Quote from: Danderman on 03/11/2011 12:33 amQuote from: Jim on 03/10/2011 11:54 pmQuote from: corrodedNut on 03/10/2011 10:32 pmWhat about the possibility of a new test stand for Falcon Heavy? Not a tall, vertical stand like the big "tripod", but a horizontal one like ATK's in Utah.horizontal doesn't work for liquid stages. Also, what reason? the individual cores can be tested, there is nothing to gain buy ground testing 3 of them at once. Horizontal seemed to work for this liquid stage. We're seeing a vertical S-IC stage there, firing into a 90 degree deflector on the B-1 test stand I think.
Quote from: Jim on 03/10/2011 11:54 pmQuote from: corrodedNut on 03/10/2011 10:32 pmWhat about the possibility of a new test stand for Falcon Heavy? Not a tall, vertical stand like the big "tripod", but a horizontal one like ATK's in Utah.horizontal doesn't work for liquid stages. Also, what reason? the individual cores can be tested, there is nothing to gain buy ground testing 3 of them at once. Horizontal seemed to work for this liquid stage.
Quote from: corrodedNut on 03/10/2011 10:32 pmWhat about the possibility of a new test stand for Falcon Heavy? Not a tall, vertical stand like the big "tripod", but a horizontal one like ATK's in Utah.horizontal doesn't work for liquid stages. Also, what reason? the individual cores can be tested, there is nothing to gain buy ground testing 3 of them at once.
What about the possibility of a new test stand for Falcon Heavy? Not a tall, vertical stand like the big "tripod", but a horizontal one like ATK's in Utah.
Quote from: Jim on 03/10/2011 09:49 pmQuote from: Cherokee43v6 on 03/10/2011 09:27 pmOf course, Spaceport America would be more than accommodating too. Probably have fewer hoops to jump through and be more responsive too. Not really, they wont have the infrastructure for such tests.I believe that SpaceX wants to use their LAS as a propulsive landing stage. In that case they ALREADY have the infrastructure for that. They hosted the NASA Lunar Lander Challenge with it.
Quote from: Cherokee43v6 on 03/10/2011 09:27 pmOf course, Spaceport America would be more than accommodating too. Probably have fewer hoops to jump through and be more responsive too. Not really, they wont have the infrastructure for such tests.
Of course, Spaceport America would be more than accommodating too. Probably have fewer hoops to jump through and be more responsive too.
If Dragon uses Draco thrusters for LAS/landing, those use hypergol propellants.What Jim means by infrastructure is not only a takeoff/landing area, but the facilities to both store and handle hypergolic fuels, plus pre- and post-test vehicle processing. That location might also have to implement and pass environmental and safety studies to gain permission for allowing a hypergolic-fueled vehicle to be processed and launched, plus possible aborts and range safety.
Didn't Space-X have some local noise complaints when they ran the 9x engine configuration at their full power around 1.1m lb thrust?If they're getting noise complaints at that level, they're going to have real issues trying to run a 1.7m lb thrust engine at that site.
Quote from: kraisee on 03/11/2011 01:30 amDidn't Space-X have some local noise complaints when they ran the 9x engine configuration at their full power around 1.1m lb thrust?If they're getting noise complaints at that level, they're going to have real issues trying to run a 1.7m lb thrust engine at that site.The major noise complaint was a late night 9-engine test. SpaceX manages things a bit better nowThe complaints also went down after they got the $1.6B CRS contract. The locals like them a lot more after that.
Didn't Space-X have some local noise complaints when they ran the 9x engine configuration at their full power around 1.1m lb thrust?
The a link on the grasshopper thread to http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/media/20111110%20SpaceX%20Grasshopper%20Final%20EA.pdfshows that "The McGregor test site has an existing capacity to store 260,000 gallons of LOX and 102,000 gallons of RP-1".I just don't think I had seen that info before.