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Engineering / Re: Interesting stuff about SpaceX Starship (hate the name)
« Last post by Nemesis on May 21, 2026, 07:39:25 pm »The launch of Starship today aborted over a pin in the quick disconnect arm not retracting to allow the arm to do the same.
New date and time: Fri • May 22nd, 2026 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Edit Actual launch
Launch has occurred. Lift off was MUCH faster than has been usual. They were carrying more mass than usual. (I think it was 22 dummy satellites including 2 with cameras to look back at the ship)
Booster: Lost an engine (went out but no details) shortly after launch. The number of engines left running after the hot staging seems to have been short of what was expected and the relight also was less than expected. Engines then cut out early. Seems to have had only one engine relight for the "landing". Cameras were lost repeatedly and so far I haven't seen video of the "landing"/"impact" or details on its location in the Gulf, just that it was in the Gulf.
Update on the engines out on the booster. The "What about it" Youtube channel did a slow motion and pauses replay of the hot staging and it shows more engines lit than the telemetry was showing. It could be that the sensors failed and the onboard computers had the same information as the telemetry then it would have been out of control (any inertial navigation tech would be contradicting predictions based on engine data) which should have resulted in shut down.
Ship: Engine ignition went correctly but 1 vaccuum Raptor went out. The remaining 5 engines were able to compensate with a longer burn. However they will probably not do the engine relight as it might drive them out of their planned area.
All dummies and camera dummies deployed in 8min +8 sec., lights were seen from the last one out and the payload door closed. Camera views from the 2 camera dummies seem not to be expected till sometime after the flight completes.
Now coasting to the Indian ocean "landing" site. Since it will not be landing precisely where planned they might not get the landing video from the deployed camera buoy. HOWEVER block 3 is supposed to be capable of more "cross range" ability so MAYBE they can land on target anyhow (my speculation). (I love it when my speculation comes true and it appears to have here).
They have begun some release of the camera dummy video (1 some far) starting with the dummy in launch position and continuing through deployment and for a short time afterwards. You get to see the door close from outside as earlier we saw it close from inside.
The "landing" seems to have been a major success. This time we saw something different. Just before the engine flips the ship upright a aircraft flew over it showing it in horizontal flight, unfortunately the aircraft was flying faster so the view didn't last long. I suspect it was Australian military.
I didn't see any sign of the flap burn throughs that have plagued them.
Overall though the engines (and engine telemetry) seem to have been the only real issues.
The major question left though, is there anything here that NASA/FAA will call "an incident" requiring extended time delays before IFT 13? Less major is there anything he requiring enough changes by to either booster or ship to significantly delay the next flight?
Over all well done.
New date and time: Fri • May 22nd, 2026 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM EDT
Edit Actual launch
Launch has occurred. Lift off was MUCH faster than has been usual. They were carrying more mass than usual. (I think it was 22 dummy satellites including 2 with cameras to look back at the ship)
Booster: Lost an engine (went out but no details) shortly after launch. The number of engines left running after the hot staging seems to have been short of what was expected and the relight also was less than expected. Engines then cut out early. Seems to have had only one engine relight for the "landing". Cameras were lost repeatedly and so far I haven't seen video of the "landing"/"impact" or details on its location in the Gulf, just that it was in the Gulf.
Update on the engines out on the booster. The "What about it" Youtube channel did a slow motion and pauses replay of the hot staging and it shows more engines lit than the telemetry was showing. It could be that the sensors failed and the onboard computers had the same information as the telemetry then it would have been out of control (any inertial navigation tech would be contradicting predictions based on engine data) which should have resulted in shut down.
Ship: Engine ignition went correctly but 1 vaccuum Raptor went out. The remaining 5 engines were able to compensate with a longer burn. However they will probably not do the engine relight as it might drive them out of their planned area.
All dummies and camera dummies deployed in 8min +8 sec., lights were seen from the last one out and the payload door closed. Camera views from the 2 camera dummies seem not to be expected till sometime after the flight completes.
Now coasting to the Indian ocean "landing" site. Since it will not be landing precisely where planned they might not get the landing video from the deployed camera buoy. HOWEVER block 3 is supposed to be capable of more "cross range" ability so MAYBE they can land on target anyhow (my speculation). (I love it when my speculation comes true and it appears to have here).
They have begun some release of the camera dummy video (1 some far) starting with the dummy in launch position and continuing through deployment and for a short time afterwards. You get to see the door close from outside as earlier we saw it close from inside.
The "landing" seems to have been a major success. This time we saw something different. Just before the engine flips the ship upright a aircraft flew over it showing it in horizontal flight, unfortunately the aircraft was flying faster so the view didn't last long. I suspect it was Australian military.
I didn't see any sign of the flap burn throughs that have plagued them.
Overall though the engines (and engine telemetry) seem to have been the only real issues.
The major question left though, is there anything here that NASA/FAA will call "an incident" requiring extended time delays before IFT 13? Less major is there anything he requiring enough changes by to either booster or ship to significantly delay the next flight?
Over all well done.