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- Feb 1, 2019
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Looks like Elon's SpaceX just won the NASA contract to build the next Lunar Lander. It's being reported the contract is worth 2.9B
Nope. A unique version of Starship. Musk said that SS would make *hundreds* of landings before humans flew in it.Dragon capsule with landing legs
Anyone want to bet on the actual date of a successful manned lunar landing? I would bet this decade, but only barely.
Maybe Elon has one secretly in the works and will let NASA have a version of it, Space X probably puts people on the moon before NASA.As always, much depends on how much $$$ Congress actually comes up with.
No bucks... no Buck Rogers.
Good point. ThrustCurve.org already supports metric units, but I guess I could add more alternatives, like "cubits." There's a oddroc idea in there somewhere...I will say this much in favor of SpaceX. It uses the metric system wall to wall. I ask my rocketeer colleagues to take note of that.
Nope. A unique version of Starship. Musk said that SS would make *hundreds* of landings before humans flew in it.
Loophole....he may not have said hundreds of *safe* landings.
This is good for SpaceX, not so good for NASA's scheduling. Not that 2024 was realistic anyway, but now NASA is directly tied into Musk's "time reality ELONgation effect".
Yeah, but they were bidding on building a LANDER. They do have some knowledge on how to take off and land in a gravity well.It doesn't surprise me that SpaceX got the contract over other companies either. They've actually performed a LOT of successful flights to orbit, to the space station, a couple with crew, etc. They're miles ahead of anyone else it's not even a race at this point. I mean, kilometers ahead.
Not to slam Blue Origin, honestly, but I don't understand how they were seriously in the competition to win this contract having never entered a rocket into orbit at this point. Or if they have I haven't heard about it. As far as I know they've only done test flights up and down again and landed. Those are significant sure, and difficult yes, but they're still just tests and no actual missions flown. Maybe their inclusion in the consideration was political and they weren't really ever an option?
That's an excellent point!Yeah, but they were bidding on building a LANDER. They do have some knowledge on how to take off and land in a gravity well.
So is the SLS rocket and Orion still going up as one, then SpaceX launches Starship separately? Do they dock in Earth orbit... Just how does this work?
seems like all you need is a fully fueled Starship to go to the moon's surface and back to Earth - no?
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