Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
On Thursday night, SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared photos of Raptor rocket engines that recently left the company's factory in Hawthorne, Calif., headed out to be tested at its facility near McGregor, Texas. "Preparing to fire the Starship Raptor engine," he said by way of a caption on Twitter.
The photos were interesting, but Musk had additional comments about the engine that revealed much about how the company is proceeding with overall design of the vehicle it will power. SpaceX's approach seems focused on keeping costs down and moving as quickly as possible towards a launch of the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket in the early 2020s.
For example, Musk said, "Initially making one 200 metric ton thrust engine common across ship & booster to reach the Moon as fast as possible. Next versions will split to vacuum-optimized (380+ sec Isp) & sea-level thrust optimized (~250 ton)."
This comment is notable for a couple of reasons. First of all, the company appears to have decided to streamline the Raptor engine to a single design that will power both the rocket at liftoff, and the spaceship in the upper atmosphere and outer space. It will take less time to develop, test, and qualify a single engine. It will also cost less money.
Additionally, Musk notes that the goal is "to reach the Moon as fast as possible." The company still appears to be focused on lunar orbital flights, such as the #dearMoon project for Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa, as the first missions for Starship.
There is an added benefit to this approach: for the next two decades, NASA appears likely to be highly interested in developing infrastructure near and on the Moon. By flying Starship on early test flights to the same destination, SpaceX has a far greater chance to win government contracts for the delivery of cargo, and potentially astronauts, to the Moon. Heretofore, neither NASA nor the US military has shown much if any interest in SpaceX's ambitious rocket and spacecraft.
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(Score: 5, Informative) by takyon on Sunday February 03 2019, @01:20AM (1 child)
NASA Eyeing Mini Space Station in Lunar Orbit as Stepping Stone to Mars [soylentnews.org]
NASA and Roscosmos Sign Joint Statement on the Development of a Lunar Space Station [soylentnews.org]
President Trump Signs Space Policy Directive 1 [soylentnews.org]
2020s to Become the Decade of Lunar Re-Exploration [soylentnews.org]
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Serious About Returning to the Moon [soylentnews.org]
NASA Opens the Floodgates for Firms With Planetary Ambitions [soylentnews.org] (lunar payloads, actually)
Even if a new administration wants to change space priorities, I don't think they will downsize lunar exploration plans too much. It's a lot easier to go there than Mars.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Informative) by RandomFactor on Sunday February 03 2019, @01:29AM
I liked the roadmap hidden away in there https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/nasa-exploration-campaign.jpg [spaceflightinsider.com]
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