F9/D2 from Kourou

[edkyle99]

Who actually owns the ELS launch hardware?  Is it owned by Arianespace or by Russian entities? 

The ELS launch hardware is owned by Starsem.

So a lot of stuff will be stripped from the site unless Soyuz returns.  Perhaps it could, in that instance, serve as a site for ESA's proposed reusable Themis.

 - Ed Kyle

[baldusi]

Who actually owns the ELS launch hardware?  Is it owned by Arianespace or by Russian entities? 

The ELS launch hardware is owned by Starsem.

Soyuz style flame deflectors are completely different from Falcon's. Having to adapt it would probably be more expensive than razing some unused (or even develop a new one from scratch). In any case, there's simply no point for this thread. No need to happen, no will to happen, not gonna happen.

[sdsds]

Thanks for the info about flame deflectors. I was thinking more about propellant storage.

there's simply no point for this thread. No need to happen, no will to happen, not gonna happen.

It would take a customer stepping up and asking for it. Currently there are none publicly doing so. The use case is there, though, under some circumstances.

[Nomadd]

In any case, there's simply no point for this thread. No need to happen, no will to happen, not gonna happen.

I'll put you down as a "Maybe"

[woods170]

....Unfortunately the Guianese would probably have to ask their independence from France and then vote to become the 51st state of the US to do that.

I don't think so!
Otherwise P2P would never work!

P2P will actually be Offshore2Offshore.

[Jim]

It would take a customer stepping up and asking for it. Currently there are none publicly doing so. The use case is there, though, under some circumstances.

not really. 

[Hobbes-22]

Who actually owns the ELS launch hardware?  Is it owned by Arianespace or by Russian entities? 

The ELS launch hardware is owned by Starsem.

So a lot of stuff will be stripped from the site unless Soyuz returns.  Perhaps it could, in that instance, serve as a site for ESA's proposed reusable Themis.

 - Ed Kyle

The plan so far is that Themis will use the old Diamant launch pad.

[wannamoonbase]

....Unfortunately the Guianese would probably have to ask their independence from France and then vote to become the 51st state of the US to do that.

I don't think so!
Otherwise P2P would never work!

P2P will actually be Offshore2Offshore.

P2P is like F9 from Kourou, never gonna happen.  Nice power points and videos, but not going to be a thing.

[Robotbeat]

....Unfortunately the Guianese would probably have to ask their independence from France and then vote to become the 51st state of the US to do that.

I don't think so!
Otherwise P2P would never work!

P2P will actually be Offshore2Offshore.

P2P is like F9 from Kourou, never gonna happen.  Nice power points and videos, but not going to be a thing.

I think it may be a thing for cargo. The DoD is giving serious money to SpaceX to study it and perhaps demonstrate it. Don’t count it out yet…

[Luc]

Once SpaceX has moved on from Falcon 9 and Dragon, perhaps they would consider licensing the technology to the EU.

[alugobi]

Lol.  The French and Italians would throw a fit.

[sdsds]

The Themis progress is encouraging. But is there any plan to ever put a human rated spacecraft on that launcher?

[woods170]

The Themis progress is encouraging. But is there any plan to ever put a human rated spacecraft on that launcher?

No.

Themis is a protype, a technology demonstrator. Whatever will be learned from it, will be applied to Ariane 7.

[Lars-J]

It's much easier and much cheaper to send the crew to Florida.

But from Florida F9/D2 can't reach equatorial LEO.

Two points:
- Equatorial LEO is an exceedingly rare orbit. While a near-equatorial launch site does provide a small boost for launching into higher orbits, that benefit is more than compensated by easier launch site access in FL/CA.
- F9 has actually already launched to equatorial LEO - See the recent IXPE launch

[Welsh Dragon]

- F9 has actually already launched to equatorial LEO - See the recent IXPE launch

With a payload one twentieth the mass of a Dragon 2. I agree there is zero need to get Dragon to an equatorial orbit, but you can't use IXPE to suggest it could be done from Florida. Plane changes eat ludicrous amounts of delta-v. There is no way it can be done. (On a single stick Falcon at least).

[sdsds]

I want to thank each forum participant who has mentioned IXPE. That mission, launched on F9, puts discussion of Falcon Heavy from Florida within the intended scope of this thread. Generally that scope is, "Using SpaceX vehicles for missions which put animals — including humans — into orbits that present lower space radiation risk than the ISS orbit."

(1) Starship will have the capability to launch these missions, but I fear Starship would not be offered.
(2) I'm not suggesting a customer currently exists for these missions.

If a customer magically materialized, and if SpaceX wanted to serve that customer launching F9/D2 from Kourou, would CNES tolerate it? Because it looks less risky than FH/D2 from Florida.

[Jim]

No, not worth the effort.  And then there is ITAR.

[Ludus]

....Unfortunately the Guianese would probably have to ask their independence from France and then vote to become the 51st state of the US to do that.

I don't think so!
Otherwise P2P would never work!

P2P will actually be Offshore2Offshore.

P2P is like F9 from Kourou, never gonna happen.  Nice power points and videos, but not going to be a thing.

I think it may be a thing for cargo. The DoD is giving serious money to SpaceX to study it and perhaps demonstrate it. Don’t count it out yet…

Cargo aircraft are now a thing for weapons delivery https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2198566/afrl-afsoc-launch-palletized-weapons-from-cargo-plane/ Point to Point Starship has more potential. I think it will be a thing very soon for multiple reasons.

[baldusi]

Once SpaceX has moved on from Falcon 9 and Dragon, perhaps they would consider licensing the technology to the EU.

ITAR restriction would still apply. So they can't. And you have to use the whole process. From QA to management. You simply can't do that in a way that EU would accept it.

[Jim]

Cargo aircraft are now a thing for weapons delivery https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2198566/afrl-afsoc-launch-palletized-weapons-from-cargo-plane/ Point to Point Starship has more potential. I think it will be a thing very soon for multiple reasons.

Not relevant and there is no logic to your statement.  Still cheaper to use an ICBM.