We need to put some ships (ADSD, oil tanker, container ship) around this thing to get a sense of scale.
Also, no flame trench?
BTW, this finally fulfills Elon's twitter musing about just land the first stage on the barge, fill it up and fly it back. He really doesn't want to give up that idea
It seems to be at least 300m x 100m with on board Liquid Methane and LOX tanks. Otherwise the system looks exactly the same as the pad 39a Version. The launch and landing mount for the Booster presumably is over a flame duct that channels it out the side. There would be quite a bit of space available below deck. Power for thrusters and general ops could come from turbines using the same Methane as the rocket.It really fits “Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship”. This is a general purpose Spaceport that can be built in a shipyard and moved where needed around the world.It seems like 39a will be the first BFR pad but this ASDS might be the second. It might be intended for a location like Boca Chica but this approach allows a lot more flexibility.
Quote from: Ludus on 09/30/2017 09:46 pmIt seems to be at least 300m x 100m with on board Liquid Methane and LOX tanks. Otherwise the system looks exactly the same as the pad 39a Version. The launch and landing mount for the Booster presumably is over a flame duct that channels it out the side. There would be quite a bit of space available below deck. Power for thrusters and general ops could come from turbines using the same Methane as the rocket.It really fits “Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship”. This is a general purpose Spaceport that can be built in a shipyard and moved where needed around the world.It seems like 39a will be the first BFR pad but this ASDS might be the second. It might be intended for a location like Boca Chica but this approach allows a lot more flexibility.It's most certainly trapped in whichever ocean it launches in if it's intended to be an actual vessel and not a fixed platform. Not necessarily a problem, but it definitely is a step beyond the current ASDS
There's a landing pad for the BFS, but the BFR likely still intended to land on the launch mounts.This may not be a mega-ASDS, it might be a fixed installation (or fixed in X-Y, able to be moved in Z to account for weather). Consider all those big spherical tanks probably can only store enough for one or two flights, and they need to bring more prop somehow. Likely underwater pipe, as there doesn't seem to be any large prop facility in sight (though in theory you could do some kind of massive floating solar + energy storage + CO2 capture + water -> Sabatier > CH4 + LOx, it would take up more real estate than the "ASDS"). Perhaps floated to destination then anchored, or built on site, who knows.
It's most certainly trapped in whichever ocean it launches in if it's intended to be an actual vessel and not a fixed platform. Not necessarily a problem, but it definitely is a step beyond the current ASDS
An honest question. If they're thinking about a BFR ASDS - why bother with land pads at all?Build the rockets at a ship yard, so they go directly from factory to ASDS, and that's the end of that.No road transport of any kind ever. ASDS can hang out just a couple of mile off shore, come in to load large cargo, go back out.People and Fuel go out to the ASDS so it stays off shore.No weather issues either, since the ASDSs are mobile.
Hmmm.. I just had a whole bunch of ideas of creating an area of calm water where the docking part is.. then I realised, we must do this all the time. Eg nice quiet bays. Has anyone ever done this for floating platforms before?