The first stages with unspent fuel all fall back into the ocean normally anyway. These just get smashed on a barge first. And perhaps the ensuing explosion burns up many of the toxin that would normally get released into the ocean from a typical splashdown and breakup?
Nate_Trost reporting that a barge landing is still "Plan A" for CRS-8:http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=39350.msg1505239#msg1505239
James Stewart @JamesStewart97 2h2 hours ago United Kingdom@lorengrush have @SpaceX confirmed that they're going for a first stage drone ship landing rather than a RTLS? Loren GrushVerified account@lorengrush@JamesStewart97 Yep! Got confirmation this morning
Octaweb is (was?) probably under the white tarp, I would think.
No way this is a 250K job. I would be surprised if it was anything more than 50k. Steel, even high quality stuff, is cheap this days. Transport is cheap. A welder for a weeks work is cheap. Welding steel plate an even repairing beams is not a complex task (I've built boats before) and doesn't require a lot of finesse. Just a good plan and a decent weld.Quote from: Lar on 03/18/2016 02:12 pmI agree this isn't average welding work and that all the stuff listed by OxCartMark raises costs.... I'm still thinking 250K is a reasonable estimate here... we did our usual good job of ballparking this.... and that it was a good bet for SpaceX. SpaceX also know that even a direct hit can make a good hole but not sink the barge, right? How much worse could it be?Let's not go TOO far down the hole of how much welders and steel cost, though, ok?
I agree this isn't average welding work and that all the stuff listed by OxCartMark raises costs.... I'm still thinking 250K is a reasonable estimate here... we did our usual good job of ballparking this.... and that it was a good bet for SpaceX. SpaceX also know that even a direct hit can make a good hole but not sink the barge, right? How much worse could it be?Let's not go TOO far down the hole of how much welders and steel cost, though, ok?
OCISLY was listing away from the hole
OR, guess what, the dry weight of nine octaweb engines is 4.66 US tons.
Quote from: CyndyC on 03/18/2016 07:21 pmOR, guess what, the dry weight of nine octaweb engines is 4.66 US tons. 4.66 tons is just over 4 cubic meters of water displacement. The barge hull is 91 * 30 meters. That ain't it.
I reviewed some images and can answer one of my own questions, asking if the list first being away from the hole was fact. In the video of the ASDS coming in, the list is toward the corner opposite the hole but on the same end, and the corner with the hole is obviously up -- I don't know if that end is the bow or stern, but
It came in bow first (of course) but then did a U turn before parking. Bow now pointing out towards ocean.
Quote from: OxCartMark on 03/19/2016 03:08 amIt came in bow first (of course) but then did a U turn before parking. Bow now pointing out towards ocean.Thanks for the heads up on which end is the bow, but there wasn't a U turn before mooring when she first came in, as can be seen in this picture from that day March 8th. Probably not much to chew on though, I thought later, maybe just how they had to turn to eject the ballast water into the sea instead of into the street, or whatever that is behind the bulkhead. Also could have something to do with the levels of the other corners relative to the bulkhead while the hole corner is weighed down, and getting machinery & supplies onboard more easily.
There seems to be some confusion here (though I may be the one confused - if I'm wrong, I'd appreciate being corrected). In that picture you posted, the bow is to the right. An easy way to determine it is the ASDSs name is on the port (left) side. The ASDS appears to be in the same orientation in later pictures. The list seen was, as I recall, toward the forward starboard quarter (which was a bit lower in the water than the rest), so away from the hole, which is in the aft port quarter.