My wife and I were driving back roads outside McGregor, Texas today and stumbled upon SpaceX's development facility! I didn't know they had a complex in Central Texas so it was quite a shock!

They bought it from Andrew Beal. He's built the big tripod (not used anymore due to increase in thrust in engines under test).

That's where they did most of the early work on their verticle landing technology. The test mule was known as Grass Hopper. Several Vids on Youtube are entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnfNtjWp35s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoxiK7K28PU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZDkItO-0a4

Another gorgeous launch today for SpaceX. Watched it live on their website. Never get tired of watching that Stage 1 rocket come back to land upright.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/14/1614 ... g-nasa-iss

I'm the same way. It's one of the coolest things ever.

Once again the private sector does a spectacular job... think of the head start and budget available to the US Government and what SpaceX has been able to do with less and less time!

Obviously they benefited from what the government learned over the years... but still.

Once again the private sector does a spectacular job... think of the head start and budget available to the US Government and what SpaceX has been able to do with less and less time!

Obviously they benefited from what the government learned over the years... but still.

probably a part of the mission statement about keeping as many jobs and euros in the rocket factories of member states. No different from a US military procurement decision in that regard

This is a pretty darn big boost. They did not have to start from scratch. Let's not forget that many technology innovations that have become huge industries and drivers of our nation's economic fortune begin with some government funding for research or activity that has no immediate payoff. But in the long term they benefit all of us.

As they are structured now, they both need each other to succeed so there is no use getting into an argument about who benefited in the past.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-s ... story.html

They already realize that it was a massive blunder not to develop reusability for a next-generation launcher. This is why the Airbus initiated last-ditch, desperate efforts like the engine compartment return (project Adelene).

The thing to understand about ESA is that their launcher efforts were driven by decrees from above - all the way from European Commission and its departments. ESA was told to make a rocket that gets off the government subsidy, which Arianespace receives for Ariane V and without which it cannot operate. So, ESA managers came home from a stern talk in Brussels, and told their engineers of the established parameters. The only thing they managed to wring out from the bureaucrats was a permission to ignore the European cooperation, which previously was mandated. In other words, no more design to spread jobs, just design to make it cheap enough (70 million Euro per launch).

At that point French had a ridiculous, even idiotic project that still used segmented boosters. It was a corndog rocket like Ares I. Fortunately, it was clear that it could not clear the budget. So, they made the sensible thing, and decided to close down the booster factory in Gayana. That's where most of the savings originate for Ariane 6. The current version uses monolithic boosters related to Vega's motors.

And they would even succeed, if not for SpaceX. Blessed Elon started driving the costs down and they now face a real problem of being unable to find any customers at 70 million a pop. Well, the EU governments will provide some payloads, but not enough. At this point in the design of the Ariane 6 they are really stuck without a proper reusability.

Space X Falcon Heavy launch currently planned for Tuesday at Kennedy space center. My 15 year old son was talking about it and I casually mentioned we could go see it.

Most excited I have seen him in some time.

I need help on logistics please,

Launch is currently scheduled around 1:30 pm
I am guessing we could fly into Space Coast Rgnl (KTIX) Tuesday am, rent a car and drive over.
Is there more than one FBO- which one to use?

Following your responses too. I would like to go see it, my junior is very interested in this and might come up from FXE.

I have always used http://bristowaircenter.com/, the yellow building on the field. I will be there Tuesday morning as well, planning to take Uber over to KSC. When the launch tickets went on sale last week I jumped and bought the "Feel the Heat" package, which has a viewing area just 3nm away at the Saturn V Center. Me and the kids are super excited, hope it doesn't get scrubbed.

I have always used http://bristowaircenter.com/, the yellow building on the field. I will be there Tuesday morning as well, planning to take Uber over to KSC. When the launch tickets went on sale last week I jumped and bought the "Feel the Heat" package, which has a viewing area just 3nm away at the Saturn V Center. Me and the kids are super excited, hope it doesn't get scrubbed.