Maybe use a smaller cheap "heavy" aluminum fairing costing say ~$250K or whatever. F9 even with RTLS could handle the extra mass.
Image from SpaceX website. I assume shows something like planned payload adaptor?
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 08/06/2019 12:01 amImage from SpaceX website. I assume shows something like planned payload adaptor?Looking at the spacex website, these look like the standard ESPA rings, that I'veseen on prior F9 launches that had rideshare passengers from both east and west coast.Am I mistaken?Carl
Looking at the payload adapter in the graphic, it looks like there are six 15" ports and two levels of four 24" ports. You can pay for the top spot as well, but that's not a standard offering. Each 15" port is being offered at $2.25M (includes up to 150kg nominal mass). A 24" port goes for $4.5M (includes up to 300kg nominal mass).A full house would be 6*$2.25M + 8*$4.5M, or $49.5M.
This hurts rideshare organizers more (though SHERPA rings are mobile while this appears to use fixed/dumb/passive ESPA rings).
Glavkosmos also announced rideshare pricing on Soyuz at the same rate now.
Quote from: gongora on 08/06/2019 04:56 pmGlavkosmos also announced rideshare pricing on Soyuz at the same rate now.I'd guess you'd call this a small-sat rideshare price matching and launch service availability war to disrupt the current maket leaders into being acquired. Expect ULA to expand there existing offerings to match as well as everyone else.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 08/06/2019 09:58 pmQuote from: gongora on 08/06/2019 04:56 pmGlavkosmos also announced rideshare pricing on Soyuz at the same rate now.I'd guess you'd call this a small-sat rideshare price matching and launch service availability war to disrupt the current maket leaders into being acquired. Expect ULA to expand there existing offerings to match as well as everyone else.Jeesh the coincidental timing of all this seems reeeeealy convenient. Almost like there was a cabal of price fixing collusion going on. Is there some convenient term for big space (as opposed to oldspace/newspace), the same way people talk about FAANG or OPEC?
Quote from: Asteroza on 08/07/2019 12:20 amQuote from: russianhalo117 on 08/06/2019 09:58 pmQuote from: gongora on 08/06/2019 04:56 pmGlavkosmos also announced rideshare pricing on Soyuz at the same rate now.I'd guess you'd call this a small-sat rideshare price matching and launch service availability war to disrupt the current maket leaders into being acquired. Expect ULA to expand there existing offerings to match as well as everyone else.Jeesh the coincidental timing of all this seems reeeeealy convenient. Almost like there was a cabal of price fixing collusion going on. Is there some convenient term for big space (as opposed to oldspace/newspace), the same way people talk about FAANG or OPEC?Well no. When one business lowers prices followed by a bunch of others lowering prices that's called competition, and is actually the opposite of collusion.