If the speeds were hypersonic (greater than Mach 5) down near 80,000 feet, the shockwaves from the nose cones of the side boosters would cut the aluminum center core apart in mere seconds. Hypersonic shock-impingement heating is very high and very, very dangerous. It almost cut the tail off an X-15-A-II at Mach 6 speeds and 120,000 feet, from the spike shock of a scramjet test article fitted to the ventral fin stub. Pete Knight flew that one in 1968. He reached Mach 6.7 peak. The photos of the damage to an Inconel-X airframe structure are horrific. I posted some of them over at exrocketman.blogspot.com.
The shroud provides structural protection from windblast, and acoustic protection from the super-high noise and related vibrations. The insulation is sound insulation, not so much thermal protection insulation.
I don't know what the gas bottles are for, unless they are using cold gas thrusters to separate and jettison the shroud. They already are using cold gas thrusters for attitude control on the first stage boosters they have been recovering.
GW
]]>This could be a form of insulation? At the rapid rate of acceleration and the near hypersonic velocity the Falcon reaches, there could be significant aerodynamic heating. I'm certain the paying customers don't want their satellites barbecued.
]]>An illustration in this article:
https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments … ver_their/
https://www.wired.com/story/watch-space … atellites/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_ … n)#History
Quote:
Extending to use beyond Earth[edit]
Longer-term, SpaceX intends to develop and deploy a version of the satellite communication system that would be used on Mars. In the mid-term, SpaceX is interested in the satcomm system on Earth generating revenue that would be helpful in providing capital for the company's Mars transport project.[7]
The satellites would be mass-produced, at much lower cost per unit of capability than existing satellites. Musk said "We’re going to try and do for satellites what we’ve done for rockets."[32] "In order to revolutionize space, we have to address both satellites and rockets."[5] "Smaller satellites are crucial to lowering the cost of space-based Internet and communications."[8]
So Richard Branson is in the competition. Good.
Two space entrepreneurs announced Internet satellite ventures in the same week. In addition to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announcing this project, serial-entrepreneur Richard Branson announced an investment in OneWeb, a similar constellation with approximately 700 satellites that has already procured communication frequency licenses for their broadcast spectrum.[8][23]
They also intend to offer a generic version of the devices for science missions. I am looking for that reference.
OK, here we go:
https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=SpaceX satellite constellation&item_type=topic
Quote:
SpaceX has plans to also sell satellites that use the same satellite bus and these satellites may be used for scientific or exploratory purposes.[5
So, I don't know how good those satellites might be at gaining more information about Mars, but it is possible they could be applied to it. For instance, perhaps to partially pay for a BFR mission, they could lift some of those to orbit, and cast them out with ion thruster systems. Or they might even carry them part way to Mars, and cast them out with ion thrusters.
Just a thought. Who knows.
Interruption completed.
]]>Nasa is sort of going through some paynes as they look towards manned missions and not so much science. Granted a launch cost reduction of 200 plus million is a boone but Nasa would only eat it up in probe design....
]]>However working within the framework of what SpaceX says it will do, and seeing that this section is for unmanned probes, I tried to find an automated method to compensate for the dangers the porosity of the ice possibly might present.
Oh by the way Spacenut. It is very hard to use a gender neutral word such as "Un-Crewed" or "Un crewed", a hyphen or space.
The spell checker changes it to something not quite appropriate.
If it were true however, perhaps it would be an innocent crew.
]]>The trouble with the FH is its diameter as this makes the rocket taller than it should be and when we want to stack a fuel tank on the top its just not going to work when we need to join a booster onto an assembly of modules for mars.
Edit: man to manned for gender nuetrality meaning body count of crew members present.....
]]>I will suggest that at the minimum they should try to identify a rock "Island" or "Outcropping" to land an automated BFR on.
Then if it were possible, to have the cargo hatch open then a rover might be lowered on a tether to do an inspection of the icy areas.
Maybe.
]]>