And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Monday, February 3, 2020
I had no idea the newer rockets from SpaceX were so big. The old Saturn V was a monster, but now there's a new "Big Dog" on the porch.
There are a lot of interesting and exciting things going on with the new, private space ventures. And it's appropriate. Our generation only seemed to be able to take things so far.
That's an outdated illustration. The biggest one, the SpaceX Starship is going to be stainless steel, so it isn't white like this illustration. See https://www.instagram.com/p/Bskfhe9houj/ for an example. You'll note the proportions and sizes of the fins on the upper stage are all different.
Even this is probably obsolete, since it's more than a couple of days old and SpaceX moves that fast.
They pressure tested a Starship fuel tank last week and exceeded their derated pressure requirement by something like 25%. The work on the vehicle those tanks will go in has already begun and we may be looking at a Starship launch this year.
I have looked for evidence to back that really common belief that was made above, the somehow Musk is doing something wrong in winning government contracts, but haven't found any proof that they've done anything corrupt.
Has he accepted government money? Yes, very much so.
First, development money from the COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) development program, to help develop civilian space flight. So has Blue Origins, so has Virgin Galactic, and every other space program that's gotten off the ground, and a lot that never did.
Second, yes, given money to help defray development costs for launching military missions (after having to sue to get a chance to bid on mil-launches.)
And accepted money to develop manned space flight. Which we should see some time this year.
So what has SpaceX done with all that money?
Well, they've developed reusable 1st stage boosters, and the infrastructure to launch, land and refurb them. They've launched the same booster 4 times, going on 5 now.
They've reduced launch costs, even for finicky mil-sat launches, to 1/10th of United Launch Alliance. Even if you count all the development money granted to them, they've paid that back in spades by not charging ULA's launch costs. (And ULA? Still using rockets designed in the 60's and 70's, with 60's and 70's tech. And yet they never innovated, never pushed the edge, never wanted to develop a cheaper, more reliable system.)
SpaceX has also, on their dime, begun developing the largest rocket ever and the systems to go with it. Engines, tanks, body, everything. All new and nothing from the early days of NASA or the USAF nuclear missile fleet.
Seriously. SpaceX has proven that one can use gov money to help get off the ground, so to speak, and then to achieve orbit.
What about all the government money that's gone into ULA to... what? Nothing. Nothing that we haven't seen since, as I said before, the 60's and 70's. Seriously. Atlas? Delta? Where's the cost savings that should have occurred in these programs? Why is ULA still charging 'I've got a good lobbyist' money for systems that should be dirt-cheap by now. But no.
Where is Boeing's Starliner?
And where is NASA's Constellation/Orion capsule?
Both programs started before Dragon, both at least a year, maybe 3 for Orion, before they launch. Dragon is, unless serious screwery occurs, going to be crew-certified and delivered this year.
I'd rather have Musk's achievements over NASA's backwards movement, Boeing's stupidity, Bezo's ego, or anyone else including Virgin Galactic (which was supposed to be in space... 10 years ago? 5?)
It actually looks like SpaceX will make it to the moon by December, manned, with a tourist, well, at least orbit the moon, with a tourist.
I find it funny when people talk about gubmint money done goez teh Musk, oh noess... But don't say anything about ULA, or NASA or, gee, local road repair projects or mass transit projects or homeless facilities that cost $100k per homeless...
beans, I watched NASA roll out the new space environment suits. do you recall any information of what was done do mitigate lunar dust damage to suit seals/ systems? asking for a friend.
I was in Huntsville on business a long time ago, I think it was around 35 years or so, ago. Had some slack time between meetings/flights and decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. One of the exhibits was a Saturn 5 lying down on the ground. Over a football field long and a 3 story building high on the fat end. Impressive, especially back then.
back in the 1970's at KSC, we got to crawl all around the man rated saturn laying down awaiting launch for the skylab program. what a hell of a machine. every electrical connector was sealed with tamper proof tape that said manrated on the tape. It sat outside the visitor center for several years, then they stood it up, looked it over, fueled it and launched it. awesomeness.
SpaceX gets Federal money for services rendered, just like any other company providing a service. NASA mostly exists only as a jobs program, anymore, and many more bureaucratic than engineering jobs. The SLS gives white elephants a bad name.
There are a lot of interesting and exciting things going on with the new, private space ventures. And it's appropriate. Our generation only seemed to be able to take things so far.
ReplyDeleteOnly because a certain party shut it all down.
DeleteFor fun, go look up all the exciting things NASA was planning post-Apollo using the Saturn family and evolved Saturn family.
Mars could have been ours, and with nuclear propulsion!
But a certain political party shut that all down.
Wow, that is a nice graphic scale for the vehicles. Watching them take off on screen, you have no idea of the various sizes.
ReplyDeleteThat's an outdated illustration. The biggest one, the SpaceX Starship is going to be stainless steel, so it isn't white like this illustration. See https://www.instagram.com/p/Bskfhe9houj/ for an example. You'll note the proportions and sizes of the fins on the upper stage are all different.
ReplyDeleteEven this is probably obsolete, since it's more than a couple of days old and SpaceX moves that fast.
They pressure tested a Starship fuel tank last week and exceeded their derated pressure requirement by something like 25%. The work on the vehicle those tanks will go in has already begun and we may be looking at a Starship launch this year.
I have looked for evidence to back that really common belief that was made above, the somehow Musk is doing something wrong in winning government contracts, but haven't found any proof that they've done anything corrupt.
He hasn't.
DeleteHas he accepted government money? Yes, very much so.
First, development money from the COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) development program, to help develop civilian space flight. So has Blue Origins, so has Virgin Galactic, and every other space program that's gotten off the ground, and a lot that never did.
Second, yes, given money to help defray development costs for launching military missions (after having to sue to get a chance to bid on mil-launches.)
And accepted money to develop manned space flight. Which we should see some time this year.
So what has SpaceX done with all that money?
Well, they've developed reusable 1st stage boosters, and the infrastructure to launch, land and refurb them. They've launched the same booster 4 times, going on 5 now.
They've reduced launch costs, even for finicky mil-sat launches, to 1/10th of United Launch Alliance. Even if you count all the development money granted to them, they've paid that back in spades by not charging ULA's launch costs. (And ULA? Still using rockets designed in the 60's and 70's, with 60's and 70's tech. And yet they never innovated, never pushed the edge, never wanted to develop a cheaper, more reliable system.)
SpaceX has also, on their dime, begun developing the largest rocket ever and the systems to go with it. Engines, tanks, body, everything. All new and nothing from the early days of NASA or the USAF nuclear missile fleet.
Seriously. SpaceX has proven that one can use gov money to help get off the ground, so to speak, and then to achieve orbit.
What about all the government money that's gone into ULA to... what? Nothing. Nothing that we haven't seen since, as I said before, the 60's and 70's. Seriously. Atlas? Delta? Where's the cost savings that should have occurred in these programs? Why is ULA still charging 'I've got a good lobbyist' money for systems that should be dirt-cheap by now. But no.
Where is Boeing's Starliner?
And where is NASA's Constellation/Orion capsule?
Both programs started before Dragon, both at least a year, maybe 3 for Orion, before they launch. Dragon is, unless serious screwery occurs, going to be crew-certified and delivered this year.
I'd rather have Musk's achievements over NASA's backwards movement, Boeing's stupidity, Bezo's ego, or anyone else including Virgin Galactic (which was supposed to be in space... 10 years ago? 5?)
It actually looks like SpaceX will make it to the moon by December, manned, with a tourist, well, at least orbit the moon, with a tourist.
I find it funny when people talk about gubmint money done goez teh Musk, oh noess... But don't say anything about ULA, or NASA or, gee, local road repair projects or mass transit projects or homeless facilities that cost $100k per homeless...
It would be great to see SpaceX send a couple of people on an orbit around the moon, especially if one of them was a tourist!
Deletebeans, I watched NASA roll out the new space environment suits. do you recall any information of what was done do mitigate lunar dust damage to suit seals/ systems? asking for a friend.
ReplyDeleteI was in Huntsville on business a long time ago, I think it was around 35 years or so, ago. Had some slack time between meetings/flights and decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. One of the exhibits was a Saturn 5 lying down on the ground. Over a football field long and a 3 story building high on the fat end. Impressive, especially back then.
ReplyDeleteNemo
back in the 1970's at KSC, we got to crawl all around the man rated saturn laying down awaiting launch for the skylab program. what a hell of a machine. every electrical connector was sealed with tamper proof tape that said manrated on the tape. It sat outside the visitor center for several years, then they stood it up, looked it over, fueled it and launched it. awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteSpaceX gets Federal money for services rendered, just like any other company providing a service. NASA mostly exists only as a jobs program, anymore, and many more bureaucratic than engineering jobs. The SLS gives white elephants a bad name.
ReplyDelete