News Elon Musk unveils images of BFR’s new design

[perseus]

Elon Musk unveils images of BFR’s new design.

Elon Musk Shares Powerful New Images of SpaceX BFR in Action

 

[francisdrake]

The pictures look cool!
But I get the impression that running a cool show becomes more important than the actual development work. What unsettles me is that this design again shows significant differences to its predecessors in aerodynamics and engine arrangement. While these design features keep changing, any prediction of a first flight - manned or unmanned - is wish-thinking.

I propose the new design should come in two colour schemes to chose from:
- A green Planet Express ship, and
- A red-white Tintin rocket. :lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

I don't feel like I want to reenter with those.... :/

 

[Kyle]

I don't feel like I want to reenter with those.... :/

I don't think it's any worse than Shuttle.

 

[Urwumpe]

I don't think it's any worse than Shuttle.

Not sure, the fins at the tail don't appear to be well suited for a good AOA, it rather looks like its going to go down nose first like a lawn dart.



Also, I doubt they would be easily heat protected, if they are so exposed to undisturbed airflow.



It rather looks like one of those studies that look better than they fly.

 

[perseus]

Articulated wings, what happens if they do not unfold in the reentry,
or only the one on one side?

 

[Urwumpe]

Articulated wings, what happens if they do not unfold in the reentry,
or only the one on one side?

Could become a hard landing. Also, how heavy is the mechanism supposed to be for moving the wings and withstand the lift force?

 

[kuddel]

Thanks for adding the Banana size reference!
Much more modern than those "old-fashioned" imperial or metric measurements

 

[Urwumpe]

And damn, what a time for a live cast, completely hostile to poor German PLM specialists with a serious case of caffeine withdrawal...

 

[Kyle]

Not sure, the fins at the tail don't appear to be well suited for a good AOA, it rather looks like its going to go down nose first like a lawn dart.



Also, I doubt they would be easily heat protected, if they are so exposed to undisturbed airflow.



It rather looks like one of those studies that look better than they fly.

My understanding is the wings actuate to account for different AOAs.

 

[Urwumpe]

My understanding is the wings actuate to account for different AOAs.

How? They are far away from the CoG and move the CoP far back. Unless they fold completely inside the rocket, they should be pretty disturbing. Even a small box shaped section at the end of a tube has that effect at high speeds, though much less than folded down wings.

 

[Pipcard]

Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa plans to invite 6-8 artists and fly around the Moon on the BFR:

 

[Zandy12]

It's gonna take longer than 2024 for us to get to Mars. I hope not, but I agree with most orbitnauts on the thread. I believe the proposed design is still a little rough atm but I believe Elon Musk will have something better presented soon.

 

[mahdavi3d]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FwpRn-jaSo"]Meet SpaceX BFR's First Paying Customer - Yusaku Maezawa - YouTube[/ame]​

 

[perseus]

If they succeed, they will ridicule the Orion project based on the concept of the 60s

 

[jedidia]

So, even if this works, could they ever afford to blow up one of these and still continue? :shifty:

 

[4throck]

I got a good vibe from the presentation but the reentry looks odd.

But it's all very much wishful thinking.
The renders are still generic, no interior detail, no mention of crew safety systems. Do they eject if something goes wrong?

 

[Urwumpe]

I got a good vibe from the presentation but the reentry looks odd.

Yeah - especially it looks like the whole wings are supposed to move for attitude control additionally to the canards, so a very huge surface with a pretty high dynamic pressure, that moves a lot = heavy bearings and hydraulics.

And canards on a spacecraft during lunar reentry should be a hot event even when taking in account that half of the spacecraft should be empty fuel tanks.

 

[Marijn]

And canards on a spacecraft during lunar reentry should be a hot event

I expect them to estabish a circular orbit around earth first before re-entering so that the speed will be as low as possible. Or will they indeed re-enter directly from the moon?

 

[Urwumpe]

I expect them to estabish a circular orbit around earth first before re-entering so that the speed will be as low as possible. Or will they indeed re-enter directly from the moon?

Circular Orbit around Earth coming from the moon costs as much fuel as leaving circular orbit towards the moon. Both DV together is about 2/3 of the DV for getting from ground to LEO. A lot of fuel together.