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Originally Posted By Grendel-OK:
I mean, what the fuck is NASA actually DOING these days? And why would anyone who is qualified to do this stuff ever want to work for NASA ever again? Does anyone realistically think that NASA will ever fly any manned missions ever again? Space X will be building weekend condos on Mars while NASA is still driving remote controlled cars around and looking at pebbles. Orion and SLS is just one giant pork program for various congressional districts and MIC contractors though. NASA just doesn't need to build or design rockets anymore. It makes as much sense as the FBI building and designing their own cars. |
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
Originally Posted By Lacoochee:
In America, pipe welders build starships.
It's an awesome shot |
| It still seems like its all taking forever. We went from nothing to the moon in 10 years. We put stuff in orbit and land it back numerous times and slap ourselves on the back like we've never been off the ground before. The last shuttle flight was 8 years ago. |
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Originally Posted By Element94:
It still seems like its all taking forever. We went from nothing to the moon in 10 years. We put stuff in orbit and land it back numerous times and slap ourselves on the back like we've never been off the ground before. The last shuttle flight was 8 years ago. They only successfully launched their first smallsat launcher a decade ago... Basically a big hobby rocket. Now they are re-using boosters and putting 25-30% of the world's launch mass into space, and have a ~70% share of the commercial market. This rocket they are working on will be the biggest rocket ever, ~5000 tonnes at liftoff and 100-150 tonnes to LEO with full reusability. |
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvDZsnnX4AIq82s.jpg They're building a test article for the upper stage similar to the grasshopper they built to test booster landing equipment for the Falcon rocket Video of Grasshopper |
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Originally Posted By Lacoochee:
In America, pipe welders build starships. Originally Posted By Lacoochee:
Originally Posted By Chokey:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvKmsU1V4AE9Xqr.jpg Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA. Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship. |
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The thing that strikes me about the pics is that this thing is being built in a field. Not in a cleanroom. I know it is probably just a mock up or test vehicle, but it says something that they are getting space travel out from specialized and into the every day. When your rocket building contractors just back up to the thing to work on it with tools out of their F250, that just screams "AMERICA" to me. ETA- Beat thrice.
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Originally Posted By Spade: Finally somebody builds a spaceship that looks like a spaceship. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1077115129055956994 It lands Heinlein style... what's old is new again.
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Originally Posted By midcap:
Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air Originally Posted By midcap:
Originally Posted By Variable556:
Originally Posted By rabidus:
Originally Posted By M855Bukkake:
Originally Posted By raven:
I can't wait until we have factories in space. Any links or cites? I've always been curious about any possible differences, but I haven't seen anything substantive. |
Want to remove your KAC mod 2 gas block? I have the tools, email me.
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://i.ibb.co/vYH6Gnh/Expanding-Brain.jpg Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret: In a field. Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA. Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship. Still awesome though. |
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Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret: In a field. Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA. Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship. |
If LAV promotes using the slide lock/release to chamber a round after a mag change, then he should be ignored.-MP0117
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Originally Posted By Cole2534: How is that different than a Vacuum Arc Remelt? |
If LAV promotes using the slide lock/release to chamber a round after a mag change, then he should be ignored.-MP0117
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Originally Posted By Chokey:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvKmsU1V4AE9Xqr.jpg |
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Originally Posted By HeavyMetal: The advantage to space is it cools without stratification. Perpetual free-fall. |
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Originally Posted By Chokey:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvKmsU1V4AE9Xqr.jpg Kharn |
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Originally Posted By ToledoXJ:
Well apparently Musk builds his rockets outdoors in a field using Genie lifts Originally Posted By ToledoXJ:
Originally Posted By raven:
I can't wait until we have factories in space.
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Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret: In a field. Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA. Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship. |
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Originally Posted By JohnnyP:
I worked with a NASA welder back in the early 80's. He welded on all sorts of good stuff for them. Yes in clean rooms. Seeing these pictures of this "rocket" being guilt outside is concerning. It's not inconel, you have to weld that in a very controlled environment. Must be a form of stainless, still welding it outside.... Originally Posted By JohnnyP:
Originally Posted By Atomic_Ferret: In a field. Quite a change from the sterile conditions at NASA. Funny seeing a Dually with a welder in the back of it parked next to a spaceship. It's not only being made out of stainless, it's probably not even a particularly advanced alloy. No reason to save weight on a payload-free low altitude test vehicle. The thing being tested here is landing behavior for that size rocket, landing legs, control systems, etc. |
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Originally Posted By Cole2534:
How is that different than a Vacuum Arc Remelt? Originally Posted By Cole2534:
Originally Posted By midcap: Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air John Ringo is the only on I have really seen imagine early space industry right. |
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Originally Posted By Orion_Shall_Rise:
once you have the lift its a lot cheaper to do it with unlimited power with space mirrors, and doing it in a vacuum is far cheaper then making a vacuum. John Ringo is the only on I have really seen imagine early space industry right. Originally Posted By Orion_Shall_Rise:
Originally Posted By Cole2534:
Originally Posted By midcap: Simple chemistry, the vacuum of space does not have all that air John Ringo is the only on I have really seen imagine early space industry right. |
Been done before
![]() The Old Negro Space Program |
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Originally Posted By tnriverluver:
Fucking amazing the speed that Spacex is moving. Oldspace is paralysis by analysis, which is why it has taken a decade to design/build a rocket from shuttle hand-me-downs. |
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=47070.0;attach=1536472;image She's sprouting Raptor engines! |
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=47070.0;attach=1536472;image She's sprouting Raptor engines! |
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Originally Posted By Pavelow16478:
I wonder if those are the subscale development Raptors. Their production Raptors haven't reached the test stand yet. |
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Originally Posted By SeanTX:
You should be here when they test. we are just up the coast |
Rob3220:
"Walmart Ammo isn't good for anything. I don't think it even breaks skin. Rounds are made of compressed Jell-O, if I recall correctly."
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Originally Posted By Neotopiaman: The engine bells are the right diameter for the full-sized Raptors (1.3m), but they could also be mockups to test the gimballing software/equipment before they install real ones. |
That is one of the funniest videos ever made. I've seen it several times, but can't keep from laughing out loud every time I watch it.
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Back in the early 90`s IIRC one manufacturer actually experimented with having shipyard workers weld together single use rocket engines to try and reduce launch costs. It apparently worked.
ETA: If NASA turned SLS over to Musk, it would probably be flying already. |
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