SpaceX Falcon Heavy Discussion (Thread 6)

[Paul451]

At the very end of the article the author opines that It will be a long time until NASA certifies Starship, but he does not explain this difference.

It will indeed be a long time before NASA certifies Starship, at least the way NASA currently operates.

NASA has to certify Starship as a payload launcher for HLS (as well a certifying it as a man-rated lander) before Artemis can put people on the moon.

Certifying it as a crew launch vehicle might take much, much longer, but I can't see how certification for NASA payloads can take longer than is required for Artemis.

[Edit: Off-topic, but that seems inherent to the thread.]

[DanClemmensen]

At the very end of the article the author opines that It will be a long time until NASA certifies Starship, but he does not explain this difference.

It will indeed be a long time before NASA certifies Starship, at least the way NASA currently operates.

NASA has to certify Starship as a payload launcher for HLS (as well a certifying it as a man-rated lander) before Artemis can put people on the moon.

Certifying it as a crew launch vehicle might take much, much longer, but I can't see how certification for NASA payloads can take longer than is required for Artemis.

[Edit: Off-topic, but that seems inherent to the thread.]

Certifying is one thing, but actually using it is another. For Artemis, the Starship HLS is the payload. For generic FH replacement, they need a generli Cargo Starship, presumably with the reusable one with some strange payload pay and payload deployment system. NASA's payloads will need to somehow fit into this scheme. Until this can happen, FH might continue to fly. You will need to consult your own crystal ball to determine when this will happen. I think is will be "fairly fast", but SpaceX will apparently focus on HLS (plus tanker and Depot) and Starlink deployment Starship before they can dedicate many launches to Cargo Starship.

[RedLineTrain]

At the very end of the article the author opines that It will be a long time until NASA certifies Starship, but he does not explain this difference.

It will indeed be a long time before NASA certifies Starship, at least the way NASA currently operates.

NASA has to certify Starship as a payload launcher for HLS (as well a certifying it as a man-rated lander) before Artemis can put people on the moon.

Certifying it as a crew launch vehicle might take much, much longer, but I can't see how certification for NASA payloads can take longer than is required for Artemis.

[Edit: Off-topic, but that seems inherent to the thread.]

All of that might be true, but when will Artemis put people on the moon?  5 years from now?  That probably puts Starship certification well behind Vulcan certification and fits my definition of "a long time."

[sdsds]

I'm seeking confirmation or refutation of the claim that FH (with a mission specific payload adapter) can put 18 t of separated mass into an orbit like 300 x 66,000 km altitude. Is that reasonable? Unreasonable?

[Brigantine]

I'm seeking confirmation or refutation of the claim that FH (with a mission specific payload adapter) can put 18 t of separated mass into an orbit like 300 x 66,000 km altitude. Is that reasonable? Unreasonable?

26.7t to GTO, so presumably you could get there with 18t payload and ~8t fuel left.
It seems to be only about 300 m/s of delta V to get from there up to 66,000 km, so <3t of fuel.

I think you could get nearly 24t... though that must be for fully expendable configuration of FH.

Based on 16 ton GTO with booster RTLS expended core configuration, you would get 14 ton to 66,000 km - not sure if that 16t figure is that up to date though.

You might get 18 ton to 66,000 km if you land the boosters on drone ships.
Or to 22,000 km RTLS. (~620 m/s short of 66,000 km)

[zubenelgenubi]

Any news of the Heavy core for GOES-U?

[AndrewM]

Any news of the Heavy core for GOES-U?

For completion, it is B1087.

https://twitter.com/alexphysics13/status/1750580854215106847

Falcon Heavy center core B1087 is now vertical at its test stand at SpaceX's McGregor Development Facility in Texas. Here it will undergo qualification testing ahead of its support of the launch of NASA's GOES-U satellite no earlier than late April.

nsf.live/mcgregor

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54761.msg2561927#msg2561927