[QUOTE=Morgen;50212993]
[media]https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/725365200098988032[/media][/QUOTE]
Bigelow could help with that issue.
[QUOTE=OvB;50213030]Bigelow could help with that issue.[/QUOTE]
Bigelow just announced a big partnership with ULA so who knows if they would. SpaceX also has the MCT coming up which they will announce officially in September.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50213053]Bigelow just announced a big partnership with ULA so who knows if they would. SpaceX also has the MCT coming up which they will announce officially in September.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, SpaceX will probably use their own hardware, but I can't imagine Bigelow would say no if SpaceX asked. After all, a ton of the Bigelow renders show Dragons, CTS making use of it.
[QUOTE=OvB;50213086]Yeah, SpaceX will probably use their own hardware, but I can't imagine Bigelow would say no if SpaceX asked. After all, a ton of the Bigelow renders show Dragons, CTS making use of it.[/QUOTE]
Bigelow is a bit of a weird company. The CEO publicly endorsed Trump after Trump made comments about space flight not being important right now.
I'm pretty excited that they're announcing this- for Musk to say that they're going to make the first full test flight a mars mission is huge, but then scheduling it for 2 years from now is an even more interesting development. I wonder if the MCT's coming along in development faster than we know...
This is actually an incredible marketing ploy, he's basically saying he has a ready made very large space probe ready to launch anywhere you want
Very smart
Between this and the Bigelow module that was just attached to the ISS, this is a super exciting time for space travel.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50213053]Bigelow just announced a big partnership with ULA so who knows if they would. SpaceX also has the MCT coming up which they will announce officially in September.[/QUOTE]
IIRC they partnered with ULA because Falcon 9's largest fairing is still too small for full-size BEAM
[QUOTE=winsanity;50213723]IIRC they partnered with ULA because Falcon 9's largest fairing is still too small for full-size BEAM[/QUOTE]
Yeah, they said SpaceX wasn't an option because of the fairing size. I believe SpaceX has said that custom fairings are possible in the future though, the current fairing isn't even large enough to fully use the Falcon Heavies mass capabilities. Satellites generally expand in volume quite a bit to add mass rather than density wise.
They threw this up on [URL="https://www.facebook.com/SpaceX/photos/a.10150303260090131.563831.353851465130/10157374125640131/?type=3&permPage=1"]their Facebook page[/URL] earlier.
"Recently tested Dragon 2’s SuperDraco propulsive landing system at our McGregor, TX facility. Key for Mars landing"
[t]https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/13096354_10157374125640131_4596613280549138563_n.jpg?oh=e32907a24c98516c7273f9dff3257baf&oe=57BFB956&__gda__=1471892155_c075051fff322209187b6b65f7553dcc[/t]
You know, I'm not so sure. Same with all the hype on 'we'll land on mars in 2030' or something. I doubt it'll happen so soon.
Besides, we should try the moon first before hitting for mars
[QUOTE=Bradyns;50214803]They threw this up on [URL="https://www.facebook.com/SpaceX/photos/a.10150303260090131.563831.353851465130/10157374125640131/?type=3&permPage=1"]their Facebook page[/URL] earlier.
"Recently tested Dragon 2’s SuperDraco propulsive landing system at our McGregor, TX facility. Key for Mars landing"
[t]https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/13096354_10157374125640131_4596613280549138563_n.jpg?oh=e32907a24c98516c7273f9dff3257baf&oe=57BFB956&__gda__=1471892155_c075051fff322209187b6b65f7553dcc[/t][/QUOTE]
Gif of it:
[media]https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/725395026583285761[/media]
[editline]27th April 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=Ignhelper;50214842]You know, I'm not so sure. Same with all the hype on 'we'll land on mars in 2030' or something. I doubt it'll happen so soon.
Besides, we should try the moon first before hitting for mars[/QUOTE]
SpaceX actually hopes to land people on Mars as soon as 2025 last I heard. The moon might be closer but it doesn't really offer a lot compared to Mars in the long term. Mars can be terraformed eventually and become a real second home for Humanity.
[QUOTE=Ignhelper;50214842]You know, I'm not so sure. Same with all the hype on 'we'll land on mars in 2030' or something. I doubt it'll happen so soon.
Besides, we should try the moon first before hitting for mars[/QUOTE]
The Dragons right around the corner, the Falcon Heavy will be here this year, It's just a matter of attaching the two and waiting for Mars to be in the right spot for a prime launch window. The thing will never come back and no one will be going with it. It reminds me of Elon's original plans before SpaceX of putting a greenhouse on Mars. Wonder if he'll try the same in this.
[QUOTE=OvB;50214916]The Dragons right around the corner, the Falcon Heavy will be here this year, It's just a matter of attaching the two and waiting for Mars to be in the right spot for a prime launch window. The thing will never come back and no one will be going with it. It reminds me of Elon's original plans before SpaceX of putting a greenhouse on Mars. Wonder if he'll try the same in this.[/QUOTE]
NASA did have a concept mission of using Dragon to do a sample return from Mars. So maybe they will working something out?
Seems optimistic, funding for space tech is incredibly low and most people have little interest in it, and trump is saying it isn't important, pathetic.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;50215019]Seems optimistic, funding for space tech is incredibly low and most people have little interest in it, and trump is saying it isn't important, pathetic.[/QUOTE]
SpaceX is a private company. NASA funding obviously helps but they can get things done privately.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50214963]NASA did have a concept mission of using Dragon to do a sample return from Mars. So maybe they will working something out?[/QUOTE]
Didn't that involve putting a little missile launcher on the Dragon that launched the sample back into orbit, and not actually made with the engineering advice of SpaceX?
[QUOTE=OvB;50215076]Didn't that involve putting a little missile launcher on the Dragon that launched the sample back into orbit, and not actually made with the engineering advice of SpaceX?[/QUOTE]
It had a engine on the bottom of it I believe iirc. It didn't involve SpaceX though.
In other news the Space X coffee budget has been increased.
[QUOTE=Morgen;50213155]Bigelow is a bit of a weird company. The CEO publicly endorsed Trump after Trump made comments about space flight not being important right now.[/QUOTE]
[URL="https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Reviews/Bigelow-Aerospace-Reviews-E373179.htm?&countryRedirect=true"]check the glassdoor reviews on Bigelow[/URL]. Thier management sounds all messed up and it looks like the owner is suffering from Alzheimer's.
[QUOTE=Whomobile;50215966][URL="https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Reviews/Bigelow-Aerospace-Reviews-E373179.htm?&countryRedirect=true"]check the glassdoor reviews on Bigelow[/URL]. Thier management sounds all messed up and it looks like the owner is suffering from Alzheimer's.[/QUOTE]
that whole company is exiciting and depressing at the same time
all their tech is just discarded nasa tech, but their goal is pretty damn good, at the same time it came 15 years too early
[QUOTE=Morgen;50228988][Media]https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/726217881080320000[/media][/QUOTE]
That's a little optimistic though, sure it can land but it would have to discard it's trunk to do so which would mean it needs some kind of alternative power source to return home with, and even then, nobody has ever tried lifting off from the Martian surface, let alone dong a burn back to earth
[QUOTE=Sableye;50229004]That's a little optimistic though, sure it can land but it would have to discard it's trunk to do so which would mean it needs some kind of alternative power source to return home with, and even then, nobody has ever tried lifting off from the Martian surface, let alone dong a burn back to earth[/QUOTE]
The solar panels are on the trunk yeah but the capsule has its own batteries. Maybe it could enter a deep sleep during the transit back or burn in such a way that it would just get captured by earth's gravity. Maybe if it can get into Mars orbit on its own you could have a second rocket take it home?
[QUOTE=Morgen;50229090]The solar panels are on the trunk yeah but the capsule has its own batteries. Maybe it could enter a deep sleep during the transit back or burn in such a way that it would just get captured by earth's gravity. Maybe if it can get into Mars orbit on its own you could have a second rocket take it home?[/QUOTE]
Na, no probe could go the minimum 9 month transit back on battery power alone, it would have to be a seriously modified dragon to do it, but maybe they use a docked power module with solar panels or something, but it's a real stretch to say yes it can fly there and back out of the box, and then while you're at it, why even bother with a fully pressure capable lander like that when you could scrap several hundred pounds and just use a purpose built probe with a sample return capsule instead, then you need less engines, less fuel, and you can have solar panels on the lander itself, like it's not really practical.
Using the red dragon as a lander is perfectly obtainable, it could have a fold out solar array and everything and even deliver a Rover, but like I said, return missions, kind of far fetched without some serious modifications
What if elon doesn't mean the complete capsule coming back but just a small probe launched from it?
You also need a return booster to get it out of low mars orbit then a transfer burn, which creates some major logistical issues when you start having to size everything up. Falcon heavy is their biggest rocket and it can't carry that payload
Musk is usually overly optimistic about stuff but hes pushed booster tech more in just a few years from what hasn't changed since the late 70's so you gotta give him some credit.
[QUOTE=OvB;50214916]The Dragons right around the corner, the Falcon Heavy will be here this year, It's just a matter of attaching the two and waiting for Mars to be in the right spot for a prime launch window. The thing will never come back and no one will be going with it. It reminds me of Elon's original plans before SpaceX of putting a greenhouse on Mars. Wonder if he'll try the same in this.[/QUOTE]
Let's see if they'll actually launch the heavy this year, it's been delayed a few times already. Though I think they could accomplish this if they want to, and it's gonna be totally badass.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;50215019]Seems optimistic, funding for space tech is incredibly low and most people have little interest in it, and trump is saying it isn't important, pathetic.[/QUOTE]
Tbh space isn't anywhere near being a high priority right now. There are far more important things for governments to be concerned about. However if the private sector wants to invest in it, then by all means they should.
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