With the BDB notion comes the concept that you can realistically design a ground-launched (read: lifts off at sea level) LV using pressure-fed liquid engines. Practically speaking, you can't.
The name was unfortunate because it's impossible to do a web search for it.
I wrote up the rough Falcon 5/9 timeline in the following page. http://www.geocities.com/launchreport/falcon9.html
Quote from: Comga on 08/10/2008 05:17 pmThe change came just after he was pictured with some gentleman from NASA signing an early cooperative agreement.Gee, I signed a cooperative agreement with NASA earlier this year and never got my picture taken...
The change came just after he was pictured with some gentleman from NASA signing an early cooperative agreement.
Alright, this is a little tangential, but since we're talking about the Falcon 5/9 history...What is the staging/throttling profile for the Falcon 9 Heavy? Both of the EELV "heavies" throttle the central stage so it gets >1 minute burn time after the peripheral boosters jettison. Any similar plans for the 3-core Falcon 9 Heavy? I'm not aware that Merlin can throttle, so do they just burn all three full bore?
Quote from: libs0n on 08/10/2008 07:23 pmWhat are the critical points of the BDB concept?...With the BDB notion comes the concept that you can realistically design a ground-launched (read: lifts off at sea level) LV using pressure-fed liquid engines. Practically speaking, you can't....
What are the critical points of the BDB concept?
In the next update 6/50-9/05. Musk said:The History of Falcon 9About eighteen months ago, a customer approached SpaceX with launch mass and fairing volume needs that exceeded the Falcon 5. We iterated on several different solutions, including upgrading the Merlin engine thrust and adding liquid or solid strap on boosters. All the options held significant drawbacks in cost, schedule or reliability, except one – a nine engine first stage.At the time the two customers listed for the Falcon 9 were "US Government" and Bigelow.From this one could draw inferences, but there is no hard evidence.
Quote from: antonioe on 08/10/2008 07:48 pmWith the BDB notion comes the concept that you can realistically design a ground-launched (read: lifts off at sea level) LV using pressure-fed liquid engines. Practically speaking, you can't.This reminds me about the company with an unfortunate name "Rocket Propulsion", who tried to build a Falcon 1 class rocket with pressure fed engines all around. The name was unfortunate because it's impossible to do a web search for it. I don't remember who they were and how far the project went. They presented proposed cuaways, and even did some test fires of a small engine (or did they?). Another feature of their design was tankage of several diameters. I wonder if I imagined all that or they really existed, and if the later, what has happened.