Author Topic: SpaceX News  (Read 126910 times)

MechAg94

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 33,620
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #600 on: May 16, 2021, 06:06:45 PM »
https://babylonbee.com/news/china-lands-alluring-female-mars-rover-to-steal-secrets-from-nasa-rover
China Lands Alluring Female Mars Rover To Steal Secrets From NASA Rover

“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

Jim147

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7,587
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #601 on: May 16, 2021, 06:13:43 PM »
Get one more up there and it is robot fighting time.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

BAH-WEEP-GRAAAGHNAH WHEEP NI-NI BONG

MechAg94

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 33,620
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #602 on: May 16, 2021, 06:20:07 PM »
Get one more up there and it is robot fighting time.
Robot Wars!  On MARS!!!!

The ratings would be through the roof.   =D
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #603 on: May 16, 2021, 07:02:59 PM »
Robot Wars!  On MARS!!!!

The ratings would be through the roof.  astronomical =D
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

MechAg94

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 33,620
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #604 on: May 16, 2021, 10:03:50 PM »
With the lower gravity, it occurs to me the flipper type robots could launch them a LONG way.
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

AZRedhawk44

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,948
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #605 on: May 17, 2021, 01:26:38 PM »
Blue Origin is insufferable.

Fans of BO on their sub are claiming they're contributing to a new record of the largest number of people in space simultaneously.

Was previously set by one the Shuttles docking with the ISS back in 1995, at the same time a Mir crew was present on that station and another ISS rotation on the way in another Soyuz.  13 people.  Been tied a couple times since then but not eclipsed.

The fans of that expensive pogo stick ride are claiming that the people in it are going to "space" and will contribute to a new record of 7 on the ISS, 3 on the Chinese station, and if at least 4 are in New Shepard, then that will make 14 people.  Nevermind the damn thing has no horizontal velocity to speak of, the life support on it is so primitive as to be effectively nonexistent, it has no RCS/OMS control capability, no heat shielding, and it cannot dock with anything.

Honestly I find the notion of calling anyone who rides a spacecraft an "astronaut" to be disingenuous.  Passengers on ocean craft are not called sailors.  And in particular, the "naut" portion of the word means you're in the act of traversing, traveling, or navigating.  A weak-ass ballistic craft that can't go anywhere, is not doing any of those things.  Even if you pay for an orbital pleasure cruise, such as the Inspiration 4 mission launching this summer on a SpaceX dragon, or the DearMoon mission supposed to launch around 2024 to send a private crew on a Starship on a slingshot around the Moon, if you're not responsible for and capable of controlling the craft and altering its flight profile or repairing its subsystems... you're not an astronaut.  My guess is that all 4 of the Inspiration 4 mission will have different levels of competence in those regards and might actually earn the title.

People on New Shepard though, will have the vast responsibility over their bowels, their cameras, and their seat belts.  And that's all.
"But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."
--Lysander Spooner

I reject your authoritah!

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #606 on: May 17, 2021, 01:35:34 PM »
I like BO's engine designs but everything else about them stinks like last week's diapers. Things like demanding billions from the govt up front when Bezos could easily pay for it out of pocket.

And speak of the devil, this just popped up a few minutes ago.

Quote
With the limited funding, NASA said it could afford to pay for only a single company to build its lunar lander and last month it awarded Elon Musk’s SpaceX the contract. As a result, Bezos’s space venture, Blue Origin, lost out after bidding $6 billion, or twice what SpaceX had said it would charge. (Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Along with Dynetics, the defense contractor that also lost out on the contract, Blue Origin protested NASA’s decision, saying the space agency “executed a flawed acquisition.” It also took to Capitol Hill, lobbying its allies in Congress to force NASA to come up with the additional money and make a second award.

On Wednesday, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) of Washington state, where Blue Origin is headquartered, came through, introducing legislation that calls for NASA to do just that. The legislation, which passed as an amendment to another bill, would authorize but not appropriate an additional $10 billion to the Artemis program through fiscal 2026. It also calls for NASA to pick a second winner for the contract.

Blue Origin’s loss to SpaceX on the lunar lander contract may get Congress to do something it hadn’t done before: Give NASA extra money
Sen. Maria Cantwell’s legislation would give NASA an additional $10 billion to fund a second lunar lander after SpaceX won a single award
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/05/12/cantwell-blue-origin-jeff-bezos-nasa/
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

AZRedhawk44

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,948
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #607 on: May 17, 2021, 02:04:21 PM »
Trouble with that is that authorization without appropriation basically dictates that NASA must split the award.  And in true "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" fashion, would mean that 2/3 of the award originally destined for SpaceX would go instead to BO (since SpaceX's bid was ~$3 billion and BO's bid was $6 billion).

I'd just as soon see SpaceX drop out and rescind their bid at that point, and land people on the Moon before NASA and without their participation.  *expletive deleted*it on the entire Orion/SLS/Gateway/Lander architecture and publicly eviscerate it for the laughingstock it is.
"But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."
--Lysander Spooner

I reject your authoritah!

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #608 on: May 18, 2021, 12:15:49 PM »
BO: Founded Sept 2000
SpaceX: Founded May 2002

We all know what SpaceX has done since it's founding but what has BO done in that time? A few vertical flights and that's it, not a single anything to orbit. Meanwhile Bozo, the richest man in the world BTW, demands more govt money
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

kgbsquirrel

  • APS Photoshop God
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5,466
  • Bill, slayer of threads.
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #609 on: May 18, 2021, 09:31:57 PM »
BO: Founded Sept 2000
SpaceX: Founded May 2002

We all know what SpaceX has done since it's founding but what has BO done in that time? A few vertical flights and that's it, not a single anything to orbit. Meanwhile Bozo, the richest man in the world BTW, demands more govt money

Now how much NASA money has each taken along with any other grants, subsidies or nondelivery?

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #610 on: May 19, 2021, 04:59:55 PM »
At last: First Photos from China’s Mars Rover #shorts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7Hb0_GPbU
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

Jim147

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7,587
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #611 on: May 19, 2021, 06:45:28 PM »
At last: First Photos from China’s Mars Rover #shorts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7Hb0_GPbU

I was hoping for decepticons.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

BAH-WEEP-GRAAAGHNAH WHEEP NI-NI BONG

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #612 on: May 22, 2021, 10:22:49 AM »
Quote
This is an experimental better-than-nothing livestream. Virgin Galactic is attempting its first spaceflight from Spaceport America in New Mexico. There may be gaps in the live video when Jack Beyer, our correspondent in the field, moves between locations.

LIVE: Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity attempts first spaceflight from Spaceport America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbFPOnyCyZs
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

kgbsquirrel

  • APS Photoshop God
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5,466
  • Bill, slayer of threads.
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #613 on: May 22, 2021, 10:40:19 AM »
LIVE: Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity attempts first spaceflight from Spaceport America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbFPOnyCyZs

Now that's a name I haven't heard from in a while.

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #614 on: May 22, 2021, 10:42:42 AM »
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #615 on: May 22, 2021, 10:50:55 AM »
Camera-man/person/they/them/it/mass of cells/thing is changing positions so don't be surprised they're just showing flightradr24 in the meantime.
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #616 on: May 22, 2021, 11:29:47 AM »
Looks like a good drop and engine burn.
FlightRadar24 shows it at 0ft LOL
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #617 on: May 22, 2021, 12:18:30 PM »
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #618 on: May 22, 2021, 06:31:07 PM »
Looks like BO (Bezos Odor) issues are going to cost ULA millions and are hosing the DOD as well.
BO's engines were looking good but now not so much

The Angry Astronaut delves into the reasons behind ULA's cancelation of a key military flight in favor of a more expensive Atlas V.
Who is the obvious culprit?  Just how bad is the situation with Vulcan Centaur, and what could this mean to NASA and the US Military?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gsjktI7wzQ
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #619 on: May 22, 2021, 06:49:21 PM »
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes

MillCreek

  • Skippy The Wonder Dog
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 19,963
  • APS Risk Manager
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #620 on: May 22, 2021, 07:00:19 PM »
Isn't Blue Origin using refurbished Russian motors?
_____________
Regards,
MillCreek
Snohomish County, WA  USA


Quote from: Angel Eyes on August 09, 2018, 01:56:15 AM
You are one lousy risk manager.

Jim147

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7,587
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #621 on: May 22, 2021, 10:18:53 PM »
Isn't Blue Origin using refurbished Russian motors?

Not sure. They might be using Hawkmoons refurbished computers.
Sometimes we carry more weight then we owe.
And sometimes goes on and on and on.

BAH-WEEP-GRAAAGHNAH WHEEP NI-NI BONG

kgbsquirrel

  • APS Photoshop God
  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5,466
  • Bill, slayer of threads.
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #622 on: May 23, 2021, 12:50:41 AM »
Isn't Blue Origin using refurbished Russian motors?

You're thinking of the first engines ULA was offered from Energomash.  I think all the refurbs have been expended decades ago.  They've been using new manufactured RD-180's from NPO Energomash on the Atlas V. 

Blue Origin was supposed to deliver the BE-4 methalox engine for the new ULA Vulcan heavy lifter but they are screwing the pooch hard. 

I find it hilarious that due to a law kicking in next year there is an outside chance that ULA may need to buy SpaceX engines; Government paylods will be banned from flying on foreign made engines.  So no more RD-180 engined Atlas-V for those, meanwhile they still don't have their engine for the Vulcan ready because Bezos.

This opens the possibility of a Merlin engined Atlas-V/VI or a Raptor engined Vulcan.  Since Merlin is mature and SpaceX is looking to move beyond the Falcon rockets I could definitely see Musk making some cash on the back engine of that program selling refurbished single use Merlin's to ULA.

AZRedhawk44

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,948
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #623 on: May 23, 2021, 12:38:34 PM »
Technically, Raptor is required to be available for sale to launch service competitors of SpaceX due to some funding SpaceX accepted back in 2016/2017.

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2016/01/18/spacex-air-force-funding-infusion-raptor-engine/

What's interesting about that, is that Raptor is physically so much smaller (smaller radius) than BE-4 but puts out roughly the same thrust.  I can't find a published number for the nozzle diameter, but the couple of pathfinder and prototype images I've seen put it at about 2 meters.  Raptor is only 1.3 meters diameter.  This increases the thrust per square meter available on the bottom of the engine, meaning that instead of having only two BE-4 engines and a series of strap on SRB's, ULA could reconfigure and stretch the first stage tank a bit, and go to 4 or 5 Raptors.

Trouble here from a market perspective, is that the DOD doesn't want all its eggs in one basket.  If there's a Raptor problem down the road, it grounds ULA and SpaceX (once they finalize their shift to Starship).  ULA wanted BE-4 for market variety.

"But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."
--Lysander Spooner

I reject your authoritah!

WLJ

  • friends
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 27,843
  • On Patrol In The Epsilon Eridani System
Re: SpaceX News
« Reply #624 on: May 23, 2021, 12:44:02 PM »
Elon could shift gears for a little bit and get a larger faring for the Falcon Heavy up and running and that would allow the FH to take over until SS is available as a launch vehicle in the meantime.
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us".
- Calvin and Hobbes