On December 21, 2015, SpaceX made a significant breakthrough by successfully landing their Falcon 9 booster back on land. This achievement marked a pivotal moment in the quest to reduce the costs associated with space travel. Since then, SpaceX has landed over 45 boosters, with more than half being reused. But how many times can a Falcon 9 be reused, and what does the refurbishment process entail?
In April 2018, SpaceX introduced the ‘Block 5’ version of the Falcon 9, featuring several enhancements to the engine, heat shield, grid fins, and landing legs. These upgrades were designed to minimize refurbishment needs and maximize the number of flights each booster can undertake. Despite these improvements, the average turnaround time for a booster has decreased from 356 days to 107 days, with the fastest turnaround being 72 days.
For context, the Space Shuttle once achieved a record turnaround time of 55 days between flights in 1985, with regular refurbishment times under 100 days. However, following the Challenger disaster, increased safety standards made the refurbishment process more complex and costly, involving over 9,000 employees to prepare the Shuttle for each flight.
SpaceX aims to reduce refurbishment time to just 24 hours, akin to the turnaround process of commercial airliners, where only a quick inspection is needed between flights. When a Falcon 9 booster returns to Earth, it is transported back to the SpaceX hangar for refurbishment. This involves removing the landing legs, which, although designed for quick retraction, currently require manual removal.
Once in the hangar, each engine undergoes thorough testing to ensure readiness for the next flight. Elon Musk has stated that each Merlin engine could potentially perform up to 1,000 flights without major refurbishment. The hydraulic grid fin system, which has experienced failures, is checked for leaks, while the fuel tanks and pressure vessels undergo ultrasonic tests to detect any cracks.
After passing inspections, the booster undergoes a static fire test with all nine engines before being paired with its payload. As SpaceX continues to explore the limits of multiple reuses, each mission provides valuable insights into the longevity of the boosters and helps refine the refurbishment process.
Currently, three Falcon 9 boosters have completed three launches each. SpaceX aims to expand its fleet from eight to 20 boosters. While theoretically, a Falcon 9 could fly up to 100 times with minimal refurbishment, each booster is expected to perform around 30 flights over the next decade. However, with the development of the more powerful and fully reusable Starship, the Falcon 9 may become obsolete sooner than anticipated.
SpaceX is actively building Starship prototypes in Texas and Florida, with plans to launch commercial payloads soon. Starship is designed for full reusability, capable of thousands of flights before requiring major refurbishment. If successful, Starship could replace the Falcon 9, offering the ability to launch heavier payloads at a lower cost.
As SpaceX continues to innovate, they plan to hire thousands of new employees to work on Starship. Elon Musk emphasizes that formal education is not a priority for hiring; instead, he values skills and knowledge, which can be acquired through various means. Today, resources like YouTube tutorials and online classes make it easier than ever to learn about any topic or skill from home.
Skillshare is an online learning platform offering thousands of classes, from business skills to creative pursuits like astrophotography. With a premium membership costing less than $10 a month, you can access over 20,000 classes. Whether you’re looking to advance your career or learn new life skills, Skillshare provides a wealth of opportunities.
Thank you for exploring the fascinating world of SpaceX and the Falcon 9. Stay curious and keep learning!
Conduct research on the advancements and challenges of reusing the Falcon 9 boosters. Prepare a presentation that outlines the key improvements made in the Block 5 version and how these contribute to the reusability of the boosters. Present your findings to the class, highlighting the impact of these advancements on the cost and efficiency of space travel.
Analyze the turnaround times of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and NASA’s Space Shuttle. Create a detailed comparison chart that includes factors such as refurbishment processes, manpower involved, and technological advancements. Discuss in groups how these factors influence the overall mission readiness and cost-effectiveness of each program.
Participate in a simulation activity where you role-play as SpaceX engineers responsible for the refurbishment of a Falcon 9 booster. Work in teams to identify key inspection and testing procedures, such as engine testing and grid fin checks. Present your refurbishment plan and discuss how it ensures the booster is ready for its next flight.
Engage in a debate about the future of Falcon 9 in light of the development of the Starship. One group will argue for the continued use and improvement of Falcon 9, while the other will advocate for transitioning to Starship. Use data from the article and additional research to support your arguments, focusing on aspects like cost, payload capacity, and reusability.
Explore various online learning platforms like Skillshare, focusing on courses related to space technology and engineering. Create a list of recommended courses that could enhance your understanding of topics discussed in the article. Share your findings with classmates and discuss how these resources can complement formal education in the field of aerospace.
This episode of Primal Space is supported by Skillshare, an online learning community where you can learn just about anything! Sign up using the link below to get your first two months for free.
On December 21, 2015, SpaceX made history by landing their first Falcon 9 booster back on land. After years of development and testing, SpaceX was one step closer to dramatically reducing the cost of spaceflight. Since then, over 45 boosters have been landed, with more than half of them being reused. But how many times can a Falcon 9 be reused? And what does it take to refurbish each booster between flights?
In this video, we’ll explore how SpaceX upgraded the Falcon 9 to be more reusable, what goes into refurbishing the Falcon 9, and how it will eventually be replaced by Starship.
In April 2018, SpaceX launched the new and improved ‘Block 5’ Falcon 9. This version brought several upgrades to the engine, heat shield, grid fins, and landing legs, aiming to reduce the amount of refurbishment and maximize the number of flights per booster. Although this upgrade reduced the need for extensive refurbishment, the average turnaround time for a booster has only dropped from 356 days to 107, with the quickest turnaround being 72 days.
In contrast, the Space Shuttle achieved a record of just 55 days between flights back in 1985, with regular refurbishment times of less than 100 days. However, after the Challenger disaster, safety standards increased, putting extra pressure on refurbishment. The process became an expensive task, requiring over 9,000 employees to prepare the Shuttle for flight.
SpaceX aims to achieve a refurbishment time of just 24 hours, matching the turnaround process of airliners, with each rocket needing only a quick inspection between flights. When the first stage booster returns to Earth, either by land or by sea, it is lifted onto a trailer and transported back to the SpaceX hangar. This can take several days to complete since each of the four landing legs needs to be removed manually. Although designed for quick retraction, SpaceX has only managed this on two occasions.
Once the booster is back in the hangar, the refurbishment process begins, with each engine undergoing rigorous tests to ensure every component is ready for flight. According to Musk, each Merlin engine could perform up to 1,000 flights without major refurbishment. The hydraulic grid fin system, which failed during a landing last year, must also be checked for leaks. The fuel tanks and pressure vessels undergo ultrasonic tests to check for tiny cracks that could lead to failure once the rocket is pressurized for flight.
After passing the inspection process, the booster performs a static fire test with all nine engines before being attached to the payload. Currently, all these checks need to be completed as they explore the unknown territory of multiple reuses. Each mission will provide more knowledge on how many flights each booster can perform, and over time, the refurbishment process should become more refined.
So far, three Falcon 9 boosters have each completed triple launches. SpaceX currently has around eight Falcon 9 boosters in their fleet, but they aim to grow that number to 20. Although the Falcon 9 could theoretically fly up to 100 times with minimal refurbishment, each booster is expected to perform around 30 flights over the next decade. However, with SpaceX working on a more powerful and fully reusable rocket, the Falcon 9 could become obsolete sooner than expected.
SpaceX is currently building the first prototypes of their ‘Starship’ rocket in Texas and Florida. With customers already lined up, they aim to launch their first commercial payload soon. Not only will SpaceX use Starship for Mars and commercial satellite missions, but they also want to use it for travel on Earth, providing flights to anywhere in the world in well under an hour. Unlike the Falcon 9, Starship is designed to be fully reusable, aiming to complete thousands of flights before any major refurbishment is needed. If SpaceX can get Starship operational, it could replace the Falcon 9 entirely, as it would be capable of launching much heavier payloads at a fraction of the cost.
Over the next few years, SpaceX will be hiring thousands of new employees to work on Starship. When it comes to hiring, Elon Musk has stated that he doesn’t prioritize college degrees. In the early days of SpaceX, he taught himself rocket science by reading books and talking to industry professionals. Nowadays, we have access to amazing tools like YouTube tutorials and online classes that allow us to learn about any topic or skill from home!
Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of classes. From entrepreneurial skills that help you grow your own business to creative skills like astrophotography, Skillshare offers a wide range of courses. A premium membership costs less than $10 a month, and if you sign up using the link in the description, you can get the first two months for free! With over 20,000 classes just a click away, it’s easy to find the course that’s right for you.
Whether you want to learn a new skill that leads to your dream career or just want to learn some life hacks to be more productive, Skillshare is the perfect place to do it. Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!
Reuse – The practice of using components or systems more than once in their original form to maximize efficiency and reduce waste. – Engineers are focusing on the reuse of rocket components to lower the cost of space missions.
Refurbishment – The process of renovating and restoring equipment or structures to a good condition, often involving upgrades to improve performance. – The refurbishment of the old laboratory equipment allowed the university to conduct more advanced experiments.
Booster – An auxiliary device that provides additional force or power, often used in the context of rockets to increase thrust during launch. – The rocket’s booster stage successfully detached after propelling the spacecraft into the upper atmosphere.
Engine – A machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion, commonly used in vehicles and machinery. – The new jet engine design significantly improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.
Flight – The act of flying or the operation of an aircraft or spacecraft through the atmosphere or space. – The flight of the experimental drone was monitored closely to gather data on its aerodynamic performance.
Testing – The process of evaluating a system or component to ensure it meets required specifications and functions correctly under various conditions. – Rigorous testing of the prototype ensured that the new material could withstand extreme temperatures.
Payload – The cargo or instruments carried by a vehicle, especially in the context of space missions, which are intended to perform specific functions or experiments. – The satellite’s payload included advanced sensors for climate monitoring.
Safety – The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury, especially in engineering and technological contexts. – Implementing strict safety protocols is crucial in the design of nuclear reactors.
Innovation – The introduction of new ideas, methods, or devices that improve processes or technologies. – The innovation of 3D printing has revolutionized the manufacturing industry by allowing rapid prototyping.
Longevity – The duration of service or operational life of a component or system, often considered in the context of reliability and maintenance. – The longevity of the solar panels was enhanced by using more durable materials.
