Topic: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)

[Panzergranate]

The most likely the route that future human space exploration will take in the 21st century, one time launch and never land again permanent space born interplanetary container ships akin to Star Trek TOS's DY-100, which we already have most of the technology to build currently.

We already have the NERVA atomic propulsion engine technology.

[Nemesis]

Funding a Mars colony and Deep Space Exploration

SpaceX has multiple ways of earning money for their Mars and other Deep Space plans.  Some they are already using or hinting at using and others that I will speculate on.

1/ Delivering other peoples cargo to space includes people.  Already being done.

2/ Delivering your own cargo to space (starlink) to serve other people ideally a subsription basis.  In process with Starlink.

3/ Having proven your ability to design, build and mass produce satellites (starlink) market that ability to do so for others.  Delivering them is icing on the cake.  I believe this is in process but don't know of any sales yet.

4/ Do the same with space stations make and market a generic model with customizations for purpose.  Rent space on them to people/companies that may want to have a custom station built in the future, hopefully designed, built and delivered to orbit by SpaceX followed by regular cargo and personel shipments.  As mentioned in my last post building a station as a Starship depot (deep space version without the sea level Raptor engines) can be used to demonstrate ability in this sector.  buying Bigelow (currently shutdown) would be a step in that direction.

5/ Long term Starship rentals for people wanting their own deep space missions.

6/ Space station resort.  One of those things you would want to spin off as a wholy owned subsidiary.  If it turns out as some have speculated that some degree of low gee extends life you might even get rich people wanting to retire to either such a resort or their own private station.  Either way SpaceX could make a killing just building it

7/ Contract with Space Force to build Space Force HQ in orbit and provide Starships (armed?) for them.  Big contracts supplying the station and returning Starships deployed to Earth back to space and refueling them. 

8/ Go to MARS! and beyond.  Ok this one isn't to make money but spend it.

[Nemesis]

The most likely the route that future human space exploration will take in the 21st century, one time launch and never land again permanent space born interplanetary container ships akin to Star Trek TOS's DY-100, which we already have most of the technology to build currently.

We already have the NERVA atomic propulsion engine technology.

I think they would need to be at least assembled in space.  This would fall under the Prometheus I mentioned earlier.  Nuclear interplanetary carrier of small craft and cargo.

[Panzergranate]

Assembled using pre-fabricated sections launched into orbit and assembled in an orbital dry dock frame.

The other option is to launch the basic ship hull into orbit and send up the rest later, as with the ISS.

The various space agencies need to come up with a standardised space ship cargo pod / container design before that happens though.

[Nemesis]

Once Starship is going SpaceX can pretty much define what they want as a cargo pod.  No competition at that level for some time.  When it is "us" or no one you have quite a lot of power. 

I'm really surprised the Chinese haven't gone public plans for something bigger.

One "competitor" I'm seeing interesting things from is Rocket Labs.  They are more at the Falcon 1 level but are looking at reusing them.  They just did their first recovery of the booster.

I do wonder if SpaceX have given up the plans to move the Falcon 9 to using a smaller number of Raptors.  Might cause trouble with the manned certification if they do so before the Starship is certified for manned use. 

[Nemesis]

Almost forgot.  Starship did a test fire with the replacement engine and is apparently likely to do the big hop next week.  No specific day but they do have the road blocks scheduled early in the week. 

[Nemesis]

Looks like sometime Monday to Wednesday the 15 km hop should happen.  They are saying 1 in 3 chance of success.  Starship SN09 is apparently ready in the wings if SN08 should fail.

Also a Falcon 9 flew and launched for a 7th flight leaving the possibility of an 8th launch.  It was also the 100th Falcon9 launch.  No info on how many different Falcon 9s have flown. 

[Nemesis]

Current plans seem to be another static fire Monday and high hop on Wednesday.  Times of day?  Don't know.

[Nemesis]

Static fire slips to Tuesday.  May (rumour) include running off main engines with shutdown and restart using the header tank to simulate the actual flight better.  Hop Wednesday?

[Nemesis]

I don't think the static fire happened.  No info on why.  So who knows what is up?  I sure don't.

[Nemesis]

Things still slipping.  They seem to be saying tomorrow now.  However unlike earlier dates this one is different in one way.  Musk is there now.  Those who can say no may be over ridden by him.  We'll have to wait and see.

[Nemesis]

No guarantees but at least today SpaceX is streaming things.

Link to SpaceX stream if I got it right

[Nemesis]

Didn't go yesterday.  Launch is currently on hold estimate is 4:40 PM Texas time. 

[d4v1ks]

Interesting times we live in.
Thanks for the updates

[Nemesis]

Finally getting what we thought would happen by the 80s. 

[Nemesis]

She flew but looks like problems with the gimballing system and keeping the engines all firing in coordination. It landed hard and kaboom.  R.I.P. SN8.  Long live SN9.

[Nemesis]

Might have been a problem with one or more of the engine bells burning out.  Waiting for the SpaceX explanations.

[Nemesis]

She flew but looks like problems with the gimballing system and keeping the engines all firing in coordination. It landed hard and kaboom.  R.I.P. SN8.  Long live SN9.

According to reports what appeared to me to be a problem with the gimballing system and first one than a second engine failing was actually planned shutdown of those engines and the immediate compensation by the gimballing to keep the thrust going through the center of mass, which was pretty violent and the separation of the not firing engine was to put it in a neutral position where it wouldn't interfere with the other engines moving.  The hard landing was from low pressure in the fuel system.  Why the low pressure?  No explanation from SpaceX yet. 

If I understand it correctly the fuel pressure is maintained by hot reaction mass from the engines fed back into the tanks.  Perhaps the system isn't fully compensating for less than 3 engines firing.  Just a guess.

In spite of the hard landing SN8 did land on target. 

Apparently components for SN16 have begun showing up.  SN15 apparently has some major improvements from earlier.  SN9 is ready to fly barring adjustments from things learned from the SN8 flight.

Not Starship related but the Hyabusa 2 mission did successfully return asteroidal material to Earth.  The Osiris Rex mission has picked up its own samples from another asteroid (a carbonaceous chondrite) and returns next September.  The Chinese automated sample collection from the moon is on its way back too. 

All told.  Way to go SpaceX!

[Nemesis]

One further observation I have.  The exhaust streams from all 3 starship hops are very tightly collimated even the SN8 with 3 engines.  I thought it unusual so watched videos of Falcons1 and 9, Electron (Rocket Labs), shuttle and Saturn 5 launches and those launches have a much more diffuse exhaust.  Could this be part of the increased efficiency of Raptors?  Wonder if it will apply to the vacuum engines?

A crash site picture.  That apparently is Musk in the center of the image with his back to the camera.

[Panzergranate]

When Elon Musk play Kerbal Space Program, he does it for real..... with bigger and more spectacular crashes!!