Quote from: Dave G on 01/13/2018 09:01 amThey may still launch F9/FH from Boca Chica, which would help free up 39a for BFR.I will believe this when I see a crew access tower rising at LC-40.
They may still launch F9/FH from Boca Chica, which would help free up 39a for BFR.
Quote from: bocachicagal on 01/12/2018 04:26 pmA few pics of the fence damage.For anybody who has ever lived close to a sea coast that fence would look ridiculous, I'd hazard to say. You can't just hope to block the wind like that. They must have contracted the job out to a descendant of King Canute...
A few pics of the fence damage.
Are there practical reasons why LC39A should even be in consideration for BFR missions, or is it mostly for sentimental reasons that people try and argue for LC39A as a BFR launchpad?
Quote from: guckyfan on 01/13/2018 09:20 amQuote from: Dave G on 01/13/2018 09:01 amThey may still launch F9/FH from Boca Chica, which would help free up 39a for BFR.I will believe this when I see a crew access tower rising at LC-40. Good point. Hadn't thought of that. Could they somehow move the crew tower from 39a to 40? If not, that builds a stronger case for Boca Chica going straight to BFR.
They need to build structural test stands for BFR and BFS somewhere and well ahead of any launch.
Why would the test stand be at Michaud? They can run the envisioned raptor in Texas.
Wait, has it been confirmed that only BFR is launching from Boca Chica? Must have missed that memo
What is surprising is Gwynne's announcement yesterday:Quote from: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 2018SpaceX has a rocket engine testing facility in McGregor and is building a launch site in Boca Chica, said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. The latter project, she said, will be ready late this year or early next year for early vehicle testing. SpaceX will then continue working toward making it a launch site.If they're still planning to launch Falcon 9 from Boca Chica, why would that require "early vehicle testing"? Falcon 9 is flight proven. And if she meant early pad testing with a vehicle, then why does she imply it will take some time after that for them to "continue working toward making it a launch site"?In other words, Gwynne's announcement yesterday could be interpreted as Boca Chica going straight to BFR.
SpaceX has a rocket engine testing facility in McGregor and is building a launch site in Boca Chica, said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. The latter project, she said, will be ready late this year or early next year for early vehicle testing. SpaceX will then continue working toward making it a launch site.
Quote from: Dave G on 01/12/2018 11:49 pmWhat is surprising is Gwynne's announcement yesterday:Quote from: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 2018SpaceX has a rocket engine testing facility in McGregor and is building a launch site in Boca Chica, said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. The latter project, she said, will be ready late this year or early next year for early vehicle testing. SpaceX will then continue working toward making it a launch site.If they're still planning to launch Falcon 9 from Boca Chica, why would that require "early vehicle testing"? Falcon 9 is flight proven. And if she meant early pad testing with a vehicle, then why does she imply it will take some time after that for them to "continue working toward making it a launch site"?In other words, Gwynne's announcement yesterday could be interpreted as Boca Chica going straight to BFR.That would be cool if true. But I'd like to see the actual quote, not just a reporter's paraphrase, before I would read too much into the words "early vehicle testing".
Quote from: matthewkantar on 01/13/2018 04:04 pmWhy would the test stand be at Michaud? They can run the envisioned raptor in Texas.Yes, they can test a single Raptor engine in McGregor, but they cant' test 31 Raptor engines together. The BFR booster is too big for road transport. And even if they could get it there, the test stand at McGregor isn't rated for that much thrust.
As far as I know, Michaud has no test stand capable of handling the thrust from BFR either.
My guess is, they will test the individual engines at McGregor. The all up tests will be static fires at the launch pad followed by hops, and then leaps, and then bounds.
Are there practical reasons why LC39A should even be in consideration for BFR missions, or is it mostly for sentimental reasons that people try and argue for LC39A as a BFR launchpad?Surely now that LC39A has been configured for F9 and FH, with LC40 as F9 backup, it makes sense to leave it as is and build your BFR launch infrastructure from scratch at a dedicated new site.Why waste money on configuring a fourth site for Falcon family launches when you already have facilities that can do that? Just make Boca Chica your dedicated BFR launch site and be done with it.Unless I'm missing something important, (which I probably am).
There will be multiple BFR launch sites.
Quote from: M.E.T. on 01/13/2018 09:54 amAre there practical reasons why LC39A should even be in consideration for BFR missions, or is it mostly for sentimental reasons that people try and argue for LC39A as a BFR launchpad?Surely now that LC39A has been configured for F9 and FH, with LC40 as F9 backup, it makes sense to leave it as is and build your BFR launch infrastructure from scratch at a dedicated new site.Why waste money on configuring a fourth site for Falcon family launches when you already have facilities that can do that? Just make Boca Chica your dedicated BFR launch site and be done with it.Unless I'm missing something important, (which I probably am). Because Vandenberg is for high inclination launches that are mostly not interchangable with Florida pads, and there are things that could shut down both Florida pads since they're on the same range. There's also the issue of upgrades or repairs to one Florida pad, which would leave them with only one working pad for most launches. But mainly, Falcon launches at Boca Chica would be the only ones I could watch from a mile and a half away.