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A comment on SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite. Parent comment

Re:SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite by ChuckMcM on Monday May 15, 2017 @11:53PM (#14347264)
And that answers my question. Interesting concept in that twitter feed to launch "boosters" to orbit, refill on orbit and then use them as space tugs between earth and moon. Of course 'on orbit refill' is like Toyota's "first remove the engine" step on Camry timing belt changes. Short easy to say step, encapsulating a whole lot of work and engineering.
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Re:SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite by greglindahl on Tuesday May 16, 2017 @02:06AM (#14347683)
Lockheed Martin's CRS-2 losing bid involved an upper stage which could be refueled and repeatedly used. Apparently it was way too expensive.

But on-orbit refill: not only has ISS been refueled by numerous vehicles, but China just did it to their new space station. I see people saying it's hard all the time, but no one explaining if this ISS thing is inefficient or something.

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Re:SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite by ChuckMcM on Tuesday May 16, 2017 @11:42AM (#14350432)
It has been my understanding that the ISS doesn't "refuel", rather the attached crew transport vehicle (the shuttle and now only the Soyuz) used their thrusters to boost its orbit. Searching for information on this I found this Quora answer (https://www.quora.com/How-does-and-how-often-does-the-ISS-ha...) which suggested there had been one test refueling.

I think you saw the same ULA presentation I did, they seemed to think it was very difficult and didn't mention the ISS at all as I recall.

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Re:SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite by nickik on Tuesday May 16, 2017 @03:59PM (#14352774)
Its not that simple. You can't just do it, but the idea exist, ULA is planning something along those lines for 2024.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Cryogenic_Evolved_Sta...

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Re:SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite by Tharkun on Tuesday May 16, 2017 @06:16AM (#14348527)
Why can't we strap two F9s to a Space Shuttle and recover them?
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Re:SpaceX Launches Super-Heavy Communications Satellite by brianwawok on Tuesday May 16, 2017 @09:33AM (#14349396)
The cost of the space shuttle flight would be about 50x what you recovered. Useful maybe to get a science experiment back but not to reduce launch cost.
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