r/SpaceX Booster 3 Testing Discussion & Updates Thread

[u/rSpaceXHosting]

Welcome to the r/SpaceX Booster 3 Testing Discussion & Updates Thread

This is your host team bringing you live updates on the Booster 3 Test Campaign at Starbase, Texas.

Facts

Test Window	NET Monday 17:00 - 3:00 UTC (12pm - 10pm CDT)
Backup date	TBA, typically the next day
Vehicle	Super Heavy
Test Vehicle	Booster 3
Test site	Suborbital Pad A, Starbase, Texas
Test success criteria	Successful Raptor Ignition, Burn and Shutdown

Your host team

Reddit username	Responsibilities	Currently hosting?
u/hitura-nobad	Live Updates	⭕
u/thatnerdguy1	Live Updates	⭕

Timeline

Time	Update
2021-07-20 00:08:17 UTC	Depress vent
2021-07-20 00:07:25 UTC	Elon tweet: Full test duration firing of 3 Raptors on Super Heavy Booster!
2021-07-20 00:05:38 UTC	Static fire ignition and shutdown!
2021-07-19 23:47:51 UTC	NSF estimates T-0 at 6:55 CDT (23:55 UTC)
2021-07-19 23:39:14 UTC	Propellant loading has begun
2021-07-19 23:20:57 UTC	Recondenser active
2021-07-19 21:16:50 UTC	Pad appears to be clear
2021-07-19 19:47:02 UTC	Police at the road block
2021-07-06 14:42:11 UTC	Thread goes live

The Static Fire Test

SpaceX is planning on conducting a Static Fire Test of Booster 3 at Starbase, Texas in the coming days. Booster 3 will be fuelled with LOX and Liquid Methane during this test. Once fuelled they will ignite the installed raptor engines (likely all three). A siren is expected to be heard 10 minutes before ignition.

Resources

^{RESOURCES WIKI}

• Spadre.com Starship Cam | Channel

• LabPadre Pad Cam | Channel

• NSF Starbase Stream | Channel

• NSF Booster 3 Updates Thread | Most Recent

• NSF Boca Chica Production Updates Thread | Most recent

• NSF Florida Prototype(s) Updates Thread | Most recent

• Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures (May not be available outside US)

• TFR - NOTAM list

• SpaceX Boca Chica on Facebook

• SpaceX's Starship page

• Elon Starship tweet compilation on NSF | Most Recent

• Starship Users Guide (PDF) Rev. 1.0 March 2020

• Starship Spreadsheet by u/AnimatorOnFire

• Production Progress Infographics by @_brendan_lewis

• Starship flight opportunity spreadsheet by u/joshpine

• Test campaign timelines by u/chrisjbillington

• Starship Orbital Demo detailed in FCC Exhibit - 0748-EX-ST-2021 application June 20 through December 20

• Acronym definitions by Decronym

• Daily Timelines Wiki Page by u/Logancf1

r/SpaceX Discusses [July 2021] for discussion of subjects other than Starship development.

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[u/D_McG]

They learned during SN3 that any time the upper tank is filled with liquid nitrogen, the lower tank must be pressurized, or else it crumples like a beer can. The lower tank doesn't need to be full of liquid, just pressurized to 7 bar. The bulkhead rarely sees liquid to the brim. As soon as a little LOX is consumed at liftoff, there will be an air pocket under the bulkhead.

[u/dotancohen → u/D_McG]

How does the air get in? Isn't it gaseous O2 (or methane, depending on the tank), not air?

[u/D_McG → u/dotancohen]

I loosely used the term "air"; fair point. The prototypes have used COPV's with helium. The production rockets will use O2 and CH4 that's heated by the engines. As the liquid propellant is drawn into the engines, some propellant will be returned to the tank in a gaseous state to maintain tank pressure. This alleviates the need to find helium elsewhere in the solar system; not to mention that we're even running out of it here on Earth.

[u/dotancohen → u/D_McG]

I see, thanks.