Author Topic: BFR Private Passenger Moonflight - DISCUSSION THREAD (Read 174330 times)

Jeff Lerner · « **on:** 09/14/2018 12:44 am »

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1040397262248005632?s=21

Quote

SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard our BFR launch vehicle—an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space. Find out who’s flying and why on Monday, September 17.

Update thread on Monday will be here:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46372.0

Monday's event is at 6:00 pm Pacific on Sep. 17th, 01:00 UTC on the 18th.

Orbiter · « **Reply #1 on:** 09/14/2018 12:44 am »

Wow!

@SpaceX

"SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard our BFR launch vehicle—an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space. Find out who’s flying and why on Monday, September 17."

mainmind · « **Reply #2 on:** 09/14/2018 12:46 am »

If the graphic that accompanied the tweet is official, the delta-wing of the last iteration of the BFS has morphed into a shuttle-esque two wings and a vertical stabilizer (without the leading edge black high-temp tiles).

Announcement coming Monday 17 September...

Alexphysics · « **Reply #3 on:** 09/14/2018 12:51 am »

Don't look too much into that BFS render because there are a few things that don't look quite right. First the engine arrangement, no SL Raptors and there are 6 RVacs. Those fins would be really unstable during reentry and there are no landing legs and no docking-refueling hardware that could be seen (and that one is needed because the first stage of the BFR is the one that supplies the LOX and the methane to the BFS so that has to be there). Definitely is just a render of something that the artist wanted to look like BFS but with a more science fiction looking (it reminds me of old 1950s artist impressions of spaceships).

John Alan · « **Reply #4 on:** 09/14/2018 12:52 am »

Agreed... if that pic is remotely accurate then there have been MAJOR layout changes...
My guess... Artistic license was wildly used... $:-\$
I'm not going to even consider that accurate in any way myself visually...

Now the fact they got a Moon flyby plan again in the works with BFS... I like that...

On much later edit... 2 hours later...
Some of what I said above is likely in error...

The first and last line stands however...

Scylla · « **Reply #5 on:** 09/14/2018 12:55 am »

Scheduled for Sep 17, 2018
SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the Moon aboard our BFR launch vehicle - an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space.

Only 24 humans have been to the Moon in history. No one has visited since the last Apollo mission in 1972. Find out who’s flying and why on Monday, September 17 at 6pm PT.

Flying Beaver · « **Reply #6 on:** 09/14/2018 12:56 am »

The new three fin (possibly with forward canards?) BFS/R.

EDIT: Even bigger picture, definitely with forward canards.

Lars-J · « **Reply #7 on:** 09/14/2018 12:56 am »

~~Yeah that picture must have been farmed out to an intern or something. Very much artistic license.~~

EDIT: Unless there has been a *significant redesign*. But that closeup does reveal that the legs are at the end of the fins. Much better spacing. But no Raptor-Vac? Hmm.

But very interesting news!

So this might also be the BFR v3.0 reveal?

QuantumG · « **Reply #8 on:** 09/14/2018 12:57 am »

Now we get to wait 3 days to find out if this picture is artistic license or a major revision.

Also interested in discovering the name of the ~~rich dude~~ customer.

mme · « **Reply #9 on:** 09/14/2018 12:59 am »

I think the fins are the landing legs.

And I wouldn't take it seriously but every single time I do that, I'm wrong.

Markstark · « **Reply #10 on:** 09/14/2018 01:05 am »

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1040402070967214080?s=21

Flying Beaver · « **Reply #11 on:** 09/14/2018 01:08 am »

Crazy idea about the lack of Raptor Vac: The light grey 'petals' surrounding the engine bay deploy to form one massive vacuum nozzle.

Scylla · « **Reply #12 on:** 09/14/2018 01:09 am »

Keeping in mind artistic license, could the bulges at the tip of the fins be where landing legs extend and are the ventral fins hinged where they attach to the body?

mlindner · « **Reply #13 on:** 09/14/2018 01:17 am »

https://twitter.com/FalconGridFin/status/1040397592604102656

"Is that render a new version of BFR??"

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1040406114825715713

Elon: "Yes."

Are we really sure that this is some artist's imagination?

Alexphysics · « **Reply #14 on:** 09/14/2018 01:18 am »

Now Elon says the render is of a real BFS. I think I'm gonna get crazy because that really doesn't look like what I would expect. It has been redesigned A LOT. Also I just messed up because I said the same on reddit and people are downvoting me a lot but it seems here there are more people that really looked at it closely and saw there were a few weird things. I still think there are /a few things/ that may be just artistic license (the engines, for example). If the rest is the true design, well, I really don't like this new look but...

Lars-J · « **Reply #15 on:** 09/14/2018 01:19 am »

Quote from: Scylla on 09/14/2018 01:09 am

Keeping in mind artistic license, could the bulges at the tip of the fins be where landing legs extend and are the ventral fins hinged where they attach to the body?

Yes, the legs are at the end of the fins. The fins do not look hinged to me.

Here is a brighter images, in a "landing orientation".

Lars-J · « **Reply #16 on:** 09/14/2018 01:21 am »

Quote from: Alexphysics on 09/14/2018 01:18 am

Now Elon says the render is of a real BFS. I think I'm gonna get crazy because that really doesn't look like what I would expect. It has been redesigned A LOT. Also I just messed up because I said the same on reddit and people are downvoting me a lot but it seems here there are more people that really looked at it closely and saw there were a few weird things. I still think there are /a few things/ that may be just artistic license (the engines, for example). If the rest is the true design, well, I really don't like this new look but...

Looking closer, it isn't *that* different. Major differences are that legs now are present at the end of the fins, and there are no Vacuum Raptors. And perhaps fins near the nose. Otherwise pretty much the same.

ZachF · « **Reply #17 on:** 09/14/2018 01:23 am »

Call me crazy, but I don't think it's artistic licensing... I think that's the final revision of BFR.

The "Canards" are the grid fins for the upper stage.

The big Flower-petal thing might be a giant nozzle extension

EDIT: Seems I was right..

We've now gone full circle back to 1950s/60s SciFi covers...!

mlindner · « **Reply #18 on:** 09/14/2018 01:26 am »

Quote from: Lars-J on 09/14/2018 01:19 am

Quote from: Scylla on 09/14/2018 01:09 am
Keeping in mind artistic license, could the bulges at the tip of the fins be where landing legs extend and are the ventral fins hinged where they attach to the body?

Yes, the legs are at the end of the fins. The fins do not look hinged to me.

Here is a brighter images, in a "landing orientation".

Better version with less jpg.

Lars-J · « **Reply #19 on:** 09/14/2018 01:28 am »

This thing is looking more and more like the classic Tintin moon rocket.

Trilateral symmetry. Legs at the end of fins. Vertical landing. Tall ladder/lift to get to the surface. I like it!