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.
Quote from: dror on 02/25/2017 03:25 pmUse 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.
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.
How difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?
Quote from: meekGee on 02/25/2017 10:55 pmHow difficult is it to convert a Sea Level Marlin to a Vacuum Merlin?Impossible, according to an ex-MVac technician.
Quote from: old_sellsword on 02/25/2017 11:14 pmQuote from: meekGee on 02/25/2017 10:55 pmHow 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.
Marshenge.
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.