Author Topic: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?  (Read 30390 times)

Offline meekGee

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #40 on: 09/10/2014 12:27 pm »
FWIW, the fenced building/facility to the south-southeast of the SpaceX construction, at the east end of the road, is the UP Aerospace vertical launch facility.

(that is their launch tower sticking out of the end of the hangar doors)

Is that this thing?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UP_Aerospace#/image/File:UP_Aerospace_vertical_launch_site_Spaceport_America.JPG

What a gorgeous contraption!

It's like Thunderbirds 1 had a baby with StingRay, in a barn, and the baby is poking its head out, Alien style.  And wheels.

Yes, that is the UP Aerospace movable building and launch mount.  As I recall from something I read a few years ago, the launch mount is fixed to a foundation, and is of course raised vertical for launch, while able to go horizontal to allow work on the rocket prior to flight.  The building structure (the "payload integration hangar") is on wheels so it can move out of the way for launch. 

Both the UP Aerospace building, and the SpaceX F9R-Dev2 construction zone, are in the designated vertical launch area of Spaceport America.
Oh, the functionality is obvious...

It's just the look that got me. It almost looks like something from Dr. Who.

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Offline catdlr

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #41 on: 09/10/2014 10:30 pm »
FWIW, the fenced building/facility to the south-southeast of the SpaceX construction, at the east end of the road, is the UP Aerospace vertical launch facility.

(that is their launch tower sticking out of the end of the hangar doors)

Is that this thing?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UP_Aerospace#/image/File:UP_Aerospace_vertical_launch_site_Spaceport_America.JPG

What a gorgeous contraption!

It's like Thunderbirds 1 had a baby with StingRay, in a barn, and the baby is poking its head out, Alien style.  And wheels.

Yes, that is the UP Aerospace movable building and launch mount.  As I recall from something I read a few years ago, the launch mount is fixed to a foundation, and is of course raised vertical for launch, while able to go horizontal to allow work on the rocket prior to flight.  The building structure (the "payload integration hangar") is on wheels so it can move out of the way for launch. 

Both the UP Aerospace building, and the SpaceX F9R-Dev2 construction zone, are in the designated vertical launch area of Spaceport America.
Oh, the functionality is obvious...

It's just the look that got me. It almost looks like something from Dr. Who.



Here is a video from a camera attached to that mount.  Nice ring to it !!

« Last Edit: 09/10/2014 10:31 pm by catdlr »
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Offline meekGee

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #42 on: 09/10/2014 10:37 pm »
FWIW, the fenced building/facility to the south-southeast of the SpaceX construction, at the east end of the road, is the UP Aerospace vertical launch facility.

(that is their launch tower sticking out of the end of the hangar doors)

Is that this thing?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UP_Aerospace#/image/File:UP_Aerospace_vertical_launch_site_Spaceport_America.JPG

What a gorgeous contraption!

It's like Thunderbirds 1 had a baby with StingRay, in a barn, and the baby is poking its head out, Alien style.  And wheels.

Yes, that is the UP Aerospace movable building and launch mount.  As I recall from something I read a few years ago, the launch mount is fixed to a foundation, and is of course raised vertical for launch, while able to go horizontal to allow work on the rocket prior to flight.  The building structure (the "payload integration hangar") is on wheels so it can move out of the way for launch. 

Both the UP Aerospace building, and the SpaceX F9R-Dev2 construction zone, are in the designated vertical launch area of Spaceport America.
Oh, the functionality is obvious...

It's just the look that got me. It almost looks like something from Dr. Who.



Here is a video from a camera attached to that mount.  Nice ring to it !!


Yup.  Definitely a Doctor ring.
ABCD - Always Be Counting Down

Offline Kabloona

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #43 on: 09/14/2014 11:18 pm »
At the risk of going (well, continuing) OT, here's a new article on Up Aerospace from the Denver Post, mentioning their Spaceport America launch site:

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_26525250/up-aerospace-born-highlands-ranch-garage-shoots-rockets

Now, back on topic.  ;)
« Last Edit: 09/14/2014 11:23 pm by Kabloona »

Offline solartear

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #44 on: 10/22/2014 01:56 am »
http://www.kvia.com/news/spaceport-and-its-relationship-to-dona-ana-county-discussed-at-nm-finance-committee-meeting/29244612

Quote
Spaceport America's finances,  and a still unbuilt southern access road, were big topics Monday when a New Mexico legislature finance committee met at the Pan Am Center in Las Cruces.
...
Next March Space X, one of the Spaceport's two permanent tenants, is expected to conduct its flight test.

Could this news be true? Surely the reporter just got something mixed up...

Offline sghill

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #45 on: 10/22/2014 08:23 pm »
http://www.kvia.com/news/spaceport-and-its-relationship-to-dona-ana-county-discussed-at-nm-finance-committee-meeting/29244612

Quote
Spaceport America's finances,  and a still unbuilt southern access road, were big topics Monday when a New Mexico legislature finance committee met at the Pan Am Center in Las Cruces.
...
Next March Space X, one of the Spaceport's two permanent tenants, is expected to conduct its flight test.

Could this news be true? Surely the reporter just got something mixed up...

Isn't there a single NSF member out there who can drive out to the gate or fly over to snap some photos? :(

November or March, the HIB has to be pretty far along by now, and easily viewable from a distance.
Bring the thunder!

Offline MTom

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #46 on: 10/22/2014 09:45 pm »
http://www.kvia.com/news/spaceport-and-its-relationship-to-dona-ana-county-discussed-at-nm-finance-committee-meeting/29244612

Quote
Spaceport America's finances,  and a still unbuilt southern access road, were big topics Monday when a New Mexico legislature finance committee met at the Pan Am Center in Las Cruces.
...
Next March Space X, one of the Spaceport's two permanent tenants, is expected to conduct its flight test.

Could this news be true? Surely the reporter just got something mixed up...

As I see on google maps, the southern access road is not paved but the road to north is paved.
The article says about the southern one.

https://www.google.hu/maps/place/Spaceport+America/@32.9909002,-107.0078513,355m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x86df959ac0950709:0xfe81ccaa83d38460

Offline mheney

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #47 on: 10/23/2014 10:56 pm »
http://www.kvia.com/news/spaceport-and-its-relationship-to-dona-ana-county-discussed-at-nm-finance-committee-meeting/29244612

Quote
Spaceport America's finances,  and a still unbuilt southern access road, were big topics Monday when a New Mexico legislature finance committee met at the Pan Am Center in Las Cruces.
...
Next March Space X, one of the Spaceport's two permanent tenants, is expected to conduct its flight test.

Could this news be true? Surely the reporter just got something mixed up...

Isn't there a single NSF member out there who can drive out to the gate or fly over to snap some photos? :(

November or March, the HIB has to be pretty far along by now, and easily viewable from a distance.

My understanding is that the facility is a bit remote - it's 1h20m fro Truth or Consequences, NM, and 2h30m from Las Cruces. 
And if you drive out there, they don't let you onto the facility.

There's a tour bus from T-or-C; they say to allow 3 hours for the tour.  Given 2h40m round-trip driving, that gives you about
a 20 min tour of the facility.  Maybe 30 min.  Given that there's probably not much to see there, that sounds like it might be
about right...

tl;dr version:  I'd be surprised if anyone in NSF was in a position to just pop on over ...

Offline Darga

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Re: When will SpaceX begin test flights in New Mexico?
« Reply #48 on: 10/24/2014 03:08 am »
http://www.kvia.com/news/spaceport-and-its-relationship-to-dona-ana-county-discussed-at-nm-finance-committee-meeting/29244612

Quote
Spaceport America's finances,  and a still unbuilt southern access road, were big topics Monday when a New Mexico legislature finance committee met at the Pan Am Center in Las Cruces.
...
Next March Space X, one of the Spaceport's two permanent tenants, is expected to conduct its flight test.

Could this news be true? Surely the reporter just got something mixed up...

Isn't there a single NSF member out there who can drive out to the gate or fly over to snap some photos? :(

November or March, the HIB has to be pretty far along by now, and easily viewable from a distance.

My understanding is that the facility is a bit remote - it's 1h20m fro Truth or Consequences, NM, and 2h30m from Las Cruces. 
And if you drive out there, they don't let you onto the facility.

There's a tour bus from T-or-C; they say to allow 3 hours for the tour.  Given 2h40m round-trip driving, that gives you about
a 20 min tour of the facility.  Maybe 30 min.  Given that there's probably not much to see there, that sounds like it might be
about right...

tl;dr version:  I'd be surprised if anyone in NSF was in a position to just pop on over ...

We need someone like JimNTexas with a plane to do a flyover.

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