Dragon nose cone found

[hektor]

Des fermiers bretons tombent nez à nez avec un morceau d'une fusée Space X

Original tweet

Other tweet

[whitelancer64]

Auto-translated text:

"It is a surprising discovery that we make the managers of the farm of Quéménès located in Brittany on the island of Iroise. While strolling on the beach, they came across a two-and-a-half-meter diameter dome that would belong to the Space X rocket when the sea was at low tide, according to Huffington Post. On photos shared on social networks by the Breton farm, we can read the inscription: "SpaceX".

While the farmers have contacted the agency directly, they explain that they have not yet received any answers from them. It took them four days to move the space debris that is now placed close to their home.

On Twitter, the astronomer Jonathan McDowell thinks it is the nose of the Dragon capsule that is used to refuel the International Space Station. The shape and diameter of the object may suggest that it is indeed this element of the capsule. The Space site recalls that the nose of the capsule is ejected as soon as the vehicle has left the atmosphere.

Already in 2015, a piece of the Space X rocket was found on the English coast."

[docmordrid]

Guess the nose cones need a parafoil too

https://twitter.com/Quemenes_Iroise/status/984775154369785857?s=19

Ferme de Quéménès - Île d'Iroise @Quemenes_Iroise
Hi @elonmusk
Look at what we found from @SpaceX on the foreshore of #Quemenes, the island where we livre in Brittany (France)! What is it ?
By the way will you send an electric tractor in space ? We need one ! 😉 #space #rocket #riddle #sea
8:47 AM - Apr 13, 2018

[vaporcobra]

Guess the nose cones need a parafoil too

While I'm not certain if this has been changed, Crew Dragon was originally designed with a hinged and thus reusable nose-cone. I'll be curious to see if the pivot to parachute recovery has forced a return to nose-cone ejection before reentry or even during ascent.

[Lars-J]

Guess the nose cones need a parafoil too

While I'm not certain if this has been changed, Crew Dragon was originally designed with a hinged and thus reusable nose-cone. I'll be curious to see if the pivot to parachute recovery has forced a return to nose-cone ejection before reentry or even during ascent.

Why would it have any effect? The Dragon two nose cone has nothing to do with the Dragon's parachute system. (See the Dragon 2 pad abort video... abort with intact nose cone)

[acsawdey]

Guess the nose cones need a parafoil too

While I'm not certain if this has been changed, Crew Dragon was originally designed with a hinged and thus reusable nose-cone. I'll be curious to see if the pivot to parachute recovery has forced a return to nose-cone ejection before reentry or even during ascent.

If I'm not mistaken the hinged nose cone was so they could close it to protect the docking mechanism, which is more sensitive than the CBM used on Cargo Dragon.

[OxCartMark]

two-and-a-half-meter diameter dome

That shocked me.  Somehow in my head I'd been picturing it to be ~1m diameter.  But re-evaluating it within the context of an image of the 3.6m diameter Dragon yea, it makes sense.  Big!  Point of the post?  Getting old and talking to myself.

[obi-wan]

Here's a question - how is the Dragon nose cap jettisoned? SpaceX is well known for not liking pyrotechnics, but as a single-piece nose cap, it has to be jettisoned energetically enough to move upwards faster than the F9 accelerating at several g's far enough to clear the CBM hardware, and also generate enough velocity off to the side to ensure it doesn't reimpact the vehicle as it falls away. I would have guessed small separation rockets except that there's no sign of plume impingement on the upper surface of the Dragon afterwards; at a minimum, I'm guessing pyros plus really powerful springs? Anyone know details?

[Lars-J]

Here's a question - how is the Dragon nose cap jettisoned? SpaceX is well known for not liking pyrotechnics, but as a single-piece nose cap, it has to be jettisoned energetically enough to move upwards faster than the F9 accelerating at several g's far enough to clear the CBM hardware, and also generate enough velocity off to the side to ensure it doesn't reimpact the vehicle as it falls away. I would have guessed small separation rockets except that there's no sign of plume impingement on the upper surface of the Dragon afterwards; at a minimum, I'm guessing pyros plus really powerful springs? Anyone know details?

There's a piston that pushes it up, and the hinge is designed to disconnect when it is flipped beyond a certain point. (I believe) - The momentum carries it free of the launch vehicle.

I don't believe any pyrotechnics are involved. But SpaceX do not like expendable parts, so the cone stays attached to the Dragon 2 design. (as others have stated it also protects the docking adapter and other sensors during re-entry)

[Archibald]

(must. resist. making. lame. jokes.about. french. brittany - rain, pancakes, chouchen beer,  and bigouden headdress)

Oh well... women from Brittany use to wear a rocket booster on their head (this one looks like an early Atlas rocket, by the way)



Donemat en Breizh, SpaceX ! 

[hektor]

[whitelancer64]

That'll buff right out. Send it back to SpaceX for reuse :p

[hektor]

[hektor]

Quéménès on Wikipedia

[hektor]

Small 18 seconds video embedded in the article

[Joffan]

Just to add the detailed picture of the SpaceX equipment label; I read the description text as "Nose cone stiffener ring"