August launch date decided for Falcon !

[mrmorris]

SpaceX And NASA Sign Cooperative Agreement On Human Spaceflight Development<br /><br />Not much meat to the article. Basically it's an agreement that allows them to use NASA facilities and share technologies.

 

[najab]

That is one of those innocuous sounding agreements that has HUGE impacts. Basically what it reads as to me is that NASA is considering using SpaceX technology as part of the VSE.

 

[mikejz]

Lets play a hypothetical. Lets say that a Falcon V costs $16 million to launch, and a reusable capsule costs $10 million per flight thats $26 million per manned mission. Do a launch every day and that’s $9.5 Billion (which is awfully close to Nasa annual budget for the shuttle) Of course if you did launch every day, or even every week for that matter—I’m willing to get that the cost of the Falcon would be cut by almost half. In other words, we could get a launch a day for about as much as the shuttle is costing us now—and that’s not taking the economies of scale into consideration.

 

[najab]

><i> Do a launch every day and that’s $9.5 Billion (which is awfully close to Nasa annual budget for the shuttle)...</i><p>Actually, that's about 3 times the Shuttle budget, but your point is still a valid one.</p>

 

[mikejz]

Opps sorry, not sure why I thought It was $9 billion.....

 

[grooble]

But you said it'd be halfed to make $4.7 billion. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <br /><br />Still, what would the astronauts do up in orbit anyway?

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">That is one of those innocuous sounding agreements that has HUGE impacts. Basically what it reads as to me is that NASA is considering using SpaceX technology as part of the VSE.</font>/i><br /><br />Or it could be "shut up" money. Remember last year Musk and SpaceX were complaining bitterly about Kistler getting awarded a similar contract. This contract also comes on the heels of the GAO report that Senators Brownback and Rohrabacher jumped on saying that is shows NASA hasn't looked seriously at shuttle alternatives.<br /><br />But whatever the reasons, this contract right after the recent DOD IDIQ contract for SpaceX is good news for SpaceX. I wish them well.<br /><br />http://www.xprizenews.org/index.php?p=785#more-785<br />http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=12774<br />http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=16986</i>

 

[mrmorris]

The SpaceX update is OUT!

 

[nacnud]

Falcon V first stage hold down test by the end of the year! <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" />

 

[mikejz]

Which coverting to SpaceX time means mid-2008<img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" />

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"I wanna know when he is going to go public..."</font><br /><br />That was actually asked during the interview. He essentially said he wasn't even thinking about it yet. He went on to add that before doing an IPO, a company has to have four(?) years of an external accounting firm doing your books. He also implied that you want the company to be profitable for those four years (unless you're a dot-com, of course...) <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[henryhallam]

<font color="yellow"><br />I wanna know when he is going to go public, there is alot of money to be made there.<br /></font><br />On The Space Show, Musk talked about going potentially public in ~4 to 5 years' time, but as well as a lot of financial and accounting things that are necessary, this also means relinquishing at least some control to the shareholders...

 

[spacefire]

I read the update today. they have some classified contracts as well.<br /><br />I wonder if it all rests on the first launch being successful. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[dream_on]

Hi-ya;newbie here! *waves* <br /><br /> Don't be so hard on SpaceX's delays-fact is, for any of the 'traditional' aerospace devellopers, successfull ground-up design and launch of ONE new booster in 38 months would be an impressive accomplishment. Devellopment and launch from scratch of BOTH a half-ton light and five-ton medium, mostly-reusable(we won't even mention the massive price reduction)launch system-for <= $150 million-in 31/2 yrs.? You don't have to know much about the rocket business(and I know practically nothing!)to understand that Musk and his team are working a minor mirracle if they pull it off, as it seems they likely will. And bear in mind some of their delays have been due simply to scheduling conflicts.<br /><br /> Far from slow, the pace of SpaceX's devellopment and progress have in fact been(to me at least)near-astonishing(Though I admit if I read of one more delay I'm gonna SCREAM!!! :-D)!<br /><br /> Joel

 

[grooble]

Yes, they are doing good. I really like SpaceX. I await with Antici...pation, for a post Falcon 5 rocket spec <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />

 

[dream_on]

You and me both! *Gazes into the distance for a few seconds* Can't wait to see the final K.O. to all the grin-errrrrr skeptics out there who said what they're doing probably couldn't be done privately or on their budget! <br /><br /> *Fidgets* Not that I can't be patient or anything...*looks at callender and sighs*...<br /><br /> Incidently, if someone could help me out here:HOW DO i MAKE THE @*%@! 'Post Icon' TAB POST SMILEY'S INTO MY MESSAGES???!!! *Grrrr* :-D <br /> <br /> Many thanks. <br /><br /> Joel

 

[najab]

Read the FAQ.

 

[dream_on]

I read the FAQ... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <br /><br /> Too hard to explain? :-/<br /><br /> *tick-tock*......*crickets chirping* ..................................................................................................Aaarrrrrgggghhhh IS IT AUGUST YET??!!!! *LOL* <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br /> Joel

 

[grooble]

At least it isn't their fault. More time to make sure everything will be ready and working.

 

[henryhallam]

From the SpaceX website:<br /><i><br />June 24: We were just informed that the Titan IV flight will launch no earlier than September and may very well be delayed until October or November, depending upon what issues arise (due to overflight concerns, Falcon I is required to launch after Titan IV). As a result, you can expect that our first launch will now be from our island launch complex in the Kwajalein Atoll. Nominal launch date is late September.</i>

 

[tap_sa]

What, a Titan IV in <i>California</i> is jamming Falcon launch from <i>Marshall Islands</i>??

 

[nacnud]

No a Titan IV in califonian is jamming a Falcon launch from California. The second Falcon I launch was to be from the Marshall Islands, because of the delay at Vanderberg the second Falcon lanch is now the first.

 

[spacefire]

for budding conspiracy theorists:<br /><br />is this delay of the Titan launch intentional? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[lunatio_gordin]

why is this titan launch holding the other one back? if they aren't launching until october, why can't they still launch at their original date?

 

[bpcooper]

The flight path of the Falcon's launch pad (SLC-3W) overflies the Titan launch pad (SLC-4E) in the few seconds after liftoff. No rocket, untested or fifty years flying, is going to be lit and pass by a billion dollar Titan 4/NRO stack ready to fly. <br /><br />It's always been that way at Vandyland. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>