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Don't want to diminish SpaceX achievements, but for some comparable systems results could be similarly interesting. For example, Soyuz rockets are launched at l
by avmich 12y ago
Don't want to diminish SpaceX achievements, but for some comparable systems results could be similarly interesting. For example, Soyuz rockets are launched at least twice (at least 12 per year, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_R-7_launches_%282010%E2%80%9314%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_R-7_launches_%282010%E... ) more often than Falcon last year (highest frequency so far), their pumps and chambers, modules of first stage are manufactured in corresponding numbers (6 pumps per rocket, 20 main thrust chambers for 1 and 2 stages alone, 4 modules of first stage), the rocket is largely - though not completely - manufactured in one closely tied cluster of companies (in Samara city on Volga river, where it is also designed and upgraded). Admittedly these results came after half a century of incremental improvements - but it's interesting to compare SpaceX results with some other offerings.
- antimagic 12y agoAnd how many launches can a single R7 make? That's the difference that has all of our jaws droppping, because it's going to reduce the price for access to space by an order of magnitude.