Author Topic: MCT/BFR source information, please add new info as it arrives from SpaceX  (Read 69306 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Elon said in an interview today that he hopes to describe the next gen launch vehicle and spacecraft (presumably BFR and MCT?) later this year at IAC 2016, which is late September:



Starts at about 30:40 in the video.

Offline Misha Vargas

Does a SpaceX board member count as "source"? Steve Jurvetson had a few words to say just after accepting an award for SpaceX:

« Last Edit: 02/10/2016 11:12 pm by Misha Vargas »

Offline Burninate

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Quote
Elon Musk Retweeted
 Marc Thiessen ‏@marcthiessen  Mar 9
I interviewed .@elonmusk at @AEI World Forum and @realDonaldTrump never came up.  Discussed his plans for manned Mars mission by 2025!
« Last Edit: 03/10/2016 08:58 pm by Burninate »

Offline Robotbeat

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This thread hasn't been updated for a while (so there may be some public details that have been missed), but here's something new:

a few more teasers before the september reveal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/10/elon-musk-provides-new-details-on-his-mind-blowing-mission-to-mars/

1 red dragon in 2018, 'at least 2' in 2020, then first flight of MCT in 2022...
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Mongo62

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Not source information about the MCT/BFR per se, but about Musk's Big Unveil.

IAC Congress schedule (scroll down):

Friday, September 30 at 8:30 to 10:30 -- Late Breaking News: Elon Musk Space X Title to Be Confirm - Mars

So two hours on the final morning of the congress.
« Last Edit: 06/11/2016 06:56 pm by Mongo62 »

Offline philw1776

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Just to clarify, the conference is on CDT, one hour later than EDT
FULL SEND!!!!

Offline Mongo62

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IAC 2016 PLENARIES AND HIGHLIGHT LECTURES

Tuesday September 27
13:30-14:30 CDT = 14:30-15:30 EDT
Colonizing Mars -- A deep technical presentation on the space transport architecture needed to colonize Mars (SpaceX late breaking)

Is this in addition to the previously known Friday 8:30-10:30 CDT = 9:30-11:30 EDT session?
« Last Edit: 06/14/2016 09:59 pm by Mongo62 »

Offline Robotbeat

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Probably won't be called MCT. Maybe something like Interplanetary Colonial Transporter:


https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/776939304140414976
Quote from: Elon Musk
Turns out MCT can go well beyond Mars, so will need a new name…

Kazunori Makino ‏12 minutes ago
https://twitter.com/kzmakino/status/776954933820002305
Quote from: @kzmakino
Hi Mr. Musk,
how about "Interplanetary Colonial Transporter" ?
Quote from: Elon Musk
Turns out MCT can go well beyond Mars, so will need a new name…
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/776956202936782850
Quote from: Elon Musk

@kzmakino sounds about right
« Last Edit: 09/17/2016 01:55 am by Robotbeat »
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Ilikeboosterrockets

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Apparently it's officially being called the Interplanetary Transport System now.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/777330011703566336


Offline Elmar Moelzer

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Elon Musk on Twitter:
SpaceX propulsion just achieved first firing of the Raptor interplanetary transport engine
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780280440401764353

Production Raptor goal is specific impulse of 382 seconds and thrust of 3 MN (~310 metric tons) at 300 bar
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780275236922994688

Sorry of crossposting this, but thought that this would be relevant to both the Raptor and the MCT/bfr source information threads.


Online sdsds

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MCT (or ITS) suddenly looks a lot more doable.

Interplanetary transport system, here we come! 👍
« Last Edit: 09/26/2016 06:03 am by sdsds »
— 𝐬𝐝𝐒𝐝𝐬 —

Online docmordrid

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@elonmusk
Chamber pressure is almost 3X Merlin, so engine is about the same size for a given area ratio
DM

Offline Elmar Moelzer

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Elon Musk on Twitter:
382s is with a 150 area ratio vacuum (or Mars ambient pressure) nozzle. Will go over specs for both versions on Tues.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/780291118080462848
« Last Edit: 09/26/2016 06:24 am by Elmar Moelzer »

Online docmordrid

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@davidkyoon
@elonmusk Sweet Jesus, that means you are pumping to 45-50 MPa... Surely this will be using multiple stage pumps?

@elonmusk
@davidkyoon yes

@williamwinters
@elonmusk @rocketrepreneur based on your other specs, is that like a ~14 foot diameter nozzle?

@elonmusk
@williamwinters @rocketrepreneur pretty close
DM

Offline Impaler

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That thrust level of 3MN vac sounds consistent with the 2300 kN number we have heard before having been the SL thrust target so the engine size dose not seem to have changed much if at all, though I would not be surprised if the SL thrust ends up being around 2500 kN in the end.

Offline Elmar Moelzer

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2 Stages. MCT is second stage.

@elonmusk:
12m rocket booster diameter, 17m spaceship diameter, 122 m stack height.
The space ship is an odd shape with the main body cylinder being roughly the same 12 meters as the booster.

BFR returns to launch site after launch.
42 engines on booster!
On orbit refueling for the MCT.

Booster has 127,800 kN (28,730,000 pounds) of liftoff thrust. Booster lands exactly on launch mount (risky!).

MCT has 200kW solar panels.
MCT coast speed 100,800 km/h

Re- entry temperature at mars: 1700 C (3,092F).

Spacecraft in video are from actual CAD models.

100 people per flight, maybe 200 later.

Built mainly of carbon fiber. Making cryogenic tanks from carbon fiber is hard, only recently achieved.
Gasifies fuel and oxidizer with engine heat and uses that to pressurize tanks.

550 tons to LEO in expendable mode. 300 tons in reusable mode.
« Last Edit: 09/27/2016 09:03 pm by Elmar Moelzer »

Offline Elmar Moelzer

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Raptor: 334 sealevel Isp
« Last Edit: 09/28/2016 12:07 am by Elmar Moelzer »

Offline Elmar Moelzer

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Offline Elmar Moelzer

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Only the central seven engines gimbal. The others are fixed in position.
« Last Edit: 09/28/2016 12:15 am by Elmar Moelzer »

Offline Elmar Moelzer

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3 sea level engines, 6 vacuum engines. Sea level engines gimbal, in space steering with differential thrust of vac engines.
Initially 100 passengers per ship, but number may grow to 200 or more.
« Last Edit: 09/28/2016 12:19 am by Elmar Moelzer »

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