Comments on: What really happened this past weekend in American rocketry

By: sippin_bourbon

sippin_bourbon — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 01:56:36 +0000

Meanwhile, Arianespace got a launch of a Vega rocket in this evening.
As I watch the 2nd stage is still pushing.

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 02:04:13 +0000

Edward notes “Freedom begets further freedom.”

And this very year, in this very country, we have seen that the opposite is true.

By: Tim Kyger

Tim Kyger — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 01:12:15 +0000

Very well said. Let Freedom ring!

By: Edward

Edward — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 02:19:04 +0000

Robert wrote: “Before 1800, sailing ships were never expected to sail on any kind of schedule. Ships left port only when their holds were filled with cargo, something that could take weeks and was never set by any timetable.”

Shipping was once at the convenience of the shipping company until competition made it for the convenience of the customer. Today, some of this is happening in the space industry. Costs coming down, and we have shown that we can at least plan for a more rapid launch rate than in the past. We now have a launch company that caters to the small satellite industry, so they can go into the orbit they want and launch when they want rather than piggyback on someone else’s ride to space into someone else’s chosen orbit.

The freedom of the launch companies to compete for customers is giving their customers more freedom to choose their missions. Freedom begets further freedom.

By: john hare

john hare — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 21:20:08 +0000

I suspect (along with many others) than seriously low launch frequency leads to seriously low proficiency, and mechanical problems. Crank your car once every year or two and you will have ample evidence of this, perhaps too much.

By: Steve Golson

Steve Golson — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 19:55:17 +0000

Well said, Bob!

By: Tom Billings

Tom Billings — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:37:50 +0000

“Or they perhaps need to build more launch pads so that they can use good weather days fully.”

More mobile pads *will* be built, floating several 10s of kilometers offshore from the cities they serve. That way the sound of 31 Raptors firing at once won’t cause complaint so often. In addition, the EPA will have less to say about permitting.

“Polar launches will probably not happen from Boca Chica.”

True, but they *can* happen once the operational launch pads are floating as little as 50 kilometers *East* of Boca Chica, which will give them a 640 kilometer throw straight South, for the SuperHeavy Boosters to get turned around in, and get back to their lunch pad. In fact, if the Booster fails to return somehow, and crashes, it will fall in the water exclusively. Other than that, it will give the Mexicans the same sort of show in a sunset-timed launch as L.A. got in the last launch out of Vandenberg, and as the Cubans probably got in the launch Sunday afternoon, …if their security apparatus allowed anyone to look up during the launch.

By: LocalFluff

LocalFluff — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:43:05 +0000

Btw, I read that the Falcon 9 launch Sunday was the first polar orbital launch from Florida in 50 years. Polar launches will probably not happen from Boca Chica.

By: LocalFluff

LocalFluff — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:37:36 +0000

Ships before steam had a narrow “launch window” for visiting East Asia from Europe. They had to follow the seasonal monsoon winds. And if they stayed for the next year, the ship would likely be damaged, even if in port, during the typhoon season. Today orbital mechanics dictate similar timing requirement for interplanetary travel. Earth orbit is much more forgiving.

Boca Chika has better weather than Florida, right? Florida is not ideal for a space port, especially for the high frequency of them we are going to see in the coming years. Or they perhaps need to build more launch pads so that they can use good weather days fully.

“Only two launches last Sunday”… No problem!
I wonder what happened to Delta IV Heavy, it has rarely had problems.