Quote from: Robotbeat on 06/30/2017 11:38 amQuote from: Lars-J on 06/28/2017 04:49 pmQuote from: docmordrid on 06/28/2017 07:47 amWith 2 pads shooting and the potential for several launches a week, ISTM they're going to need either more ASDS's or a much faster platform equipped ship/catamaran/?..? - or two.Or RTLS. Block 5 may allow RTLS for Iridium NEXT launches. (speculation)Theyre not going to sustain over a hundred launches per year before ITS or similar.Why not? 100 launches approx two per week. They will have three launch pads (plus Boca Chica to make 4). That's just over a week per pad per launch. They are not far of that now. They'll probably need another drone ship though.
Quote from: Lars-J on 06/28/2017 04:49 pmQuote from: docmordrid on 06/28/2017 07:47 amWith 2 pads shooting and the potential for several launches a week, ISTM they're going to need either more ASDS's or a much faster platform equipped ship/catamaran/?..? - or two.Or RTLS. Block 5 may allow RTLS for Iridium NEXT launches. (speculation)Theyre not going to sustain over a hundred launches per year before ITS or similar.
Quote from: docmordrid on 06/28/2017 07:47 amWith 2 pads shooting and the potential for several launches a week, ISTM they're going to need either more ASDS's or a much faster platform equipped ship/catamaran/?..? - or two.Or RTLS. Block 5 may allow RTLS for Iridium NEXT launches. (speculation)
With 2 pads shooting and the potential for several launches a week, ISTM they're going to need either more ASDS's or a much faster platform equipped ship/catamaran/?..? - or two.
It's neat that the hand-written "s/n 003" is still visible on the left grid fin, as well as the tiny core number "36" just below the central grid fin. (Image from the update thread)
Although titanium is thought to be an indestructible material, it was found that this metal exhibits extreme sensitivity to contaminants such as chlorine, fluorine, and cadmium. For example, during fabrication, it was discovered that the chlorine based ink of a Pentel marker used to layout the titanium sheets caused them to fail after exposure to heat.
Quote from: JamesH65 on 06/30/2017 12:02 pmQuote from: Robotbeat on 06/30/2017 11:38 amQuote from: Lars-J on 06/28/2017 04:49 pmQuote from: docmordrid on 06/28/2017 07:47 amWith 2 pads shooting and the potential for several launches a week, ISTM they're going to need either more ASDS's or a much faster platform equipped ship/catamaran/?..? - or two.Or RTLS. Block 5 may allow RTLS for Iridium NEXT launches. (speculation)Theyre not going to sustain over a hundred launches per year before ITS or similar.Why not? 100 launches approx two per week. They will have three launch pads (plus Boca Chica to make 4). That's just over a week per pad per launch. They are not far of that now. They'll probably need another drone ship though.Because I don't think it'll take that long to build a smaller ITS. And they very well may prefer that to building another droneship & other upgrades needed to get to over 100 flights per year.And Boca Chica may never have kerosene infrastructure installed.
Quote from: Lars-J on 06/30/2017 06:15 amIt's neat that the hand-written "s/n 003" is still visible on the left grid fin, as well as the tiny core number "36" just below the central grid fin. (Image from the update thread)Hope they wrote it with the right marker. There's a story from the SR-71 that the ink from Pentel markers caused the titanium to fail.QuoteAlthough titanium is thought to be an indestructible material, it was found that this metal exhibits extreme sensitivity to contaminants such as chlorine, fluorine, and cadmium. For example, during fabrication, it was discovered that the chlorine based ink of a Pentel marker used to layout the titanium sheets caused them to fail after exposure to heat.
Quote from: LouScheffer on 06/30/2017 01:24 pmQuote from: Lars-J on 06/30/2017 06:15 amIt's neat that the hand-written "s/n 003" is still visible on the left grid fin, as well as the tiny core number "36" just below the central grid fin. (Image from the update thread)Hope they wrote it with the right marker. There's a story from the SR-71 that the ink from Pentel markers caused the titanium to fail.QuoteAlthough titanium is thought to be an indestructible material, it was found that this metal exhibits extreme sensitivity to contaminants such as chlorine, fluorine, and cadmium. For example, during fabrication, it was discovered that the chlorine based ink of a Pentel marker used to layout the titanium sheets caused them to fail after exposure to heat. You guys do recall the story about the SR-71, right? About how they puzzled over why the titanium parts made in the summer failed more often than the ones made in the winter? In the summer, there was more chlorine in the air around Burbank because of swimming pools.
Quote from: rpapo on 06/30/2017 03:00 pmQuote from: LouScheffer on 06/30/2017 01:24 pmQuote from: Lars-J on 06/30/2017 06:15 amIt's neat that the hand-written "s/n 003" is still visible on the left grid fin, as well as the tiny core number "36" just below the central grid fin. (Image from the update thread)Hope they wrote it with the right marker. There's a story from the SR-71 that the ink from Pentel markers caused the titanium to fail.QuoteAlthough titanium is thought to be an indestructible material, it was found that this metal exhibits extreme sensitivity to contaminants such as chlorine, fluorine, and cadmium. For example, during fabrication, it was discovered that the chlorine based ink of a Pentel marker used to layout the titanium sheets caused them to fail after exposure to heat. You guys do recall the story about the SR-71, right? About how they puzzled over why the titanium parts made in the summer failed more often than the ones made in the winter? In the summer, there was more chlorine in the air around Burbank because of swimming pools.Won't the grid-fins get a lot of salty wind and sea-spray on their barge-journey? Will all those chloride ions cause any problems?
You guys do recall the story about the SR-71, right? About how they puzzled over why the titanium parts made in the summer failed more often than the ones made in the winter? In the summer, there was more chlorine in the air around Burbank because of swimming pools.