{"id":18263,"date":"2019-03-19T18:03:46","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T22:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18263"},"modified":"2019-03-19T18:03:46","modified_gmt":"2019-03-19T22:03:46","slug":"space-transport-roundup-mar-19-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18263","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Mar.19.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent items related to traveling to and through space:<\/p>\n<p>**<strong> A ULA Delta IV rocket successfully launched<\/strong> a USAF communications satellite last Friday: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ulalaunch.com\/about\/news\/2019\/03\/16\/united-launch-alliance-successfully-launches-wgs-10-mission\">United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches WGS-10 Mission &#8211; ULA<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/re9dEqUUniQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>See also<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/03\/16\/delta-4-rocket-launches-air-forces-10th-wgs-broadband-satellite\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Delta 4 rocket launches Air Force\u2019s 10th WGS broadband satellite \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/03\/ula-delta-iv-wgs-10-launch-cape-canaveral\/\">ULA Delta IV launches WGS-10 from Cape Canaveral \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>** <strong>An uncrewed test flight of Boeing&#8217;s CST-100 Starliner<\/strong> crew vehicle on a ULA Atlas V rocket is now reportedly set for the late summer:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Not sure if this is official yet, but multiple sources say the NET date for Starliner&#8217;s OFT (uncrewed test flight) is now August.<\/p>\n<p>This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the Starliner that flies is likely to be very close to the final design for a crewed mission.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SciGuySpace\/status\/1106637988979712000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 15, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>No date\/time announced yet for the next <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlabusa.com\/\">Rocket Lab<\/a> Electron launch<\/strong>, which will put a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlabusa.com\/news\/updates\/rocket-lab-to-launch-dedicated-electron-mission-for-darpa\/\">DARPA technology demonstration satellite<\/a> into orbit. The company was <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RocketLab\/status\/1106351364475486209\">targeting late this week<\/a> for the launch but no update has been posted yet. Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RocketLab\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) | Twitter<\/a> for the latest news.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Progress towards first flight of Virgin Orbit&#8217;s LauncherOne<\/strong> air launch system:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">LauncherOne&#8217;s first stage lit up our Mojave test site on Friday for the first hot-fire in our final series of full-scale, integrated system tests. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eYFbj4CSTa\">pic.twitter.com\/eYFbj4CSTa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Virgin_Orbit\/status\/1107713439206563840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>The new Chinese company Space Transportation Co.<\/strong> is developing reusable rockets to orbit payloads in the 100 \u2013 1000 kg payload range:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/china-aerospace.blog\/2019\/03\/13\/space-transportation-yet-another-chinese-launcher-start-up\/\">Space Transportation (\u51cc\u7a7a\u5929\u884c), yet another Chinese launcher start-up entering the NewSpace race \u2013 The China Aerospace Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Diagrams of the first stage of the Tian Xing-1 rocket show short wings for gliding during its return. Parachutes will deploy for the landing phase:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18264\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18264\" style=\"width: 277px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/china-aerospace.blog\/2019\/03\/13\/space-transportation-yet-another-chinese-launcher-start-up\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"18264\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=18264\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/tianxing-11.png\" data-orig-size=\"277,406\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Tian Xing-1 rockets\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Space Transportation\u2019s Tian Xing-1 (Credit: Source Code Capital)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/tianxing-11.png\" class=\"size-full wp-image-18264\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/tianxing-11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"277\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/tianxing-11.png 277w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/tianxing-11-205x300.png 205w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18264\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Space Transportation\u2019s Tian Xing-1 (Credit: Source Code Capital)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Note about Space Transportation on the website of the company that helped it raise funding: <a href=\"https:\/\/translate.google.com\/translate?sl=zh-CN&amp;tl=en&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fmp.weixin.qq.com%2Fs%2FbFKJ2Fxgb-IflAabpUcohQ\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source Code Capital WeChat Official account, March 7 2019 (Google Translate)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Update from <a href=\"https:\/\/copenhagensuborbitals.com\/\">Copenhagen Suborbitals<\/a><\/strong>, the volunteer non-profit organization is moving step-by-step towards the launch of a person on a suborbital space flight:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aZ4qDm0rqy4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>** <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/firefly.com\/\">Firefly Aerospace<\/a> becomes a smallsat launch provider for Airbus<\/strong>, though no specific launch contracts are yet included: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/airbus-defence-and-space-enters-memorandum-of-understanding-with-firefly-aerospace-to-partner-on-launch-solutions-for-constellations-300813452.html?tc=eml_cleartime\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Airbus Defence and Space Enters Memorandum of Understanding with Firefly Aerospace to Partner on Launch Solutions for Constellations &#8211; Firefly<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;Firefly is pleased to enter into an MOU with Airbus to formulate an integrated market offering that will provide Airbus customers rapid deployment of Airbus manufactured satellites,&#8221; said Firefly CEO Dr.\u00a0<span class=\"xn-person\">Tom Markusic<\/span>. &#8220;We are very impressed by the versatility and low cost of the Airbus ARROW platform and Airbus&#8217;s investment in leading edge satellite mass production capabilities. We look forward to working closely with Airbus to bring economical launch solutions to their customers. This initial MOU covering several launches is the first step of a long-term relationship which will provide Airbus customers the highest level of flexibility for their small satellite launches.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span class=\"xn-person\">Frederic Sotenberg<\/span>, Head of Constellations Launch Solutions at Airbus Space Systems, said, &#8220;Our partnership with Firefly will provide launch options with direct access to specific\u00a0orbits,\u00a0flexibility, and short notice. The Alpha vehicle addresses an unmet need in small satellite launch and will provide a further option for our customers in addition to legacy medium and large launchers in\u00a0<span class=\"xn-location\">Europe<\/span>.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>** <strong>Space elevators might one day offer an alternative to rockets<\/strong>. Here is the latest update from <a href=\"https:\/\/isec.org\/\">ISEC<\/a> (International Space Elevator Consortium) : <a href=\"https:\/\/isec.z2systems.com\/np\/clients\/isec\/viewOnlineEmail.jsp?emailId=67774bad1075c4d31f0f2e51420ceba66m730802677\">ISEC Space Elevator Newsletter Mid-March 2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>** <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spacex.com\">SpaceX<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine talked with Elon Musk<\/strong> of SpaceX in the crew access bridge at Pad 39A at Cape Kennedy on the day before the recent Crew Dragon demo flight:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X2t4l_yMStE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>The Crew Dragon docks to the ISS<\/strong> in this time lapse:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Edited a sped-up video of the DM-1 Dragon 2 docking. Really shows how active the guidance software is while at the 20m hold point. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NASASpaceflight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NASASpaceflight<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChrisG_NSF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ChrisG_NSF<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@elonmusk<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/spacex?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#spacex<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/nasa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#nasa<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PAtxvLax5r\">pic.twitter.com\/PAtxvLax5r<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cameron Byers (@Cameron_Byers_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Cameron_Byers_\/status\/1107415378043375616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 17, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>The Falcon 9 booster used to launch crew dragon<\/strong> is shown being lifted from the landing platform to the dock at Port Canaveral (via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.USLaunchReport.com\">www.USLaunchReport.com<\/a>):<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">This is four times speed. We think they may have a new crane operator. Port Canaveral purchased a huge new tower crane that can move the boosters much more easily.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P9acZPgmqFQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>The Crew Dragon&#8217;s Super Draco thrusters<\/strong> were designed for powered landings but SpaceX decided it would take to much time and money to obtain NASA certification for that. However, they might be used as backups to the parachutes for sea landings: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-crew-dragon-emergency-landing\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s Crew Dragon could land with abort thrusters in emergencies, says Musk &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>While Musk noted that adding or enabling that capability during missions with astronauts would be entirely dependent upon NASA\u2019s approval, the idea would be to trigger Crew Dragon\u2019s SuperDraco abort thrusters in the event of a partial or total failure of the spacecraft\u2019s parachutes. Although Crew Dragon is already capable of keeping its passengers safe if one of its four parachutes fails to properly deploy, the loss of any additional drag would likely create a situation where the force of impact on the ocean surface could severely injure or kill astronauts, much like a car crash without airbags. To prevent this, Crew Dragon could fire its thrusters at the last second, canceling out or at least minimizing the force of impact.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If this is implemented, it would be the first time that an orbital crew system has a backup during both launch (the Crew Dragon capsule can abort at any point from liftoff to orbital insertion) and landing.<\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>The options for launching NASA&#8217;s Orion capsule<\/strong> with a Falcon Heavy or other rocket are discussed by Scott Manley:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m0Y-gzbafjM?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>Raptor engine on StarHopper may fire for the first time<\/strong> this week after it was installed last week on the vehicle:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/spacex-test-hopper-raptor-engine-static-fire-boca-chica-texas-elon-musk-starship2019-3?fbclid=IwAR3qctF2BVoNLpSTBYiI2DcEVtCJ1xJD4PyrXI5kb-dEXFt1tcqxaJMx_iY\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SpaceX may test-fire Starship Mars prototype for first time on Monday &#8211; Business Insider<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2019\/03\/spacex-may-begin-testing-its-starship-spacecraft-this-week\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SpaceX may begin testing its Starship spacecraft this week | Ars Technica<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>On Friday, the company <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/flcnhvy\/status\/1107365847495004161\">sent a notice<\/a> to nearby residents saying it planned to conduct testing of the vehicle as soon as the week of March 18, and that it would be closing the main roadway of Highway 4 to non-residents during the tests. This &#8220;safety zone perimeter&#8221; is part of an agreement with\u00a0the local county, and has been set up out of an abundance of caution.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>On Sunday, company founder Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that SpaceX was indeed close to beginning tests. Musk said that integration work <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1107366178471608321\">remained to be done<\/a> on test vehicle and its Raptor rocket engine, and that the first hops would lift off, but only &#8220;barely.&#8221; Eventually the &#8220;Starhopper&#8221; test vehicle will have three engines, but for now it appears as though the company will start with just one.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/index.php?topic=47301.msg1924707#msg1924707\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">public notice to local residents of Boca Chica<\/a> says an attempt to fire the engine will happen on Wednesday: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brownsvilleherald.com\/news\/local\/cameron-county-publishes-notice-of-spacex-testing\/article_4f1c6704-4a62-11e9-8d11-d36ef4e1b961.html\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cameron County publishes notice of SpaceX testing &#8211; Brownsville Herald<\/a> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Cameron County has posted public notice that it will close Highway 4 to Boca Chica Beach for space flight activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>In the alternative, the public notice said Highway 4 to Boca Chica Beach will be closed for the same time duration on either Thursday or Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>The latest photos and drone video of StarHopper<\/strong> :<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Tuesday, March 19 photos &#8211; pretty quiet at SpaceX Boca Chica this morning <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/G65secVh1j\">pic.twitter.com\/G65secVh1j<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpacePadreIsle\/status\/1108006147502559232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 19, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9zwKRZP0b1Q?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Note that the nosecone for the StarHopper was badly damaged in a windstorm last January but Elon now says a new one will not be built. The Starhopper will only do low altitude flights with slow ascent and descent so the nosecone serves no particular purpose other than to make the vehicle resemble a rocket ship.<\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>An Orbital Starship demonstrator is also now under construction<\/strong> at Boca Chica Beach in addition to the ongoing work with the low altitude StarHopper demonstrator: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-orbital-starship-heat-shield-tests\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s first orbital Starship begins assembly as steel heat shield passes tests &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that the company\u2019s South Texas workforce has already begun to fabricate the first orbital-class Starship prototype, while Hawthorne engineers and technicians are in the midst of performing small-scale testing of the vehicle\u2019s unprecedented stainless steel heat shield.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>To be assembled out of hexagonal tiles of (presumably) stainless steel, Starship\u2019s metallic heat shield will be one of the most crucial aspects of the orbital spacecraft, particularly with respect to ensuring that it\u2019s extraordinarily easy to reuse. To survive extreme interplanetary-velocity reentry conditions at Mars, Earth, and beyond and remain in a functional, flight-ready condition after landing, SpaceX will need to implement the world\u2019s first orbital-class, large-scale metallic heat shield with an immature technology known as transpirational cooling. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong>Super Heavy Booster and Starship vehicles<\/strong> may be built in multiple locations: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-starship-super-heavy-build-and-launch\/\">SpaceX will build and launch Starship\/Super Heavy in Texas and Florida, says Musk &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the company has plans to both build and launch BFR\u2019s Starship upper stages and Super Heavy boosters at facilities located in Boca Chica, Texas and Cape Canaveral, Florida.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Indicative of SpaceX and Musk\u2019s rapidly evolving plans for the next-generation, ultra-reusable launch system, the to stainless steel over carbon composites appears to continue to have a range of trickle-down consequences (or benefits) throughout the rocket\u2019s design, production, launch, and operations. Given the 3+ radical, clean-sheet design changes the BFR program has undergone in about as many years, it\u2019s hard to definitively conclude much about the latest iteration. Nevertheless, Musk\u2019s indication that stainless steel BFRs may now be built simultaneously at multiple locations suggests that the construction of steel Starships and Super Heavies could be radically easier (and cheaper) than their composite predecessors.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1610398297\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1610398297&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=d5a5186356a0ac2412b80d64262bdb05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos<\/em><\/strong><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1610398297\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=hobbyspace&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1610398297&amp;asins=1610398297&amp;linkId=f7edf45d29fd89517f105c663a460fe9&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent items related to traveling to and through space: ** A ULA Delta IV rocket successfully launched a USAF communications satellite last Friday: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches WGS-10 Mission &#8211; ULA &#8211; See also Delta 4 rocket launches Air Force\u2019s 10th WGS broadband satellite \u2013 Spaceflight Now ULA Delta IV launches &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18263\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space transport roundup &#8211; Mar.19.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-4Kz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16558,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16558","url_meta":{"origin":18263,"position":0},"title":"Videos: ULA Delta IV rocket launches NASA&#8217;s Parker Solar Probe","author":"TopSpacer","date":"August 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Early this morning, a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket successfully launched NASA's Parker Solar Probe\u00a0from Cape Canaveral on a unique mission to study the Sun's corona up close\u00a0NASA,\u00a0ULA\u00a0Launch Parker Solar Probe on Historic Journey to Touch Sun | NASA https:\/\/youtu.be\/AlyuSwRSVHU Few get to see a spacecraft named after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/psplaunch-11-895x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17589,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17589","url_meta":{"origin":18263,"position":1},"title":"Space access roundup &#8211; June.21.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"January 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of news about rocket launches: [ Update: Another delay: More heavy winds in the forecast for tomorrow, so we are now targeting Wednesday 1\/23 for the #NewShepard #NS10 launch. \u2014 Blue Origin (@blueorigin) January 21, 2019 ] ** Blue Origin has postponed the 10th New Shepard test flight\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/QlBhV0HgqYA\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17363,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17363","url_meta":{"origin":18263,"position":2},"title":"Rockets: Falcon 9 &#038; New Shepard delayed + India&#8217;s GSLV launch + Watch Soyuz and ULA Delta-4 launches today","author":"TopSpacer","date":"December 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"[ Update 3: And now ULA scrubs the Delta-IV Heavy launch due to a hydrogen leak problem: Launch Alert: we have declared a scrub for today's launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy. We will set up for a 24 hour recycle and the next launch attempt will be 12\/20 at 5:31pm PST.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/_3owr43yJgQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17550,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17550","url_meta":{"origin":18263,"position":3},"title":"Space access: Stratolaunch high-speed taxi test + ULA Delta 4 Heavy launch + SpaceX update","author":"TopSpacer","date":"January 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Stratolaunch is moving closer to getting the company's giant rocket-carrier aircraft off the ground: https:\/\/youtu.be\/Xsee1sZv6SA The vehicle will eventually become an air launch platform for a === After several weeks of delays due to technical problems, United Launch Alliance has now set Saturday, Jan. 19th at\u00a011:05 a.m. PST for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/launch_family-1024x5771-1024x577.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16742,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16742","url_meta":{"origin":18263,"position":4},"title":"Videos: Delta II launches NASA ICESat-2 + Indian PSLV launches two earth observation satellites","author":"TopSpacer","date":"September 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This weekend, three earth observation spacecraft were sent into orbit by two different rockets. On Saturday morning the final launch of a Delta II rocket sent the\u00a0Ice, Cloud\u00a0and land Elevation Satellite\u00a0or\u00a0ICESat-2 into a\u00a0polar orbit, the spacecraft\u00a0will use lasers and a very precise detection instrument to measure the elevation of Earth\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Eyes in the Sky&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Eyes in the Sky","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=27"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/delta4-last-1024x704.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":321,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=321","url_meta":{"origin":18263,"position":5},"title":"NASA&#8217;s TDRS-K advanced communications sat launched","author":"TopSpacer","date":"January 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"An Atlas V rocket successfully launched a new communications satellite from Cape Canaveral. The TDRS-K will greatly enhance communications for NASA with its orbital spacecraft, the Hubble telescope and the ISS: ULA Altas V successfully launches with TDRS-K - NASASpaceFlight.com. Here is a video of the launch: http:\/\/youtu.be\/MM16W6w_GX8","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/MM16W6w_GX8\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18265,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18263\/revisions\/18265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}