Mike, I'd add:4. Replace the 3 FH cores with a single stick 5.2 (maybe 6?) meter methane 1st stage, powered by 7-9 Raptors. Now all launches do RTLS, and no more stage integration. Full, rapid reusability finally achieved.
Yes, there's an awful lot of internet "but surely, they will fail" hysteria whenever SpaceX has even the tiniest delays that most other launch service providers experience. Reddit is the primary culprit here.Minimising that on Nasaspaceflight.com is probably our best way of avoiding heartburn. If something stops it means something is being worked on to increase the likelihood of nominal launches. This is inherently good in itself.
Its hard for a SpaceX fan not to have a bit of anxiety about delays after the long delay after the failure in June.Especially because of the fact that the first Falcon 9 full thrust carried such a light payload. It is great news that SES 9 is possible in the "next couple weeks."Thank you for sharing this information! My blood pressure just fell about ten points and likely will remain low for fourteen days.If they don't launch or reserve a time to launch within 14 days its going to start creeping back up again..
Yes, there's an awful lot of internet "but surely, they will fail" hysteria whenever SpaceX has even the tiniest delays that most other launch service providers experience.
This is the reason for the hold up.. but she seems quite confident that they will build up the pace afterwards.
Quote from: Earendil on 02/04/2016 06:56 amThis is the reason for the hold up.. but she seems quite confident that they will build up the pace afterwards.No, she never said those were the reasons for the hold up
We don't even know that the hold up is related to the first stage. If it is not, then the refire isn't going to bear on it at all.
That depends on the commonality between stages. For all we know, it could be an S2 issue/vulnerability that was uncovered by the S1 fire.
Quote from: ugordan on 02/04/2016 03:05 pmThat depends on the commonality between stages. For all we know, it could be an S2 issue/vulnerability that was uncovered by the S1 fire.Seems like you're piling assumptions on top of each other.
Besides, we had indications that the SES launch was moving to the right even before the refire.
Quote from: Geron on 02/04/2016 01:44 amIts hard for a SpaceX fan not to have a bit of anxiety about delays after the long delay after the failure in June.Especially because of the fact that the first Falcon 9 full thrust carried such a light payload. It is great news that SES 9 is possible in the "next couple weeks."Thank you for sharing this information! My blood pressure just fell about ten points and likely will remain low for fourteen days.If they don't launch or reserve a time to launch within 14 days its going to start creeping back up again..I'm a fan, but don't have any problems with anxiety. I just now that Stuff happens, you need to live with it and accept that some of the best rocket engineers on the planet are working on it. It doesn't affect me directly, and I cannot do anything about it. Delays here and there are not worth getting high blood pressure about!