Author Topic: SpaceX Manifest Updates and Discussion Thread 2  (Read 245331 times)

Offline GreenShrike

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Re: SpaceX Manifest Updates and Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #660 on: 04/13/2016 11:02 pm »
Due to the slow start, I think 16 flights for the year is probably an upper limit. So at least 4 of these won't fly this year.

I dunno. With CRS-8's booster being fired multiple times at LC-39A, that should bang 39A's ground support into reasonable enough shape for a real launch, which will give them at least a few and maybe several months this year with a pair of east cost launch sites to share the load. In addition, some of those launches will be from the west coast.

As such, assuming they have the personnel, they could have multiple vehicles and payloads being worked up simultaneously.

They've shown they can launch every 3 weeks or so, at least in short spurts, and they managed that while launching almost exclusively from SLC-40. Since they won't be limited by the throughput of a single launch site and processing facility*, they might pull off a sustained 3 week cadence.

Assuming they've really turned the corner on tripping over their own feet (long delay due to v1.1 switchover in '13, months long helium issues with Orbcomm in '14, loss of CRS-7 in '15), that is.



* Though they do still only have a single stage testing facility: McGregor.
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Offline enzo

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Re: SpaceX Manifest Updates and Discussion Thread 2
« Reply #661 on: 04/14/2016 12:09 am »
* Though they do still only have a single stage testing facility: McGregor.
Re-flown stages do not need to be re-tested at McGregor (or so it seems based on current plans for F9-023-S1). If testing becomes a rate-limiting point, that would not be the case for long, once reflights begin to ease the load.

Offline Chris Bergin

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