SpaceX launched 64 satellites in record-breaking mission (1 Viewer)

[JacksinPA]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/03/tech/spacex-record-sso-a-mission/index.html

New York (CNN Business)SpaceX delivered 64 satellites into orbit in one fell swoop for a record-setting mission.

Elon Musk's company launched a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Monday after a series of delays triggered by bad weather and last-minute inspections for the rocket. It marked one of the largest satellite ride-sharing missions ever launched and the most crowded single mission in US history, according to Spaceflight, SpaceX's customer for the launch.
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You can't beat this guy Elon Musk. Whether it's electric sports cars, reusable rockets or tunneling, he's always got half a dozen balls in the air at the same time.

 

[Hawkeye10]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/03/tech/spacex-record-sso-a-mission/index.html

New York (CNN Business)SpaceX delivered 64 satellites into orbit in one fell swoop for a record-setting mission.

Elon Musk's company launched a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Monday after a series of delays triggered by bad weather and last-minute inspections for the rocket. It marked one of the largest satellite ride-sharing missions ever launched and the most crowded single mission in US history, according to Spaceflight, SpaceX's customer for the launch.
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You can't beat this guy Elon Musk. Whether it's electric sports cars, reusable rockets or tunneling, he's always got half a dozen balls in the air at the same time.

Hopefully most of the 64 were cheap, otherwise this is a stupid degree of risk.

 

[Mr Person]

Hopefully most of the 64 were cheap, otherwise this is a stupid degree of risk.

How many companies have you started?

How many discoveries have you and your companies made?





Right.... I'd leave Musk alone if I were you.

 

[Hawkeye10]

How many companies have you started?

How many discoveries have you and your companies made?





Right.... I'd leave Musk alone if I were you.

I reject your opinion that only the opinions of experts matter.

That sort of thinking has ruined the West.

 

[Mr Person]

I reject your opinion that only the opinions of experts matter.

That sort of thinking has ruined the West.

At least it passed the first test...

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/03/tech/spacex-record-sso-a-mission/index.html

New York (CNN Business)SpaceX delivered 64 satellites into orbit in one fell swoop for a record-setting mission.

Elon Musk's company launched a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Monday after a series of delays triggered by bad weather and last-minute inspections for the rocket. It marked one of the largest satellite ride-sharing missions ever launched and the most crowded single mission in US history, according to Spaceflight, SpaceX's customer for the launch.
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You can't beat this guy Elon Musk. Whether it's electric sports cars, reusable rockets or tunneling, he's always got half a dozen balls in the air at the same time.

I know this might sounds stupid to some but I don't care:
I absolutely LOVE it when we launch rockets from Vandenburg Air Force Base.
For one thing, it proves that California has at least an equal standing in our growing space industry, and it gives us out here a chance to observe these launches firsthand.

Again, I know it might sound stupid, and prideful, but that's how I feel.
Oh and, yeah you bet, Musk is still a force of nature, a real leader in this new business, and I am glad that he at least splits his launches with both California and Florida.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Hopefully most of the 64 were cheap, otherwise this is a stupid degree of risk.

Since none of us have inside information as to what these sats are for, I don't understand the point of your statement about their cost. If it's a private business, then they're the ones assuming the cost, and they're also the ones calculating the risk, although what specific risk you're even referring to is anybody's guess at this point.

 

[Hawkeye10]

Since none of us have inside information as to what these sats are for, I don't understand the point of your statement about their cost. If it's a private business, then they're the ones assuming the cost, and they're also the ones calculating the risk, although what specific risk you're even referring to is anybody's guess at this point.

My point is that the smart person does not put a heap of eggs all in one basket unless he/she/whatever is very sure that the basket will work. In most cases spreading the load is the smart move.

 

[Mr Person]

My point is that the smart person does not put a heap of eggs all in one basket unless he/she/whatever is very sure that the basket will work. In most cases spreading the load is the smart move.

He was sure.

He was right.

There will be future accidents, but he does keep getting proven right. And you are not doing anything remotely resembling what he is doing, so leave him right the **** alone.




capisce?

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

My point is that the smart person does not put a heap of eggs all in one basket unless he/she/whatever is very sure that the basket will work. In most cases spreading the load is the smart move.

Since this 64 is a world record, it would indicate that past launches might have deployed sixty-three, or fifty-three, or thirteen.
In any case, it would seem that they've at least had some practice doing multiple deployments.

Also, if many of these are so called "cube-sats", deploying sixty-four of them is no great shakes.
It is actually possible for an amateur hobbyist to put a single cube-sat into low earth orbit.

 

[JacksinPA]

Since none of us have inside information as to what these sats are for, I don't understand the point of your statement about their cost. If it's a private business, then they're the ones assuming the cost, and they're also the ones calculating the risk, although what specific risk you're even referring to is anybody's guess at this point.

I read they were for internet communications links.

FWIW, launches from CA are for polar orbiting satellites. This many satellites would form what's called a constellation.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I read they were for internet communications links.

FWIW, launches from CA are for polar orbiting satellites. This many satellites would form what's called a constellation.

Drat!!! I had it flipped 180.
I thought the Canaveral launches were polar and the...oh never mind, I was thinking about it and suddenly "D'Oh!!!"

:lamo :lamo :lamo

 

[UtahBill]

How many companies have you started?

How many discoveries have you and your companies made?





Right.... I'd leave Musk alone if I were you.

Starting a company is only part of the equation....even the Donald can do that.

What discoveries?

Have you invested in his ventures?

Is that Nevada battery factory running yet?

Google "failed Musk businesses".

 

[JacksinPA]

Drat!!! I had it flipped 180.
I thought the Canaveral launches were polar and the...oh never mind, I was thinking about it and suddenly "D'Oh!!!"

:lamo :lamo :lamo

View attachment 67245369

From CA there is a clear path to the north. That's why they launch polar-orbiting spy satellites from there. From FL it is out over the ocean for an inclined orbit.

 

[beefheart]

Drat!!! I had it flipped 180.
I thought the Canaveral launches were polar and the...oh never mind, I was thinking about it and suddenly "D'Oh!!!"

:lamo :lamo :lamo

View attachment 67245369

Vandenberg was massively built up for the Space Shuttle to do polar flights, the first manned polar flights ever. They were all ready to go, even had Enterprise out there for some testing of the pad and facilities.



Then, Challenger happened. It was decided, wisely, that they would not try launching there, mostly because of the population footprint at the launch ascent area, and the use of untested, thinner SRB's:

Exactly when Discovery would have launched on 62A was uncertain due to technical issues remaining unresolved. And there were lingering concerns with the lighter-weight filament wound solid rocket booster casings, an element in the shuttle system needed to carry the expected hefty payloads into polar orbit.

“I think everybody was still somewhat concerned about the filament wound solids. They were much more flexible than the steel cases,” Ross said.

“After the (Challenger) accident, we became more concerned about that because we didn’t know that much about the concern of the seals on the field joints. We in the Astronaut Office had never been briefed on what Marshall (Space Flight Center) was seeing and the concerns they had with the blow-by on those seals till the accident occurred.”

An excellent article about Vandenberg and SLC 6 launch pad and the shuttle can be found here: https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/02/08/astronaut-interview-30-years-after-the-hopes-of-a-west-coast-space-shuttle/


Also interesting to note that the launch facility at VAFB, SLC 6 was built for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, which was basically a manned spying platform with military astronauts. It got cancelled as spy sat technology got better.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Starting a company is only part of the equation....even the Donald can do that.

What discoveries?

Have you invested in his ventures?

Is that Nevada battery factory running yet?

Google "failed Musk businesses".

Not too bad considering his successes.
I'll take those odds.

Yes, Gigafactory 1 is up and running, so is Gigafactory 2 and plans are in the works for Gigafactory 3 right now. And he has plans for a Gigafactory in Europe.

You sound like those buggy whip makers who used to yell "GET A HORSE!" at early car owners in the 1900's.

 

[ataraxia]

I reject your opinion that only the opinions of experts matter.

That sort of thinking has ruined the West.

Yes! And that’s why we should reject the unanimous consensus of every single scientific organization on the entire planet on climate change, and listen instead to a failed casino owner who tells us it’s all just a Chinese hoax. That will make the west great again.:roll:

 

[Hawkeye10]

Yes! And that’s why we should reject the unanimous consensus of every single scientific organization on the entire planet on climate change, and listen instead to a failed casino owner who tells us it’s all just a Chinese hoax. That will make the west great again.:roll:

Presumably these things are intended to help humankind. I dont like having so much possible good at risk from one launch failure. This is smart thinking. Anyone who has a problem with smart thinking can sue me.

 

[ataraxia]

Presumably these things are intended to help humankind. I dont like having so much possible good at risk from one launch failure. This is smart thinking. Anyone who has a problem with smart thinking can sue me.

Some of those new jumbo jet airliner’s can carry over 500 people on a single plane. Can you imagine if that thing falls from the sky? Absolutely catastrophic.

Well it’s happened. Should there be a limit to how many passengers a single plane can take?

How is this different?

 

[Hawkeye10]

Some of those new jumbo jet airliner’s can carry over 500 people on a single plane. Can you imagine if that thing falls from the sky? Absolutely catastrophic.

Well it’s happened. Should there be a limit to how many passengers a single plane can take?

How is this different?

I have the same complaint about huge planes, and note how they have fallen out of favor. The Airbus double decker monstrosity has been a colossal failure in the market place for example.

 

[ataraxia]

I have the same complaint about huge planes, and note how they have fallen out of favor. The Airbus double decker monstrosity has been a colossal failure in the market place for example.

Yes, it’s certainly a consideration. But they sure create a huge amount of efficiency. How do you calculate risk vs cost savings in these situations? I can see a scenario where no more than one passenger is allowed per plane, or one satellite per rocket. Shouldn’t economies of scale be at least a consideration?

 

[Hawkeye10]

Yes, it’s certainly a consideration. But they sure create a huge amount of efficiency. How do you calculate risk vs cost savings in these situations? I can see a scenario where no more than one passenger is allowed per plane, or one satellite per rocket. Shouldn’t economies of scale be at least a consideration?

Yes, but then too us being cheap mother****ers has sure not worked out, look at where we are!

 

[What if...?]

I reject your opinion that only the opinions of experts matter.

That sort of thinking has ruined the West.

Far better that the opinions of those who know nothing about the matter at hand should?

Or better only care whether it makes.them.money or costs them.money.?

 

[ataraxia]

Yes, but then too us being cheap mother****ers has sure not worked out, look at where we are!

Where we are is that more people can afford to fly than ever before. That’s not too bad, is it?

You could say the same for being able to put up more satellites than ever before.

Look, I am not saying you don’t have a legitimate point. You do, and I see it. But life is full of risks. If you try to be too safe all the time, you will never get anything done. It’s just a matter of how much safety are you willing to pay for. That’s where it can get pretty subjective.