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SES-10 Mission

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Re: SES-10 Mission

#221

Post by jessaustin »

kilroy123 wrote: post #217
ncallaway wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if you go to the extreme case (the entire rocket is reusable with _no_ refurbishment) the cost of rocket fuel is $200,000 while the approximate cost of the hardware is in the range of $60M. So, in the extreme case it would be _massively_ cheaper. On the order of 99% savings. At the moment, SpaceX is only reusing a portion of the rocket (the first stage, not the second stage or the fairings ). And that re-used p…

I honestly don't think they'll _have_ the chance to enjoy the margins. There will likely be a lot more competition in the future. The Chinese, Russians, Indians, blue origin, vector space systems, and United Launch Alliance finally getting their shit together, trying to do a redesign to better compete.

One could believe the Russians could match this achievement, with enough development effort, if they chose to make that effort, which they won't. All of the other parties you list have many challenges to meet before they attempt to land their rockets on tails of flame.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#222

Post by qaq »

kilroy123 wrote: post #217
ncallaway wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if you go to the extreme case (the entire rocket is reusable with _no_ refurbishment) the cost of rocket fuel is $200,000 while the approximate cost of the hardware is in the range of $60M. So, in the extreme case it would be _massively_ cheaper. On the order of 99% savings. At the moment, SpaceX is only reusing a portion of the rocket (the first stage, not the second stage or the fairings ). And that re-used p…

I honestly don't think they'll _have_ the chance to enjoy the margins. There will likely be a lot more competition in the future. The Chinese, Russians, Indians, blue origin, vector space systems, and United Launch Alliance finally getting their shit together, trying to do a redesign to better compete.

Russians no chance the degree of corruption makes any serious project a guaranteed failure

Re: SES-10 Mission

#223

Post by jessaustin »

vermontdevil wrote: post #170
themgt wrote: post #11

It looked like one of the grid fins got toasted. Will they still be able to stick the landing? fingers crossed edit: and they did it! I was pessimistic for a minute there!

Musk has said SpaceX is working to replace the material with titanium and a new redesign.

Haha everything is better in titanium.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#224

Post by kilroy123 »

vtange wrote: post #4

Does SpaceX have any real competitors in the private sector? Would be a bummer if people decided they were a monopoly of some sort and demanded a break up.

The Russians are doing more private launches with Soyuz and the Indians are also likely to do the same.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#225

Post by derekp7 »

Coincoin wrote: post #209
mpetrovich wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazing. But the video seemed to cut out right before landing.

It always happen right after you can barely see the fire reflecting on the barge. The vibrations from the rocket screws with the satellite connection. We don't have the technology yet to have internet in the middle of the ocean without satellites.

Why not have a small secondary ship parked about a mile away, that can act as a satellite relay? Should be able to maintain a good link over that small distance.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#226

Post by vmasto »

Flame wrote: post #99
david-given wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My heart attack moment was during the launch when I started seeing flame flickering around the tops of the engines... and then I thought to look at the altitude indicator, and realised they were at about 10km, and it was just the plume expanding as the atmospheric pressure dropped.

I got extremely worried when I saw that happen too. I didn't even think to look at the altitude indicator.

I got extremely worried as well and it wouldn't have made a difference looking at the altimeter because I have no idea about how rocket engines behave.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#227

Post by boznz »

Florin_Andrei wrote: post #212
ufmace wrote: post #199

Amazing! I genuinely think that this is a bigger deal than the moon landings. The moon landings were pretty awesome in their own way, but at the end of the day, with the way they were done, it was basically a stunt. None of it put any infrastructure for the long-term access of space into place, or anything to make future moon landings easier. This paves the way for the costs of space flight to be cut in half, or even…

> The moon landings were pretty awesome in their own way, but at the end of the day, with the way they were done, it was basically a stunt. It was a pissing contest between the superpowers. That doesn't mean there's less merit in that. In fact, what they did in the '60s was a heck of a lot harder, achieving so much with less tech, and hewing a new path through a virgin jungle. It simply means - and explains why - tho…

Just need a pissing contest between SpaceX and Blue Origin now and everyone will benefit

Re: SES-10 Mission

#228

Post by quotemstr »

I wonder whether we'll see a surge in on-orbit assembly if it becomes a lot cheaper to do two payload-X launches on reusable rockets than it is to do one payload-2X launch on an expendable rocket. Previously, economies of scale have tilted design toward the single-2X-launch approach.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#229

Post by boznz »

hwillis wrote: post #20
jacquesm wrote: post #8

History was being made today. Super, congratulations to all of SpaceX. Now let's see the landing :) STUCK THE LANDING :) :) :) Apologies to my neighbors who I surely woke up. Hah :) Incredible! Now, will they fly this one again?

That cut to black nearly gave me a damn heart attack haha. Satellite connection lost because rocket exhaust is basically a giant ionized cloud of noise. Elon looks like he hasn't been getting enough sleep or showers, and like he's about to back flip and start happy crying.

Bit worried myself, One of those grid stabilisers on the first stage was definitely melting on the way back (@26mins on Youtube) just before first stage camera went on the fritz.

Re: SES-10 Mission

#230

Post by kilroy123 »

jessaustin wrote: post #221
kilroy123 wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly don't think they'll _have_ the chance to enjoy the margins. There will likely be a lot more competition in the future. The Chinese, Russians, Indians, blue origin, vector space systems, and United Launch Alliance finally getting their shit together, trying to do a redesign to better compete.

One could believe the Russians could match this achievement, with enough development effort, if they chose to make that effort, which they won't. All of the other parties you list have many challenges to meet before they attempt to land their rockets on tails of flame.

I agree it's unlikely. However, they did privatize Roscosmos, so who knows. They might get their shit together.
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