Elon Musk embarrasses US, Russian, and Chinese space agencies by launching the most powerful rocket

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/...le-more-falcon-heavy-launches-year/535071002/

SpaceX's Shotwell: Expect a 'couple more' Falcon Heavy launches this year

The Space Coast can expect a "couple more" of the massively popular Falcon Heavy launches from Kennedy Space Center this year, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer said during a dinner event Thursday night.

"We have a big year in front of us," Gwynne Shotwell said during a closing dinner at the 34th Space Symposium. "We've got a couple more heavys to fly, which will be very exciting."

For satellites this time – not cars," Shotwell said jokingly.

The first of those Falcon Heavy launches from pad 39A is expected this summer, when the 27-engine, three-core rocket will take an Air Force mission to orbit with NASA science spacecraft riding as secondary payloads. And the second mission will take Saudi Arabia's Arabsat-6A communications satellite, which was built in Colorado, to orbit sometime in late 2018.

SpaceX has not commented on booster recovery details surrounding those missions and whether or not Cape Canaveral and / or drone ship landings will be involved. The company could also opt to expend at least one of the boosters, too.

On SpaceX's workhorse vehicle, Shotwell said the company has "a ton of Falcon 9s to fly" and a "bunch more reflights to do," referring to launching previously flown versions of the booster.

Early next month, SpaceX is also planning to debut the "Block V" version of its Falcon 9 rocket, which is designed for greater reusability. The mission will take Bangladesh’s first geostationary satellite, labeled Bangabandhu-1, to orbit from KSC’s pad 39A.

 

[Nan Yang]

SpaceX: Falcon 9
Payload to LEO 22,800 kg (50,300 lb)
Payload to GTO 8,300 kg (18,300 lb)

SpaceX: Falcon Heavy
Payload to LEO 63,800 kg (140,700 lb)
Payload to GTO 26,700 kg (58,900 lb)

China: Long March 5 (cz5)
Payload to LEO 23,000 kg (51,000 lb)
Payload to GTO 13,000 kg (29,000 lb)

This is just SpaceX’s second rocket! What’s their 5th going to look like?

Plus SpaceX has sent their Dragon ship to the ISS multiple times. It can seat 7 people. That ties it with the Space Shuttle for capacity. How crazy is that?

There is another important factor.
LM-5 diameter - 5 m (16 ft)
Falcon-9 diameter - Only 3.7 m (12 ft)

Larger diameter will enable a larger dimension satellite. As satellite gets heavier it will also get larger. Falcon smaller diameter will limit the size of the satellite it can fit on top.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

There is another important factor.
LM-5 diameter - 5 m (16 ft)
Falcon-9 diameter - Only 3.7 m (12 ft)

Larger diameter will enable a larger dimension satellite. As satellite gets heavier it will also get larger. Falcon smaller diameter will limit the size of the satellite it can fit on top.

http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/falconH.html
Falcon 9 Payload Fairing
Diameter (m) 5.2 m
Length (m) 13.9 m

The fairing can easily be wider than the rocket.

BTW the BFR will be 9M wide and will replace the Falcon Heavy.

 

[somebozo]

The power of privatization...those who do not believe in privatization should open their eyes!
How Hitler built his mega war machine is also by privatization..!

 

[gambit]

The power of privatization...those who do not believe in privatization should open their eyes!
How Hitler built his mega war machine is also by privatization..!

Same for the armies that resisted and defeated him.

 

[Dante80]

There is another important factor.
LM-5 diameter - 5 m (16 ft)
Falcon-9 diameter - Only 3.7 m (12 ft)

Larger diameter will enable a larger dimension satellite. As satellite gets heavier it will also get larger. Falcon smaller diameter will limit the size of the satellite it can fit on top.

How big a satellite you can carry depends on two things.

1. Its packed dimensions.
2. Its weight and intended orbit.

The most demanding (to LVs) commercial satellites currently are big communication birds that are positioned in a Geosynchronous orbit. Said satellites can reach a launch weight close to 7 metric tons, and can service many millions of clients simultaneously.

Falcon 9 blockV in expendable mode has the performance to service any satellite in the market, known or anticipated in the mid term. Since the goal is to re-use the first stage of the rocket though, there is an option to launch satellites that are heavier than 5,500kg with the Falcon Heavy LV instead (which has the capability to do those missions while keeping re-usability).

Now, as far as LV diameter is concerned. Satellites are carried inside aerodynamic fairings, that protect them through the first stages of an orbital launch (inside the thick part of Earths' atmosphere). The diameter of the launch vehicle itself is irrelevant.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/s...c-to-handle-10-falcon-heavy-launches-per-year

SpaceX seeks expansion at KSC to handle 10 Falcon Heavy launches per year
SpaceX Operations Area to include launch control center, rocket refurbishment

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - SpaceX is planning to expand its presence at Kennedy Space Center with a towering launch control center, rocket refurbishment center and a rocket garden, according to a proposal.

The California-based company, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is well-established on the Space Coast with two launchpads, one at Kennedy and one at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and a hangar at Port Canaveral.

According to a draft environmental assessment prepared by SpaceX and NASA, the expansion would provide a space for booster and fairing processing, storage and a launch and landing control center.

SpaceX also has plans to refurbish Area 59 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to process its Dragon space capsule in which NASA astronauts will be shuttled to and from the International Space Station.

SpaceX recovers its first-stage rocket boosters post-launch at sea and on land and is working toward recovering the rocket's nose cone, or fairings. It's all part of Musk's goal to make launching rockets more affordable and increase access to space, which is funding his ultimate goal of colonizing Mars.

The new SpaceX Operations Area would be built on 67 undeveloped acres on Kennedy Space Center off Roberts Road.


SpaceX also has plans to refurbish Area 59 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to process its Dragon space capsule in which NASA astronauts will be shuttled to and from the International Space Station.

SpaceX recovers its first-stage rocket boosters post-launch at sea and on land and is working toward recovering the rocket's nose cone, or fairings. It's all part of Musk's goal to make launching rockets more affordable and increase access to space, which is funding his ultimate goal of colonizing Mars.

The new SpaceX Operations Area would be built on 67 undeveloped acres on Kennedy Space Center off Roberts Road.

The 67 acre KSC property SpaceX is seeking for its new facilities.

10 Falcon Heavy launches, 63 landings a year

The plans also reveal the future rate at which SpaceX plans to launch its most powerful rocket: the Falcon Heavy.

"SpaceX estimates there may be up to ten events per year for a Falcon Heavy launch, and up to 63 landings," according to the document.

Those launch and landing numbers reflect a long-term goal. Falcon Heavy had its maiden launch in February.

SpaceX is on track to double its launch and landing cadence from last year. President Gwynne Shotwell previously said the company planned to increase its launch rate by 50 percent this year. Last year, SpaceX had 18 launches.

Those landings would include Falcon 9 first-stage landings and Falcon Heavy landings, during which three boosters will land either at sea or back at Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX needs more space to handle the growing number of launches and reusable rocket hardware. The company has more than $10 billion launches under contract.

The new Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket can fly up 10 times without major refurbishment and is expected to launch up to 100 times before being decommissioned.

The company is working on also recovering the $6 million fairings after launch, which make up the nose cone of the rocket.

SpaceX most recently attempted to try and catch Falcon 9 fairings on a boat with a giant net in California called Mr. Steven. Musk said Mr. Steven is getting a bigger net after the fairings just missed the boat.

[RELATED: 3 ways new Block 5 Falcon 9 helps SpaceX launch faster, more often]

The proposed SpaceX facilities at KSC include a launch control tower and booster processing building.

'World-class' launch and landing control center

A 32,000-feet launch and landing control center would be the center of SpaceX's new facilities.

"The launch control center is envisioned to be world-class, architecturally distinctive, and equipped for satellite, cargo, and crew missions," according to the proposal.

A 300-foot tower would include VIP viewing areas for customers.

133,000-foot processing and storage facility

A hangar to restore SpaceX's used rocket boosters and fairings would encompass 133,000 square feet.

If necessary, SpaceX would expand the building, adding more floors to make room for more flight hardware storage.

The hangar at Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A can currently hold up to three Falcon boosters, reports News 6 partner Florida Today.

SpaceX
A concept image of the SpaceX hangar for Falcon 9 and Heavy maintenance and storage.

Falcon 9, Dragon rocket garden

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has a historic rocket garden and SpaceX's new facilities would include a space for one of its own.

Several decommissioned Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rockets would be staged vertically or horizontally in this space.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/...xt-falcon-heavy-launch-ksc-florida/669651002/

SpaceX Falcon Heavy with [new] Block 5 boosters targeted for fall launch from KSC

SpaceX's three-core Falcon Heavy flagship that ensorcelled millions around the world earlier this year is slated to launch again no sooner than this fall with three upgraded boosters, according to the latest Air Force schedule.

Teams are targeting no earlier than late October for the rocket's next launch from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A equipped with three of the company's next-generation Block 5 boosters but this time there won't be a Tesla Roadster secured in the payload fairing – the Air Force gets the primary slot for its Space Technology Program-2 mission, which will include dozens of spacecraft.

Also hitching a ride will be NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock, or DSAC, which is being spearheaded by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as "the most precise atomic clock ever flown in space." Accurate measures of time are critical for all spacecraft, and NASA expects that DSAC will ultimately improve deep-space navigation.

The Planetary Society, a nonprofit founded in part by renowned astronomer Carl Sagan, is standing by as its LightSail 2 spacecraft undergoes testing at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, ahead of its journey to KSC before launch. The organization says the sunlight-propelled spacecraft will attempt the first solar sail flight in Earth orbit.

[Former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman changing roles at SpaceX]

Falcon Heavy is expected to take flight with three new next-generation Block 5 boosters, the first of which launched in the "single stick" Falcon 9 configuration on May 11 with a Bangladeshi communications satellite. Aside from a modest increase in thrust produced by nine Merlin main engines, the boosters include improved reusability features that CEO Elon Musk says will allow the company to launch each one at least 10 times with minimal refurbishment. Previous-generation Block 4 boosters, by comparison, only flew twice before being retired or discarded.

SpaceX has not yet confirmed whether the STP-2 mission will feature tandem booster landings, which were a memorable highlight of Falcon Heavy's inaugural flight on Feb. 6 that drew more than 100,000 visitors to the Space Coast. The company has several options that include landings at Cape Canaveral and the Of Course I Still Love You Drone ship, a mix of the two, or expending boosters after liftoff, if necessary. A new East Coast drone ship, named A Shortfall of Gravitas, is also expected to enter into operation sometime soon.

But Falcon Heavy isn't the only "heavy" iteration of a rocket expected this year, as United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy is scheduled to take NASA's high-profile Parker Solar Probe to orbit no earlier than July 31. That mission will approach within 4 million miles of the sun to help forecast major space weather events and their impacts on Earth.

In the meantime, the Space Coast will see SpaceX kick off the next launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station: Teams are targeting no earlier than the last few days of June for the final Block 4 Falcon 9 with supplies and science experiments destined for the International Space Station. The mission, known as CRS-15, marks the 15th of 20 missions under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

http://www.realclearlife.com/daily-...ng-on-the-falcon-heavy-after-just-one-flight/

Air Force Betting on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Rocket After Just One Flight

Space X’s Falcon Heavy is back in the headlines. After just one successful flight, the private company’s rocket was certified by the U.S. Air Force for military launches and awarded its first highly coveted contract: the AFSPC-52 mission. Wired reports that the contract is valued at $130 million, which is the price of ferrying the Air Force Space Command-52 satellite to its intended orbit in the year 2020. This contract was highly sought after, and the Air Force noted that more than one launch provider put in a bid.

“SpaceX is honored by the Air Force’s selection of Falcon Heavy to launch the competitively-awarded AFSPC-52 mission,” SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement released to the media last week, according to Wired. “On behalf of all of our employees, I want to thank the Air Force for certifying Falcon Heavy, awarding us this critically important mission, and for their trust and confidence in our company.”

 

[jamahir]

The power of privatization...those who do not believe in privatization should open their eyes!
How Hitler built his mega war machine is also by privatization..!

It is not about privatization but about simple human genius. India and Pakistan have lot of financially rich people and most institutions are private but where is our own Elon Musk ??

In India, there was a planned company called Ambani Aerospace owned by one of the Ambani brothers. They are among the richest people in India yet they can never become Elon Musk, simply because they don't have the brains.

Another two questions - where is the Pakistani operating system software and where is the Indian microprocessor, despite hundreds of thousands of college graduates rolling out every year ??

 

[Globenim]

give credit where it is due

Thats the point. The usual fanboys try extra hard to sell this as some genius miracle created by Musk due to the "the wonders of American freeeee market capitalism!" and "Only in America right?". The same sad hypocrites who refuse to give any credit to China for anything ever at all. You think their state would let any Chinese company "just hire" any of those critical engineers from their "free" market for their experience? Of course thats a rethoric question.

We all know where Musk got his headstart and still gets his support from no matter how you want to spin it or just brush it off or ridicule it with black and white strawman arguments ironically to defend their black and white propaganda narrative.

No different than the Soviet Union claiming they went from zero to Sputnik reinventing the wheel from scratch and none of the German scientists and engineers and their research they captured had any impact on their program or Americans constantly trying to boil the German foundations of Americas rocket program down to just Braun just joining an American team just brushing away the thousands of engineers who worked and even died to attain the knowledge he and his colleagues had in his head and pockets.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Thats the point. The usual fanboys try extra hard to sell this as some genius miracle created by Musk due to the "the wonders of American freeeee market capitalism!" and "Only in America right?". The same sad hypocrites who refuse to give any credit to China for anything ever at all. You think their state would let any Chinese company "just hire" any of those critical engineers from their "free" market for their experience? Of course thats a rethoric question.

We all know where Musk got his headstart and still gets his support from no matter how you want to spin it or just brush it off or ridicule it with black and white strawman arguments ironically to defend their black and white propaganda narrative.

No different than the Soviet Union claiming they went from zero to Sputnik reinventing the wheel from scratch and none of the German scientists and engineers and their research they captured had any impact on their program or Americans constantly trying to boil the German foundations of Americas rocket program down to just Braun just joining an American team just brushing away the thousands of engineers who worked and even died to attain the knowledge he and his colleagues had in his head and pockets.

The guy designing SpaceX’s engines worked for TRW (not NASA) on rocket engines.

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/spacex-propulsion-guru-tom-mueller-looks-ahead-rocket-engines-mars/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-201

 

[Globenim]

The guy designing SpaceX’s engines worked for TRW on rocket engines.

In the aerospace section of a subcontractor of NASA, working in person at NASA Space Centers. And your point is?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

In the aerospace section of a subcontractor of NASA, working in person at NASA Space Centers. And your point is?

Private companies were building rocket engines for NASA. The major one was Rocketdyne. He wouldn’t have had access to all their engine knowledge. He was working for a competitor just like SpaceX is a competitor to ULA and isn’t going to tell them how their engines work. So yes SpaceX didn’t start with a bunch of clueless rocket designers building things from scratch. However they didn’t start with the guys who were designing items like the space shuttle engines.

Tom Mueller caught Elon Musk’s eye because he was building rocket engines in his garage (like those British Sabre engine people) not because he worked on something cutting edge like the Space Shuttle engines. The guy was obviously talented.

 

[somebozo]

It is not about privatization but about simple human genius. India and Pakistan have lot of financially rich people and most institutions are private but where is our own Elon Musk ??

The rich and genius are overshadowed by the corrupt and criminal who manipulate the system to milk it off..like what is being exposed in anti corruption drive in Pakistan..Nawaz. Zardari. all corrupt..