I really like the idea of five 20-person escapable capsules, one on each tanker flight.
Quote from: redliox on 09/30/2017 04:40 amWhile the bit with the ISS isn't exactly Mars-centric, it now leads me to wonder how they'll handle airlocks and docking.They don't need airlocks. But docking the BFR with the ISS is going to put a lot of mechanical stress on the IDS. The bigger issue is getting NASA to certify BFR for ISS operations, and SpaceX implementing any changes, before ISS is retired. I don't see that ever happening.
While the bit with the ISS isn't exactly Mars-centric, it now leads me to wonder how they'll handle airlocks and docking.
I don't see a way to do this, is there ever a LAS design that involves blowing away the fairing?
I think Vostok and Gemini used ejection seats that blew away a cover which you might refer to as a fairing.
If they do it I see them putting Dragon on the nose of a cargo or tanker BFS. So outside the cargo pod and free to use its abort engines.
So far, it seems to me like the Tanker is the same as the Cargo version and there’s very little practical reason for a long time for SpaceX to build anything but this single type of simpler ship. For Mars or the Moon human transport put a hab in the cargo hold. This has the major advantage that it lets you leave the hab where it’s more useful while returning the ship. Your idea of finding a way to carry a Dragon2 for passenger launches fits with this. I’m assuming just the Dragon2 not the Trunk. If you reoriented the couches? you could mount the Dragon2 in the hold sideways, pointed out the hatch. In an abort the hatch blows off and the D2 fires it’s super Draco’s. In an approach to the ISS the hatch opens normally and it’s slowly pushed out and uses its Draco’s to dock. There’s no exterior mod to the BFR, just D2 mounting hardware wherever most appropriate in the hold. D2 can operate like an emergency abort pod or do normal docking with ISS. It just can’t operate in orbit on its own for long without the trunk.
Early on (2022 - 2030)The safest solution would be construct a crew transfer space station in orbit...Once built and in use...A crew type yet unmanned BFcrew launches first to the transfer station... side docks via the hatch...A Dragon 2 with it's F9 S2 still attached (but vented and inert ed) brings up 7 crew safely and in a proven system.It docks via nose hatch... crew goes aboard station...A station robot arm grapples the D2/S2 assy and swings it over into an empty BFpacman cargo equipped to secure and haul it back down in one piece...It then returns the D2/S2 set cleanly and nearly ready to be put on a used F9 S1 and relaunched...Repeat till BFCrew is manned to required staffing...I think a pair of D2/S2's will fit side by side in a BFpacman cargo... not 100% sure on that...Just saying... NASA or anyone would have a hard time saying no to this idea for early crew missions... Once BFR system has demonstrated it to be safe and reliable... repurpose the transfer station
If you want a crew transfer station, why not the BFS itself? It's pretty much the volume of ISS, in a much more convenient layout. Just fly the Dragon to the BFS and dock directly to it.I don't think this is likely to happen though, I think Elon is going to push for just launching on BFS (after some unmanned testing of course).
Quote from: guckyfan on 09/30/2017 01:17 pmIf they do it I see them putting Dragon on the nose of a cargo or tanker BFS. So outside the cargo pod and free to use its abort engines.If Dragon goes in the nose, how does the BFS renter? There's a lot of heating and pressure on the nose. Can that structure coexist with Dragon?
Just a reminder, What I really wanted to talk about in the OP was a Cargo BFS + Dragon 2 where*The Dragon serves as a LAS at every point, up, down and in LEO (hopefully making 1:100~1:1000 odds of LOC into 1:10,000~1:1000,000) - so it has to be able to return inside (or at least protected by) the Cargo BFS.*The dragon can leave the Cargo BFR and return to it while in LEO, removing any ISS issues but possibly having a bunch of other uses also.