The CRS-3/SpX-3 - Dragon, Suit Up! - Party Thread

[Elvis in Space]

Got to share this, but I just received an e-mail from a journalist (not a space beat reporter, mass media) who's clearly watching this thread.....

>----- Original Message -----
From: *********
To: Chris Bergin
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2014 14:30
Subject: Elon Space X Announcement

Mr Bergin,

 So I see you may know things about what is about to be announced.  Why are you sitting on it?  Always report what you know immediately.  You will fast gain a bad reputation as a coward and someone who is easily bullied by these companies.  Run with what you know and you can always refine it post-announcement<

HA! The last time I was bullied was when I was about seven and some "bigger boys" tried to shove me off my BMX! Coward? You mad bro? PS It's SpaceX not Space X. *Smug face*

Anyhoo....

1) We don't know what they are going to announce. It could be anything.

2) We always take what we know and ask the company involved if they want to comment, hold back, or clarify whenever we can. We did that. Silence since, but that could be because of the announcement. While a note back saying that would have been nice, SpaceX has always been very nice towards me, so it's all cool. We're all fans and we just want to see things announced. We're not out to poke anyone or jump their announcements, we're just a mass of interested people. This place is a media site, but also a fan site. The more pressers the better!

3) Refine post announcement? That breaks 1 and 2, and it's rather crap to report something and then have to completely change it based on the announcement.

Pardon my French, but what a dick!

Traditional media always says print first - retract later. Just get the headline. Today's 15 minute news cycle only made that worse. This guy doesn't understand that we here are not motivated by tabloid journalism but actually learning the truth. Treating our sources as friends and not hosts for our parasitic behaviors will keep them as sources who can trust us as well as we can trust them.

[Lars_J]

Today's announcement sounds more like something related to crew Dragon (perhaps the official reveal) - rather than a huge press event hurt to show off a picture of a returned stage.

[GusTurbo]

To be fair, protecting one's access to sources is a traditional journalistic norm. I think this person is envious of Chris' position and wants him to burn that bridge out of sour grapes more than anything.

[Lar]

Just to be clear, he isn't with a space site, with a big mass media company you all will know. And I'd sell my right arm to have Space.com's presence!

They might be BIGGER but NSF is better... people who really want to know the details, written up in a truly superb way, and free of baseless rumor, know to come here. Chris, keep doing what you're doing, this way is the right way.

And ... Remember everyone, every time a new story gets posted, talk it up on social media... those of you that are my FB friends know I do this a fair bit (but sometimes forget ... )

Also my little contest may have created a monster, some of the suggestions have been sidesplittingly funny.

[OSE]

Does anyone know if the press conference will be televised or webcast? If so where?

[HIP2BSQRE]

Let's us really think about what could be announced and what Chris knows but is not publishing:

1.  Stage landing:  To me not really big enough.  Shuttle boosters have come down and been refurbished.
2.  Raptor:  At least another two years away before full rocket test.
3.  MCT:  Possibly.
4.  Commercial crew:  Possible SpaceX has a contract to fly with Bigalow or another country sooner than we think.
5.  Dragon2: Possibly.
6.  Moon contract. 
7. Launch site.  Not that big news.
8.  Dragonlab. Not that big news.
9.  New rocket for Raptor.  Possibly.
10. Experimental license to fly Falcon with paying customers.  Not waiting for NASA certification.  Not likely.

Remember what Chris has said so far.  It was so BIG that he did not even put it on L2 and he wants clarification.  I would think the news Chris is dealing with points 4,5,6.

Can we have a poll as to what people think Chris is keeping secret?

Edit: NO POLL!  ++Lar

[pmenstrom]

Ok (and this is probably a bad idea but...)

Whoever posts the most outlandish but yet still physically possible suggestion will be gifted with a 10 USD credit at my BrickLink store... my judgment final and I'll PM the winner.

Edit: for those curious, here's the link. At least one clever person found it already without help.. http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=lar  I guess having the ID "lar" was kind of a giveaway?

SpaceX will build a giant underground vertical integration facility right next to pad 39A.
When it is time to launch the blast doors on top will slide open, the rocket and its tower will be lifted on a giant elevator (like on an aircraft carrier) and will roll onto the pad, get fueled and take off.

[phonon45]

To be fair, protecting one's access to sources is a traditional journalistic norm. I think this person is envious of Chris' position and wants him to burn that bridge out of sour grapes more than anything.

Seems more likely that the person wants to crib from it for their own article.

[Mader Levap]

Can we have a poll as to what people think Chris is keeping secret?

When in doubt, poll it? 

Also my little contest may have created a monster, some of the suggestions have been sidesplittingly funny.

So that 10$ was worth it, I guess.

[RoboGoofers]

How about powered Dragon landing tests?

[Elvis in Space]

It's being streamed on C-SPAN right now - Remember Elon doesn't come on until later. I notice they have a Tesla in the room -

http://www.c-span.org/video/?319035-1/exportimport-bank-conference

[OSE]

Thanks for the link! Elon is on stage at 11:21 ET talking about Tesla. You have to skip forward in the video. (Check the time under 'LIVE' in the upper right)

[Lars_J]

Let's us really think about what could be announced and what Chris knows but is not publishing:

4.  Commercial crew:  Possible SpaceX has a contract to fly with Bigalow or another country sooner than we think.
5.  Dragon2: Possibly.

Crew Dragon = Dragon 2. Same thing.

[OSE]

It's being streamed on C-SPAN right now - Remember Elon doesn't come on until later. I notice they have a Tesla in the room -

http://www.c-span.org/video/?319035-1/exportimport-bank-conference

Elon talking about SpaceX and satellite market at 11:35 ET.

[StephenB]

If he's speaking as part of an "export-import bank conference", I don't know how technology specific he will be able to get.

[OSE]

Elon off stage at 11:48 ET presumably heading to National Press Club.

[StephenB]

Elon off stage at 11:48 ET presumably heading to National Press Club.

Ah ok, a better forum for an announcement.

[fatdeeman]

Oh god! I was desperate to know about the fate of the stage as it was then we had the phantom post and now this sudden press conference! I literally haven't breathed since liftoff!

Every second is like an hour at the moment!

[wronkiew]

Oh god! I was desperate to know about the fate of the stage as it was then we had the phantom post and now this sudden press conference! I literally haven't breathed since liftoff!

Every second is like an hour at the moment!

Now we have minutes instead of hours!

[Helodriver]

Elon to announce he has bought the three remaining orbiters and will launch them atop BFR first stages to the moon.

Tickets are difficult but not impossible to find.