Es ist ein Skype-Interview mit Tom Mueller vom 2. Mai aufgetaucht. Habe selbst noch keine Zeit gefunden es zu schauen, auf reddit gibt es aber schon eine gute Zusammenfassung. Ein paar Highlights:
- Die Landebeine der Falcon 9 Block 5 können sich selbst wieder in die Ausgangsposition einklappen und verfügen über einen besseren Hitzschutz
- Die Satellitenkonstellation wird die bisherige, weltweite Bandbreite verdoppeln
- Das Raptor Triebwerk soll eine 99%ige chemische Effizienz (Wirkungsgrad?) erreichen und damit an die Grenzen von chemischen Antrieben stoßen. Merlin 1D hat wohl 97%.
- Nukleare Energieversorgung auf dem Mars in Zusammenarbeit mit der NASA als Ergänzung für Solar etwa bei der Treibstoffproduktion. Man interessiert sich wohl zusätzlich für nukleare Antriebe und würde sich über Testmöglichkeiten bei der NASA freuen
- Musk stellt sich wohl gerne mal gegen die Ansichten der Ingenieure - teilweise mit furchtbaren, teilweise mit guten Ergebnissen
- Die Oberstufe macht 30% der Kosten der Falcon 9 aus und soll in den nächsten Jahren bei manchen Missionen wiederverwendet werden
- Block V landing legs will be able to retract them selves and have better ablative protection across the bottom of the rocket. Presumably removing all smouldering that occurs after landing.
- Satellite constellation will double current global bandwidth, better in more remote locations due to lack of users.
- Hitting limits of chemical propulsion with Raptor.
- Raptor is designed for 99% chemical efficiency. (That is crazy!)
- SpaceX looking at nuclear propulsion for mars surface power with NASA, this will be used for propellent production however as stated by Musk solar will be first.
- Electric propulsion will be used for satellite constellation. (As i thought due to hiring patterns in Seattle, lots of ex NASA JPL folks)
- Musk can be extremely demanding to work for.
- Musk is known for going a totally different direction despite engineers wanting to go down the other route, has had horrible results but has also worked well.
- Merlin 1D uses a method called “Phase shut off”, removes most valves reducing chances of failure by removing components and removing a lot of risk of a hard start. - Musk convinced Mueller of using this method despite Mueller explaining what it is and how it increases complexity of R&D and increased costs due to blowing lots of hardware up before mastering it the method.
- Mars Rocket (BFR) will render all other LV’ inert.
- Roughly 1000tons need to get home from Mars according to Mueller manufactured over a two year cycle.
- Musk wanted a 12 hour turn around for Block V but was stopped after being told it was too tricky currently, settled for 24 hour turnaround after landing.
- Raptor runs 3.5, 3.6 O/F ratio.
- We avoid space vendors like the plague
- 30% of rocket cost is upper stage
- We're gonna try [recovering the upper stage] in the next few years, but we won't be able to do it for all missions
- Elon incorporated SpaceX in Feb 2002 (with no employees yet), Mueller started May 1, 2002. (Just had his 15th anniversary!)
- He watches those truther videos on YouTube
- No way ULA would buy engines from Blue Origin, no way France would moving to Ariane 5 without pressure from us
- talking about sat constellation: Imagine if you had a launch vehicle that could put a few hundred tons into LEO for a few million dollars. It completely changes the game. Then you think about putting big satellites up there and being able to service them...
- We're building the airline to Mars, but somebody else has to build the rental car when you get there, the housing, the food.
- He's actually purely talking about nuclear propulsion — went as far as to say that if NASA set up test stands for it (which is tricky, with scrubbing exhaust) SpaceX would be all over it. Said it'd double the performance of a Mars rocket. Even gave a nod to fusion (10x better) and antimatter (1000x) ("but both things certainly won't happen in my lifetime").
- 20 tons direct to Jupiter with no grav. assist, much slower. Couldn't do it with people. With depots, possible. Probably not further than Jupiter, too far for people.
- We need a SpaceX-like contractor to match the price of our low-cost rocket for scientific equipment. SpaceX would, but we're busy.
- JWST: "That thing better make it to orbit." SpaceX sniper confirmed.
- Tesla is going to make 10x as many cars in the same size factory because Elon wants the production line to move fast, like Coke can production, instead of inches per second like normal
- 8 football fields of solar fields per trip back. Need a space reactor — hopefully NASA gets funded to make one. They have a program called KiloPower going for a 10 kW reactor. We need 1 MW but you gotta start somewhere. Initially probably solar.
- Q: Does SpaceX have planetary protection protocols? A: "Well, NASA has protocols. Which we're following. Initially." We want to explore and find signs of life.
Quelle mit Interviewvideo:
https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/6b043z/tom_mueller_interview_speech_skype_call_02_may/
