Author Topic: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 300654 times)

Offline woods170

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #180 on: 02/20/2015 06:08 am »
Someone made loud noises in McGregor

http://www.kcentv.com/story/28144641/spacex-rocket-test-shakes-central-texas-why-was-it-so-loud

A nine engine test?

It says so in that very article...
It might be the higher thrust engines too.

Ed Kyle
Possibly, but SpaceX has been testing Merlin 1D at full throttle (the higher thrust) for months now. The fact that this test created rumbles much further away than usual suggests it might be related to meteorological circumstances.
« Last Edit: 02/20/2015 06:09 am by woods170 »

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Forgive me if it's just me who forget this, but do SpaceX do an all-stage firing for every 2nd stage to be used right now?
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline MDDevice

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #182 on: 03/09/2015 03:28 pm »
Reddit user TXPhilistine posted these yesterday.

imgur.com/a/wOhRS

Offline Ohsin

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #183 on: 03/09/2015 05:40 pm »
Attached
"Well, three cheers to Sharma, but our real baby is INSAT."

Offline cscott

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #184 on: 03/09/2015 08:17 pm »
Attached
That last picture has some interesting equipment in it.  Can anyone attempt some identification?

Offline GalacticIntruder

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #185 on: 03/09/2015 08:20 pm »
Attached
That last picture has some interesting equipment in it.  Can anyone attempt some identification?

You mean the engine test stand?
"And now the Sun will fade, All we are is all we made." Breaking Benjamin

Offline cscott

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #186 on: 03/10/2015 12:22 pm »
Ah, I thought that was just a tank farm, and it seemed over-complicated for that purpose.  I was looking for some clues about propellant densification.

Offline AncientU

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #187 on: 03/10/2015 01:58 pm »
Couple new pics (i think) and short article:
Quote
SpaceX expands McGregor test facility
Quote
,,,the stand is needed for the testing of the company’s new three core, 27 engine, Falcon Heavy rocket.
Quote
...testing of the new human-rated version of the company’s Dragon capsule.
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/space-exploration-technologies/spacex-expands-mcgregor-tx-test-site/
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Offline Lars-J

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #188 on: 03/10/2015 03:06 pm »
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/space-exploration-technologies/spacex-expands-mcgregor-tx-test-site/

Those photos were taken by NSF member JimNtexas in January.  At least they credited him for the photos!  I hope they asked for permission first.

They do credit someone named Jim, so presumably that is JimNtexas.
« Last Edit: 03/10/2015 03:07 pm by Lars-J »

Offline deruch

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #189 on: 03/10/2015 11:35 pm »
Those photos were taken by NSF member JimNtexas in January.  At least they credited him for the photos!  I hope they asked for permission first.

JimNtexas stated that they were public domain so long as he was credited. 


5)  Consider these images to be public domain.   I'd appreciate credit if you want to use my images.  I haven't had time to process or mark today's images in any way.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B0NWW2tf69ZBWUlrb0gxclpvTGM&usp=sharing
« Last Edit: 03/10/2015 11:35 pm by deruch »
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Offline JimNtexas

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #190 on: 03/11/2015 05:12 pm »
Scott contacted me in advance of the Spaceflight Insider article.  I was delighted that he choose to use my images.

Offline spacenut

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #191 on: 03/21/2015 02:28 am »
What pressure is this new engine supposed to operate at?  In English please. 

Offline baldusi

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #192 on: 03/21/2015 04:00 pm »
BTW, a 30% increase to GTO would make it equivalent to an Atlas V 521, or a bit more than a 411 but less than a 421. That's compatible with 36/53 Atlas V even launched. And it would be like a Delta IV M+(4,2), better than a 5,2 but worse than a 5,4. That's 16/28 of DIV missions counting the Heavy.
So, overall, it could cover 64% of EELV's missions just with the single core. I think that Ariane and ULA should be specially worried. I'm not mentioning Sea Launch nor ILS because they appear to have dropped from the market due to their unreliability.

Offline rickyramjet

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #193 on: 03/28/2015 07:55 pm »
Recently moved to Killeen, TX, about 50 minutes to McGregor.  Went up there today, found a rutted dirt road I wasn't sure I should be on and got some pics!  I don't think there is anything new, but we can never have enough SpaceX pics, right?

Offline QuantumG

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #194 on: 03/28/2015 09:34 pm »
Poor little Grasshopper, put out to pasture in her prime.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline philw1776

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #195 on: 03/29/2015 06:34 pm »
No picture of Grasshopper is complete without the cows
FULL SEND!!!!

Offline JoerTex

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #196 on: 03/30/2015 08:26 pm »
No picture of Grasshopper is complete without the cows

Cows are in the next pasture.  They still don't have a Countdown Clock.  It's been suggested that we do a KickStarter to get them one.


Offline Marslauncher

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #197 on: 05/16/2015 05:25 pm »
McGregor Chamber
@mcgregorchamber
Thank you @elonmusk for making it possible for me to see a #SpaceX Falcon 9 1st stage wrapped in a ziploc bag driving down 84 in McGregor!

New core arriving or departing?

Offline Kabloona

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #198 on: 06/04/2015 11:47 am »
Question: Is it known or assumed whether the new test stand will be designed/used for (1) testing full-up Falcon Heavies, or (2) only for testing one core/booster at a time?

I've seen comments from people suggesting that they believe a full-up Falcon Heavy will be tested on the new stand. Is that an assumption or based on info from SpaceX? If only an assumption, what are the merits?

Or is it more likely that SpaceX would use the stand only for one core/booster at a time? That would make the stand much smaller, less expensive, and easier to manage. Also, I don't really see the advantage of assembling/static firing a full-up FH on a static test stand as routine acceptance test procedure for every vehicle. Maybe they do it once or twice as a pathfinder, but for routine acceptance static testing of each vehicle, it seems like a static test of each core/booster separately would be sufficient.
« Last Edit: 06/04/2015 11:50 am by Kabloona »

Offline Roy_H

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Re: SpaceX McGregor Testing Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #199 on: 06/04/2015 02:33 pm »
I've seen comments from people suggesting that they believe a full-up Falcon Heavy will be tested on the new stand. Is that an assumption or based on info from SpaceX? If only an assumption, what are the merits?

I think it is a very safe assumption. The existing stand can test one core at a time. Not a lot of incentive to build a new larger test stand for no increase in capability.
"If we don't achieve re-usability, I will consider SpaceX to be a failure." - Elon Musk
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