The final flight of the Space Shuttle

[564826]

My wife and I are watching it as we speak.

[mstng86]

hickup

[Sgt Beavis]

Just a computer glitch. Looks like a perfect launch so far.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

4 miles per second... that's movin

[2165 Turbo Rail]

now at 15k mph

[jdgregory84]

Ok I was lead to believe we are stopping all space flight. In reality we are jsut taking a break to design and build better spacecraft.

Yeah. Apparently the technology in most videogame consoles is more advanced than what was being used on the space shuttle.

[GhostTX]

The Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX. NASA spent only $250million to develop both and they have already flown. The Dragon capsule was meant to deliver cargo to the space station but SpaceX had the foresight to also design it so it could be modified for manned flight. NASA has funded them with another $92Million to develop an escape system under the new CCDev program.

The CCDev program is also leading to the creation of the CT100 capsule from Boeing and a small lifting body design from a company called Serria Nevada.

The great thing is that NASA isn't outright paying for these. They are providing seed money for their development and will later buy services for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) access. So far NASA has spent about $500Million for these manned spacecraft.

Compare that to the cancelled Constellation program. They spent a total of $11billion and have little to show for it. The Orion spacecraft has since been renamed the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and is still be worked on. The idea is that the MPCV will be used for flights beyond LEO.

Oh, BTW, this is how innovative private industry can be. SpaceX built that Falcon 9 rocket with relatively little money from the government. However they also modified the design so that they can strap three of the rockets together to create Falcon Heavy. This rocket will fly late next year. It can lift TWICE the cargo of the Space Shuttle and about half of what the Saturn V used to lift. All that for a fraction of the cost.

Oh, rockets, yes. I was thinking along the lines of manned, reusable aircraft again.

[GhostTX]

Yeah. Apparently the technology in most videogame consoles is more advanced than what was being used on the space shuttle.

If I remember right, the shuttle had Intel 386's in them.

[Sgt Beavis]

Oh, rockets, yes. I was thinking along the lines of manned, reusable aircraft again.

The first stage of Falcon 9 is designed to be reusable, though they are still working the kinks out on that one. Dragon is reusable for several flights.

The cost of a single Falcon 9 and manned Dragon launch is expected to be around $70million. Dragon can carry 7 astronauts, just like the Shuttle. A single Shuttle flight cost about $400Million, but when you add in the cost of the entire STS program over it's 30 year life, it comes out to $1.2 or $1.4BILLION per flight.

The Russians are charging $50 Million PER SEAT.

Also, Falcon Heavy, which can launch TWICE as much cargo (120,000lbs) as a Shuttle (53,000lbs), is expected to cost up to $125Million per launch (Space X says it could be as little as $80million). Everyone in the rocket industry is shaking in their boots at that number because it is less than half what they charge. It also closes in on the $1000 per pound barrier that the Shuttle was originally supposed to shatter. SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, states that they will break $1000 per pound if they can maintain a launch rate of 4 Falcon heavies per year. He also believes that they can get the price down to near $500 per pound if they can get a higher launch rate.

The Chinese can't even get it done that cheap. They even admitted they were amazed at what SpaceX has done.

I should mention that Boeing's space craft can be launched on Falcon 9 as well. The lifting body design being put up by Sierra Nevada (called Dream Chaser) is a mini shuttle of sorts and is designed to use the more expensive Atlas V rocket.

[Ted]

So what exactly happens with NASA?

[Sgt Beavis]

So what exactly happens with NASA?

A shit load of layoffs..

[ram57ta]

Yeah. Apparently the technology in most videogame consoles is more advanced than what was being used on the space shuttle.

Dude...the technology in most smartphones is more advanced than what the Shuttle fleet was using.

[GhostTX]

The first stage of Falcon 9 is designed to be reusable, though they are still working the kinks out on that one. Dragon is reusable for several flights.

The cost of a single Falcon 9 and manned Dragon launch is expected to be around $70million. Dragon can carry 7 astronauts, just like the Shuttle. A single Shuttle flight cost about $400Million, but when you add in the cost of the entire STS program over it's 30 year life, it comes out to $1.2 or $1.4BILLION per flight.

The Russians are charging $50 Million PER SEAT.

Also, Falcon Heavy, which can launch TWICE as much cargo (120,000lbs) as a Shuttle (53,000lbs), is expected to cost up to $125Million per launch (Space X says it could be as little as $80million). Everyone in the rocket industry is shaking in their boots at that number because it is less than half what they charge. It also closes in on the $1000 per pound barrier that the Shuttle was originally supposed to shatter. SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, states that they will break $1000 per pound if they can maintain a launch rate of 4 Falcon heavies per year. He also believes that they can get the price down to near $500 per pound if they can get a higher launch rate.

The Chinese can't even get it done that cheap. They even admitted they were amazed at what SpaceX has done.

I should mention that Boeing's space craft can be launched on Falcon 9 as well. The lifting body design being put up by Sierra Nevada (called Dream Chaser) is a mini shuttle of sorts and is designed to use the more expensive Atlas V rocket.

Ok...now that's some cool info there.

[32vfromhell]

A shit load of layoffs..

and a bleeding of talent

[Gargamel]

Dream Chaser:



Dragon Capsule: