44 ms·

By their settlement date, a falcon heavy or a variant of it, should be ready.

• shmageggy 14y ago
  So it doesn't exist, and is therefore unvalidated...
  • tempestn 14y ago
    From their site: "While most of the components required are not immediately available with the exact specifications required, at this time, there is no need for radical modifications to the current component designs. All suppliers have confirmed their ability to build what is required--and they can do so now." So their meaning is that, while the specific stuff they need doesn't yet exist, the technology to create it exists. In other words, if the components were needed today, they could be built today, with existing ("validated") technology. Agreed that there's a non-trivial stretch from there to say the components themselves are validated.
  • TeMPOraL 14y ago
    In defense, it's being built right now. AFAIR SpaceX tested engines for it recently. It's engineering. When you have a design validated "on paper" you're likely already 80% done - the rest is to actually assemble and fix problems simulations didn't catch.