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If the fairing was just a little bit longer on the Falcon 9 it could easily launch another one of these. But the dang thing cost $4.3 billion just to build and

by foxyv 4y ago

If the fairing was just a little bit longer on the Falcon 9 it could easily launch another one of these. But the dang thing cost $4.3 billion just to build and launch so I can see why they would want to repair instead of re-build. Especially since Dragon is so freaking cheap compared to the shuttle. However, outfitting Dragon for EVA would be a freaking PITA considering the certification process. More likely they would have to launch an EVA module separately that Dragon would dock to that had the necessary airlock to remove the need to depressurize Dragon. I could see them designing a cheaper less dear version of Hubble now that launch costs are so much lower. But repairing it definitely makes a lot of sense.

_joel 4y ago
Polaris are doing an EVA mission next year on dragon. There will be mods but essentially they're tethered by an umbilical and they'll depressurise the entire vessel
- foxyv 4y ago
  That's awesome! Edit: So they would have existing art to work off of for a Hubble mission. Neat!
  - _joel 4y ago
    First private citizen spacewalk!
- ClumsyPilot 4y ago
  thats sounds like the dragon is significantly inferiour to the shittle when it comes to EVA
  - foxyv 4y ago
    Yes, Dragon was intended to carry people to ISS. Shuttle was designed for EVA from the start.
    - _joel 4y ago
      Indeed, it's also not $1.5 billion per launch.
ceejayoz 4y ago
> But the dang thing cost $4.3 billion just to build and launch so I can see why they would want to repair instead of re-build. That's OK, we've got two more like it sitting in storage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_National_Reconnaissance_Office_space_telescope_donation_to_NASA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_National_Reconnaissance_O...
- foxyv 4y ago
  Neat! However, I wonder if they are fit for purpose still.
hinkley 4y ago
The question then becomes, how much does a portable airlock weigh versus a new satellite? What's the value of the airlock at the end of the mission? You're in the wrong orbit to send it somewhere else, you can't carry it back attached, and if you get clever and make an inflatable one to try to keep it small, how do you deflate such a thing?

by foxyv 4y ago

_joel 4y ago

Polaris are doing an EVA mission next year on dragon. There will be mods but essentially they're tethered by an umbilical and they'll depressurise the entire vessel

foxyv 4y ago
That's awesome! Edit: So they would have existing art to work off of for a Hubble mission. Neat!
- _joel 4y ago
  First private citizen spacewalk!
ClumsyPilot 4y ago
thats sounds like the dragon is significantly inferiour to the shittle when it comes to EVA
- foxyv 4y ago
  Yes, Dragon was intended to carry people to ISS. Shuttle was designed for EVA from the start.
  - _joel 4y ago
    Indeed, it's also not $1.5 billion per launch.

ceejayoz 4y ago

> But the dang thing cost $4.3 billion just to build and launch so I can see why they would want to repair instead of re-build. That's OK, we've got two more like it sitting in storage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_National_Reconnaissance_Office_space_telescope_donation_to_NASA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_National_Reconnaissance_O...

foxyv 4y ago
Neat! However, I wonder if they are fit for purpose still.

hinkley 4y ago

The question then becomes, how much does a portable airlock weigh versus a new satellite? What's the value of the airlock at the end of the mission? You're in the wrong orbit to send it somewhere else, you can't carry it back attached, and if you get clever and make an inflatable one to try to keep it small, how do you deflate such a thing?