Author Topic: SpaceX's Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 1424241 times)

Offline CameronD

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Shoes.  :)

The position of those jack-stands makes the NSF Bingo winner beyond doubt.

And these are the shoes..  more like sandals, really :)
« Last Edit: 04/12/2016 06:54 am by CameronD »
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Offline ClayJar

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Even looking at the little tiny people on deck, it's a bit hard to get a true feel of how massive everything is when you have an ASDS with a Falcon 9 first stage landed on it.  To try to put it in a little perspective, perhaps someone should post a photo of what an ASDS looks like close up...

Okay, maybe that doesn't really help.  ;D

Offline Kabloona

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Port Canaveral VHF traffic was reporting an overturned kayak somewhere out there...glad it wasn't you.  ;)

Offline maximlevitsky

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@ClayJar this is new photo?  :D

If you happen to take photos of this barge, it would be usefull for my scale model. Closer the better  :)

Offline CJ

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SpaceX now has (or will soon have), for the first time, hard data on what a successful landing does to an ASDS.

My guess is there might be a few very minor changes (both physical and procedural) to the ASDS as a result - the kind of minor fine-tuning that can only come with practice.


Offline OxCartMark

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SpaceX now has (or will soon have), for the first time, hard data on what a successful landing does to an ASDS.

My guess is there might be a few very minor changes (both physical and procedural) to the ASDS as a result - the kind of minor fine-tuning that can only come with practice.
Like a giant hand or lobster claw that grabs the stage to keep it from toppling over or fences that come up from all sides or a swirling lassoo or welders on the tips of the landing feet (no, neodymium magnets!) or maybe super huge airbags, that's what I think the changes will be from what I read earlier in the ASDS threads and elsewhere.  Or maybe stick some hydrofoils under the ASDS so that it can come back quicker.

More seriously, I think they have probably known for months what their likely progression path is and wanted to see a landing to confirm that they were on the right path before investing the money.  Short of the longer term refuel and flyback upgrades I think most of the revisions we see will be in the areas of capacity and speed.  More ASDSs , possibly 3 ASDS (per launch site? hmm, nah) to extend FH capacity, or just 2 to cover transit times and occasional kaboom fixup, and some TBD way to get the landed stage back to shore.

It seems like a long time back now that we were rooting for the barge fixers to get it done so that we had a hope of catching the CRS-8 core.  Just a few days back but easy to forget with the recent happy events.
Actulus Ferociter!

Offline Nomadd

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 I'm still waiting for them to contract Austal to make a 400 foot cat. Much more stable and 25 knots in rough seas.
« Last Edit: 04/13/2016 04:06 am by Nomadd »
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.

Offline CJ

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SpaceX now has (or will soon have), for the first time, hard data on what a successful landing does to an ASDS.

My guess is there might be a few very minor changes (both physical and procedural) to the ASDS as a result - the kind of minor fine-tuning that can only come with practice.
Like a giant hand or lobster claw that grabs the stage to keep it from toppling over or fences that come up from all sides or a swirling lassoo or welders on the tips of the landing feet (no, neodymium magnets!) or maybe super huge airbags, that's what I think the changes will be from what I read earlier in the ASDS threads and elsewhere.  Or maybe stick some hydrofoils under the ASDS so that it can come back quicker.

More seriously, I think they have probably known for months what their likely progression path is and wanted to see a landing to confirm that they were on the right path before investing the money.  Short of the longer term refuel and flyback upgrades I think most of the revisions we see will be in the areas of capacity and speed.  More ASDSs , possibly 3 ASDS (per launch site? hmm, nah) to extend FH capacity, or just 2 to cover transit times and occasional kaboom fixup, and some TBD way to get the landed stage back to shore.

It seems like a long time back now that we were rooting for the barge fixers to get it done so that we had a hope of catching the CRS-8 core.  Just a few days back but easy to forget with the recent happy events.

Hey, you forgot the Merlins, so the ASDS can fly back. :)

I do agree that they would wait until one or more landings to see what's really needed before spending a lot of money.
My wild guesses as to the short-term upgrades would be things like considering a panable camera for having a remote look-around at a landed stage (especially in cases of difficulty), upgrading the nav lights with metal instead of plastic covers if there was heat damage, that sort of thing (if deemed needful, of course). One other upgrade I'm looking for *IF* they are troubled by wind-caused movement of a landing F9 downwind; an anemometer (which I'm rather surprised the ASDS does not have already). And... given the need to get personnel (who might not be used to boats) on board the ASDS, as we saw at the harbor mouth, perhaps a rope ladder.     

Not exactly big ticket items, but they are the kind of minor tweaking I'll be keeping an eye out for in the short term. My basis for this is having seen many people make similar small usability tweaks after acquiring a new house, yacht, fishing trawler, 18 wheeler, etc. They see what's needed in practice, then start making small improvements. (and of course, I may be comparing apples to oranges here and be totally wrong).

 

Offline OxCartMark

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Folly - Not for serious comment.  I can think of as many reasons this is a bad idea as you can, probably more.




Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Falcon Heavy Spaceport Drone Ship;
Actulus Ferociter!

Offline darkenfast

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Even looking at the little tiny people on deck, it's a bit hard to get a true feel of how massive everything is when you have an ASDS with a Falcon 9 first stage landed on it.  To try to put it in a little perspective, perhaps someone should post a photo of what an ASDS looks like close up...

Okay, maybe that doesn't really help.  ;D
"It's no use, Mr. Bond.  We were watching you and your little cockleshell the entire time!"
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Offline JamesH65

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I'm still waiting for them to contract Austal to make a 400 foot cat. Much more stable and 25 knots in rough seas.

I think whizzing along at 25knots with a F9 on top would be rather a foolish endeavour. It looks like they came back slower than they could have done anyway. Speed doesn't appear to be an issue.

Offline Kaputnik

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It might help, though, to get the ASDS out on station a bit quicker.
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline JamesH65

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It might help, though, to get the ASDS out on station a bit quicker.

Why would they need that? I suspect it would be cheaper and more convenient to have multiple converted barges that have a custom made catamaran hulled landing pad. (since barges seem to be fast enough for the return trip already)

Offline Req

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I'm still waiting for them to contract Austal to make a 400 foot cat. Much more stable and 25 knots in rough seas.

I think whizzing along at 25knots with a F9 on top would be rather a foolish endeavour. It looks like they came back slower than they could have done anyway. Speed doesn't appear to be an issue.

Oh come on, sporty!
« Last Edit: 04/13/2016 01:45 pm by Req »

Offline Nomadd

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I'm still waiting for them to contract Austal to make a 400 foot cat. Much more stable and 25 knots in rough seas.

I think whizzing along at 25knots with a F9 on top would be rather a foolish endeavour. It looks like they came back slower than they could have done anyway. Speed doesn't appear to be an issue.
They didn't come back slow because they didn't care about time. They came back slow because it was a little boat towing a big barge. Empty barges tend to lift up and slam down while under tow even at low speed and mild seas. They're not made for a gentle ride. A high speed cat or trimaran type hull would be a much more stable, able to go around weather and probably increase success rate from it's greater stability during landing and greater availability from being able to get places faster. Once they get going, a single lost stage would be considerable money.
« Last Edit: 04/13/2016 04:06 pm by Nomadd »
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.

Once they get going, a single lost stage would be considerable money.

What do you mean by this phrase?

Offline JamesH65

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I'm still waiting for them to contract Austal to make a 400 foot cat. Much more stable and 25 knots in rough seas.

I think whizzing along at 25knots with a F9 on top would be rather a foolish endeavour. It looks like they came back slower than they could have done anyway. Speed doesn't appear to be an issue.
They didn't come back slow because they didn't care about time. They came back slow because it was a little boat towing a big barge. Empty barges tend to lift up and slam down while under tow even at low speed and mild seas. They're not made for a gentle ride. A high speed cat or trimaran type hull would be a much more stable, able to go around weather and probably increase success rate from it's greater stability during landing and greater availability from being able to get places faster. Once they get going, a single lost stage would be considerable money.

Sorry, my post read wrong. I meant that the barge could return faster, but they didn't because they have an F9 sitting on it, not that they came in slow because they were not in a hurry.

Offline Wolfram66

SpaceX could have Austral build a larger version of the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ships.
or like the Sea Slice demonstrator, but utilizing an updated version of Hughes Surge compensator.

The Surge Compensator worked a lot like a video camera steady cam system.

see this historical document to see how it worked for Hughes Glomar Explorer/ CIA USSR sub retrieval ship

http://www.maritime.org/doc/glomarexplorer/index.htm

Offline mme

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I'm still waiting for them to contract Austal to make a 400 foot cat. Much more stable and 25 knots in rough seas.

SpaceX could have Austral build a larger version of the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ships.
or like the Sea Slice demonstrator, but utilizing an updated version of Hughes Surge compensator.
...
My only concern about these (besides initial investment) is that the beauty of the barge is it's so easy to fix.  Outboard motors, equipment containers, a flat deck and no cabin.  Rockets may not be LEGO elements, but the current ASDS is.

But maybe once they get all the kinks worked out, who knows.  It would be super cool.  :)
Space is not Highlander.  There can, and will, be more than one.

Offline CraigLieb

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SpaceX now has (or will soon have), for the first time, hard data on what a successful landing does to an ASDS.

My guess is there might be a few very minor changes (both physical and procedural) to the ASDS as a result - the kind of minor fine-tuning that can only come with practice.
Like a giant hand or lobster claw that grabs the stage to keep it from toppling over or fences that come up from all sides or a swirling lassoo or welders on the tips of the landing feet (no, neodymium magnets!) or maybe super huge airbags, that's what I think the changes will be from what I read earlier in the ASDS threads and elsewhere.  Or maybe stick some hydrofoils under the ASDS so that it can come back quicker.

More seriously, I think they have probably known for months what their likely progression path is and wanted to see a landing to confirm that they were on the right path before investing the money.  Short of the longer term refuel and flyback upgrades I think most of the revisions we see will be in the areas of capacity and speed.  More ASDSs , possibly 3 ASDS (per launch site? hmm, nah) to extend FH capacity, or just 2 to cover transit times and occasional kaboom fixup, and some TBD way to get the landed stage back to shore.

It seems like a long time back now that we were rooting for the barge fixers to get it done so that we had a hope of catching the CRS-8 core.  Just a few days back but easy to forget with the recent happy events.

Don't forget the ball pit!  ::)
On the ground floor of the National Space Foundation... Colonize Mars!

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