[ExI] SpaceX launch

[Dan]

Thanks for the update. It sounds like an all around success.

What I'm really waiting to see is private launcher to a private space station -- 
not a private launcher that's merely another government contractor.

Regards,

Dan


From: David Lubkin <lubkin at unreasonable.com>
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Wed, December 8, 2010 4:54:01 PM
Subject: Re: [ExI] SpaceX launch

Dan wrote:

> Yahoo says it splashed down and was recovered.

I just watched the press conference with Musk et al on NASA TV. Everything 
worked
better than they'd planned. 17 of 18 engines were fine, 1 burbled. 1 of 3 chutes
needed to land, but all worked. Wanted to land within 10 km of target, looks 
like it
was 800 m. All comm systems worked. Landed within 50 seconds of pre-launch
prediction. Heat shields designed for Mars or lunar re-entry; heated to 1% of 
capacity.
Launched a micro-sat for the Army from the second stage (first Army launch in 50
years). Flight would have been nominal for passengers -- max 5G. NASA said if 
this
went well, they'd okay the next flight going to the ISS; Musk expects this will 
happen.
Only downside is that they didn't get the first stage, but he says that wasn't a 
mission
goal. Coming soon -- LEM-style landing on helipad, retaining the fallback to 
parachute.

-- David.
_______________________________________________
extropy-chat mailing list
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat


      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20101209/f3677283/attachment.html>