SpaceX McGregor Facilities

[grythumn]

I believe that the "Unidentified New Construction 1" is the SuperDraco test facilities.

Looking at this UNC1, I have a puzzlement. The facility itself looks like it could well be a two-cell engine test stand.  But what's that large leaf-shaped scar on the ground to the west of it?  I first thought it was just where grass and other plantae had been burned off during a test, but looking at the December 2012 GE image and the previous one leaves me scratching my head a bit.  The area doesn't seem to be quite aligned with the axis of the cells, the ground looks broken up, and there are several largish things in the area which might or might not have been there previously.

My first guess would be drainage related... note the ponding that encroached upon the building in the first photo. Denotes a low lying area and relatively flat topography, and it's all more or less in line with the existing ditching.

-R C

[corrodedNut]

I believe that the "Unidentified New Construction 1" is the SuperDraco test facilities.

Looking at this UNC1, I have a puzzlement. The facility itself looks like it could well be a two-cell engine test stand.  But what's that large leaf-shaped scar on the ground to the west of it?  I first thought it was just where grass and other plantae had been burned off during a test, but looking at the December 2012 GE image and the previous one leaves me scratching my head a bit.  The area doesn't seem to be quite aligned with the axis of the cells, the ground looks broken up, and there are several largish things in the area which might or might not have been there previously.

I recall reading that there are two cells at the super-draco stand.

Also, y'all ain't from the country...the round marks visible throughout the facility are probably just decomposed round-bales. There are seven fresh ones in the top photo.

[ChileVerde]

Also, y'all ain't from the country...the round marks visible throughout the facility are probably just decomposed round-bales. There are seven fresh ones in the top photo.

Good catch, cN. I've seen a lot of the things around here(*), but never thought of them in this context.

(*) There was a really scary incident a few years ago when several got away from their trailer and spilled across a major highway.

[meekGee]

I believe that the "Unidentified New Construction 1" is the SuperDraco test facilities.

Looking at this UNC1, I have a puzzlement. The facility itself looks like it could well be a two-cell engine test stand.  But what's that large leaf-shaped scar on the ground to the west of it?  I first thought it was just where grass and other plantae had been burned off during a test, but looking at the December 2012 GE image and the previous one leaves me scratching my head a bit.  The area doesn't seem to be quite aligned with the axis of the cells, the ground looks broken up, and there are several largish things in the area which might or might not have been there previously.

Also, y'all ain't from the country...the round marks visible throughout the facility are probably just decomposed round-bales.

On their side?  and almost 15m in diameter?  (and what are those 7 things in the middle)

My guess are these are mounds of dirt.  Someone dug a trench, and this is where they emptied the truck.

[corrodedNut]

On their side?  and almost 15m in diameter?  (and what are those 7 things in the middle)

That's what I mean by decomposed, the "7 things" are new ones.

[DavidH]

I recall reading that there are two cells at the super-draco stand.

Also, y'all ain't from the country...the round marks visible throughout the facility are probably just decomposed round-bales. There are seven fresh ones in the top photo.

While I find it strange that one might feed a cow down range of a Hydrazine rocket test facility, I think corrodedNut has it right. There are many examples of very similar circles all around the area, but well outside SpaceX grounds, some with actual cattle actively eating the bail.
http://goo.gl/maps/gMOCu
http://goo.gl/maps/OoXYe
And esp. here: http://goo.gl/maps/Eu564

[corrodedNut]

While I find it strange that one might feed a cow down range of a Hydrazine rocket test facility,

Ha ha. Yes, the flesh-eating properties of the hypergolic residue help to break down the meat's connective tissues, making for a tender and juicy brisket...

[rpapo]

Not so much to revive a long dead thread, but because this is perhaps the best place to post this article link:

Waco Tribune Article

[oiorionsbelt]

Not so much to revive a long dead thread, but because this is perhaps the best place to post this article link:

Waco Tribune Article

The article is redacted/behind paywall but there's a comical computer reading of it on YouTube.

[rpapo]

The article is redacted/behind paywall but there's a comical computer reading of it on YouTube.

That's odd.  I'm not a subscriber, and yet didn't get any complaints to my reading it.  Perhaps because I use AdBlocker Plus.  On Chrome.

[Kang54]

That's odd.  I'm not a subscriber, and yet didn't get any complaints to my reading it.  Perhaps because I use AdBlocker Plus.  On Chrome.

I get an "Unavailable due to legal reasons" when I try to view the article, but I can see it with a proxy.

[llanitedave]

I just had to click on a survey question to read it on Firefox.

[DistantTemple]

That's odd.  I'm not a subscriber, and yet didn't get any complaints to my reading it.  Perhaps because I use AdBlocker Plus.  On Chrome.

I get an "Unavailable due to legal reasons" when I try to view the article, but I can see it with a proxy.

I couldn't view it in England, and assumed it was because the Waco Tribune have blocked access from Europe because of GDPR, which they haven't figured out how to deal with yet!

[docmordrid]

From the link, about its importance to the city and quality of life. Other parts discuss housing prices, schools etc. Whole subs have gone in, largely  to house SpaceXers.

>
California-based SpaceX needs land for its activities here, so it pays McGregor almost $500,000 annually to lease more than 4,000 acres on the city’s outskirts. That accounts for a ninth of McGregor’s $4.5 million general fund budget, City Manager Kevin Evans said.

Asked about potential budget challenges without SpaceX, Evans replied, “We don’t even talk about that.”
>
“It’s definitely a culture shock, but in a good way,” Derrick said. “Most have come from the aerospace industry, Boeing, for example, and from bigger cities. They are excited about having a nice home at a reasonable price. If they are from LA, they are in heaven. Most are in their early 30s, and like other young people, they enjoy visiting new restaurants popping up around town.”
>

[AndyH]

I added the article to the Wayback Machine.  Does that make is more accessible?

https://web.archive.org/web/20180804220334/https://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/spacex-flexing-economic-muscle-in-central-texas/article_2d6b08a9-3479-59db-8e59-46d89cbc039e.html

[Nydoc]

There has been some construction in the last few months.

[Arb]

There has been some construction in the last few months.

Re-rendered as a GIF:

[meekGee]

Now that we know what the BFS engine cluster looks like - does the new test-stand size make sense?

[oiorionsbelt]

Now that we know what the BFS engine cluster looks like - does the new test-stand size make sense?

As though this is the final iteration.

[meekGee]

Now that we know what the BFS engine cluster looks like - does the new test-stand size make sense?

As though this is the final iteration.

For this iteration (9m) of BFS, I'd guess yes... It feels right, like F9 1.1 did.

But yeah, there will be at least 4 variants, though hopefully with the same back end ...

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ABCD: Always Be Counting Down