Author Topic: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?  (Read 12587 times)

Offline jabe

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #20 on: 02/25/2017 04:14 pm »
use for prop depot demonstration missions...
2 launches...
one with fuel..
other unfueled "lunar probe"
have them dock..load up probe..
go to moon

Offline CorvusCorax

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #21 on: 02/25/2017 05:58 pm »
Use them as target-missiles for the military.
Boeing and LM will be over motivated to shoot them down, so double gain there...

True, but SpaceX would also have a great opportunity to make Boing and LM look bad. They could easily code some "evasive manouvering" into the rocket's avionic computers - capable of using both thrusters and fins for evasives, there's slim chance the current version of these anti missile missiles would be hitting that booster. AFAIK, they still rely on the target following a more or less ballistic - or at least straight - trajectory.

If the DoD sees this, Boing and LM don't just loose out on their missile defense system but also on the next generation of ICBMS.

If I remember right, the F9 could do single stage to orbit with negligible payload. I would almost bet that negligible payload would still be enough for some sort of reentry vehicle.

Most likely that's not exactly the usecase that ElonMusk had in mind, but hey, they were searching for a way to finance ITS, and it beats selling one's pants.


Offline Jim

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #22 on: 02/25/2017 07:43 pm »

True, but SpaceX would also have a great opportunity to make Boing and LM look bad. They could easily code some "evasive manouvering" into the rocket's avionic computers - capable of using both thrusters and fins for evasives, there's slim chance the current version of these anti missile missiles would be hitting that booster. AFAIK, they still rely on the target following a more or less ballistic - or at least straight - trajectory.

If the DoD sees this, Boing and LM don't just loose out on their missile defense system but also on the next generation of ICBMS.


Just plain nonsense.   Both paragraphs are wrong.  Actually every sentence is wrong.

And, the F9 can't "evasive maneuvering" where it matters
« Last Edit: 02/25/2017 07:44 pm by Jim »

Online envy887

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #23 on: 02/25/2017 08:09 pm »
Use them as target-missiles for the military.
Boeing and LM will be over motivated to shoot them down, so double gain there...

True, but SpaceX would also have a great opportunity to make Boing and LM look bad. They could easily code some "evasive manouvering" into the rocket's avionic computers - capable of using both thrusters and fins for evasives, there's slim chance the current version of these anti missile missiles would be hitting that booster. AFAIK, they still rely on the target following a more or less ballistic - or at least straight - trajectory.

If the DoD sees this, Boing and LM don't just loose out on their missile defense system but also on the next generation of ICBMS.

If I remember right, the F9 could do single stage to orbit with negligible payload. I would almost bet that negligible payload would still be enough for some sort of reentry vehicle.

Most likely that's not exactly the usecase that ElonMusk had in mind, but hey, they were searching for a way to finance ITS, and it beats selling one's pants.

Musk has no intention of selling his own pants. It's pretty clear he's going to acquire others' pants in illegitimate fashion and, through some as yet to be determined mechanism, convert them to profit.

As for the boosters... I'm pretty sure turning them into beer cans would be the most profitable utilization if they can't be reflown. Space-flown Falcon beer.

Offline meekGee

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #24 on: 02/25/2017 08:24 pm »
Use them as target-missiles for the military.
Boeing and LM will be over motivated to shoot them down, so double gain there...

True, but SpaceX would also have a great opportunity to make Boing and LM look bad. They could easily code some "evasive manouvering" into the rocket's avionic computers - capable of using both thrusters and fins for evasives, there's slim chance the current version of these anti missile missiles would be hitting that booster. AFAIK, they still rely on the target following a more or less ballistic - or at least straight - trajectory.

If the DoD sees this, Boing and LM don't just loose out on their missile defense system but also on the next generation of ICBMS.

If I remember right, the F9 could do single stage to orbit with negligible payload. I would almost bet that negligible payload would still be enough for some sort of reentry vehicle.

Most likely that's not exactly the usecase that ElonMusk had in mind, but hey, they were searching for a way to finance ITS, and it beats selling one's pants.

Ha, that makes my brewery idea look brilliant :)

Here's you "lame" adversary:



ABCD - Always Be Counting Down

Offline hkultala

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #25 on: 02/25/2017 08:34 pm »
If the DoD sees this, Boing and LM don't just loose out on their missile defense system but also on the next generation of ICBMS.

F9 makes absolutely no sense as ICBM. Launching it is about 1000 times too slow.

ICBM has to use storable propellant to be able to be launched quickly, LOX makes merlin engines totally unsuitable for ICBM.

Offline vapour_nudge

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #26 on: 02/25/2017 09:20 pm »
Leave them on the KSC front verge on verge collection day

Offline nacnud

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #27 on: 02/25/2017 10:26 pm »
Marshenge.

Offline meekGee

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #28 on: 02/25/2017 10:55 pm »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?

If it's possible, you could use each one for 9 second-stage engines, thus reducing the cost of future second stages.

(how much of the cost of the second stage is the engine?)

I say this, and I worry that if these are less reliable, it's not worth the risk.  But we don't know how reliable they are.
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Offline rpapo

Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #29 on: 02/25/2017 11:00 pm »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?
SpaceX being SpaceX, there is probably a good deal in common, though the differences are probably more than just the much bigger bell on the Vacuum version.

Not quite so seriously, converting a game fish into a kero-lox rocket can't be easy...
Following the space program since before Apollo 8.

Offline old_sellsword

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #30 on: 02/25/2017 11:14 pm »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?

Impossible, according to an ex-MVac technician.
« Last Edit: 02/25/2017 11:14 pm by old_sellsword »

Offline meekGee

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #31 on: 02/26/2017 12:11 am »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?

Impossible, according to an ex-MVac technician.

Good.  The idea made me nervous...
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Offline Lar

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #32 on: 02/26/2017 01:43 am »
Did the tanks themselves change from 3 to 5? Strip them down to just the tanks. Sell all the bits (sliced up into ITAR safe pieces) as souvenirs[1] and use the tanks for block 5. 

That may be more expensive than scrapping, so in that case, scrap or donate to museums that take them for free.

1 - The Roadie will buy at least one of each, I guarantee it!
« Last Edit: 02/26/2017 01:44 am by Lar »
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline guckyfan

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #33 on: 02/26/2017 07:37 am »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?

Impossible, according to an ex-MVac technician.

But I do wonder if they could convert the engine to block 5 by changing affected parts of the turbopumps.

Offline kch

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #34 on: 02/26/2017 08:10 am »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?

Impossible, according to an ex-MVac technician.

But I do wonder if they could convert the engine to block 5 by changing affected parts of the turbopumps.

And what would you do with the scales?  That could gill the whole deal right there ... ;D

Offline kch

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #35 on: 02/26/2017 08:41 am »
Marshenge.

Ha -- thought that said MarShmenge

"The Happy Wanderers' First Interplanetary Tour / Yosh and Stan on Mars" ... :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shmenge_Brothers

Offline macpacheco

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Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #36 on: 02/26/2017 10:10 am »
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?

Impossible, according to an ex-MVac technician.

But I do wonder if they could convert the engine to block 5 by changing affected parts of the turbopumps.
i tawt i head it samewere that there were about 100 changes to block 5, or am I loosing my mind...
Remanufacture into FH side sticks.
Reuse for LEO launches.
Do some expendable GTO launches.
Looking for companies doing great things for much more than money

Online Chris Bergin

Re: What's gonna happen with all the boosters?
« Reply #37 on: 02/26/2017 03:42 pm »

i tawt i head it samewere that there were about 100 changes to block 5, or am I loosing my mind...
Remanufacture into FH side sticks.

If that doesn't close a thread, I don't know what will. You're keyboard is broken, purchase a new one ;)

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