the new FH page has quite a dig at the prices being charged to the DOD for Atlas/D4-H:QuoteIf allowed to compete, SpaceX can help the Department of Defense save at least one billion dollars annually in space launch services, while providing a truly independent family of vehicles to help assure access to space.The total cost of the current program now exceeds $2.7B, with over $1B paid to a single provider just to sustain the program. That is one billion dollars per year, whether they launch or not.The 2012 Air Force budget includes $1.74B for four launches, an average of $435M per launch. With Falcon Heavy priced at $80-125M per launch SpaceX has the potential to provide the US government significant value. In addition, the medium-lift Falcon 9 could support a number of medium-lift Air Force launches at only $50-60M per launch, if SpaceX were allowed to compete for this business.(emphasis mine, some text removed to keep it short).
If allowed to compete, SpaceX can help the Department of Defense save at least one billion dollars annually in space launch services, while providing a truly independent family of vehicles to help assure access to space.The total cost of the current program now exceeds $2.7B, with over $1B paid to a single provider just to sustain the program. That is one billion dollars per year, whether they launch or not.The 2012 Air Force budget includes $1.74B for four launches, an average of $435M per launch. With Falcon Heavy priced at $80-125M per launch SpaceX has the potential to provide the US government significant value. In addition, the medium-lift Falcon 9 could support a number of medium-lift Air Force launches at only $50-60M per launch, if SpaceX were allowed to compete for this business.
Quote from: starsilk on 04/05/2011 04:29 pmthe new FH page has quite a dig at the prices being charged to the DOD for Atlas/D4-H:QuoteIf allowed to compete, SpaceX can help the Department of Defense save at least one billion dollars annually in space launch services, while providing a truly independent family of vehicles to help assure access to space.The total cost of the current program now exceeds $2.7B, with over $1B paid to a single provider just to sustain the program. That is one billion dollars per year, whether they launch or not.The 2012 Air Force budget includes $1.74B for four launches, an average of $435M per launch. With Falcon Heavy priced at $80-125M per launch SpaceX has the potential to provide the US government significant value. In addition, the medium-lift Falcon 9 could support a number of medium-lift Air Force launches at only $50-60M per launch, if SpaceX were allowed to compete for this business.(emphasis mine, some text removed to keep it short).He may be making enemies in Denver and Decatur, but I suspect there are a few cheering him on in the Pentagon. If nothing else, the mere presence of SpaceX should serve to contain EELV pricing in out-years. - Ed Kyle
Honestly if they turn out to have a buisness case for FH
The video showed booster separation before final first stage separation.My guess? Elon is advertising the final product in a Final Heavy evolution that isn't going to start with these performance figures and mission profiles--it will only end with them (if all goes as planned).
Quote from: FinalFrontier on 04/05/2011 04:34 pmHonestly if they turn out to have a buisness case for FH This is probably the big obstacle...Unless... SpaceX goes international and offers cheap spaceflight for 2nd and 3rd world countries who might be interested?
Quote from: aquanaut99 on 04/05/2011 04:38 pmQuote from: FinalFrontier on 04/05/2011 04:34 pmHonestly if they turn out to have a buisness case for FH This is probably the big obstacle...Unless... SpaceX goes international and offers cheap spaceflight for 2nd and 3rd world countries who might be interested?I don't see why they wouldn't want to. This would have to be sanctioned through the government. Also would likely require some sort of space trade act or something. Obviously you don't want to go flying missions for hostile or enemy nations such as Iran/NK/Libya/ ect.
Quote from: aquanaut99 on 04/05/2011 04:38 pmQuote from: FinalFrontier on 04/05/2011 04:34 pmHonestly if they turn out to have a buisness case for FH This is probably the big obstacle...Unless... SpaceX goes international and offers cheap spaceflight for 2nd and 3rd world countries who might be interested?They've already done that. Their first paying payload in LEO, for instance.
Quote from: FinalFrontier on 04/05/2011 04:42 pmQuote from: aquanaut99 on 04/05/2011 04:38 pmQuote from: FinalFrontier on 04/05/2011 04:34 pmHonestly if they turn out to have a buisness case for FH This is probably the big obstacle...Unless... SpaceX goes international and offers cheap spaceflight for 2nd and 3rd world countries who might be interested?I don't see why they wouldn't want to. This would have to be sanctioned through the government. Also would likely require some sort of space trade act or something. Obviously you don't want to go flying missions for hostile or enemy nations such as Iran/NK/Libya/ ect. What's to stop them from selling F9s on the international market? As long as it's not to nations being boycotted, it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe F9s launching from Brazil, or South Korea, or even Africa?
And foreign governments are supposed to among Bigelow's target customers....
What's to stop them from selling F9s on the international market? As long as it's not to nations being boycotted, it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe F9s launching from Brazil, or South Korea, or even Africa?
Quote from: mrmandias on 04/05/2011 03:31 pmThe video showed booster separation before final first stage separation.My guess? Elon is advertising the final product in a Final Heavy evolution that isn't going to start with these performance figures and mission profiles--it will only end with them (if all goes as planned).I would imagine that the initial launches would generate some 25 tons of payload capability, with 50 ton capability available on a later iteration of the vehicle, perhaps one with Merlin 2 and Raptor, as suggested earlier.