SpaceX Falcon 9 - CRS-8 Dragon - April 8, 2016 - UPDATES

[Lee Jay]

Elon wants to bring fairing back in the future, costs several million

How can the fairing alone cost several million?

Hand made in very low quantity.

Labor:  Hand made, by whom?  10 people making $100k/yr for an entire year? (Just to hit $1M)?

Material:  1000 kg of resin, at 1000 $/kg ?!   

Material: Aluminum honeycomb covered in carbon fiber.

Equipment:  $60M piece of equipment (+interest) amortized over 5 years assuming 1/month...   That's the nearest I can guess.

There are the molds, and maybe more.

[mlow]

Elon wants to bring fairing back in the future, costs several million

How can the fairing alone cost several million?

Hand made in very low quantity.

Labor:  Hand made, by whom?  10 people making $100k/yr for an entire year? (Just to hit $1M)?

Material:  1000 kg of resin, at 1000 $/kg ?!   

Equipment:  $60M piece of equipment (+interest) amortized over 5 years assuming 1/month...   That's the nearest I can guess.

A while back someone found a source that makes fairings for another launch provider. The price on their fairings was similar. I'm not privy to the reasons why they are expensive. But I do know they are heavier than 1mT.

[LouScheffer]

Elon wants to bring fairing back in the future, costs several million

How can the fairing alone cost several million?

Hand made in very low quantity.

Labor:  Hand made, by whom?  10 people making $100k/yr for an entire year? (Just to hit $1M)?

Material:  1000 kg of resin, at 1000 $/kg ?!   

Equipment:  $60M piece of equipment (+interest) amortized over 5 years assuming 1/month...   That's the nearest I can guess.

Here is an estimate from the RUAG contract with Ariane, that guesses a cost of $5-6M per fairing, based on published contract value and approximate Ariane flight rate.

[meekGee]

Elon wants to bring fairing back in the future, costs several million

How can the fairing alone cost several million?

Hand made in very low quantity.

Labor:  Hand made, by whom?  10 people making $100k/yr for an entire year? (Just to hit $1M)?

Material:  1000 kg of resin, at 1000 $/kg ?!   

Equipment:  $60M piece of equipment (+interest) amortized over 5 years assuming 1/month...   That's the nearest I can guess.

Here is an estimate from the RUAG contract with Ariane, that guesses a cost of $5-6M per fairing, based on published contract value and approximate Ariane flight rate.

Taking it to the discussion thread...

[Alastor]

Well, I know I'm a bit late, but that was something !

Congrats to SpaceX and it's amazing teams ! That's how it's done !!! I must say after what ensued last time, Of Course I Still Love You has never been so aptly named !

At any rate, that must be a sight to be seen in first person !
And I might even not be too far in the bingo !

[yg1968]

Here is the NASA Full-Launch webcast (almost 2 hours long):

See above.

[nicp]

Am I the latest to post congrats to SpaceX? A certain incompetent telecoms company (again) limited my internet access tonight. For some time my only info on this fantastic event was NSF, with a little video, but that costs via the phone. But never mindmy troubles!
FANTASTIC! Fantastic to see SpaceX nail this, and as others have said the big ship seems so small next to that stage! A small target indeed.
I'm curious that Elon mentioned that the ship and stage are aiming for a fixed GPS location. Surely it would be more logical to do that - to a point. Then, perhaps within 20 seconds of landing drop that and have a local 'homing' style approach. I dunno, I am a mere software engineer.

[docmordrid]

Rockets eye view of the landing

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/718605741288894464

[Robotbeat]

A belated congrats to the whole SpaceX team!

Two (okay, three) things I was thinking about after this spectacular success:
0) During the science pre-briefing, one of the scientists remarked that the ultimate goal and the reason she/NASA was growing food in space is space colonization. The tone is rapidly evolving in the human spaceflight community towards straight-up settlement. See her comments here at 8:20 where she explicitly says space colonization is the long-term goal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq_Kl0IGHH0?t=486
(and then of course Elon talks about the Mars city at the post-launch press conference)


1) Elon wasn't in the webcast. He could've waved to the camera from a live feed from his plane or something, but he didn't. SpaceX is 99.98% non-Elon, a point that Elon reiterated in the press conference. He let this be about SpaceX, not Elon. This is very good.


2) I will always remember where I was for both this landing and the one in December. Because it was streamed live, and I could hear (and feel) the raw emotion from the SpaceX team. They worked so dang hard, then didn't hide the livestream, but showed the whole thing in real time, making their triumph that much sweeter and profound. Bravo, SpaceX, you bold innovators!

Congrats!

[ugordan]

Rockets eye view of the landing

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/718605741288894464

Check out the ACS roll control puff at 2 seconds.

[NovaSilisko]

Video attached for posterity. Quite a bit of skidding on touchdown from the wind.

[Chris Bergin]

Guys, this always happens.... This is updates and one post of congrats. Take the discussion to the.....wait for it....discussion thread! If it's an update and you want to discuss it, quote the post and then paste with your response into the discussion thread!

New thread tomorrow for the Dragon side of the mission.

[the_other_Doug]

WOOO FRAGIGALIGGIN' HOOO!!!!!!!!!

First of all, here is to a successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft into a perfect insertion into its rendezvous trajectory.  Memories of CRS-7 can now properly begin to fade.

Next, here's to a near-perfect pad flow and on-time, on-schedule launch.  Now the projected launch tempo becomes more believable in the immediate future.

Finally, here is to NAILING THE LANDING!!!!!

To the gentlemen of SpaceX, I offer three cheers!

Here, here!

Here, here!

Here, here!

   

[catdlr]

CRS-8 | First Stage Landing on Droneship

SpaceX

UNLISTED VIDEO

[mme]

Congratulations on what looks like a flawless missing.  And thank you to everyone at SpaceX for your drive toward a more exciting future.

[jcm]

WOOO FRAGIGALIGGIN' HOOO!!!!!!!!!

First of all, here is to a successful launch of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft into a perfect insertion into its rendezvous trajectory.  Memories of CRS-7 can now properly begin to fade.

Next, here's to a near-perfect pad flow and on-time, on-schedule launch.  Now the projected launch tempo becomes more believable in the immediate future.

Finally, here is to NAILING THE LANDING!!!!!

To the gentlemen of SpaceX, I offer three cheers!

Here, here!

Here, here!

Here, here!

   

What he said, except  "hear, hear!"  and to the women and men of SpaceX, whether gentlemen or not ;-)

[Bubbinski]

Congratulations to SpaceX and Falcon 9/Dragon! Good work sticking the landing on the barge and getting the CRS-8 mission on its way to ISS with BEAM and supplies.

[yg1968]

Video attached for posterity. Quite a bit of skidding on touchdown from the wind.

I posted it to YouTube.

[deruch]

Awesome work, SpaceX!  It wasn't just the landing, though that was certainly the flashiest treat of the day.  This whole campaign, you've stayed to the official target date without any slippage, even though it was announced/set almost a month ago.  A great improvement.  You didn't have any issues with the relatively new subchilled LOX or associated systems.  You hit your instantaneous launch window on the first try.  No muss, no fuss, and no issues having been worked during the countdown (at least the streamed part of it).  Basically, everything worked just like it's supposed to.  You made it look easy, though it's anything but.  And you capped it all with a landing cherry.  Bravi!!  Bravisimi! 

Congrats to all the many members of the various teams that all played their parts in making today such a wonderful success.  SpaceX, USAF, NASA, Bigelow, and all the others involved, take a bow!  And have yourselves a drink, or whatever it is you prefer for when you celebrate.  I'm raising a glass in your honor.  Bottoms up!

...and then solidly back down again!

[darkenfast]

Big congrats to SpaceX for finally pulling it off!  Big thank you to NSF for the coverage!