Space - The Final Frontier

[Chuckanut]

Space travel is still dangerous, even when not in space:

SpaceX rocket blows up over Texas - The Washington Post

Thankfully, this was a test vehicle, not the model currently being used to launch payloads into earth orbit.

 

[clifp]

Space travel is still dangerous, even when not in space:

SpaceX rocket blows up over Texas - The Washington Post

Thankfully, this was a test vehicle, not the model currently being used to launch payloads into earth orbit.

Failure is so visible in that business, fortunately nobody was hurt but I bet that cow herd was scared.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Update on progress to transport NASA folks to the space station with US carriers.

NASA Chooses American Companies to Transport U.S. Astronauts to International Space Station | NASA

 

[M Paquette]

Update on progress to NASA folks to the space station with US carriers.

NASA Chooses American Companies to Transport U.S. Astronauts to International Space Station | NASA

The Dragon 2/Falcon 9 stack looks like a good deal. The Boeing CST-100, though... Pricey. I wonder if that includes the adapter to fit an Atlas V? (They were also looking at Delta IV adapters, and a Falcon 9 adapter in case the supply of Russian RD-180 engines for the Atlas got cut back.)

 

[Chuckanut]

It looks like it will be Boeing and SpaceX who will get American astronauts into space on American spacecraft.

NASA Chooses American SpaceX and Boeing to Ferry Astronauts into Space

 

[Free To Canoe]

It looks like it will be Boeing and SpaceX who will get American astronauts into space on American spacecraft.

NASA Chooses American SpaceX and Boeing to Ferry Astronauts into Space

Nice pic of the SpaceX capsule.

 

[Chuckanut]

Interesting choice. The traditional company Boeing got a huge chunk of the cash. SpaceX got about half of what Boeing got. But, Mr Musk claims he can do it cheaper.

The Dream Chaser looked interesting, but they have not managed to impress the NASA folks for some reason.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Always good to have two sources or else you could end up without a ride (like we have now). Who knows, maybe the Boeing cost number is more accurate.

 

[M Paquette]

Never mind.

BBC News - Protest halts Nasa spaceflight plans

TL ; DR - Sierra Nevada Corp protested the contract award. The commercial crew program is on hold at least until the GAO issues a ruling in January 2015.

Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along...

 

[Chuckanut]

The mini-shuttle design is interesting and aesthetically pleasing, but I am not sure what advantage it offers over the SpaceX craft.

 

[clifp]

Never mind.

BBC News - Protest halts Nasa spaceflight plans

TL ; DR - Sierra Nevada Corp protested the contract award. The commercial crew program is on hold at least until the GAO issues a ruling in January 2015.

Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along...

I did find it interesting that India's mars mission at $75 million was about 1/5 the cost of the fairly similar NASA mission, or as the news headlines said less than the cost of the movie Gravity.

I got to believe the NASA bureaucracy, like this example has got to be a big reason for the cost.

 

[Chuckanut]

I did find it interesting that India's mars mission at $75 million was about 1/5 the cost of the fairly similar NASA mission, or as the news headlines said less than the cost of the movie Gravity.

I got to believe the NASA bureaucracy, like this example has got to be a big reason for the cost.

You may be right. That would make the choice of SpaceX's even more significant since Mr. Musk is not known for tolerating expensive nonsense.

 

[M Paquette]

I did find it interesting that India's mars mission at $75 million was about 1/5 the cost of the fairly similar NASA mission, or as the news headlines said less than the cost of the movie Gravity.

I got to believe the NASA bureaucracy, like this example has got to be a big reason for the cost.

The way the two agencies calculate cost of a mission are very different. NASA includes facilities, development, and operational costs that ISRO does not.

 

[Zathras]

I did find it interesting that India's mars mission at $75 million was about 1/5 the cost of the fairly similar NASA mission, or as the news headlines said less than the cost of the movie Gravity.

I got to believe the NASA bureaucracy, like this example has got to be a big reason for the cost.

In addition to how the cost is calculated, the capabilities of the two missions is very different.

 

[unclemick]

I think it is a great idea for NASA to outsource (and subsidize) the routine mission to shuttle supplies (and in the near future Astronauts) to the space station. This free's up resources at NASA to concentrate on bigger projects. Good job!

My Curmudgeon Certificate needs updating. The old plant has Boeing returning(from Apollo days) to build SLS once again welding in the vertical.

Ho hum - shades of the 1968 big dumb booster concept.



heh heh heh - two strap on SRB's (solid rocket boosters) and one hopes a lot evolutionary engineering improvements. Right?

 

[Chuckanut]

It looks like NASA has decided that delaying the commercial crew project might be hazardous to the health of astronauts and the ISS. Sierra Nevada corp will have to fight it out with the GAO while Boeing and SpaceX march forward.

Commercial Crew Program Home Page | NASA

 

[Free To Canoe]

Pics of today's space walk.

Spacewalk Photos: NASA Astronauts Work Outside Space Station (Oct. 15, 2014)

 

[Chuckanut]

If SpaceX can pull this off, it will be quite an achievement. I see that NASA is looking at their techniques since something similar will be needed to land big objects on Mars.

SpaceX to attempt Falcon 9 booster landing on floating platform

 

[Totoro]

Just a few days ago read that the fuel cost of a rocket is only about 200k, a tiny fraction of the total cost.

Didn't realize it was that big of a deal to reuse the launcher. Now I understand Musks obsession with land & reuse.

Hope he keeps on making strides.

 

[Chuckanut]

I believe the big part of reusing the first stage was being able to restart the rocket engines while the vehicle is falling backward into Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds - Mach 5 or above.

 

[Chuckanut]

Well, they are not all successes. Rocketry is still a difficult and unforgiving process.

http://www.space.com/27575-explosio...estroyed-in-critical-launch-mishap-video.html

 

[REWahoo]

Well, they are not all successes. Rocketry is still a difficult and unforgiving process.

Explosion! Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Destroyed In Launch Mishap | Video

Those dang Russians...

Analysts at RBC Capital said that while it's not clear what caused the explosion, "a likely suspect" is the AJ-26 main engine, which are decades-old NK-33 Russian rocket engines that have been refurbished by Aerojet-Rocketdyne, a division of GenCorp, as an option to power the Antares. RBC said one of the AJ-26 engines in fact exploded in May of this year during testing.

RBC says AJ-26 engine a likely suspect for explosion

 

[Chuckanut]

Those dang Russians...

RBC says AJ-26 engine a likely suspect for explosion

Those Russian engines have proved to be very reliable over all. They have successfully launched many American spy satellites that watch among other places, Russia.

Even Elon Musk first attempted to purchase Russian missals for his space plans. The story goes that he was treated badly by the Russians, mocked for being a 'rich boy', and then they tripled the price.

So, instead he started his own rocket company.

 

[REWahoo]

Even Elon Musk first attempted to purchase Russian missals for his space plans.

I don't think he'd have a prayer of getting anything into orbit using those instructions...

 

[clifp]

Man that was quite an explosion. I also think part of the challenge of rocket science is the failures are so highly visible.

I am wondering would any of the proposed escape pods have been able to separate a manned capsule from that early of an explosion?