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If I remember correctly, the B330 is too big in terms of width to launch with the current fairing on a Falcon Heavy; although I think that Elon indicated at som
by sq_ 9y ago
If I remember correctly, the B330 is too big in terms of width to launch with the current fairing on a Falcon Heavy; although I think that Elon indicated at some point that they could do bigger fairings at customer request.
It'd definitely be awesome to see essentially an entire space station go up on top of one FH though.
- kevin_thibedeau 9y agoIt would be better to design the B330 to be its own fairing with just a launcher specific adapter ring at the base. That would provide a significant weight savings, reduce the volumetric constraints, and eliminate fairing separation mishaps.
- ChuckMcM 9y agoOh I like that idea. I'm not sure how it would expose the docking ports once in orbit though.
- greglindahl 9y agoFairings are an extremely tricky thing to design, and the B330 is not made out of materials that can survive a launch.
- avmich 9y agoFalcon's fairing is about 5 m diameter, B330 is about 6 m diameter. Don't think B330 can't fit given that when not inflated it has smaller diameter.
- nkoren 9y agoIt's actually the length of the fairing that's the issue. The Falcon fairing can only accommodate payloads 11.4m long. The BA 330 is 16.8m long, and that doesn't compress at all.
- avmich 9y ago> The Falcon fairing can only accommodate payloads 11.4m long. Are you sure? I was under impression I've read about 17 meters long fairing. Maybe for FH only. Edit: "The fairing itself is 43 feet high and 17 feet wide, big enough, as the company points out, to hold a city bus." http://www.cleveland.com/science/index.ssf/2013/05/nasas_plum_brook_station_tests.html http://www.cleveland.com/science/index.ssf/2013/05/nasas_plu... So, 43 feet or 13,1 m. And this perhaps include nose part, which is conical rather than cylindrical. OTOH Bigelow can definitely adjust the size. And from what I saw on the explanation video, B330 grows both in diameter and in length when deployed. So - ?
- nkoren 9y agoYeah, here's a diagram showing the inner fairing dimensions: https://marssettlement.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/falcon9fairing17ft.jpg https://marssettlement.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/falcon9fa... "Fairing 2.0", which just flew yesterday for the first time, is larger but only by a few inches. It would indeed be possible for the Heavy to have a larger fairing, but Musk has said he'll only do that if the BFR looks like it's going to take longer than he expects.
- greglindahl 9y agoNote that Bigelow can choose any length they want. If they want to launch on ULA, their current plan is fine.
- jlebrech 9y agowhy have a fairing? couldn't you reinforce the station. Or what about make the second stage a station/module itself.