OMG it's the SpaceX Party Thread!

[Confusador]

Realistically, taking a dragon stuffed full of spacex memorabilia like t-shirts and models on a free return trajectory around the moon would be their best option. It would validate BEO operations and reentry from BEO. Also, every spacex employee could have a t-shirt that has been around the moon: how is that for motivation.

You know how they've been hedging on when the IPO will be?  I'll bet they're going to load it up with stock certificates.

[Chris-A]

With the Twitter comments I read, if I can, wanted to make a funny.

The future Mad Scientist's exploration architecture plan is a plague of the next-generation Falcon 9 Bacteriophage virus - landing legs with both stages powered by methane, invading Earth, Mars, and SLS. Sorry, I had to do it.

[darkenfast]

As long as we're engaging in wild speculation about what Falcon Heavy could do on it's test flight, how about this: put a Dragon (perhaps a used one), into an unused geosynchronus slot. After demonstrating that they can get a vehicle into an announced position, then the Dragon can demonstrate a re-entry at higher than the normal LEO velocity. This shows commercial customers that SpaceX can get a vehicle to the valuable comsat orbit, and shows everyone else that Dragon just might have potential beyond LEO. Could a Falcon Heavy do this?

Edit to add: Crud, forgot that they're going from Vandenberg!

[douglas100]

A lunar flyby and return is doable from Vandenberg. They don't have to demonstrate a launch to GTO on the first flight. All that would require is for the top stage to restart. And that has already been demonstrated on the second F9 flight.

[ugordan]

You're all forgetting, again, that launching a Dragon on the first Falcon Heavy would mean that the 5m fairing would not have been demonstrated on that flight. Customers don't care if some random capsule loops around the Moon etc, they want to see the configuration *they'll* fly on be demonstrated.

[MP99]

I agree with both Jim and with those excited about COTS C2/3. 

Pragmatically, I see this as another launch, by another NASA contractor, demonstrating another new payload.  It is a first flight for Dragon, so I'm interested in it from that perspective, and I'm impressed that it has gone so smoothly, especially on orbit.  I'm also becoming more impressed with the design skills of this contractor.

But as a space junkie, I'm totally stoked.  This was really cool, and I can't quite explain why.  Something about the energy in the room, if you know what I mean.  (And I don't buy the hype about cities on Mars and nearly free launches.)

 - Ed Kyle

My theory, which belongs to me, is mine...

All Dragons are thin at one end, much, much thicker in the middle, and then thin again at the far end.

No, wait, that's Brontosauruses.



Ed,

I think it's because SpaceX's ambitions are so inspiring, but that 17 month gap since COTS C1 instead left the impression that they were struggling. A gap between ambition and ability.

Then, suddenly, they have a reportedly flawless launch, and their Dragon/MCC-X performance has been just so damned competent, with some of our insiders saying nice things instead of bursting the bubble. If nothing else, this is looking like a solid foundation for a crewed service.

I think what you're feeling is "you know, maybe they have a chance to pull off that other stuff, too". Doesn't mean the unrealistic expectations are gonna happen, but I think this mission is really changing some attitudes towards SpaceX.

cheers, Martin

[douglas100]

You're all forgetting, again, that launching a Dragon on the first Falcon Heavy would mean that the 5m fairing would not have been demonstrated on that flight. Customers don't care if some random capsule loops around the Moon etc, they want to see the configuration *they'll* fly on be demonstrated.

Good point.

[Idiomatic]

10 ton ceramic teacup launched into BEO. 

[docmordrid]

Then just do a Soyuz and put the Dragon inside a fairing.

(I know, I know....)

[MP99]

Then just do a Soyuz and put the Dragon inside a fairing.

(I know, I know....)

I asked earlier whether that would actually be feasible.

It's not like it would be carrying a crew, so it doesn't need the ability to abort.

cheers, Martin

[woods170]

My theory, which belongs to me, is mine...

All Dragons are thin at one end, much, much thicker in the middle, and then thin again at the far end.

No, wait, that's Brontosauruses.

Make that Apatosauruses. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apatosaurus

[Lars_J]

Then just do a Soyuz and put the Dragon inside a fairing.

(I know, I know....)

I asked earlier whether that would actually be feasible.

It's not like it would be carrying a crew, so it doesn't need the ability to abort.

cheers, Martin

There is no technical reason why a ~3.7m diameter Dragon cannot fit inside a ~5.2m diameter fairing flight. But I agree it is very unlikely to occur.

[Jim]

I want to thank all of those with the kind words

[rklaehn]

Here is another crazy idea about what to do with the first falcon heavy flight: since phobos grunt didn't work we still have no idea at all if there is water on phobos. So do a phobos impactor. Basically a copper weight like what was used with deep impact, but obviously much heavier.

If the funding is available, do a copy of deep impact with an observation spacecraft and a larger impactor. If not, just do an impactor without an observer spacecraft, and time the impact so that one of the spacecraft currently in mars orbit can observe the plume.

An 8000kg impactor impacting phobos with ~6km/s should create a nice, big crater. And spectral observation of the plume would give a very good idea of the composition of phobos (not just the surface, but a few meters down as well).

[jded]

Ok, crazy ideas for Dragon Heavy test flight:

Send a chunk of asteroid-resembling rock into a slowly decaying orbit. Sell it to Planetary Resources, for ISRU/asteroid transport equipment testing.

[Lar]

Ok, crazy ideas for Dragon Heavy test flight:

Send a chunk of asteroid-resembling rock into a slowly decaying orbit. Sell it to Planetary Resources, for ISRU/asteroid transport equipment testing.

And if PRI doesn't offer to buy it, then...  Sell it to whoever doesn't want it impacting their territory when the orbit decays.

Price: One MEEEEELion dollars.

Er no, that can't be right. But I'm not sure I'm keen on a dumb rock in a decaying orbit unless there's a very solid plan in place. Rocks are more dense than spacecraft and theoretically survive reentry better.

[ugordan]

After watching John Couluris' appearances on NASA TV so far, I have to say I like what I'm seeing. Even though he's obviously not completely relaxed in front of the camera, he's concise and to the point, sounds confident in his team and the vehicle, but is still cautious and maintains a down-to-earth attitude. One does get the impression they assembled a capable team over there and are not just a bunch of rocket hobbyists as some would have you believe.

[kevin-rf]

And if PRI doesn't offer to buy it, then...  Sell it to whoever doesn't want it impacting their territory when the orbit decays.

Price: One MEEEEELion dollars.

Er no, that can't be right. But I'm not sure I'm keen on a dumb rock in a decaying orbit unless there's a very solid plan in place. Rocks are more dense than spacecraft and theoretically survive reentry better.

Well considering asteroids are really just piles of rubble, why not instead launch several tonnes of pea gravel in orbit instead. Uncontrolled reentry issue mitigated

<Humor tag> <Humor tag> <everyone>

[Mongo62]

This might get me ridiculed as a SpaceX person, but it's a serious question.  How would you say what SpaceX has done to date, plus what we know (or have had hinted to us) about their future plans, compares to the 1960s NASA HSF program, including Mercury, Gemini and Apollo?

To me, the biggest gap is in man-rating, something which SpaceX has not yet done but which they are clearly working hard to achieve.  And obviously, they have no lunar lander in development that we know of.  Other than that, they have:

Designed and built numerous rocket engines (Kestral, various Merlin variants, Draco) with work continuing on at least three others (Raptor, SuperDraco, a staged-combustion light hydrocarbon engine, possibly Merlin 2).

Designed, built and flown two launchers (F1 and F9 v1.0) with several more due to fly within a year (F9 v1.1 and FH) and work progressing on a super-heavy lifter (~150mt to LEO).

Designed, built and flown a reusable cargo carrier (Dragon Cargo) and working to make it human-rated.

Working on fly-back technology (Grasshopper) with the goal of making their launchers (almost) completely reusable.

Long-term goal of cheap human access to Mars, with an intermediate goal of drastically reducing the cost per kg to LEO.

As part of the above goal, they have proposed a means of landing a tonne of payload on Mars for a much lower cost than currently offered.

All of the above for a much lower development cost than we have seen elsewhere.

That is one very impressive list.  Sure, it took longer to get where they are now than their initial projections indicated it would, but still...

[baldusi]

This might get me ridiculed as a SpaceX person, but it's a serious question.  How would you say what SpaceX has done to date, plus what we know (or have had hinted to us) about their future plans, compares to the 1960s NASA HSF program, including Mercury, Gemini and Apollo?

So, you're comparing the Titanic to the 400:1 model?