Remember the LOFTID half scale engine reuse demo last year?
Here's some sea trials (not orbital) at full scale. #VulcanRocket
Hi Tory! What exactly are we looking at here? 👍😮👍
Full scale (representative of 2 BE4 engines inside the thrust structure) in a sea keeping and recovery test
I was wondering if there were any more tests on that. Is it scheduled for any Vulcan launches?
Soo many tests. This was not the first. My ITAR and IP lawyers are being very careful (ie: doing their job). I’ll do my best to keep these tidbits bits coming
Did it live up to your expectations and what stage is the program at now?
exceeded
Can you see a future where you are fully resuable? Or does it not make financial sense to do so? Awesome to see this trial.
If I add a LEO optimized rocket to the stable.
Quote from: Comga on 07/18/2022 06:36 pmQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/18/2022 06:14 pmhttps://twitter.com/free_space/status/1549094136342630400QuoteComing up next issue @AviationWeek: @ulalaunch modifies plan for Vulcan rocket BE-4 recovery--drops helicopter, will let engines, surrounded by inflatable aeroshell decelerator, splash down in ocean. "It turns out the decelerator makes an excellent raft,” says @torybruno.WowFirst Blue takes a page from SpaceX’s stationary ASDSs. Now ULA may be learning from SpaceX’s floating fairing halves. However, this is heading OT for ”as announced/built”.ULA is still a long way from even testing this.Would be nice if Rocket lab could drop the helicopter catch on Electron too.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/18/2022 06:14 pmhttps://twitter.com/free_space/status/1549094136342630400QuoteComing up next issue @AviationWeek: @ulalaunch modifies plan for Vulcan rocket BE-4 recovery--drops helicopter, will let engines, surrounded by inflatable aeroshell decelerator, splash down in ocean. "It turns out the decelerator makes an excellent raft,” says @torybruno.WowFirst Blue takes a page from SpaceX’s stationary ASDSs. Now ULA may be learning from SpaceX’s floating fairing halves. However, this is heading OT for ”as announced/built”.ULA is still a long way from even testing this.
https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1549094136342630400QuoteComing up next issue @AviationWeek: @ulalaunch modifies plan for Vulcan rocket BE-4 recovery--drops helicopter, will let engines, surrounded by inflatable aeroshell decelerator, splash down in ocean. "It turns out the decelerator makes an excellent raft,” says @torybruno.
Coming up next issue @AviationWeek: @ulalaunch modifies plan for Vulcan rocket BE-4 recovery--drops helicopter, will let engines, surrounded by inflatable aeroshell decelerator, splash down in ocean. "It turns out the decelerator makes an excellent raft,” says @torybruno.
https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1723326481915330891QuoteIf I add a LEO optimized rocket to the stable.
Funny how an architecture chosen and optimized primarily around colonizing Mars has according to Tory "little to zero" launch capability above LEO. At least he finally stopped proclaiming first stage reuse was uneconomical.
Hey @torybruno 👋,wanted to ask a question.Will Vulcan in it's second flight include reusability of engines or that would be performed after 3 to 4 flights??
No. Too soon. The timing of the first experimental engine recoveries and implementation is in work with the customers that are impacted by it
Looks really good. Is there a flight picked out yet for SMART?
Yes
Wen SMART reuse?
After a few flights to measure environments and some demos to confirm key design elements. We recently held a very successful PDR and are moving on towards CDR.
@torybruno what is the max amount of times a SMART engine pod can be reused?
3 is economically attractive. I’d like to get as many as 10. Well know when we start gathering data
Hey Tory! When can we expect to see SMART reuse in action?
Working towards a CDR this year. That will be followed by a couple of flight experiments/demos. The implementation target date will get firmed up in that time frame
Funny thought I had... I wonder if the cost of a Raptor 3 is now less than the SMART recovery cost of BE-4?
Quote from: ZachF on 08/16/2024 01:09 pmFunny thought I had... I wonder if the cost of a Raptor 3 is now less than the SMART recovery cost of BE-4?Apples to oranges comparison.The problem with that line of thinking is that it leaves out the critical context that Raptor 3 is being produced solely in-house for SpaceX itself, not for another company as is the case with BE-4 for ULA. A more direct comparison would be Raptor to BE-4 marginal cost comparison. Even if ULA was buying Raptors, SpaceX likely would have to charge them significantly more than what SpaceX makes them for.
Quote from: Starshipdown on 08/16/2024 07:32 pmQuote from: ZachF on 08/16/2024 01:09 pmFunny thought I had... I wonder if the cost of a Raptor 3 is now less than the SMART recovery cost of BE-4?Apples to oranges comparison.The problem with that line of thinking is that it leaves out the critical context that Raptor 3 is being produced solely in-house for SpaceX itself, not for another company as is the case with BE-4 for ULA. A more direct comparison would be Raptor to BE-4 marginal cost comparison. Even if ULA was buying Raptors, SpaceX likely would have to charge them significantly more than what SpaceX makes them for.@ZachF's original observation was Apples to Oranges too. That the recovery cost of one, already-manufactured engine could be greater than the cost for a competitor to build an entirely new engine from scratch... think about that.The in-house nature of Raptor's cost is worth noting... but the cost of SMART recovery would also be in-house.
Where the costs come from in the supply chain is irrelevant to the customer who must decide which launch provider to use in terms of price, schedule and match to customer needs… am I missing something? Seriously.
Quote from: StraumliBlight on 08/07/2024 04:51 pmFrom the Media Teleconference today:Crew 9's booster will fly first on a Starlink mission to ensure that the moisture intrusion into its fuel and LOX tank had no effect. The tanks had to be dried out and some components replaced.NASA are clearly pleased that they’re able to take advantage of a Starlink flight to prove out the Crew-9 booster. A rare known case of positively wanting a flight proven booster. (Given that another brand new booster presumably wouldn’t be available in time.)
From the Media Teleconference today:Crew 9's booster will fly first on a Starlink mission to ensure that the moisture intrusion into its fuel and LOX tank had no effect. The tanks had to be dried out and some components replaced.
