I see no issue with a small support team on the barge (2 people), going out to the coordinates, transferring to a support ship that will then be standing by a few miles? away. At least for the initial run(s).
I see no issue with a small support team on the barge (2 people), going out to the coordinates, transferring to a support ship that will then be standing by a few miles? away. At least for the initial run(s). Even for something as mundane but important as checking to ensure the deck is cleared of any debris that may have come loose or blown aboard, etc. I'd think they would inspect the deck as a matter of mission check-list.I wonder when the barge will depart for a Dec. 16th debut landing? How long do we think it will be "on-site" before the landing attempt. 2 to 3 days?
Quote from: Robotbeat on 11/24/2014 07:53 pmLook, sometimes new technology changes things. With a self-powered barge, you don't need a tug. A support vessel with crew, sure, but you don't need to tow the vessel into place. And yes, you /can/ just give it GPS navpoints (combined with dead-reckoning short-term backup).Also, hydraulic power transmission is a pretty good idea. Hydraulic motors are very power-dense.I agree. If the head of this company is at the forefront of autonomous vehicle deployment (and some of their current vehicles are being sold as "autonomous-ready"), it shouldn't be much of a stretch to think of something as slow as a barge moving in and out of a port on it's own.
Look, sometimes new technology changes things. With a self-powered barge, you don't need a tug. A support vessel with crew, sure, but you don't need to tow the vessel into place. And yes, you /can/ just give it GPS navpoints (combined with dead-reckoning short-term backup).Also, hydraulic power transmission is a pretty good idea. Hydraulic motors are very power-dense.
Mind you, the boat operator's liability doesn't change a bit, but cameras and sensors on a telescoping stalk can do just as well (perhaps better) as Captains Schettino, Lee, and Hazlewood.
Quote from: Llian Rhydderch on 11/24/2014 06:56 pmI think the Thrustmaster announcement I read on Saturday said these were diesel-hyrdraulic powered units, not diesel-electric, as are some other azimuth thruster designs. They are. I was just working on one a few weeks ago. Ours are completely electricity free and started by compressed air. It makes them intrinsically safe in explosive environments. That could be a factor here.
I think the Thrustmaster announcement I read on Saturday said these were diesel-hyrdraulic powered units, not diesel-electric, as are some other azimuth thruster designs.
It's not technology. It's terminology. If it's self propelled, it's not a barge. It's a boat. Thrustmasters don't count as real propulsion in most cases because they're addons, usually temporary and they'd be terrible at it. They have large, high pitch props made for low speed operation and fast response for position maintaining or low speed maneuvering. They're not what you'd want to make a 100 mile trip. Of course, terminology like that tend to get blurred when you cobble together non standard vessels like this. I haven't seen the history of this thing yet, but there are lots of old service platforms and buoy tenders and such that have to be very stable in seas to do their job.
It's not technology. It's terminology. If it's self propelled, it's not a barge. It's a boat.
As for other discussions about fuel and nose cap. The booster doesn't need a full fuel load, it's just getting itself back to shore with no second stage or payload. Also, is a nose cap necessary? It doesn't need to go very fast on the return trip.
OK folks, here's our article, with some history, some things you know by now, some L2 info and some epic renderings from our L2 artist Nathan.http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/11/spacex-autonomous-spaceport-drone-ship/I'll set up a standalone update thread later for full coverage, given this is already a busy thread, as expected.
I wonder why people here are referring to it as a barge or discussing whether it is a boat. SpaceX calls it a ship. Ships are usually self propelled.