tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628325.post114358676709061927..comments2024-03-15T05:59:53.929-07:00Comments on Ambivalent Engineer: Testing New RocketsAmbivalent Engineerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491915174390340818noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628325.post-1143655062283735422006-03-29T09:57:00.000-08:002006-03-29T09:57:00.000-08:00Your testing plan is a good one. It is the same so...Your testing plan is a good one. It is the same sort of practive we have been using at Beyond-Earth. A lot of people have been critical of this apporach, but it does work. Slow steady progress, testing everything you can on the ground, low altitude flights, followed by higher altitudes and then suddenly, you are all set for Space.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628325.post-1143652965298667692006-03-29T09:22:00.000-08:002006-03-29T09:22:00.000-08:00The cheapness depends on the recoverability, which...The cheapness depends on the recoverability, which is a big assumption to make here. It's still not at all clear whether they will be able to recover the rocket without major damage. I suspect they rather risk a multi-million dollar rocket on a flight that potentially gives them a-heck-of-a-lot-of-data instead of on one that gives them data-about-this-one-thing-they-are-testing.<BR/>Sure, recoverability is a thing on your list of things to test, but it might be really expensive to test it early on. You need the whole refurbishing infrastructure basically on the test-site in order to be able to start such a test-campaign. And that needs to be build. It's something they don't have any experience with this yet. Who knows what happens to a Merlin engine when it has been in the water for a while? What do you need to do to get it working?<BR/>I get what you're saying and I agree that it would be *really nice* if they were able to do it. I just don't think it will be as easy as you portrait it to be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628325.post-1143652882273167482006-03-29T09:21:00.000-08:002006-03-29T09:21:00.000-08:00Many a person suggested to Mr Musk thatIncremental...Many a person suggested to Mr Musk that<BR/>Incremental Flight test would be a good idea.<BR/>A very reasonable suggestion was made to fly<BR/>the first stage with a dummy second stage <BR/>out of Kwaj and to cut down the second stage<BR/>nozzle and fly it off a rail at White Sands.<BR/>As SpaceX is a private firm, it is their right<BR/>to ignore advice. We will see what the future<BR/>holds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628325.post-1143651764754320302006-03-29T09:02:00.000-08:002006-03-29T09:02:00.000-08:00Your test ideas sound great, and they would give a...Your test ideas sound great, and they would give all the systems a workout before integrating them, but they don't bring in any money. If you can get someone who's willing to give you your per launch cost to fly on the first flight, refusing the opportunity would not make much business sense.<BR/><BR/>TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8628325.post-1143646298558498452006-03-29T07:31:00.000-08:002006-03-29T07:31:00.000-08:00For Microlaunchers (google it) I plan just such an...For Microlaunchers (google it) I plan just such an incremental approach. Both for the engineering/testing aspects but for licensing. At first, just an atmospheric flight version of the full weight firat stage will be flown to 500 to 50,000 ft and the landing process and some abort modes will be worked out. This will be less expensive. See the site.Charles Pooleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00982616310410015198noreply@blogger.com