"I agree with the SEP’s assignment of a significant strength for SpaceX’s proposed capability to substantially exceed NASA’s threshold values or meet NASA’s goal values for numerous initial performance requirements."
"I note that the SEP did not identify any significant strengths within Blue Origin’s technical proposal. Nonetheless, Blue Origin’s proposal has several attractive technical attributes."
"I note that while the SEP evaluated several positive attributes for Dynetics’ technical approach under this factor, none of them resulted in the assignment of a significant strength."
A "significant strength" is the highest possible score for each attribute. SpaceX was the only bidder that received one on the technical front. SpaceX was also the highest-scoring contender on the management end.
"SpaceX’s quiescent lunar orbit operations capability will allow it to loiter for 100 days prior to rendezvous with the crew vehicle. "
SpaceX has the capability to bring lots of payload to lunar orbit, but Orion is not capable of returning that quantity to Earth.
"I particularly find SpaceX’s strength under Technical Area of Focus 1 for its robust approach to aborts and contingencies to be compelling."
"Here, I note that the SEP closely analyzed SpaceX’s
proposal and was able to independently substantiate its claimed performance capabilities."
"I note that SpaceX’s capability contemplates reusable hardware, leverages common infrastructure and production facilities, and builds from a heritage design with commonality in subsystems and components across its different variants."
"A significant weakness within SpaceX’s proposal under Technical Area of Focus 5, Launch and Mission Operations, due to SpaceX’s complicated concept of operations. SpaceX’s mission depends upon an operations approach of unprecedented pace, scale, and synchronized movement"
NASA notes that that significant weakness is mitigated by doing it in low Earth orbit well before the crew has to launch.
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Following up on @thejackbeyer's find, I can confirm that Deimos and Phobos are the names of two oil rigs purchased by SpaceX – likely for conversion to support Starship operations.
ENSCO 8500 and ENSCO 8501 were the previous names of the rigs. They are nearly identical twins.
BOOM!
Both rigs were purchased by Lone Star Mineral Development LLC which is either a SpaceX subsidiary or a subsidiary of a company that SpaceX is leasing the rigs from (like SpaceX does with the droneships).
If you think we didn't do a quick Google search, go "hey, this actually might be related to the Shell Deimos project," you are wrong. We did. It is not related.
Is the undisclosed buyer SpaceX? I have found no indisputable evidence other than a Deimos sign appearing on the side of the rig (spotted by @thejackbeyer). So yes, there is some uncertainty, but it seems very possible.
Looks like SpaceX may be making a pressurize to failure attempt.
Watch Live:
Tons of condensation coming from the bottom now. This might finally be happening. Still could have an issue at any time of course, but looking promising!
After something like 18 hours of streaming, FROST IS FORMING!
The lack of development funding means that SpaceX has to price funding for a Mobile Service Tower, extended payload fairing, etc into their pricing for NSSL Phase 2.
I wonder if this could have hurt SpaceX's NSSL Phase 2 bid, as their pricing probably ended up being very similar to ULA. Thus, SpaceX's usual advantage on cost might have been wiped away.