Author Topic: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC  (Read 49134 times)

Offline The Roadie

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Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« on: 08/04/2016 05:00 pm »
Discussed this morning on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spacexgroup/permalink/10154451922741318/

Not sure what they call it internally, but it's a repurposed Orbital Transport System they bought at GSA auction for around $37K.

Photo taken from public viewpoint and permission obtained by me from a source who wishes no personal credit
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Online Chris Bergin

Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #1 on: 08/04/2016 05:04 pm »
About time someone snapped that pic! ;D

That OTS has some massive history to its name!
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Offline Scylla

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #2 on: 08/04/2016 05:22 pm »
Stephen C. Smith ‏@SpaceKSCBlog
Meet the @SpaceX transporter used for moving a landed Falcon 9. Parked this morning outside @NASAKennedy Pad 39A.
https://twitter.com/SpaceKSCBlog
I reject your reality and substitute my own--Doctor Who

Offline rocketguy101

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #3 on: 08/04/2016 05:23 pm »
Hopefully they don't call it FTS ... that has another meaning  ;)
David

Offline Jim

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #4 on: 08/04/2016 05:29 pm »
I bet the mass of the adapter and the F9 stage is less than an Orbiter

Offline lars.lauritsen.1

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #5 on: 08/04/2016 05:37 pm »
Wow that is so awesome 😎 👍

Sendt fra min E2303 med Tapatalk


Offline Wolfram66

Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #6 on: 08/04/2016 05:42 pm »
Here's pics from it's previous life
NASA.gov


From Space.Com


 ::) ::) :D

Offline abaddon

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #7 on: 08/04/2016 05:42 pm »
I bet the mass of the adapter and the F9 stage is less than an Orbiter
Wouldn't that be a very safe bet?

Offline vicarofdidley

Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #8 on: 08/04/2016 06:09 pm »
 It'll have a name rather than an acronym with SpaceX

How about "Of Course I Won't Drop It"?   ???

Offline Bargemanos

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #9 on: 08/04/2016 06:14 pm »
F9 Speeder bike?

Offline the_other_Doug

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #10 on: 08/04/2016 06:16 pm »
For an acronym, how about the bent acronym FAlcon Transport System, or FATS?

:)
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

Offline Mike_1179

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #11 on: 08/04/2016 06:21 pm »
I bet the mass of the adapter and the F9 stage is less than an Orbiter
Wouldn't that be a very safe bet?

Do the math and it's not quite so obvious - steel is heavy. Quick back of the envelope estimate

Assumptions
Orbiter Dry Mass: 68 mt

Falcon 9 1st stage dry mass: 23 mt
Length: 45 m

Steel supports
There are two large I-beams that make up that support structure. These beams are the same height as the hood of that white truck is off the ground. For simplicity, call those beams 1 m in depth flange-to-flange and about 0.3 m wide. A steel beam that size is around 300 kg per meter of length. Two I-beams this size that run the length of the stage would be 45m x 300kg/m x 2 sides = 27 mt. There are holes along its length which could reduced this mass by at most 25% - so lets go with 20 mt for those beams.

There are I-beams as cross members between the large beams. I count 12 of them, they are likely as long as the stage is wide: 3.6 m. These cross members are about 1/3 the height of the main beams (.03 m height x 0.1m wide flange) , so they would weigh about 30 kg/m. 3.6 m x 30kg / m x 12 = 1.2 mt

So overall structure is between 20 and 25 mt. Falcon 1st stage is 23 mt. Just under 50 mt compared to 68 mt for Shuttle. It's closer than I would have thought.



Online Chris Bergin

Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #12 on: 08/04/2016 07:01 pm »
It'll have a name rather than an acronym with SpaceX

How about "Of Course I Won't Drop It"?   ???

Oh come on lads, I can't be the only person to like that post! ;D
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Offline Semmel

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #13 on: 08/04/2016 07:10 pm »
It'll have a name rather than an acronym with SpaceX

How about "Of Course I Won't Drop It"?   ???

Oh come on lads, I can't be the only person to like that post! ;D

Dont look at us! Thats a problem of your forum... it only allows likes every 120s.. and the average person reading speed is much faster than from the ones before that also should be liked. I actually had to wait after finishing your post to be able to like it. I suspect that limitation does not apply to you so you dont notice how infuriating it is some times...

Offline Lar

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #14 on: 08/04/2016 07:14 pm »
It'll have a name rather than an acronym with SpaceX

How about "Of Course I Won't Drop It"?   ???

Oh come on lads, I can't be the only person to like that post! ;D
If you would just lift the 120 seconds between likes for mods I'd be all over likeing that!
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Offline abaddon

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #15 on: 08/04/2016 07:35 pm »
See, make someone a mod and it goes to their head.

Offline Space Ghost 1962

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #16 on: 08/04/2016 07:50 pm »
It'll have a name rather than an acronym with SpaceX

How about "Of Course I Won't Drop It"?   ???

Other names from Iain Banks that might fit:

Trade Surplus
The Ends Of Invention
Screw Loose
Cargo Cult
Prime Mover
Only Slightly Bent
Size Isn't Everything
Just Passing Through
Recent Convert    
Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The
Heavy Messing
Fate Amenable To Change
Someone Else's Problem
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick
Awkward Customer
Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory
Now Look What You've Made Me Do
You Naughty Monsters
Don't Try This At Home
You'll Clean That Up Before You Leave
Contents May Differ



Offline IntoTheVoid

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #17 on: 08/04/2016 09:22 pm »
If you would just lift the 120 seconds between likes for mods I'd be all over likeing that!
Is that
a) "If you would just (lift the 120 seconds between likes) for mods...", so you can like things faster; or
b) "If you would just lift the 120 seconds between (likes for mods)...", so everyone can like you faster?

Offline ulm_atms

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #18 on: 08/05/2016 01:06 am »
Now SpaceX just needs to buy the 747 that the shuttle used and make a large runway at McGregor.  8)

Then they could say they are now re-flying the cores for testing....lol

It is nice to see equipment that was used for important things in the past for spaceflight now being used for important things now and into the future!!  Also shows that NASA ground equipment was always top notch without having to be replaced due to use.  How many ships/rockets have those crawlers seen in their lifetime?  Just goes to show when you build it well...things will last a LONG time.  I also think SpaceX got quite a deal at only 37K.

And please...someone from SpaceX reading this...please give this guy/gal below a golden ticket tour and use his/her name suggestion for the OTS. 

It'll have a name rather than an acronym with SpaceX

How about "Of Course I Won't Drop It"?   ???

Unfortunally...I did drop something...in my keyboard...when I read that name.  :o

Offline CameronD

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Re: Falcon Transport System seen finally at KSC
« Reply #19 on: 08/05/2016 01:34 am »
It is nice to see equipment that was used for important things in the past for spaceflight now being used for important things now and into the future!!  Also shows that NASA ground equipment was always top notch without having to be replaced due to use. How many ships/rockets have those crawlers seen in their lifetime?  Just goes to show when you build it well...things will last a LONG time.  I also think SpaceX got quite a deal at only 37K.

Seriously?!?  What it shows is that SpaceX were able to buy it for $1/kilo or thereabouts.. Kudos to them for saving it from the scrap yard.
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.

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