Some impressive tooling will be heading to the factory: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180717/rockford-made-machine-to-build-parts-for-next-generation-rockets (link discovered by reddit)QuoteIngersoll Machine Tools has built the largest machine of its kind in the world for the world’s richest man — Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, who will use the engineering marvel to build rockets to carry humans to the moon and maybe even Mars.It took three years to design and manufacture the Sasquatch-sized machine, which stands 51 feet tall, 136 feet long and 43 feet wide. The machine — its trademarked name is Mongoose — will be disassembled in coming weeks and shipped to Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket factory, at Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Park on Merritt Island, Florida.There, the machine will be reassembled and will manufacture cryogenic tanks that will be filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen to fuel rockets. The machine also will build fairings — large aerodynamic structures that encapsulate rocket payloads like satellites and other critical equipment.it's a fiber placement machine, and they said it will be used to build tanks, does this mean New Glenn will use carbon fiber tank too?
Ingersoll Machine Tools has built the largest machine of its kind in the world for the world’s richest man — Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, who will use the engineering marvel to build rockets to carry humans to the moon and maybe even Mars.It took three years to design and manufacture the Sasquatch-sized machine, which stands 51 feet tall, 136 feet long and 43 feet wide. The machine — its trademarked name is Mongoose — will be disassembled in coming weeks and shipped to Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket factory, at Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Park on Merritt Island, Florida.There, the machine will be reassembled and will manufacture cryogenic tanks that will be filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen to fuel rockets. The machine also will build fairings — large aerodynamic structures that encapsulate rocket payloads like satellites and other critical equipment.
So far there is two candidates for this supper light weight tank structure designs: stainless steel balloon tank and carbon composite rigid structure.
Blue Origin is expanding its already massive New Glenn rocket factory at Kennedy Space CenterEMRE KELLY | FLORIDA TODAY | 9 minutes agoJust south of Blue Origin's imposing campus at Kennedy Space Center, an empty patch of land will soon be transformed into a sprawling, technology-laden extension of the aerospace company's existing rocket manufacturing facility.Labeled as "South Campus" in water management district documents obtained by FLORIDA TODAY, the 90-acre expansion will connect to the factory at Exploration Park
Blue Origin will also build their Launch and Landing Control Center, called the L&LCC, as well as their mission support center near the factory building.
Could be.Insert air from above, remove from the bottom. Places to get air all along the length.Looks like a slightly heavy door though. And why silvery surfaces?Second guess is a big oven to cure carbon fibre parts. Not an autoclave - out of autoclave. Just a big, preferably insulated, room to get the part on its form to ~100°C. (Depending on the resin used. A quick search says 60-180°C with several lightly above 100°C, probably to reduce water.)Needs a bit more image resolution to read the label on the door.
Suggestion: Maybe the expansion shown a few posts above will be a manufacturing site for satellites for the future AWS constellation?
Well, that would be an interesting idea. If they're build in-house, it could be a good place. But is Florida a good environment to build satellites?
Quote from: b0objunior on 04/12/2019 05:51 pmWell, that would be an interesting idea. If they're build in-house, it could be a good place. But is Florida a good environment to build satellites?Its as good as anywhere else in the US. That's where they'll be building the Oneweb satellites.https://www.spaceflorida.gov/projects/oneweb-satellites-manufacturing/
But is Florida a good environment to build satellites?
Quote from: ZachF on 04/12/2019 04:58 pmSuggestion: Maybe the expansion shown a few posts above will be a manufacturing site for satellites for the future AWS constellation?Well, that would be an interesting idea. If they're build in-house, it could be a good place. But is Florida a good environment to build satellites?