Main Engine Cut OffSpaceX has a busy manifest as they close out 2016, including SES-10 which will fly with a “flight-proven” first stage. A few bits of info have come out regarding Blue Origin’s future plans—including flying diverse payloads on New Shepard, and construction of their factory in Florda. Antares’ return-to-flight launch date is still a mystery, and I have a theory about its future engines.
I love the way they call it “flight-proven” instead of reused. It’s like the “certified pre-owned” of the launch industry.
The first launch is just under a month away. It’ll be the first launch for SpaceX from Vandenberg since January. I’m particularly interested in the flight pattern and recovery of this first stage. Last we heard, SpaceX was working on RTLS clearance for Vandenberg flights, and was constructing what looked like their west coast landing zone.
SpaceX has been in need of room to work on recovered boosters since running out of space in their hangar at Pad 39A months ago. More importantly, they need that hangar to support launches from 39A in the next year.
Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of The Mars Society, creator of Mars Direct, and author of The Case for Mars is on the show this week to discuss Mars exploration and colonization internationally, within NASA, and at SpaceX.
During a NASA TV broadcast today, a short video of a Dragon 2 parachute drop test was shown. Someone helpful posted a link to some screenshots over on the r/spacex thread.
SpaceX posted an absolutely fantastic time-lapse video of IDA-2 being removed from Dragon’s trunk. IDA-2 is set for installation bright and early tomorrow morning (6:30 AM Eastern).
NASA selected six companies, as part of the NextSTEP program, to develop ground prototypes of deep space habitats, and the Centaur could live on as a wet workshop. Orbital ATK pushed OA-5 to late September. SpaceX landed yet another stage on the ASDS, and have up to 9 more launches planned for 2016.
Lighter structures mean more payload. More durable structures mean more reuse. There have been several rumors about BFR using composites, and this certainly points in that direction.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Twitter account tweeted a time-lapse video of the crew access arm and white room being lifted to the top of the tower at SLC-41.