SpaceX

[heisan]

Upcoming:

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1727967723806761343

F_r5fNEXYAALkVG.jpg

These are the last V1 starships. Next gen should have the offset flaps Chalkie was talking about.

[Chalkie]

Zack Golden does another well researched deep dive into the technicalities of SpaceX StarShip and Super Heavy.

[Chalkie]

Now, look at this video. Note StarShip spinning followed by what looks like structural failure as the nose seems to come off. Did the nose fuel tank or down pipe fail and cause an over-pressure event? StarShip rear flap (wing) is mid-mounted with the front one slightly higher up from centre. Now I wonder: will the next flight roll uncontrollably too...? If so, will this require a redesign?

From a previous post I mine: I assumed the StarShip was still in one piece during that video. I stand corrected.

The video is apparently after the termination of the flight. The spinning StarShip was already broken apart...

[Patrick AL]

New video from Space-X with some onboard shots:

[Patrick AL]

Ship 28 completed a full duration, 6 engine, static fire yesterday:



And teams were working over night on Booster 10. There is an over-pressure test notice out for today, so quite possibly Booster 10 will get it's test fire today.

Some (admittedly wild) speculation that SpaceX may try for the next launch before the end of the year. If so, it would imply they have a fair idea what went wrong last time, and have something to test.

[Sunbird]

Imagine countdown to New Year and 2024 lift-off with arguably the greatest firework display, then splashdown Hawaii 2023!
The boytjie thinks outside the box anyway!

[Chalkie]

Beach parties at Boca Chica beach might prevent that?

OH yes, B10 might do static fire test today...

[propstrap]

Ship 28 completed a full duration, 6 engine, static fire yesterday:



And teams were working over night on Booster 10. There is an over-pressure test notice out for today, so quite possibly Booster 10 will get it's test fire today.

Some (admittedly wild) speculation that SpaceX may try for the next launch before the end of the year. If so, it would imply they have a fair idea what went wrong last time, and have something to test.

And on Friday 29 Dec... https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-s ... ests-video



I really hope to be able to watch the 3rd launch! The same article mentions a Falcon Heavy lifted off with the X-37B from Kennedy Space Centre, and 3 hours later, a Falcon 9 lifted off from there with 23 Starlink satelittes...

[Patrick AL]

Ship 28 completed a full duration, 6 engine, static fire yesterday:



And teams were working over night on Booster 10. There is an over-pressure test notice out for today, so quite possibly Booster 10 will get it's test fire today.

Some (admittedly wild) speculation that SpaceX may try for the next launch before the end of the year. If so, it would imply they have a fair idea what went wrong last time, and have something to test.

Love how the flame pattern merges, shifts and changes when the Sea level and Vacuum Raptors ignite in sequence
-looks almost like a Mandelbrot Set graphic from above!

Can't wait for the next launch!

[Patrick AL]

Just been catching up after the holidays...

Looks like:

Booster 10 + Ship 28: Completed production testing and being configured for launch.

Booster 11 + Ship 29: Completed structural testing, engines being installed now.

Booster 12 + Ship 30: On test stands for cryo/structural testing.

SpaceX is really racking them up. 3 full stacks in final stages of production/testing. (And a whole bunch more being constructed as we speak.)

[Chalkie]

Just been catching up after the holidays...

Looks like:

Booster 10 + Ship 28: Completed production testing and being configured for launch.

Booster 11 + Ship 29: Completed structural testing, engines being installed now.

Booster 12 + Ship 30: On test stands for cryo/structural testing.

SpaceX is really racking them up. 3 full stacks in final stages of production/testing. (And a whole bunch more being constructed as we speak.)

... and that adds up to 117 Raptor motors, which are currently being produced at the rate of one per day...

Now I wonder if that leaves Jeff feeling a bit blue?

[Chalkie]

... and that adds up to 117 Raptor motors, which are currently being produced at the rate of one per day...

Now I wonder if that leaves Jeff feeling a bit blue?

Not likely to hold anything up though. B10+S28 is already fully populated. Ringwatchers are showing all motors for B11+S29 as 'identified'. So just 39 more for B12+S30 - but I am sure they won't manage to launch both other stacks before those motors are ready.

Talk about a 'hardware rich' environment.

[Chalkie]

On X, Everyday Astronaut has a survey for how many launches this year of SpaceShip and SuperHeavy. I ticked one box...

I have no doubt a software change will fix the booster flip and burn-back manoeuvre. My bet is shut down all motors, flip, then restart as fuel settles down to base of fuel tanks. Falcon does it that way...

MECO - Main Engines Cut Off - became - Most Engines Cut Off - Might become MECO as per original definition.

[Chalkie]

I have no doubt a software change will fix the booster flip and burn-back manoeuvre. My bet is shut down all motors, flip, then restart as fuel settles down to base of fuel tanks. Falcon does it that way...

Unlikely. They stage above any significant atmosphere. So once they shut of the motors, it will be in free fall (0G). Which means that they will need thrust to provide acceleration to settle the fuel. But the only thrusters are the RCS thrusters, powered from ullage gas, which in turn is provided by the raptors...

So, they would need an entire new thruster system to pull that off.

[Patrick AL]

Just been catching up after the holidays...

Looks like:

Booster 10 + Ship 28: Completed production testing and being configured for launch.

Booster 11 + Ship 29: Completed structural testing, engines being installed now.

Booster 12 + Ship 30: On test stands for cryo/structural testing.

SpaceX is really racking them up. 3 full stacks in final stages of production/testing. (And a whole bunch more being constructed as we speak.)

... and that adds up to 117 Raptor motors, which are currently being produced at the rate of one per day...

Now I wonder if that leaves Jeff feeling a bit blue?

Jeff
No wonder he's Blue!...

Dick-shaped novelty flip-rocket, Blue Ball of a MoonLander dream ( inflatable) , Overheating nozzles on critical engines to a contract, gonna be an Old Glenn by the time it flies, -he should really stick to Sales/data industries -and possibly only run New Shepard as a novelty sideline tourism business, if anything.
He's totally out of his......altitude......in respect of the space industry.

The pace of design and production and testing at SpaceX is almost beyond comprehension -Elon always said that production is much harder than engineering/design-and he now seems to be getting the right results with SpaceX's incredible rate of production.