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

[Nemesis]

IFT4 now showing as April 2024 (no day of the month).  Lets see if the FAA will issue another license that quick.

Now showing as May 2024.  Either they expect delays due to needed modifications to address the issues revealed or more time for the FAA to be satisfied (maybe both).

I'm prone to be extremely critical of Musk, but I suppose "eventually" is key to that claim.  Saturn's LEO payload for the Apollo lunar missions was 140 tons for CM, LEM and fuel fifty years ago, so 200 tons seems doable.... eventually.

Don't forget that you lose a significant amount of payload by going for reusable.  Also potentially lowering cost/kg significantly. 

Musk might be well advised to keep the current size for rockets that need to be fully refueled in orbit and the larger size for orbital cargo and fuel deliveries.  200+ tons of fuel delivered by a V3 to a V2 configuration could refuel it in 6 missions (1200 tons fuel if dry).

[Nemesis]

If IFT 4 works fully (for the booster) they MAY on flight 5 try a booster catch.  If Starship succeeds in the deorbit burn it may mean that flight 5 could deploy Starlink satellites.

The current design is apparently limited to 40-50 tons to orbit with full reusabillity.  This is version 1

Version 2 100 tons with full reusability

Version 3 200 tons with full reusability. 400 tons expendable.  Total height nearly 150 meters, lengthening both stages.  Could be 3 times the thrust of Saturn V.

Naturally being Musk this may include hyperbole.

2025 Starship to Starship fuel transfer testing. 

EDITED:  Some updates after seeing the weekly Marcus House video

[Nemesis]

Crewed Starliner launch is planned for May 6th.  Best of luck to the astronauts but I wouldn't fly in it.

[Nemesis]

Japan's lunar lander that fell over blocking its solar cells a significant part of the time so not all its instruments worked?  It survived the 1st lunar night even though not designed to do so.  It survived the second lunar night and has now woken up after a THIRD lunar night. 

Excellent work there.  Imagine what they might achieve next time.

[Nemesis]

SHOCK!

New Glenns inaugural flight in June?  Now the end of September. 

[Nemesis]

Ariane 6 looks like it might fly in June or July.

[Nemesis]

Falcon 9 now having achieved 20 flights for a booster is planning to be validated for 40 flights. 

The Orion capsule that flew on Artemis I?  It has now been revealed that its heat shield took far more damage than predicted.  Enough that it COULD result in a loss of a future vehicle and crew.  Looks like some more delay with Orion regardless of what happens with HLS.

[Nemesis]

Crewed Starliner launch is planned for May 6th.  Best of luck to the astronauts but I wouldn't fly in it.

Due late Monday evening.  Lets hope for the best.  I haven't heard when the return flight will occur but that is where the last flight had the big failures and ended up on the final (of 3) backup on two important systems.  Also the parachute harness redesign, I haven't heard how they tested it (or if).  Boeing is no longer inspiring confidence in me. 

[Nemesis]

Crewed Starliner launch is planned for May 6th.  Best of luck to the astronauts but I wouldn't fly in it.

Due late Monday evening.  Lets hope for the best.  I haven't heard when the return flight will occur but that is where the last flight had the big failures and ended up on the final (of 3) backup on two important systems.  Also the parachute harness redesign, I haven't heard how they tested it (or if).  Boeing is no longer inspiring confidence in me.

Delayed a day.  Valve issues on the booster.

Update:  Delayed at LEAST till Friday. 

Mission length approximately 1 week. 

Further Update:
Now at least May 17th. 

Another Update:

May 21st  (Tuesday)

Yet Another Update:

Saturday May 25th.  Due to a helium leak on a thruster in Starliner.

[Nemesis]

IFT4 now showing as April 2024 (no day of the month).  Lets see if the FAA will issue another license that quick.

Now showing as May 2024.  Either they expect delays due to needed modifications to address the issues revealed or more time for the FAA to be satisfied (maybe both).

I'm prone to be extremely critical of Musk, but I suppose "eventually" is key to that claim.  Saturn's LEO payload for the Apollo lunar missions was 140 tons for CM, LEM and fuel fifty years ago, so 200 tons seems doable.... eventually.

Don't forget that you lose a significant amount of payload by going for reusable.  Also potentially lowering cost/kg significantly. 

Musk might be well advised to keep the current size for rockets that need to be fully refueled in orbit and the larger size for orbital cargo and fuel deliveries.  200+ tons of fuel delivered by a V3 to a V2 configuration could refuel it in 6 missions (1200 tons fuel if dry).

Seems that the date may be/may have slipped to June.  Looks like the IFT3 mishap report hasn't been filed with NASA yet.

[Nemesis]

50 Falcon launches so far this year.  A 21st booster landing has occurred.

An "anomaly" in testing on a future Starship resulting in damage of the "race way" for pipes and electrical components on the exterior of Starship may delay the next launch (or may have been responsible for the delay to June) as they ensure it won't happen during IFT4.  They weren't testing with methane so there was no danger of ignition. 

An upgraded forward Starship flap has been sighted with a revised shape (labelled block 2).

The Boca Chica star factory is now seen to be connected to one of the mega bays right next to the automatic welding system for welding rings together.  It looks like the rings can be moved directly to the megabay for assembly without going outside at all. 

Components for the next launch tower that have been waiting at a port are on the move again so assembly of the 2nd tower could begin soon.

The FAA has agreed not to wait for the mission report for IFT3 before approving IFT4 as long as SpaceX reports that there were no dangers to the public from the issues with IFT3, so flight approval could come soon.

There are also reports that SpaceX may build their own highway at Boca Chica to reduce road closures.  When and where is still a mystery.

[Nemesis]

Seems that the date may be/may have slipped to June.  Looks like the IFT3 mishap report hasn't been filed with NASA yet.

IFT 4 now seems to be June 1st.

There has been a simple mention of the construction of another megabay.  Not an announcement just a mention. 

UPDATE:
Starliner is now also June 1st time about 12:25PM.  The launch window for IFT4 ends at noon.  I guess that if IFT4 launches that Starliner won't have many watching whether it launches or not.

[Nemesis]

Seems that the date may be/may have slipped to June.  Looks like the IFT3 mishap report hasn't been filed with NASA yet.

IFT 4 now seems to be June 1st.

There has been a simple mention of the construction of another megabay.  Not an announcement just a mention. 

UPDATE:
Starliner is now also June 1st time about 12:25PM.  The launch window for IFT4 ends at noon.  I guess that if IFT4 launches that Starliner won't have many watching whether it launches or not.

Another Update:

Starship delayed to June 5th (Wednesday) again launch window ending at noon. 

[Nemesis]

Looks like during IFT3 the hot staging came off and the controls were programmed with that mass in place couldn't adjust and that is why the grid fins seemed unable to control the booster.  Also not all the engines ignited on schedule once again due to fuel filter blockages.  Hopefully this time the fixes will work.   They plan to eject the hot staging ring.  The ring is about 9 tons (I knew it was heavy but didn't think it was that heavy) which explains why its loss threw off the programming. 

Starship is not going to do an in space Raptor restart but does plan to do the "ocean landing" like the booster and the early Falcon 9 landing tests.  The vents for attitude control have both been increased in number and have heating elements to stop the freezing that caused the tumble last time.

This may be the last "block 1" flight.  The next booster/starship combo may be of upgraded "block 2" design. 

Lets hope for a flawless flight.

[Nemesis]

Starliner delayed till June 5th (the 1st delay was a ground computer issue, this delay may be a continuation of that, I haven't seen a why yet)

Starship IFT4 delayed till June 6th,  Why?  I don't know. 

Looks like in May SpaceX had at least 15 launches.

[knightstorm]

The starliner is starting to feel uncomfortably similar to the Apollo 1.

[Nemesis]

The Starliner computer issue was a power supply fault and they swapped in a spare computer.  The next delay was a helium leak and they not only didn't solve it but the capsule has not made it to the station yet and TWO MORE helium leaks have developed.  They have been stopped apparently by disabling the leaking valves. 

Not inspiring confidence in me.  They couldn't pay be enough to ride on it. 

[Nemesis]

IFT 4 has happened.

Super Heavy flew with only 32 engines ignited and while there were some issues it did manage the ocean landing. 

Starship lost some tiles and the one forward flap definitely burned through and lost a significant amount of the flap they kept control all the way down and also achieved a ocean landing after doing the flip back burn.  For much of the reentry they seem to have had only the camera aimed at that flap working and it became largely covered with debris limiting what could be seen (though at times that cleared up) the lens also cracked and according to one report the lens was totally lost eventually but even after that there were images showing the substantial missing material on the flap and the flaps continued CONTROLLED moves. 

How well each of them did on the ocean landing is not clear yet.

I'm sure the naysayers will be going on about how much of a failure this is but I suspect that they will be saying that the 1st time a booster or starship is hanging from the chopsticks after a catch so I won't take that too seriously.

Well done SpaceX.

[Nemesis]

I just noticed that IFT5 is now being listed for July (so likely August?).   Should be Booster 12 and Starship 30.

[Nemesis]

The Starliner computer issue was a power supply fault and they swapped in a spare computer.  The next delay was a helium leak and they not only didn't solve it but the capsule has not made it to the station yet and TWO MORE helium leaks have developed.  They have been stopped apparently by disabling the leaking valves. 

Not inspiring confidence in me.  They couldn't pay be enough to ride on it.

Another delay in return. 

They have  been doing more tests and plan to ignite (TWICE) 7 of the 8 aft thrusters.  The helium leaks are up to FIVE now. 

Not inspiring confidence.  Best of luck to the astronauts if they fly back in this capsule rather than have a Dragon rescue sent up.