Elon Musk says he will put millions of people on Mars.

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:55 pm

NSF comments by e.g. Jorge (IIRC) hint at SpaceX already being behind schedule back in November.

And he supposedly knows that how?

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:38 pm

Inside knowledge?

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 2:53 pm

Well, the people with inside knowledge that I know say no such thing...

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:31 pm

Those wouldn't be SpaceXers, by any chance?

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:16 am

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index. ... #msg851228

BS?

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:42 am

Looks like BS. Whole thread of people pretending to have the inside track at SpaceX and not a one of them lives anywhere near any SpaceX facilities. Besides, I'm sure the people who really do know have signed a confidentiality agreement. Anyone who could answer the question would be restrained from doing so.

Note some of these folks in the thread are even misinformed about public knowledge. NASA did not stop SpaceX from launching when they said they were ready in Nov. It was the Russians. Because SpaceX wanted to combine missions 2 and 3 by docking the next Dragon, they needed the permission from all the ISS partners and the Russians delayed their answer. NASA had nothing to do with it.

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:14 am

It's curious no one sets them straight.

KitemanSA · Post by **KitemanSA** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:43 pm

Betruger wrote:It's curious no one sets them straight.

Attorney: Mrs. Smith, did you sleep with Fred Jones?
Mrs. Smith: I plead the fifth.
Attorney: Mrs. Smith, did you sleep with Bernie Greenbaum?
Mrs. Smith: I plead the fifth.
Attorney: Mrs. Smith, did you sleep with Ivan Hutchski?
Mrs. Smith: I plead the fifth.
Attorney: Mrs. Smith, did you sleep with Abdullah Muhammed?
Mrs. Smith: No! What kind of woman do you take me for?!

I guess she set him straight!

Betruger · Post by **Betruger** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 1:38 pm

hanelyp · Post by **hanelyp** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:39 am

Attorney: (in response to Mrs. Smith) I plead the fifth.

Diogenes · Post by **Diogenes** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:02 pm

This might be a good idea for the moon and mars.

Printing a Home: The Case for Contour Crafting

http://www.txchnologist.com/2012/printi ... r-crafting

D Tibbets · Post by **D Tibbets** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:08 pm

I don't know how the Space X schedule may be slipping, except that NASA'a agreement to drop an intermediate test flight of the Dragon system before they try a docking at the ISS would seem to have gained them ~ 1/2 year. Also, it seems the COTS missions were initially scheduled to begin in 2013 or 2014. It seems they have a lot of wiggle room if my recollection is correct.

Dan Tibbets

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 12:39 am

2012 | Year of the Dragon

January 23, 2012

Today marks the start of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar and this year, SpaceX's Dragon will become the first privately developed spacecraft to visit the International Space Station.

Space travel is one of the most difficult of all human endeavors, and success is never a guarantee. This flight introduces a series of new challenges and new magnitudes of complexity; if even the smallest thing goes wrong, we will be forced to abort the mission.

What is guaranteed, however, is our commitment. There will be challenges along the way, but SpaceX will again make history and become the first private company to send a spacecraft to the Space Station. We take this responsibility very seriously and will not stop until we succeed.

Dragon is a spacecraft unlike any other. Not only is it the first privately developed spacecraft to successfully return from Earth orbit, but it is also the only reusable spacecraft designed for human transport in operation today. In the coming days, we'll take a closer look at some of Dragon's advanced technologies in celebration of the Year of the Dragon and the opening of a new era in space travel.

In the meantime, checkout out the interactive panorama below for a look inside Dragon in its cargo configuration, as it will be on its first mission to the International Space Station:

(click image to view interactive panorama--flash required)

http://www.spacex.com/panorama/index.html

At the top you have the hatch that will connect with the International Space Station. To the side is the hatch as well as racks and straps to hold cargo, which in our next mission will include several hundred pounds of astronaut provisions. And on the floor, just above the heat shield, is additional storage space behind metal doors that are shown both open and closed.

ladajo · Post by **ladajo** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:40 am

Well, pickup truck it is not. But it will do!

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:14 pm

Elon Musk just posted this on Twitter:

Design completed for bringing rocket back to launchpad using only thrusters. Yay. Wings r just dead weight in space.