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SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

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Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#61

Post by [deleted] »

bennyg wrote: post #49
suprgeek wrote: post #15

While this feat depends on hitting a lot of intermediate milestones - Falcon Heavy Test, Crew Dragon Unmanned to ISS, Crew Dragon manned to ISS, etc, there is no "show-stopper" that is apparent right now. I like how they have avoided committing to the much harder "landing on the Moon and then return" scenario.

Everyone's always so cynical... They're sending (presumably) two non-astronauts further than any humans have ever been. I assume there will be future milestones that probably include landing on the moon to test the Mars landing.

[deleted]

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#62

Post by olex »

trafficlight wrote: post #16
ktta wrote: post #12

I wonder if it is going to be only two people who are going to go. Will they add more people if they come forward with significant amount of money too? Seems to me like the cost of taking in another person will be negligible in comparison to the funding they could contribute. This is literally a one-in-a-lifetime experience

Probably not a ton of extra space for a multi-day trip?

That's probably it. Not as much space I think, but life support for an extended period of time. This is one key difference between Dragon/CST-100 and Orion: the latter is designed for extended deep space travel with full crew, and can support them accordingly, while the former are primarily LEO taxis with more limited deep space capabilities.

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#63

Post by nickik »

bennyg wrote: post #49
suprgeek wrote: post #15

While this feat depends on hitting a lot of intermediate milestones - Falcon Heavy Test, Crew Dragon Unmanned to ISS, Crew Dragon manned to ISS, etc, there is no "show-stopper" that is apparent right now. I like how they have avoided committing to the much harder "landing on the Moon and then return" scenario.

Everyone's always so cynical... They're sending (presumably) two non-astronauts further than any humans have ever been. I assume there will be future milestones that probably include landing on the moon to test the Mars landing.

Landing on the moon to "test" the Mars landing makes almost no sense. The a moon is just to different, landing on mars can be trained much better on Earth or on Mars itself.

The simuliertes are not enough to make it sensible if you don't have another reason to land on the moon too.

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#64

Post by ashark »

bennyg wrote: post #49
suprgeek wrote: post #15

While this feat depends on hitting a lot of intermediate milestones - Falcon Heavy Test, Crew Dragon Unmanned to ISS, Crew Dragon manned to ISS, etc, there is no "show-stopper" that is apparent right now. I like how they have avoided committing to the much harder "landing on the Moon and then return" scenario.

Everyone's always so cynical... They're sending (presumably) two non-astronauts further than any humans have ever been. I assume there will be future milestones that probably include landing on the moon to test the Mars landing.

Have they said they'll test Martian equipment with Lunar landings? I'd guess it'd make a pretty poor testing ground, considering the cost of getting there.

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#65

Post by bplsports92 »

Svezik wrote: post #58
rhcom2 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also the moon is pretty boring and Elon Musk likes exciting things.

Making an automobile that people actually want to buy would be exciting.

I assume this is a joke?

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#66

Post by easytiger »

MrZongle2 wrote: post #32
runesoerensen wrote: post #5

> We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year. They have already paid a significant deposit to do a moon mission. Can't wait to hear who booked this trip! Definitely one of the coolest ways to spend a lot of superfluous money :)

Maybe Richard Garriot wants to survey his property ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garriott#Other_accompl... ) from near-lunar orbit. ;)

interestingly his wife was president of a (now failed) space tech company:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_Dynamics

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#67

Post by olex »

dwringer wrote: post #28
suprgeek wrote: post #15

While this feat depends on hitting a lot of intermediate milestones - Falcon Heavy Test, Crew Dragon Unmanned to ISS, Crew Dragon manned to ISS, etc, there is no "show-stopper" that is apparent right now. I like how they have avoided committing to the much harder "landing on the Moon and then return" scenario.

We choose to not go to the moon, but do the other things, not because they are hard, but because they are relatively easy, and we can make a quick buck.

"Relatively" being very much a keyword here. Nothing about sending two people around the moon is easy, there's a reason it hasn't been done in several decades.

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#68

Post by biosoup »

janywer wrote: post #59
biosoup wrote: post #40

I'm gonna make my tip, given Elon's history: Sergey Brin and Larry Page Two of his freind rich enough, geeky enough, to go first.

just imagine the effects on Alphabet's stock price

they don't care, they own majority of voting rights and almost the stocks itself

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#69

Post by biosoup »

schwarrrtz wrote: post #50
biosoup wrote: post #40

I'm gonna make my tip, given Elon's history: Sergey Brin and Larry Page Two of his freind rich enough, geeky enough, to go first.

Something tells me they wouldn't both go on the same trip, given the risk.

yeah, their insurance company would be furious :)

Re: SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year

#70

Post by achamayou »

suprgeek wrote: post #15

While this feat depends on hitting a lot of intermediate milestones - Falcon Heavy Test, Crew Dragon Unmanned to ISS, Crew Dragon manned to ISS, etc, there is no "show-stopper" that is apparent right now. I like how they have avoided committing to the much harder "landing on the Moon and then return" scenario.

Well, they haven't got a lander for one thing. The Apollo LM had its design finalised in '63, and only flew in '65. SpaceX would surely do it quicker now, with the benefit of experience, but from scratch to operations in a year for such a unique vehicle is quite unrealistic.
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