SpaceX to send privately crewed spacecraft beyond Moon

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rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
Mar 1, 2017 - 02:19pm PT
I was referring to his Tesla and First Solar companies Brokedown, not SpaceX.

If Nasa could send 8 missions, including the crippled 13 with the prehistoric equipment and computers of the 60's, I'm sure Musk can easily do it with today's technology. The Falcon Heavy's lack of adequate testing is a little worrisome though. Wouldn't want to be the first mission.



Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 04:08pm PT
The Falcon Heavy is designed with lots of overkill, and they could conceivably lose up to 3 engines and still carry out the mission. They are mounted on gimbals so the thrust can be vectored to compensate for an engine out problem. There will be no attempt to go into lunar orbit on the flight. Just a simple ballistic return The actual flight path I've seen in the diagrams is sorta' a big figure 8 because ot the distance to moon moves in it's orbit during flight time.
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Mar 1, 2017 - 04:51pm PT
Just a simple ballistic return The actual flight path I've seen in the diagrams is sorta' a big figure 8 because ot the distance to moon moves in it's orbit during flight time.

Sorry, that's what I meant, a slingshot around the moon. So on the return their target is rotating and moving through space. How big is their re-entry window? Again as a layman this sounds pretty hairball.

NASA did it several times with much cruder equipment, so I suppose it's a reasonable assumption. But they also practiced the whole launch thing with heavy rockets a lot more. Saturn V never had a failure unless you count that horrible fire in the spacecraft while they were on the pad as a failure... not really the rocket's fault.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 06:24pm PT
This stuff fascinates me because I started out in college in Aerospace Engineering, but later switched to Chemistry. Yeah, I can still do some of the analytical mechanics involved It's really a 3 body problem that needs computer solution--not pencil and paper. This wouldn't be that trivial with the computational equipment from Apollo days.

Ol' Elon is getting me inspired--maybe my next car will be a Tesla?
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 1, 2017 - 07:05pm PT
Hahaha! A Tesla in Wyoming. Sounds like the start of a B grade horror movie!
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 07:33pm PT
Reilly- For me to even think about it is a grade C horror thought!
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Mar 1, 2017 - 08:31pm PT
I have an old buddy who used to work for NASA on smaller orbital vehicles. Satellite launches and the like. He's really fast with a slide rule.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2017 - 10:57am PT
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

He's really fast with a...what? I haven't seen a slide rule in years!
Mighty Hiker

climber
Outside the Asylum
Mar 5, 2017 - 10:08pm PT
Just for Rodger, jogill, Rich, jstan, and others:
My father in front of a display of slide rules he made for his engineering classes' 50th anniversary reunion. One slide rule for each student - he collected them at rummage, garage, and other sales. It's now hanging at the University of Saskatchewan.

But I wouldn't let him have my trusty Napier's Bones.

Werner: I still have a round slide rule.
WBraun

climber
Mar 5, 2017 - 10:19pm PT
When I was in college I had the round one up on that board ......

I still have my lab notes from those days.

If I still have my round one I'll post its photo here.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2017 - 06:14pm PT
I actually learned to use on when I was still in grade school.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 6, 2017 - 06:45pm PT
You guys - mine would start smokin' when I was doin' trig with it.
Messages 61 - 72 of total 72 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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