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Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:17:54 AM EST
[Last Edit: Neotopiaman] [#1]
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Originally Posted By Grendel-OK:
I mean, what the fuck is NASA actually DOING these days? And why would anyone who is qualified to do this stuff ever want to work for NASA ever again?

Does anyone realistically think that NASA will ever fly any manned missions ever again? Space X will be building weekend condos on Mars while NASA is still driving remote controlled cars around and looking at pebbles.
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JPL has been doing awesome shit, all the recent Mars rovers have been wildly successful.

Orion and SLS is just one giant pork program for various congressional districts and MIC contractors though.

NASA just doesn't need to build or design rockets anymore. It makes as much sense as the FBI building and designing their own cars.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:19:18 AM EST
[#2]
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Originally Posted By Lacoochee:
In America, pipe welders build starships.
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Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:20:44 AM EST
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History


It's an awesome shot
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:29:17 AM EST
[#4]
It still seems like its all taking forever. We went from nothing to the moon in 10 years. We put stuff in orbit and land it back numerous times and slap ourselves on the back like we've never been off the ground before. The last shuttle flight was 8 years ago.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:39:17 AM EST
[#5]
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Originally Posted By Element94:
It still seems like its all taking forever. We went from nothing to the moon in 10 years. We put stuff in orbit and land it back numerous times and slap ourselves on the back like we've never been off the ground before. The last shuttle flight was 8 years ago.
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SpaceX is going pretty fast.

They only successfully launched their first smallsat launcher a decade ago... Basically a big hobby rocket. Now they are re-using boosters and putting 25-30% of the world's launch mass into space, and have a ~70% share of the commercial market. This rocket they are working on will be the biggest rocket ever, ~5000 tonnes at liftoff and 100-150 tonnes to LEO with full reusability.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:42:04 AM EST
[#6]
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvDZsnnX4AIq82s.jpg

They're building a test article for the upper stage similar to the grasshopper they built to test booster landing equipment for the Falcon rocket

Video of Grasshopper
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Finally somebody builds a spaceship that looks like a spaceship.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:44:21 AM EST
[#7]
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Originally Posted By Lacoochee:
In America, pipe welders build starships.
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Originally Posted By Lacoochee:
Originally Posted By Chokey:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvKmsU1V4AE9Xqr.jpg
In America, pipe welders build starships.
In a field.

Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA.

Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:45:20 AM EST
[#8]
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Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret:

In a field.

Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA.

Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship.
View Quote
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:46:16 AM EST
[Last Edit: notso] [#9]
The thing that strikes me about the pics is that this thing is being built in a field. Not in a cleanroom.

I know it is probably just a mock up or test vehicle, but it says something that they are getting space travel out from specialized and into the every day.

When your rocket building contractors just back up to the thing to work on it with tools out of their F250, that just screams "AMERICA" to me.

ETA- Beat thrice.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:47:20 AM EST
[Last Edit: Neotopiaman] [#10]
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Originally Posted By Spade:

Finally somebody builds a spaceship that looks like a spaceship.
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Apparently it's going to be shiny too:

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1077115129055956994

It lands Heinlein style... what's old is new again.

Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:49:05 AM EST
[#11]
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Originally Posted By Rumrunner358:
Neat

but the photo looks like someone building a corn silo
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Ha, that was my first thought.  Rocket?  Looks like a grain silo.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:52:22 AM EST
[#12]
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Originally Posted By midcap:
Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air
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Originally Posted By midcap:
Originally Posted By Variable556:
Originally Posted By rabidus:
Originally Posted By M855Bukkake:
Originally Posted By raven:
I can't wait until we have factories in space.
If BFR works out, why bother? Cheaper to build it here and launch it.
Forging steel in space would be 100x stronger.


Any links or cites?  I've always been curious about any possible differences, but I haven't seen anything substantive.
Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air
How is that different than a Vacuum Arc Remelt?
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:53:28 AM EST
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://i.ibb.co/vYH6Gnh/Expanding-Brain.jpg
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret:

In a field.

Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA.

Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship.
https://i.ibb.co/vYH6Gnh/Expanding-Brain.jpg
To be fair the ones that go into space won't be built in fields

Still awesome though.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 9:54:25 AM EST
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Cole2534:
Ha, that was my first thought.  Rocket?  Looks like a grain silo.
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Originally Posted By Cole2534:
Originally Posted By Rumrunner358:
Neat

but the photo looks like someone building a corn silo
Ha, that was my first thought.  Rocket?  Looks like a grain silo.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 10:33:27 AM EST
[#15]
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 10:34:51 AM EST
[#16]
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 10:42:43 AM EST
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Chokey:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvKmsU1V4AE9Xqr.jpg
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I'm surprised that is being built out in the open on the beach.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 10:46:12 AM EST
[#18]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Rumrunner358:
Neat

but the photo looks like someone building a corn silo
View Quote
Initial thought here as well...
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 10:57:50 AM EST
[Last Edit: Neotopiaman] [#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By HeavyMetal:

The advantage to space is it cools without stratification.  Perpetual free-fall.
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The biggest advantage eventually to manufacturing in space is the orders-of-magnitude increase in resources (in the asteroid belt) and energy (from the sun). Once we can cheaply and reliably get out of the gravity well, industry on a scale that would be totally unimaginable on Earth is possible....
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 11:00:57 AM EST
[#20]
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Originally Posted By raven:
I can't wait until we have factories in space.
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Well apparently Musk builds his rockets outdoors in a field using Genie lifts
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 11:01:51 AM EST
[#21]
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Originally Posted By OFFascist:

I'm surprised that is being built out in the open on the beach.
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This one wont be going to space though, it's basically a testbed for the takeoff and landing equipment.
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 11:06:45 AM EST
[#22]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Chokey:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvKmsU1V4AE9Xqr.jpg
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That's a huge bitch.

Kharn
Link Posted: 12/24/2018 1:49:43 PM EST
[#23]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By ToledoXJ:
Well apparently Musk builds his rockets outdoors in a field using Genie lifts
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Originally Posted By ToledoXJ:
Originally Posted By raven:
I can't wait until we have factories in space.
Well apparently Musk builds his rockets outdoors in a field using Genie lifts
I see two Genies ,  a Skyjack  and two JLG's.

Link Posted: 12/26/2018 11:16:03 PM EST
[#24]


Link Posted: 12/26/2018 11:39:13 PM EST
[#25]
Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret:

In a field.

Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA.

Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship.
View Quote
I worked with a NASA welder back in the early 80's.  He welded on all sorts of good stuff for them.  Yes in clean rooms.   Seeing these pictures of this "rocket" being guilt outside is concerning.  It's not inconel, you have to weld that in a very controlled environment.  Must be a form of stainless, still welding it outside....
Link Posted: 12/26/2018 11:44:06 PM EST
[Last Edit: M855Bukkake] [#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By JohnnyP:
I worked with a NASA welder back in the early 80's.  He welded on all sorts of good stuff for them.  Yes in clean rooms.   Seeing these pictures of this "rocket" being guilt outside is concerning.  It's not inconel, you have to weld that in a very controlled environment.  Must be a form of stainless, still welding it outside....
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By JohnnyP:
Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret:

In a field.

Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA.

Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship.
I worked with a NASA welder back in the early 80's.  He welded on all sorts of good stuff for them.  Yes in clean rooms.   Seeing these pictures of this "rocket" being guilt outside is concerning.  It's not inconel, you have to weld that in a very controlled environment.  Must be a form of stainless, still welding it outside....
The vehicle in the OP is a low-altitude test rocket. It is fine that it is being built in a field.

It's not only being made out of stainless, it's probably not even a particularly advanced alloy. No reason to save weight on a payload-free low altitude test vehicle.

The thing being tested here is landing behavior for that size rocket, landing legs, control systems, etc.
Link Posted: 12/27/2018 9:34:55 AM EST
[#27]
The more pics I see of Spaceship, the more it reminds me of this:



It will be cool to see it fly.
Link Posted: 12/27/2018 10:02:01 AM EST
[#28]
They build the damn thing oustside?
Link Posted: 12/27/2018 10:04:56 AM EST
[#29]
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 7:06:47 PM EST
[#30]
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 7:13:53 PM EST
[#31]
Fucking amazing the speed that Spacex is moving.
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 7:44:02 PM EST
[#32]


Link Posted: 12/28/2018 7:53:38 PM EST
[#33]
What is spacex doing to increase its diversity?
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 7:56:14 PM EST
[#34]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By cplstansfield:
What is spacex doing to increase its diversity?
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Well their owner is African American
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 8:11:07 PM EST
[#35]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Cole2534:
How is that different than a Vacuum Arc Remelt?
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Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Cole2534:
Originally Posted By midcap:

Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air
How is that different than a Vacuum Arc Remelt?
once you have the lift its a lot cheaper to do it with unlimited power with space mirrors, and doing it in a vacuum is far cheaper then making a vacuum.

John Ringo is the only on I have really seen imagine early space industry right.
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 8:20:23 PM EST
[#36]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Orion_Shall_Rise:
once you have the lift its a lot cheaper to do it with unlimited power with space mirrors, and doing it in a vacuum is far cheaper then making a vacuum.

John Ringo is the only on I have really seen imagine early space industry right.
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Originally Posted By Orion_Shall_Rise:
Originally Posted By Cole2534:
Originally Posted By midcap:

Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air
How is that different than a Vacuum Arc Remelt?
once you have the lift its a lot cheaper to do it with unlimited power with space mirrors, and doing it in a vacuum is far cheaper then making a vacuum.

John Ringo is the only on I have really seen imagine early space industry right.
Ringo gets a lot of stuff right.
Link Posted: 12/28/2018 8:35:16 PM EST
[#37]
Been done before

The Old Negro Space Program
Link Posted: 12/29/2018 11:40:09 AM EST
[#38]
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 10:14:14 AM EST
[#39]


She's sprouting Raptor engines!
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 10:18:38 AM EST
[Last Edit: Neotopiaman] [#40]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By tnriverluver:
Fucking amazing the speed that Spacex is moving.
View Quote
SpaceX uses quick iteration and fast failure, which is the same process that got us from rockets being large fireworks displays to less than ten years later walking on the moon.

Oldspace is paralysis by analysis, which is why it has taken a decade to design/build a rocket from shuttle hand-me-downs.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 10:38:26 AM EST
[#41]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=47070.0;attach=1536472;image

She's sprouting Raptor engines!
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I love this shot. Just using a rented telehandler to mount a 3d printed engine.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 10:52:26 AM EST
[#42]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=47070.0;attach=1536472;image

She's sprouting Raptor engines!
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I wonder if those are the subscale development Raptors.  Their production Raptors haven't reached the test stand yet.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 11:08:12 AM EST
[Last Edit: Neotopiaman] [#43]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Pavelow16478:

I wonder if those are the subscale development Raptors.  Their production Raptors haven't reached the test stand yet.
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The engine bells are the right diameter for the full-sized Raptors (1.3m), but they could also be mockups to test the gimballing software/equipment before they install real ones.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 11:35:34 AM EST
[#44]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By SeanTX:
You should be here when they test.
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i wish they would launch something this week.

we are just up the coast
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 11:52:20 AM EST
[#45]
Musk is the maniac we need. A more stable man wouldn't be able to make this happen.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 12:00:31 PM EST
[#46]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:

The engine bells are the right diameter for the full-sized Raptors (1.3m), but they could also be mockups to test the gimballing software/equipment before they install real ones.
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They are also altitude compensating dual bell nozzles if you look closely.  Can't wait to see it fly!
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 12:06:03 PM EST
[#47]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By tileguy1:
Been done before

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6xJzAYYrX8
View Quote


That is one of the funniest videos ever made. I've seen it several times, but can't keep from laughing out loud every time I watch it.  
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 12:09:05 PM EST
[Last Edit: theskuh] [#48]
How many raptors are they putting on the hopper? 7?

eta: I guess just three. Crazy. Really cool.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 1:33:10 PM EST
[Last Edit: arbob] [#49]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:

https://i.imgflip.com/2pp755.jpg
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Back in the early 90`s IIRC one manufacturer actually experimented with having shipyard workers weld together single use rocket engines to try and reduce  launch costs. It apparently worked.

ETA: If NASA turned SLS over to Musk, it would probably be flying already.
Link Posted: 1/1/2019 2:10:45 PM EST
[#50]
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