Bigelow technology

I didn't know there were any plans for a third Falcon yet....

I *knew* there was a reason I was excited about interviewing with SpaceX this Tuesday....

<goes checks coat and tie yet again to make sure they're clean>

"MOVED" here from the Possible Craft-thread because it is another anser to posts of this thread but has no relation to the Possible Craft-thread. Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist).



The article "SpaceX Sets Launch Debut for Falcon 1 Rocket" ( www.space.com/missionlaunches/051118_fa ... pacex.html ) says that

So SpaceX/Elon Musk have kept Bigelow Aerospace as customer but switched him to a later date and a larger vehciel only. May be that Bigelow was one of the people who asked them to develop larger vehciles.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

The thing to remember here is that it will not be the same payload being launched, SpaceX has lost the earlier launch and could lose the other as well.

I think that keeping Bigelow as a customer will depend on how long it takes SpaceX to get Falcon IX up and running. If there are similar delays to those that occurred during Falcon I development and his own inflatable development is on time or ahead of time he will probably launch on another booster even though it might cost more money.

He has already switched his smallest inflable to a Dnepr, there is no reason he wont switch the others to other boosters. Not sure what commitment has been made by Bigelow but it wont be too firm as Falcon IX was only announced recently and does not exist yet.

As far as I understand and remember it Falcon 9 will use the same engines as Falcon 1. The reusability technology will be the same except the upper stage which isn't reusable at the Falcon 1 but is intended to be at the Falcon 9.

So a lot developments already have been done and it development will be concentrated on scaling-up and improvements - like Scaled's and The Starship Company's work on SS2.

The maiden flight of the Falcon 1 will show, how much will have to be done after that launch. If all works well then the engines are developed already - what will have to be tested is to use them "bundled". There are three years until late 2008 - given the development time up to now that's not to short to get problems solved and development done.

Given the customer Elon Musk will be extremely interested to avoid further delays.


Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)