SpaceX launch set for February 9th

[mikejz]

I think the surprising part was WHO thought it was easier than it turned out to be, remember Musk recruited some great people already in aerospace. <br /><br />If i remember right, he also hired one of the heads of the Delta IV team.

 

[mikejz]

Video of the test firing:<br />http://mfile.akamai.com/22165/wmv/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/F1StaticFireClip.asx

 

[jschaef5]

I don't want to sound like I'm agianst SpaceX or anything, I think its great what they are trying to do but if they are having this many problems getting it off the ground, how many problems will there be after it takes off?<br /><br />I think in this case they should have followed what Scaled Composites does, keep everything quiet until you are sure you are go for launch.<br /><br />But then again they want publicity since they are trying to take on a couple giant companies. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[mlorrey]

Scaled historically just doesn't do marketing or PR to the level that people in the dot com start up world are used to. Also being that SpaceX is in town while Scaled is way out in Mojave automatically means reporters are going to flock to one and see going to the other as a chore.

 

[cretan126]

They didn't do a "full duration" burn at VAFB last May. It was limited to 5 seconds. http://www.spacex.com/index.html?section=updates&content=http%3A//www.spacex.com/updates.php<br /><br />It took them several attempts to pull that off, as well. <br />

 

[cretan126]

Yep, according to SpaceX, they have "exceptionally stringent hiring criteria." However, I'm not overlly impressed with the puffed-up resumes of "SpaceX People" on their web site. I have no doubt they are smart, capable, and hard working - particularly given the carrot of promised riches in SpaceX stock. However, in general, they are either second-tier managers from large aerospace companies (mostly Boeing) or come from somewhat academic backgrounds (with limited practical application to actually launching rockets). My $0.02.

 

[mikejz]

I am almost sure the burn time was related to the very simple pad at the island compared to Vandyland.<br /><br />Looking at the pad on Omelek, it almost looks like a V-2 style pad. There is no flame pit and limit water system--and what appears to be a heavy metal thrust deflector. <br /><br />The Vandy pad based on appearences is far more capable, and so should be able to stage longer hold-down firings.<br /><br />I bet they limitd it to one second just incase they had bad luck and a Viking style hold down firing happened.

 

[spacefire]

the Redstone is a V2 <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[cretan126]

The Vandenberg pad is a former Atlas pad (SLC-3W), so it is definately more capable. Launching from a flat pad, while simple in infrastructure, creates a host of challenges in acoustics and dynamic interactions at ignition. BTW: Falcon 1 is pretty much a recreation of an early Thor (predecessor to Delta), so using the vintage Atlas pad is both somehow appropriate - and simultaneously ironic.