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

[Nemesis]

They've been dismantling some of the earlier prototypes (must need the room).  Also there seems to be some doubt whether the parts for SN12-SN14 will ever be assembled into a vessel. 

SN11 is being assembled but either its nose cone is being modified or scrapped as the end has been chopped off (including the header tank), this could be part of a fix for the low pressure problem on the SN8 flight. 

SN15 is also being assembled though in an earlier stage.

The indicators that a  new test tank is being assembled seem to be confirmed.  The thickness of the metal is being reduced from 4mm to 3mm which would be a substantial weight savings and therefore payload or deltaV increase.  Hopefully this can handle the high pressures needed.  When tested it will probably be tested to destruction like earlier test tanks.  Likely it will be numbered SN7.2. 

2nd static fire test for SN9 still needed before another hop.  No solid info on whether it will be a 12.5km or higher.  I'm hoping for double the height.  Personally doubting any launch before Friday at the earliest. 

[Nemesis]

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[Nemesis]

Apparently SpaceX has been contracted to use the Falcon 9 to send a couple of (unmanned) landers to the Moon. 

SN9 has been having static fire tests, 3 in one day.  Some type of repair is needed to 2 of the engines resulting in them needing to be switched out.  Then of course more static fires before a launch can be done.  Maybe they can send it up noon Wednesday and see which is the most popular thing to watch. 

[Nemesis]

A Falcon 9 is launching more Starlink satellites monday.  The 8th flight and 8th landing if successful.  Even better it flew last just over 1 month ago.  Turn around times are getting quicker.

[Nemesis]

Looks like it is Tuesday for that launch due to bad weather at the recovery site.  With this launch half of all Falcon 9 launches have been with reused rockets.  That has to help the bottom line and give one heck of a competitive edge vs any one who doesn't get reuse i.e. everyone else.    Way to go SpaceX!

Virgin Orbital has used an air launch rocket to put some micro satellites in LEO.  This is not Spaceship 2 but a separate rocket.

The SLS has had a failed engine test.  Was supposed to be 8 minutes with 4 minutes for the required data but got less than 2 minutes before a shutdown. 

[Nemesis]

SN9 has had the 2 engines swapped.  Apparently they are scheduling 1 static fire then possibly as soon as late this week a 12.5 km hop and hopefully a fully successful landing.

If it lands and we have the landing leg collapse and topple that I fear may happen it would still be a success as these are nowhere near the final landing leg designs and it would demonstrate the landing burns success which is what is needed.  But though I fear the topple I really want to see a full landing and then a 2nd higher flight with SN9 within a week.  This would demonstrate the possibility of the rapid turn around that is really needed for routine space flight. 

Still looks like SN12-SN14 won't be assembled so after SN9 to SN11 will be SN15 which has unspecified improvements to its design.  SN16 and SN17 parts have been seen as well.  There is also the SN7.2 test tank to be tested and burst.  When?   Don't know.  Soon I hope.

[Nemesis]

A Falcon 9’s booster designation comes from SpaceX’s internal naming structure. “B1” means it is a first stage booster, “051” means it’s the 51st Falcon 9 booster to be built, and the “.8” means the booster is going to perform its eighth flight.

Wondered what the number meant.  The next launch is supposed to be B1051.8.

[Nemesis]

SpaceX bought two deepwater oil rigs last year and is converting them into floating launchpads, to support the enormous Starship rockets that the company is developing.

The rigs are in the Port of Brownsville, near SpaceX’s Starship development facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

The rigs have been renamed Deimos and Phobos, presumably in homage to the Martian moons.

[Nemesis]

The link below is to a sight that gives weather and road closure info for the Boca Chica Starship development and launch site.  If the weather is good (no rain or high winds) and there is a road closure something is happening that is a potential danger.  Static fire test, launch/hop or a tank test to destruction for example. 

Link

There are road closures for today and tomorrow so the static fire test which I don't think  has been done could happen either day.  Hypothetically if the Static fire test is today the hop could be tomorrow but I rather doubt it. 

Haven't seen anything about the Falcon 9 launching on its 8th flight yet.

[Nemesis]

The Falcon 9 unit flew for its 8th flight and 8th landing successfully.  Now on to #9 in a month or so.

The SN9 static fire should be today or tomorrow and flight restrictions are in place from now to Sunday for a launch.  Current info seems to be 10 KM.

Looking forward to them nailing the landing right on target and gentle as a zephyr. 

I wonder if Musk has read Heinliens The Man Who Sold the Moon and fears Harrimans fate?  Too bad Heilien isn't around to update it to Musk, the Man Who Sold Mars.

[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

The recent (sub orbital) test by Blue Origin with 1 engine also had a more tightly collimated exhaust.  Not as tight as the 1 and 3 engine Raptor hops done by Starship but much more so than the others I looked at. 

[Nemesis]

Yesterday apparently had 3 aborted static fire tests.  Why?  Don't know.  They still have the flight restrictions set up until Sunday. 

Of the 26 launches for SpaceX last  year only 4 were using new Falcons the other 22 were previously flown. 

[Nemesis]

Looks like the SN9 static test happened in the fog so no decent video.  The 10 km hop is now scheduled for Monday. 

[Nemesis]

Weather reports show fairly high winds (assuming I have the right Boca Chica location) Monday so I wouldn't expect a launch now till Tuesday or Wednesday.  For me that is rather good as I am going to be rather busy on Monday at work not so much Tuesday and Wednesday.  I want to see it land (even if it topples after landing.

[Nemesis]

Could be the SN9 hop will happen today wind ~8 mph but foggy.  So if they want good video it won't happen unless the fog clears. 

[Nemesis]

They have apparently canceled the launch today but are testing the SN7.2 tank (3mm stainless vs 4mm stainless on earlier tanks, don't know if the grade of stainless or the welding has changed).  Starship weighs 120 tons empty, making some or all of the structure out of thinner material might well drop it by more than 10 tons which increases payload proportionally. 

[Nemesis]

Yesterdays launch was apparently not allowed by the FAA.  The FAA has stated that they look forward to working with SpaceX on safety issues but I haven't seen anything that specifies what those issues are. 

Edit:  This isn't anything I can confirm but there is a claim that the FAA is treating either the damage taken when the SN9 fell against the wall of the bay it was assembled in or the replacement of 2 engines the same as if these were commercial aircraft carrying passengers rather than unmanned prototypes which are flown out over the Gulf before coming in over the SpaceX site and landing.  So SN9 might well not fly until well after SN10 (and maybe later units) if at all. 

Damn bureaucrats. 

[Nemesis]

Monday to Wednesday they have closures in place for the launch.  Whether the FAA will allow anything is not clear as they haven't stated what they think SpaceX did wrong (publicly at least).

They have done a pressure test on SN7.2 but not to bursting, whether that lack is because of the FAA is unclear. 

SN10 is now on the #1 launch stand with SN9 on #2 and SN7.2 on the test stand.  Full house. 

All set for a busy time if the FAA doesn't block things.

[Javora]

Huh, wonder if this had something to do with it?

https://gab.com/AmericanAFMindy/posts/105647387021854220

[Nemesis]

I'm more concerned with the possibility of Amazon/Blue Origin and Boeing using connections to influence the FAA to slow down SpaceX. 

Amazon is fighting to keep Starlink from using low orbits that they want even though they don't even have either prototype satellites yet or a launcher to put satellites up with.  Blue Origin which wants to be a SpaceX competitor was founded before SpaceX and has yet to put anything in orbit.  They have only a prototype suborbital rocket and a prototype manned suborbital capsule.  They talk about a orbital capable launcher and capsule, but no one has seen it and that launcher is more of a Falcon 9/Dragon competitor not a Starship competitor and based on their current suborbital development is years away. 

Boeing also is years behind with both their manned capsule and their booster for the SLC (which just recently had an abort on the engine test).  The "manned" capsule when it last flew missed the station which it was supposed to dock with and wanted Nasa to call that flight a success so they could go on to their next stage.  That was over a year ago and they have yet to repeat the flight which they need to do to Nasa standards before they can even try a manned mission.  Like with their failed capsule test Boeing wants their failed engine test to be called successful. 

Compare those 2 companies development speed to SpaceX that started building Starhopper in December 2018.  Still far from a Orbital craft SpaceX has worked on at least16 different prototypes of the Starship (not counting Starhopper) and is working on 2 different Super Heavy Booster prototypes.  They flew 3 different prototypes while using the others to test fuel tank designs most to destruction.  Most of the components developed for Starship apply equally to the booster so its development will be even faster.  Now add Starlink from first prototype launch to a 1000 satellites with beta deployment in multiple nations in 3 years.  By the time Amazon is ready for first launch (and how will they match SpaceX prices for launches?) Starlink will be generating large incomes.  Add Starship for launching and SpaceX can deploy 400 (maybe more) satellites at one go for even less. 

I could easily see those 2 companies (and others) wanting to stall SpaceX.  Stall SpaceX too much and they could move out of U.S. jurisdiction or some other country could successfully clone Starship before SpaceX can deploy it.  Alternately drive up their costs too much and SpaceX fails as a company.  No more big dreamer driving forward the space industry just go back to those big cost+ contracts of the traditional U.S. space industry and nothing really changes.