Here there be Dragons.....

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(Not quite a haiku)

 

A 2008 documentary on critical thinking?

Here Be Dragons: An Introduction to Critical Thinking

 

something something rocket pods falling something

something capsule splashdown hmmm-hmmm

 

No but I watched that line spoken during a brilliant performance by BillyBob in Fargo: The Series which was much darker (and in someways funnier) than the great movie. Highly recommended binge material.

 

While Fargo was good, I suppose Leadfoot has the correct attribution here.

 

I actually saw it on the morning news. My initial thoughts were about how far away the first response boats were from the capsule. I guess if there were biologics aboard helo's with frogmen aboard would have been all over it. (excuse my lame attempt at military lingo)

 

Elon Musk has already photo-oped with first-assigned Dragonauts. Don't know whether more parachute tests are en queue. First 'manned' Dragon2 re entry will be to water. Don't know how many tests of Dragon2 rocket slowing to 'land' landing will happen before Dragonauts return thatway.

 

Aqua-nauts.

 

SpaceX already said that time-to-hatch opening would need to be decreased with meatbags aboard. They used some other term for 'meatbags'.

 

Musk divers.

 

Dragon2 aims for land landings by rocket deceleration after some ocean infancy. Is that not so?

 

They should be able to specify a parking space at Johnson Space Center and expect it to land there.

"Ah, Houston? We're outside."

 

Musk wanted to buy a Russian rocket and they laughed at him. So he went back and made is own with a reusable, first stage. Now his 7-seat, Dragon capsule with reusable Draco rocket is about to compete with the three seat, Soyuz. Current estimates is that Russians will lose about $400 million a year.

Bob Wilson

 

A related comments section at ars technica suggests that Dragon 2 will not ever retro rocket to land landing. Just parachutes and water.

Consequently if Dragon 2 ever does suborbital/orbital tourism, there will be a swimming qualification.

Follow up vehicle, BFS (big fella starship, approximately) would do landings on Earth, Moon or Mars.

 

Roscosmos Chief, Elon Musk Exchange Courtesies After SpaceX Capsule Landing - Sputnik International

. . .
The Roscosmos director also said that alternative space transportation systems guarantee the stability and security of the international teams working at the ISS.
. . . ​

Nice.

Bob Wilson

 

The Russian taxi service to ISS was always supposed to be temporary. Putin recently made clear that he had no intention of extending the contract.

This new transport system is coming none too soon. I really hope that it is successful and gets properly human-rated quickly.

 

Russian transport services for US (plus other countries?) to ISS is now USD$400 million. Perhaps it is larger. A small fraction of total budget, but a very large fraction of Russia's space budget. Yes, clearly, they knew this disruption was coming. I've no idea how they might fill the shortfall.

Russian earth-orbit thing-lifters, and those of Euro, and only a few other small players are facing strong SpaceX competition. Most money comes not from meatbag lifting. Am I wrong?

Unless I am mistaken, SpaceX dragons have few other roles than ISS transfers.