SpaceX Major Change With Fairing Reusability Shock Boeing, Even NASA!

SpaceX Major Change With Fairing Reusability Shock Boeing, Even NASA!
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0:00-0:25: Intro
0:26-1:30: Achievement
1:31-5:05: Fairing reusability
5:06-6:41: Shock the entire world
6:42-8:58: Challenge
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#alphatech
#techalpha
#spacex
#elonmusk
#space
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Sources of image & video:
TheSpaceEngineer: / mcrs987 / @thespaceengineer
Cosmic Perspective: / @cosmicperspective
LabPadre Space: / labpadre
/ labpadre
Greg Scott: / gregscott_photo
Jenny Hautmann: / jennyhphoto
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SpaceX Major Change With Fairing Reusability Shock Boeing, Even NASA!
SpaceX major change with Fairing reusability Shock Boeing, even NASA!
While reusability seems challenging for most space companies, it's become a habit for SpaceX as we frequently see them reusing the first stage of their rockets.
However, another equally important aspect often gets overlooked - the fairing.
SpaceX Major Change With Fairing Reusability Shock Boeing, Even NASA!
So, let's find out in today's episode of Alpha Tech: How has SpaceX improved its ability to reuse fairings on its rockets? This has truly shocked Boeing and even NASA.
Thanks to a recent cluster of major milestones, SpaceX’s family of Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets is rapidly the way along the path to ambitious goals for booster and fairing reusability.
SpaceX Major Change With Fairing Reusability Shock Boeing, Even NASA!
With the latest launch on May 8th, the Falcon rocket family has surpassed the total number of Space Shuttle missions from NASA's historic Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
The combination of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches marks 83 missions to orbit from SpaceX's KSC pad, compared to the total of 82 Shuttle launches over the program's 30-year history.
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Subcribe Alpha Tech: / @alphatech4966
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[@JontyLevine]

7:03 The fairing does not stay on the rocket until payload deployment. It is jettisoned shortly after it crosses the 100km line.

[@alphatech4966]

Thank you for your reminder! I will note that

[@sgtcarnage2772]

I’d imagine it would not be too hard to impress Boeing these days…I’d imagine with all the malfunctions they’ve had just watching something not fall out of the sky would excite them. What an embarrassment….

[@garryseery3865]

That’s a bit harsh don’t you think? Without Boeing the FAA and NTSB would have to lay off half of their staff.

[@sgtcarnage2772]

@@garryseery3865 maybe but their planes keep falling out the sky, parts continuously failing off..I want an American company with such a remarkable past to succeed but when you’re messing up like that it needs point out don’t you think?

[@sgtcarnage2772]

@@Smalltownpatriot doors even….

[@patrickhopkins4468]

Brings to mind the old comet jets made in great Britain that were dropping out of the skies in the 70s. The problem was the shape of the passenger windows. The square shape compromised the structural integrity of the fuselage. The company was ultimately proven to have known about the potential problem

[@kmoxmedia5717]

Recovering fairings reduces rocket cost by 80% but then at 6m a set it’s only 10% of the launch cost… can someone explain this to me 😂 as it sounds mental

[@brianbrandt25]

yes, serious error.

[@MarkAShaw64]

I think it’s because there is a huge difference between costs of the launch and the revenue generated by the launch. There is a huge gross profit on each launch.

[@earthflute2248]

Actually yes. This is exactly what they did w F9s. Develop to minimum go fly point, test and fly, if it has a RUD, learn, adjust, repeat. This is why SpaceX are THE leader. They are not afraid to fail.

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro, keep up your amazing work 💪

[@clavo3352]

Would love a shot at capturing and returning a fairing to base using a floating Air-hockey puck I have conceived.

[@SuperVt100]

I read a book that was written I think in 1949. In the book, one of the main things were the rockets going up and down. They were 100% reusable, like a commercial jet taking off and landing. The concept has been around for 70 years at least!

[@JoshuaRichards2010]

Yeah, that has always been the goal. Throwing out your jumbo jet after each flight would not make much sense.

[@magsteel9891]

Dreaming it is one thing, doing it is another

[@ziggystardust4627]

Reuse? Space Shuttle had substantial reuse of most of the components. Just wasn't economical at the time. Much of the Falcon technology can trace its roots back to McDonnell Douglas DC-X/DC-Y/Clipper Graham. Good on them for expanding on the state of the art substantially, but people don't realize that it wasn't just grown from scratch by SpaceX.

[@mahbriggs]

​@ziggystardust4627 The space shuttle was extensively rebuilt after each flight! It took months to ready one for another flight! The Falcon landing might have been inspired but the McConnel Douglass DC-x, but equally to the visions of rocket scientist and writers going back decades!

[@mahbriggs]

Yes, I remember the Robert Heinlein stories I read in the late 1960s!

[@Verner_von_Kerman]

Thank you for using metric

[@paulbork7647]

At 3:41 are you saying that the fairings have fuel tanks and engines to be checked? Hmmmmm.

[@andrewcliffe4753]

Would like to see a space company comparison of top management skills. Engineering, Accounting, Sales……or other.

[@captzoom1778]

It's going to be amazing where we're going to be in another 60 years who would have ever thought 60 years ago we would be doing what we are doing now

[@MrBPC76]

You mean Boeing doesn't reuse all the junk that falls off their planes?

[@7moonman1]

"Thank You!"

[@dcolb121]

Saves 80%? Then says it's 10% of the cost? Make up your mind.

[@rickoliveira3807]

I noticed that too.

[@jonathanbuzzard1376]

Saves 80% the cost of a new fairing and a fairing makes up 10% the cost of a new rocket. Not hard really if you have a functioning brain.

[@HdwJunkie]

In addition to good engineering, SpaceX must live operational excellence. Designing a system is very hard, but running one perfectly, time after time after time, is even harder.

[@user-rx7hv3zi9g]

👍🚀💯

[@user-rx7hv3zi9g]

j a sam Eva

[@alphatech4966]

Thank you so much!

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro, go Elon

[@TimothyLipinski]

Great Video ! Any video from the Fairing, leaving the rocket or deploying the parachute ? Or a video from the Fairing of the splash down ? Anybody put a Fairing in a company office or reception room ? tjl

[@alphatech4966]

Of course

[@marktibbetts3799]

Wow,I had NO IDEA there was this much re use

[@davidsoom1551]

They aren't reusing much from the Starship,

[@madmadmal]

I thought SpaceX wasn’t going to reuse fairings. This is good news that I thought wasn’t happening.

[@garylester3976]

Gee, and I did a writ here on Alpha Tech, on fly back, and fairing half shape as a boat hull just before they did that... See guys! stuff spreads, some gets used. All helps move us into Space! its why concepts are important. Had one this morning; Realized the upcoming InterContinental Glide ships would be good launch platforms for getting payloads into orbit efficiently. Basically the same idea as using aircraft launches like Virgin did. Only they will be flying just slightly under orbital velocity at apogee of their flight profile. Which means you could use the IC craft to launch self powered payloads into much higher orbits very easily. with limits being the cargo capacity of the Inter Continental ships. You'd also want to get away from the big mouth jaw doors, and go to side sliders around the hull to reduce resistance when opening the craft cargo bay in upper atmosphere. I did a writ on construction lay out of that style doors here months ago. This technique could also be usable for launching glide path fighters and drones. One ship might carry several. perhaps even existing aircraft could be adapted to the tecnique. Might be disconcerting to have a launch happen an ocean away, and suddenly aircraft doing a high speed run at near hypersonic velocities, and using their entire fuel supply to escape the area at maintained high velocity. You 'd never know until too late... Would be like having Aircraft Carriers in the sky... Especially in larger versions... And everything could be on glide ratios, and cover extreme distances quickly in the very thin upper atmosphere. Just sayin' DOD needs to up their funding to SpaceX, and get a paralelle inter continental program going on the drawing boards, so we have sudden service civilian transport, and military craft to upgrade from the current dinosaurs.

[@ascendrio]

I doubt Boeing is shocked by anything

[@mgas1237]

82 Shuttle launches? It was 135. Edit: Ahh, from Pad 39A. Had to pay extra attention to that. It was kind of a pointless fact when referring to reusability.

[@audience2]

I watched most of them.

[@terrybertrand7159]

They were talking about Shuttle missions launched from pad L39A. There were/are two launch pads that the Shuttle launches used L39A and L39B. SpaceX leases L39A which launched 82 Shuttle missions, the other Shuttle launches were from pad L39B.

[@cbongiova]

SpaceX is going to launch more than 135 times in 2024!!!

[@clavo3352]

Got a patent for a seagoing air-hockey puck that could catch and retrieve the fairings with a crew of two and whatever fuel to motor about on a 50 hp outboard.

[@camplethargic8]

I call b.s. - you can't patent ideas.

[@davidsoom1551]

@@camplethargic8 You don't have a good idea, Elon has all those.

[@clavo3352]

@@camplethargic8 Then I never passed the patent bar exam either. Your the kind of person that make fools of the simply uneducated. Wanna bet; you've never read 1 whole book?

[@spaceman8954]

I'm not a engineer but I think 🤔 (that's used a lot lately the I think bit) but I think because the fairings already kinda fly ,fall in style you would say 😂 wouldn't you put some little tiny wings and a little electric motor on to power the steering I bet you could fly them little buggers at least half way back maybe I don't know it's just an idea 💡 probably math behind it I'm not smart enough to understand , so instead of a parachute to help it go down slowly you will pop out the wings and use the momentum of speed and gravity to get it back further then just falling within a Shoot, when you get closer to the water at base pull the shoot then , 😅 hope that helps probably not but I want to do my part for the planet 😊

[@iatarget]

The fairing does have wings of a sort. The parachute is steerable and directs the fairing to a landing zone. The parachute is a very large surface area far more than wing or winglets. Thus far more efficient and massive weight saving. The parachute does result in a significant range distance travelled. Allowing it to land in a known safe location. Now about a motor to push the fairing back to the launch site. Well that's not really feasible. Rockets don't just go up. They mostly go sideways. A huge rocket is pushing itself very very fast across the Atlantic as fast as it can more than it is pushing it self upwards. This means that the fairing would have to have considerable thrust to make it all the way back to the launch site. Which of course is a lot of added fuel and motors to just get back to the launch site. If however all that extra weight was removed and it's functions were transferred to a collection vessel it saves a lot of weight and complexity. Increasing the payload capacity and reducing the cost of each flight. Doesn't really require math to figure out. In general the more that is removed from the rocket the more the rocket can lift. It's simple. So every time you want to add a system the less you can carry to space. So when every someone states lets just add X or Y to the rocket you'll see most rocket engineers pushing back.

[@Agent77X]

The Crew Dragon originally designed to land just like the 1st stage but NASA did not want that! They wanted parachutes!😮

[@Mark-jp9dz]

But then allowed Starliner to land on the land! (If it ever gets off the ground.

[@rogerphelps9939]

More failsafe.

[@TogetherinParis]

I was key for this. I got SpaceX to use hydrophobic paint on the fairings to prevent seawater intrusion. Now they pick them up off the sea after they land there and just rinse them off. Hope they put the paint onto the parachutes, too.

[@alphatech4966]

Thank you! You are amazing at creating new things

[@TogetherinParis]

Found the cure for drug addiction, too. It's the Christian communion human pheromone. The pheromone is kissed onto the communion wafer and handed out to believers. The wine's ethanol cuts the lipid pheromone to prevent osculation partner jealousy. Christ just used more pheromone to cure a whole host of ills. I've used it to cure Alzheimers, addictions, perversions, epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, homelessness, runaway teenage girl misbehavior, infectious disease, generalized wasting, onychophagia, criminal behavior. I can also cure preeclampsia/eclampsia, menorhagia (like Christ did "Who touched me?"), sudden infant death syndrome, some birth defects, all kinds of stuff.@@alphatech4966

[@dboyette42]

why don't they go straight up and land on a catch stand on the ground or transformer the fairing into a glider and fly back or a boat.

[@alphatech4966]

This technique seems to require a more complex redesign! That's probably why SpaceX has limited changes

[@rogerphelps9939]

Going sraight up does not gett you into orbit. You have to have transverse velocity. That means it takes effort to get back to the launch site.

[@LTV_inc]

There were 135 shuttle launches, here we go with the bullshit again.

[@ziggystardust4627]

They haven't reflown "a" fairing 300 times. there might be 300 instances of fairing reuse at best. That statement is misleading.

[@Head-ck4hu]

Slow space news day?

[@Fulltimer]

Why does the government continue to pour money down a hole at NASA and Boeing?

[@eugenecbell]

It is just a way to funnel money into military aircraft development and shift the cost to the space program.

[@northhammerfl]

Because they are bribed?

[@FerdiLouw]

Click bait - nothing has changed in the last few years. No shocks. Just the common old story. Avoid this channel.

[@AudiTTQuattro2003]

The fairing is reusable, the launch pad...not so much.

[@evogreenrow8692]

Neutron.

[@richardknapp570]

With all the information available, it is disappointing there are so many factual errors in this. I like the channel but the inaccuracies are troubling...on topics where accuracy is important.

[@camplethargic8]

It's the same problem with every A.I. narration.

[@Papershields001]

Oh and by the way, these incredible cost savings from Spacex don’t get passed along to their customers. It’s still around $65 million per launch. With competitors offering around 80 or so. It’s a step forward but it’s not changed the world.

[@74alberta]

ad

[@Metalle]

Sure, but why are we even doing this? 😂

[@dynomotivedyno9194]

Nobody is shocked by anything SpaceX does. Lol. We'll be shocked of they recover anything on next launch lol.

[@davidsoom1551]

They aren't using anything from Starship cuz it blows up every time. Why is that Elon? Destructive testing?

[@wbwarren57]

Breaking news: SpaceX engineers have determined that the reason he shield tiles are breaking so often is that they are made from the same materials as Elon‘s condoms.

[@fr57ujf]

Save a fairing, trash 39 Raptor engines with each launch of Starship. More deflection by Musk fanboys who never let facts interfere with their besotted thinking about this thin-skinned, narcissistic, self-proclaimed genius.

[@Brad-L]

You seem to have a personal investment against Elon Musk. Good luck with that.

[@akira28shima32]

Elon’s living in your head rent free, bruh!! At least charge Elon some rent, he can afford it.

[@robertmcdonnold3038]

And your facts are what??

[@chrisantoniou4366]

Once Starship is fully developed, it will be fully reusable. Your ad hominem hatred is showing...

[@chuckbronco6485]

​@@chrisantoniou4366 I don't believe that person realizes the falcon 9 was developed the same way. Mind blowing the smooth brain doesn't realize it