Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 (Flight 2) - COTS-1 - Launch Updates - December 8, 2010 (Read 546773 times)

joshcryer · « **Reply #820 on:** 12/08/2010 08:04 pm »

"No one has ever recovered a liquid first stage intact."

johnxx9 · « **Reply #821 on:** 12/08/2010 08:04 pm »

GRADUALLY optimizing 1st stage for recovery/reusability

ugordan · « **Reply #822 on:** 12/08/2010 08:04 pm »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 12/08/2010 07:53 pm

And guy who repaired them.

Jeez, that thing looks *much* bigger from the inside.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #823 on:** 12/08/2010 08:05 pm »

Says a reusable orbital rocket is a fundamental invention for humanity...

vt_hokie · « **Reply #824 on:** 12/08/2010 08:06 pm »

Good comments on reusability from Musk!

rdale · « **Reply #825 on:** 12/08/2010 08:07 pm »

Launch "explosion" was the second stage umbilical. He suspects that a check valve on the ground side didn't check properly, so just caught fire when the engine passed. It was not an explosion.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #826 on:** 12/08/2010 08:07 pm »

Irene asking about the flare.

Speculation is that it was a check valve on the second stage umbilical failed, resulting in a little fire. Wasn't an explosion.

joshcryer · « **Reply #827 on:** 12/08/2010 08:07 pm »

That big bad fireball was a "little fire" by Elon's reckoning.

god you guys are quick,

"My assessment is that SpaceX will be the most rapid path to an American crew transport system."

I agree.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #828 on:** 12/08/2010 08:08 pm »

Elon mentions that if there were crew on that Dragon, they would've been returned safely.

Mark Dave · « **Reply #829 on:** 12/08/2010 08:08 pm »

I thought this awe a cool flight, though why wasn't the onboard camera view seen?

Here is a vid of the launch someone posted

It looked to me as the second stage lit up, there was a tiny leak, as the on board view shows.

I'm looking forward to the Dragon view, well, if it has an on board camera of it's own. Similar to the Apollo 4 and 6 test flights, you saw the re-entry from inside the vehicle.

e of pi · « **Reply #830 on:** 12/08/2010 08:11 pm »

COTS2/COTS3 combination question.

Increased confidence, will assess the technical feasibility with available equipment and consider.

nickyp · « **Reply #831 on:** 12/08/2010 08:12 pm »

''step into my office''

lol!

Robotbeat · « **Reply #832 on:** 12/08/2010 08:12 pm »

guy from collect space asks about uses for this current Dragon capsule for reuse, or putting it in a museum,

Elon says they will do deep analysis. Mentions they probably added a lot more TPS than they needed, talks about being able to trim weight while still having large safety margins, doesn't know about Smithsonian museum, but would be a great honor.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #833 on:** 12/08/2010 08:15 pm »

Elon: SpaceX has top-level technicians, almost artists... If Marty (guy who fixed crack) does something, you can count on it... He has a fear of flying, so it took a lot of courage for him to come over (from California).

joshcryer · « **Reply #834 on:** 12/08/2010 08:15 pm »

Elon Musk, "I know that the nozzle will be fine." Heh. Smart guy.

That answers the question about modeling. They were trimming the nozzle as they ran the simulations. So great.

neilh · « **Reply #835 on:** 12/08/2010 08:15 pm »

Quote from: Robotbeat on 12/08/2010 08:12 pm

guy from collect space asks about uses for this current Dragon capsule for reuse, or putting it in a museum,

Elon says they will do deep analysis. Mentions they probably added a lot more TPS than they needed, talks about being able to trim weight while still having large safety margins, doesn't know about Smithsonian museum, but would be a great honor.

His initial remark was pretty amusing, in response to the suggestion of putting it in his office: "I could make it my office!"

Robotbeat · « **Reply #836 on:** 12/08/2010 08:18 pm »

Guy asks about if SpaceX could fly its first mission to ISS late next year...

Elon says they probably have the production rate for it, but says there is merit to focusing on one thing at a time as much as possible, and flying both in a short amount of time would mean they'd have to split their focus and that there'd be some schedule risk. Talks about some additional ground simulation they can do to mitigate risk.

tankmodeler · « **Reply #837 on:** 12/08/2010 08:18 pm »

Quote from: joshcryer on 12/08/2010 07:53 pm

Repair guy, Marty something, apologies for missing the last name. He hand cut it. Fantastic, deserves his pic posted, imho.

That so rocks.

Check your numbers, look at your margins, make the call, do the repair and fly that sucker.

_That's_ how you reduce spacecraft development costs. Make the call and take a risk. It takes huge amounts of money to virtually eliminate risk. If you can accept some risk, then you can save a lot of time & money.

Bloody well done SpaceX, I am so impressed!

Paul

rdale · « **Reply #838 on:** 12/08/2010 08:21 pm »

Great answer on the secret payload

Something with Monty Python.

iamlucky13 · « **Reply #839 on:** 12/08/2010 08:22 pm »

He seems very pleased with himself about the prospect of revealing the "secret payload" tomorrow.

Some reference to Monty Python. I've got no ideas based on that.