The biggest, most obvious customer that no one really wants to say out loud for point-to-point like that (at least at first) is soldiers and bombs....
Wondering how Chris's StarTrek NG marathon is going while waiting for lunch!
From the SpaceX at IAC 2017 discussion thread:Quote from: ZachF on 09/29/2017 05:49 amThe biggest, most obvious customer that no one really wants to say out loud for point-to-point like that (at least at first) is soldiers and bombs....Just a funny thought, but Shotwell said earlier today that SpaceX is, in some capacity, looking into fissile material to run NTR. Which means that they would have ability to deliver as much as 50 tons of anything to anywhere on Earth within an hour, as well as nuclear material. Throw in some nuclear power plants as a cover for Pu/H3 breeders and you have a non-government entity with first-strike thermonuclear capability!North Korea got to orbit 4 years behind SpaceX, and has been salty about it ever since. If Elon can deliver a precision inter-continental strike before the DPRK, I know a certain portly head of state who won't be happy about it...
The party thread and it's seven year quest to find OTV-5
All you have to do is camp out at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility indefinitely.
Or near Vandenberg's Runway 12 if the Air Force decides to land at the West Coast.
Much more Tesla talk around here and Chris may pull this device out:
Just think: in a few years we can change this into the "BFParty Thread"!
Quote from: darkenfast on 10/02/2017 08:52 amJust think: in a few years we can change this into the "BFParty Thread"!Don't forget to factor in the spaceX time dilation factor, aka time warp.
Yes. But schedules rarely jump to the left
European study on reusable rocket design... Prometheus/CallistoFound here:https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41330.msg1730895#msg1730895QuoteEvaluation of Future Ariane Reusable VTOL Booster stagesQuoteReusability is anticipated to strongly impact the launch service market if sufficient reliability and low refurbishment costs can be achieved. DLR is performing an extensive study on return methods for a reusable booster stage for a future launch vehicle. The present study focuses on the vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTOL) method. First, a restitution of a flight of Falcon 9 is resented in order to assess the accuracy of the tools used.Conclusions involve RTLS and down-range landings, gas generator engines, same engine on second stage as on first (except for the vac nozzle); 11 engines on the 5.5m hydrolox version and 9 on the methlox version. Imitation is sincerest form of flattery.
Evaluation of Future Ariane Reusable VTOL Booster stages
Reusability is anticipated to strongly impact the launch service market if sufficient reliability and low refurbishment costs can be achieved. DLR is performing an extensive study on return methods for a reusable booster stage for a future launch vehicle. The present study focuses on the vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTOL) method. First, a restitution of a flight of Falcon 9 is resented in order to assess the accuracy of the tools used.
Quote from: CraigLieb on 10/03/2017 05:38 pmYes. But schedules rarely jump to the leftThese are rabid SpaceX fans we are talking about, the schedule always jumps to the left