Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Musk: SpaceX to Attempt Falcon 9 First Stage Water Landing
Parabolic Arc ^ | March 28, 2013 | Doug Messier

Posted on 04/01/2013 6:12:17 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 last
To: driftdiver
Looks like Musk is doing it with the Dragon 9.

And he only gets paid for meeting contract milestones. He doesn't get paid for doing studies.

/johnny

61 posted on 04/01/2013 7:21:52 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
With a system more complicated you end up with mission failure.

And I wouldn't call Columbia and Challenger mission successes.... Your way kills people and wastes billions.

/johnny

62 posted on 04/01/2013 7:24:05 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

Good grief, they had a hell of a lot of successes as well


63 posted on 04/01/2013 7:28:21 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

I wonder if you or I could get one of those contracts.

No existing company, no past performance, no product, no knowledge of the process.

Yeah thats a sweetheart deal you are defending.


64 posted on 04/01/2013 7:30:13 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
And a lot of failures, including Gissom, Young, and Chaffee.

NASA has screwed the pooch a LOT because of institutionalized thinking.

NASA didn't build those spacecraft. They hired contractors to that they didn't watch. They let a test go on with men inside at 15 PSI O2 with crap wiring in a flakey spacecraft.

No... I'll never be convinced that government can do a better job of providing transportation from point a to point b.

I've ridden in a C-130 and a 747, one government, one commercial. I know which one was better and safer.

/johnny

65 posted on 04/01/2013 7:36:02 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
I wonder if you or I could get one of those contracts.

It's not that much of a deal, if you look at the financials. Musk dropped $100 million into it. Other folks dropped in about another $100 million of private capitalization.

I know I can't put $100M into a company, I have ex-wives. Can you?

Musk started this in 2002. They do get progress payments for meeting milestones. It's 2013, and cap is around $1B or so, last I heard.

/johnny

66 posted on 04/01/2013 7:44:14 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

“I’ve ridden in a C-130 and a 747, one government, one commercial. I know which one was better and safer.”

LOL. Why don’t you compare apples and chainsaws? They are both associated with trees.


67 posted on 04/01/2013 8:15:22 PM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: Bryan24
Because that's a bad comparison. Both are meant for transporting humans and equipment. One is commercial, one is government. One turns a profit, one drinks blood and treasure.

Lives have been lost on both.

I know which one I'd prefer to ride.

There isn't any profit in dead customers for the commercial side.

/johnny

68 posted on 04/01/2013 8:25:12 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper
I've ridden in a C-130 and a 747, one government, one commercial. I know which one was better and safer.

Now just a bleepin second.

Did the government make the C-130?

69 posted on 04/01/2013 8:42:57 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Hey RATS! Control your murdering freaks.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: ROCKLOBSTER
Nope... but they spec'ed it and contracted for it. For too much. And didn't do a bad job for a device made to kill people and break things, or further those goals.

I know which one I'd ride in, if I was forced to ride in an aircraft again. And I'd pay for the upgrade to first class.

/johnny

70 posted on 04/01/2013 8:48:40 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper
a device made to kill people and break things,

A C-130 is a cargo plane.

71 posted on 04/01/2013 8:55:51 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Hey RATS! Control your murdering freaks.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: Vince Ferrer
This is a big deal.

Wow. This is the definition of Big Deal. Thanks for the post. BTTT.
72 posted on 04/01/2013 8:58:12 PM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ROCKLOBSTER
It is made to also carry people. Very, very badly. In cheap lawn chair kind of seats that shake your kidneys out through your ears.

They also have variants with very, very large weapons in them. Like 155s. And bofors. Thumpy stuff.

So yes, they were designed and spec'ed to carry cargo and passengers in the use of killing people and breaking things, but they also do some serious killing and breaking all their own.

/johnny

73 posted on 04/01/2013 9:01:57 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper
They also have variants with very, very large weapons in them.

AC-130.

74 posted on 04/01/2013 9:05:16 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Hey RATS! Control your murdering freaks.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
Why do you guys celebrate this Obama bundler getting these sweet deals?

If we measured someone's worth by their politics we'd be democrats. They are the ones who consider political influence to be more important that achievement.

Paypal and SpaceX are great businesses, and Falcon/Dragon is a far cheaper way to orbit than the shuttle was. So the founder of those businesses is an idiot in his politics. That doesn't change the value of those businesses.

75 posted on 04/01/2013 9:06:44 PM PDT by hopespringseternal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Vince Ferrer
"During the initial test, the first stage will continue on a ballistic arc and execute a velocity reduction burn to cushion its re-entry into the atmosphere, the SpaceX chief said. Just before splashdown, the rocket will light up its engines again."

Ouch... Not good for the hot section parts. Since the bell nozzles are ablative, they would be replaced anyway, but when the hot combustors hit that salt water... Ouch...

76 posted on 04/02/2013 5:34:01 AM PDT by Freeport (The proper application of high explosives will remove all obstacles.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hopespringseternal

“If we measured someone’s worth by their politics we’d be democrats. They are the ones who consider political influence to be more important that achievement. “

So you like corruption and helping those who would be happy to see you jailed for your beliefs. Good to know.

As for the cost of Spacex. Sure its cheaper then the shuttle. Thats to be expected for a platform with a fraction of the capability of the shuttle or many other existing platforms.

We are in a fight for our lives and our freedoms. If you are ok with those who seek to take our freedoms then you are the enemy.


77 posted on 04/02/2013 6:42:56 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

So you’re ok with “fly then fix” for SpaceX and the failures which that introduces but use the failures of NASA to condemn them?

kinda hypocritical

Comparing a C-130 to a 747 is laughable.


78 posted on 04/02/2013 6:45:03 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: Freeport

I don’t think they will be recovering the stages from the water for reuse in these flights. They just want to reduce the speed down to near zero before it hits the water..


79 posted on 04/02/2013 8:06:23 AM PDT by Vince Ferrer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson