SpaceX launch webcast: Orbcomm-2 Mission [video]

Post by kenbellows » Tue, Dec 22, 2015, 1:56 PM UTC

Stratoscope wrote: post #223

TeMPOraL wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a vague feeling he's being snide to pay Elon back for those mildly snarky tweets back when Blue Origin landed their rocket. EDIT: Musk: "Congrats to Jeff Bezos and the BO team for achieving VTOL on their booster" Musk: "It is, however, important to clear up the difference between "space" and "orbit", as described well by https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/" http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/24/news/companies/elon-musk-jef…

-404: https://what-if.xkcd.com/58/

Post by TeMPOraL » Tue, Dec 22, 2015, 2:14 PM UTC

gchokov wrote: post #343

TeMPOraL wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just described the way I launched my first comms network constellation[0] - basically loaded a whole bunch of satellites on a single rocket and deployed them on slightly different orbits, so that they'll spread themselves out as the time goes. Only mid-launch I figured out I could just put three of them on Kerbisynchronous Equatorial Orbit at 120° phase difference :/. Yes, KSP is absolutely amazing for learning t…

is it this one? https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/en/

Post by ceejayoz » Tue, Dec 22, 2015, 2:15 PM UTC

tempestn wrote: post #168

This is so exciting. Not quite a moon landing, but still feels like watching a significant moment in history. Does anyone know what specifically changed to allow a landing attempt on land as opposed to barge? Was it just that they gained enough confidence with the barges that they would at least be able to hit the target (and not crash into a building or something), or was some regulatory clearance received or someth…

Post by pnt12 » Tue, Dec 22, 2015, 2:20 PM UTC

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #302

CamperBob2 wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That, and I want to see an Epic Rap Battle of History between Musk and Bezos some day. It will take a lot of competition and a lot of progress before they have enough dirt to throw at each other.

Hahaha... Thanks, that cheered me up. Someone should totally do rap battles while pretending to be some famous figure. The possibilities are endless. Faux Bill Gates vs Faux Steve Jobs.

Post by bargl » Tue, Dec 22, 2015, 2:29 PM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #353

simonh wrote: post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Technically they only earn the $50m when they use this stage to actually launch another mission. Even then, you'd have to subtract any discount offered to the purchaser of the second mission. I'm not in any way trying to detract from this stunning, tear-inducingly great achievement, but that's the reality.

Why would they offer a discount? The rocket is not going to fly a second time unless it has the same reliability rating as the first. They might end up offering lower cost launches, reducing the margin, but discounts on Nth-launches don't make sense.