SpaceX sending 2 tourists around the moon

[tynopik]

http://www.spacex.com/news/2017/02/...rewed-dragon-spacecraft-beyond-moon-next-year

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/02/spacex-two-citizens-dragon-2-lunar-mission/

In a hastily arranged announcement, Elon Musk has revealed a plan to launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on a circumlunar mission, with two paying customers. The launch, which will be conducted by a Falcon Heavy rocket in late 2018

. . .

The two unnamed passengers have already made a “significant deposit” to fly on the mission that will be a free trajectory flight profile that will take the Dragon 2 close to the surface of the Moon before reaching out up to 400,000 miles into deep space before returning to Earth.

 

[alcoholbob]

The chance of Musk pulling this off (launching a moon flyby before SLS) is slim, but would be amazing if he pulled it off.

 

[PottedMeat]

The chance of Musk pulling this off (launching a moon flyby before SLS) is slim, but would be amazing if he pulled it off.

i think he could make it by 2019 (SLS unmanned flyby). crew dragon is probably almost done and falcon heavy should fly late this year, while the SLS is incomplete and the starliner & orion are more delayed than dragon.


i wonder who the 2 unnamed customers are. maybe one could be jeff bezos lol.

 

[tynopik]

you have to wonder what NASA thinks about this

they played nice in their press release, but you know some of them have to be feeling burned

 

[tynopik]

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/836353355517739008

Eric Berger‏ @SciGuySpace

My analysis: SpaceX's talk of lunar tourism is a direct threat to NASA's Orion spacecraft.
https://arstechnica.com/science/201...send-two-people-around-the-moon-in-late-2018/

So how will NASA feel about this? Ars reached out to a couple veterans at the agency after Monday's announcement. Their reaction was somewhere between amusement and bemusement. These sources noted that SpaceX has had two accidents with its Falcon 9 rocket in the last two years, and the company has yet to fly the Falcon Heavy. Moreover, both SpaceX and Boeing are struggling with the technical hurdles of getting two astronauts safely to the space station, let alone flying well past the Moon. In short, expect skepticism from the space agency.

The Orion spacecraft may nonetheless be vulnerable. NASA is presently funding Orion for deep space and the SpaceX Dragon 2 and Boeing Starliner capsules for commercial crew. Does the agency need all three capsules? NASA says yes, because Orion has the special ability to fly into deep space and then come safely back to Earth under the higher velocities of lunar return.
Further Reading
As Trump takes over, NASA considers alternatives to its Orion spacecraft

But on Monday, Musk said Dragon 2 could come back from the Moon, too. "The heat shield is quite massively over-designed," he said. Musk also said the vehicle was sufficiently hardened against radiation to keep its crew safe beyond the Earth's protective radiation belts. Dragon 2's systems are "triple redundant," Musk added, and the only major upgrade needed would be in communications systems.

By putting forth the idea that its Dragon spacecraft could essentially fly the same mission as Orion for much, much less than the government, SpaceX is boldly telling the Trump administration that the private sector could get the job done if Orion were axed from the space agency's budget to cut costs.

Eric Berger‏ @SciGuySpace 4h4 hours ago
@Markos_pen Lots and lots of ideas out there. This is a very public play by SpaceX to move the discussion to Dragon 2 v Orion

Eric Berger‏ @SciGuySpace 2h2 hours ago
@BadAstronomer I think it's the key. Elon just said Dragon 2 can do everything Orion can.

 

[Brovane]

"Eric Berger‏ @SciGuySpace 2h2 hours ago
@BadAstronomer I think it's the key. Elon just said Dragon 2 can do everything Orion can."
No he didn't, because Dragon lacks a Service Module which the Orion Capsule will have.

 

[Zorba]

Considering SpaceX has been years behind schedule on basically everything, I seriously doubt this will happen next year.

 

[sdifox]

So Bluecross Travel Insurance is good enough?

And there is no way they will be ready by 2018.

 

[pcgeek11]

But it's Elon Musk!

He can do everything including telling the future...

/S

 

[Exterous]

Well I do hope it goes well for them.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The value of Musk isn't that he will get things done like he says, but is actually doing something which may be built upon. NASA has been talking about reusable spacecraft since forever and their last solution was an albatross hung around NASA's neck, the space shuttle. That was a technical marvel which never reached the goal of vastly less expensive space travel.

 

[JoeBleed]

But it's Elon Musk!

He can do everything including telling the future...

/S

"Space hyperloop coming 2020 because it works so well on earth!"
/S

 

[tynopik]

https://arstechnica.com/science/201...-frustrated-with-spacex-youre-probably-right/

Roughly translated, this means: Dear SpaceX, we have stood by you. We have given you $3 billion for crew services, the majority of your revenues in recent years, and we are desperately tired of relying on Russia to get our astronauts to the space station. Could you please focus on our contract? Like, now?

 

[Elixer]

But it's Elon Musk!

He can do everything including telling the future...

/S

Bet he is not going to be one of the people going up... this is insanely risky.

 

[MrSquished]

No way this is happening that quickly and I think you'd have to be batshit crazy to go on it.

 

[tynopik]

No way this is happening that quickly

Obviously. Factoring in the 'Elon Time Distortion Factor' we're probably looking at 2021 at best

I think you'd have to be batshit crazy to go on it.

Are the astronauts going to the ISS on it batshit crazy? They go well before any tourists. By the time any tourists get a chance,they'll have several launches under their belt.

 

[Zorba]

https://arstechnica.com/science/201...-frustrated-with-spacex-youre-probably-right/

So basically, SpaceX is trying to undercut NASA so they can continue to get more government money while claiming that they are "Commercial."

The Falcon 9 already doesn't have that great of a reliability record, and the Falcon 9 Heavy will be 3 strapped together. Based on Wiki, the Falcon 9 has a failure rate of more than 1 in 10. So with three strapped together, assuming there was no extra complications which there will be, you have a >30% chance of blowing up.

I got a job offer from SpaceX back in 2009, and IIRC, the Falcon 9 Heavy was supposed to fly in early 2014 back then.

 

[MrSquished]

Obviously. Factoring in the 'Elon Time Distortion Factor' we're probably looking at 2021 at best



Are the astronauts going to the ISS on it batshit crazy? They go well before any tourists. By the time any tourists get a chance,they'll have several launches under their belt.

They're not crazy, but they are going up there with a well established program in place. Space-x going to the moon is gonna be a very new thing when it starts happening. Unless they practice with some chimps first.

 

[tynopik]

They're not crazy, but they are going up there with a well established program in place. Space-x going to the moon is gonna be a very new thing when it starts happening. Unless they practice with some chimps first.

The 'going to the moon' part is actually the easiest part about this. They'll be launched on a ballistic trajectory so the capsule itself doesn't have to do anything. Once set on their course, the physics are unstoppable, they will be coming back no matter what. If the capsule can survive long enough to dock with the ISS through a few aborted approaches, there's no reason to think it couldn't survive long enough to fly around the moon.

This is actually probably easier than going to the ISS because they don't have to worry about the whole docking part

 

[pcgeek11]

Bet he is not going to be one of the people going up... this is insanely risky.

No, of course he isn't. I don't think he is that stupid.

 

[sandorski]

One of these days Alice!

 

[pcgeek11]

LOL.

 

[tynopik]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/moon-tourists-risk-rough-ride-experts-173436265.html

Moon tourists risk rough ride, experts say

Non-stop vomiting, a puffy face and the constant need to pee: Volunteers for a week-long loop around the Moon may be in for a rough ride even if all goes to plan.

oh noes! a puffy face!

let's compare those risks to those who first went to the south pole or climbed Everest . . .

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

oh noes! a puffy face!

let's compare those risks to those who first went to the south pole or climbed Everest . . .

I don't know where I'd rank nausea and swelling in my list of concerns whilst having a rocket strapped to my ass. But I am damn sure being vaporized on the launch pad is somewhere near the top.

 

[dainthomas]

Are the astronauts going to the ISS on it batshit crazy?

Yep. Anyone strapping themselves down on top of that much liquid oxygen and hydrogen is nuts.