/16/2017 05:10 pmQuote from: docmordrid on 11/14/2017 02:44 amQuote from: Dave G on 11/14/2017 02:05 am, Falcon Heavy is actually already over the legal sound limit in Boca Chica Village by 2dB, >Irrelevant if they acquire all the properties at Boca Chica Village, either through purchase or if the local or state government utilize eminent domain.In Texas, it's illegal to use eminent domain to benefit a private company.There are plenty of ways around that.
3. THE GOVERNMENT CAN ONLY TAKE YOUR LAND FOR A PUBLIC USE. Although, the government or some other entity attempting to take your land may be powerful, anytime the government attempts to acquire land for any reason other than a legitimate public use, the landowner can stop the government from taking the land.
Create a public spaceport.
Quote from: matthewkantar on 11/16/2017 09:32 pmCreate a public spaceport.Yes, that could happen, but it would probably require proven BFR passenger capability before they would consider it.Also, there's still the issue of Boca Chica Beach, which can only be closed 12 times a year, and never on summer weekends. They may get permission to close it a little more, but not a lot. In other words, the Boca Chica Beach launch site is not well suited to a public spaceport.Gwynne heavily implied BFR will launch from Boca Chica, so I think that will happen. I just think it will happen from Florida first.
I would like to pose the question of what is the best way to transport the BFR and BFS. I think everyone has been assuming a large barge. I have been wondering if a large catamaran would be better.
It would be self propelled, so no tugs needed.
I'm not sure the cost of creating such a spec. vessel would offset the cost of using tugs. Part of the overall tradeoffs to consider.
From what I gather, there is quite a long sequence of events that has to happen at the launch/landing site in the ~8 minutes between launch and booster landing.
Quote from: mikelepage on 11/26/2017 03:40 amFrom what I gather, there is quite a long sequence of events that has to happen at the launch/landing site in the ~8 minutes between launch and booster landing.Which events do you mean? I was under the impression that the launch mount just sits there and waits for the BFR to return. What is there to do on the ground between launch and landing?
My interpretation of Elon's statement: SpaceX will start an aggressive production schedule of Falcon upper stages, with the aim of having a couple hundred in stock sometime next year. They'll also build up a stock of Dragon trunks. Add a few dozen Falcon Block 5 boosters, plus a dozen Crew Dragons, and that stock should be enough to fly hundreds of missions over the next 7 years.If all that works out, SpaceX could be done building Falcon 9 and Dragon by this time next year. At that point, all of SpaceX's resources will turn towards building BFR.
...when BFR may come out considerably earlier than 2024.
And even though language has considerably softened on S2 reusability, they haven't said flat out they're not working at all on it - if it's gotten to work, you may end up with a hundred useless S2s.
The second stage is not designed for reuse on the Falcon 9 or the Falcon Heavy. However, we do want to bring it back slowly. Currently, it reenters but too hot. On missions with extra propellant, we want to bring it back to see how it behaves, not to recover or reuse.
This seems unlikely.The rate of production for F9S2 and D2 is an order of magnitude slower at the moment than would be required to do that over one year.It also puts a massive workforce into building S2s...There is a risk in trying to rush a massive pre-prepared stock of equipment, at least initially this strategy would require probably more investment than continuing on at the existing pace and moving most of the people working on the first stage over.
"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."