Author Topic: Discussion with Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO, SpaceX (Read 42888 times)

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #40 on:** 06/04/2014 03:07 pm »

Praises Space Act Agreements

Each party gets to do what they do best.

stichtom · « **Reply #41 on:** 06/04/2014 03:08 pm »

Not the clearest picture but you can still read the launch manifest.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #42 on:** 06/04/2014 03:08 pm »

accessible space launch market is $7.5-8B

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #43 on:** 06/04/2014 03:10 pm »

Commentator says Falcon 9 is not on the "bleeding edge of technology" Gwynne argues that assertion. "Merlin is best T/W Kerolox engine"

woods170 · « **Reply #44 on:** 06/04/2014 03:11 pm »

Gwynne: Falcon 9 is innovative because it can perform critical missions for far less cost than any of our domestic competition.

woods170 · « **Reply #45 on:** 06/04/2014 03:12 pm »

Gwynne: avoiding mobile service towers was a decision taken early. MST's are expensive.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #46 on:** 06/04/2014 03:13 pm »

Horizontal Integration keeps cost low. Same thing the Russians do.

Rocket not built in High-Bay space in Hawthorne, so the cost for the space is far less.

Helodriver · « **Reply #47 on:** 06/04/2014 03:13 pm »

They really don't like the idea of vertical pad integration.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #48 on:** 06/04/2014 03:14 pm »

Have 3000 Suppliers, 63 cents on the dollar goes to suppliers. They are just on a much lower level of integration.

woods170 · « **Reply #49 on:** 06/04/2014 03:15 pm »

So far for the 'SpaceX build everything in house' myth. SpaceX has 3000 suppliers.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #50 on:** 06/04/2014 03:15 pm »

ULA Atlas 3 launch site to Atlas 5 cost $250-300m Gwynne says she can build a LOT of Launch sites from scratch for $300m

Sean Lynch · « **Reply #51 on:** 06/04/2014 03:17 pm »

Bringing in interns

Engineers want to build stuff...

woods170 · « **Reply #52 on:** 06/04/2014 03:17 pm »

Gwynne: no regrets on starting bid protest against 36-core block buy.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #53 on:** 06/04/2014 03:17 pm »

Paraphrase: Easy to recruit talent to SpaceX.. They are there to work on exciting projects and "Build Stuff"

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #54 on:** 06/04/2014 03:18 pm »

SpaceX providing literally Terabytes of data to the Air Force as part of Certification.

Pushing hard to have completed this year.

woods170 · « **Reply #55 on:** 06/04/2014 03:18 pm »

Gwynne: We're working on certification complete (for Falcon 9 in EELV program) towards end of this calender year.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #56 on:** 06/04/2014 03:20 pm »

Atlas has 38 mission to fly and 15 RD-180 in country. "I think it's a problem"

woods170 · « **Reply #57 on:** 06/04/2014 03:21 pm »

Gwynne: It is a false assumption that the USAF does not want changes to a rocket's configuration. ULA changes it rockets too. Rockets do change. Issue arises when a rocket becomes completely different as a result of changes.

TrueBlueWitt · « **Reply #58 on:** 06/04/2014 03:21 pm »

Question about conflict between AF wanting "Frozen" configuration vs SpaceX changes.

Gwynne " ULA makes changes between launches a well"

Also says AF will have option of current vs Previous version if needed.

acsawdey · « **Reply #59 on:** 06/04/2014 03:22 pm »

The first questioner had a second question, asking about the "soft water landing" -- did she actually address that at all?