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It might be possible but it seems clear from what I've read that BFR is going to be the lunar vehicle for Space X. Reading between the lines, I think Musk has written off Falcon 9 Heavy as a learning exercise. It may have a few launches to Earth orbit before BFR is proved out but that's all I expect.
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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SpaceX has 2 more FH launches on the 2018 flight manifest; I don't see that program being terminated anytime soon, and probably 4 to 7 HF missions per year until BFR/BFS is CERTIFIED.
Last edited by Oldfart1939 (2018-06-04 09:38:47)
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Re: Falcon Heavy: IMHO, the FH can still serve a useful function as a "fall-back" vehicle should the development and certification of the BFS/BFR begin dragging. As I've said separately on another thread, FH could still be utilized for a stop-gap Mars lander program using the Red Dragon concept.
"Never throw out the bathwater until checking that the baby has been removed."
Last edited by Oldfart1939 (2018-06-04 09:44:40)
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As stated before, don't expect BFR to be ready to carry passengers in less than 10 years. That's according to Gwynne Shotwell.
I posted before my plan for the Moon. Similar to this, but not the same. My lunar lander would be single stage and reusable. And I would launch Dragon on Falcon Heavy, not a separate Falcon 9. The third stage would have 3 jobs: Lunar Orbit Insertion, propellant transfer to refuel the lunar module, and crasher stage to de-orbit the lunar module. Interesting solution though. This video showed all core stages return for reuse. And the lunar module would return side boosters to launch site, central core to a drone ship. Their second launch of Falcon Heavy showed all boosters return to drone ships. I calculated the second Falcon Heavy would return side boosters to drone ships, but the central state would have to be expended. That's to get enough lift for the larger 3rd stage; Falcon Heavy upper stage would still be used for TLI.
Launching Dragon in a separate Falcon 9 may allow all core stages to be reused. And in the video of Moon Direct, Robert Zubrin said SpaceX doesn't plan to man-rate Falcon-Heavy. However, this video shows a problem. It shows Dragon docking with the 3rd stage using it's nose docking port. Then how do you dock to the LM? The Kerbal video shows Dragon separating from the 3rd stage in Lunar orbit, but with my plan it must remain attached so the crasher stage can transfer from Dragon to LM.
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I didn't mean to suggest the FH9 won't be used - it will. But I think as soon as it can be phased out and replaced by the BFR, it will. If Musk's "aspirational" timeline is achieved that could be as early as 2021.
SpaceX has 2 more FH launches on the 2018 flight manifest; I don't see that program being terminated anytime soon, and probably 4 to 7 HF missions per year until BFR/BFS is CERTIFIED.
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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