KSC is located on a wildlife refuge where there are lots of endangered animals, and launch operations.Even accidents like AMOS-6 do little, if any, harm to the local critters because the fences and daily human activity keep most things away from the busy areas.I have no doubt that SpX will take all reasonable precautions to protect all of the native flora and fauna.IMHO, the most dangerous event of all, would be an uncontrolled leak of methane that can't be closed-off, creating a dispersal cloud miles in length that could either suffocate creatures (inc. people) or eventually get mixed with enough air to make an explosive mix.But this is something the natural gas industry is already very well versed in, and there are very good safety rules in place regarding the safe handling of methane at a large number of major global LNG ports, and they routinely handle vastly larger quantities than SpX ever will. It's a non-zero risk, yes, but I do not think its significant enough that I'd want to move my home if I lived locally.Ross.
Quote from: kraisee on 05/20/2018 04:10 amKSC is located on a wildlife refuge where there are lots of endangered animals, and launch operations.Even accidents like AMOS-6 do little, if any, harm to the local critters because the fences and daily human activity keep most things away from the busy areas.I have no doubt that SpX will take all reasonable precautions to protect all of the native flora and fauna.IMHO, the most dangerous event of all, would be an uncontrolled leak of methane that can't be closed-off, creating a dispersal cloud miles in length that could either suffocate creatures (inc. people) or eventually get mixed with enough air to make an explosive mix.But this is something the natural gas industry is already very well versed in, and there are very good safety rules in place regarding the safe handling of methane at a large number of major global LNG ports, and they routinely handle vastly larger quantities than SpX ever will. It's a non-zero risk, yes, but I do not think its significant enough that I'd want to move my home if I lived locally.Ross. One of those huge global ports is going up a few miles from Boca Chica. If people want to worry about something, those LNG sites would be a lot bigger potential for badness than a rocket launching.
Been some property updates. I see Dogleg finally admits they bought 8 Weems.
Quote from: Nomadd on 05/20/2018 04:57 am One of those huge global ports is going up a few miles from Boca Chica. If people want to worry about something, those LNG sites would be a lot bigger potential for badness than a rocket launching.They generally don't deliberately stuff a whole load into the thinnest walled tank possible, then set it on fire and throw it up into the air on top of an explosion, though. You worry about a LNG processing facility possibly exploding. You worry about a massive Methalox rocket not exploding the precisely correct amount.
One of those huge global ports is going up a few miles from Boca Chica. If people want to worry about something, those LNG sites would be a lot bigger potential for badness than a rocket launching.
Even a 'gentle' deflagration of a BFR/BFS stack leaves ~150 tons (closer to 300 tons if you include a maximum payload mass) of scattered debris to land on anyone unfortunate enough to be downrange, hence the NOTAM/NOMAR areas. Those areas are the big problem, as that sticks a big stamp right into busy shipping lanes that everyone then needs to work around.
The camera still works. Not much happened in the last three months. Two small, blue buildings, a paint job for the big generator, a roll up door and some signs.
Quote from: Nomadd on 05/29/2018 09:15 pm The camera still works. Not much happened in the last three months. Two small, blue buildings, a paint job for the big generator, a roll up door and some signs.Are the antennas more wired up than they had been previously? It's been a while since I remember seeing such a clear picture of them.Welcome back, by the way. Sounds like you had a good trip.
SpaceX announced the Falcon Heavy in 2011, and predicted that the first flight would be in 2013. The first flight actually occurred this year, which was 5 years later than the original prediction.SpaceX said that the initial test flights of the BFS would be at Boca Chica later this year or early next year. Based on the development of the FH this would indicate that the BFS won't happen till 2023. Yes I know that SpaceX has a goal of sending cargo to Mars in 2022, and people in 2024. However, these are "aspirational" goals, and I doubt if many believe that the BFR will do this by 2022. Maybe FH could be used in 2022 for an initial flight to Mars.So it seems like there is little urgency in building a BFS/BFB test range at Boca Chica. Maybe we'll see some construction activity here in 2 or 3 years.
Yeah, because we haven't heard that enough yet. Maybe you should repeat it six or seven more times just to be sure.