You are not logged in.
Some good news for SpaceX! Swedish telecommunications firm Ovzon announced that they have contracted with SpaceX for a late 2020 launch of a yet-to-be-built Geostationary orbit satellite.
Offline
Like button can go here
Only 9 days after Ovzon contacted with SpaceX for a Falcon Heavy launch, Viasat exercised an option they've had in place for several years to have a direct insertion to Geostationary orbit of their communications satellite, Viasat-3, as payload on a Falcon Heavy. See details in the bookmarked article with link below:
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organ … abilities/
This brings the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch manifest to 4!
Last edited by Oldfart1939 (2018-10-31 17:57:09)
Offline
Like button can go here
That just goes to show that they have run the numbers for the first to see if it was capable for there payload. Its a gain in confidence.
Offline
Like button can go here
Build it and they will come...
Offline
Like button can go here
Which means that they need to get into the other parts of the game other than transport...module building, artificail gravity, space farming, mining, tunneling ect....
Offline
Like button can go here
I wonder if they will be able to return the second stage to the surface from wherever the payload is released.
Offline
Like button can go here
Hi Elderflower:
To answer your question: not until such stages have landing legs and payload is sharply reduced to have a propellant allowance for landing. At the very least.
Plus, I rather doubt second stage entry will be possible without a real heat shield. Plasma effective temperatures will be far too high to use the rocket plume as a "heat shield". Plume gases are near 3000 K. At the entry interface point, plasma temperatures will be crudely 8000 K. Even midway through at the peak heating and peak deceleration points, plasma temperatures will be near 4000 K.
Second stage entry from orbit is nothing at all like first stage entry from half or less of orbit speed.
GW
GW Johnson
McGregor, Texas
"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew, especially one dead from a bad management decision"
Offline
Like button can go here
That is why Space X combined the capsule with the stage and morphed it into the BFR....
I think that they should shoot for something that has a capability some where in between the two....
Offline
Like button can go here