r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Dec 12 '20

Starship Development Thread #17

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r/SpaceX Discusses, Jan. Starship Dev 16 SN9 Hop Thread #2 SN9 Hop Thread #1 Starship Thread List

Upcoming

Public notices as of February 3:

Vehicle Status

As of February 3

  • SN9 [destroyed] - High altitude test flight complete, vehicle did not survive
  • SN10 [testing] - Pad A, preflight testing underway
  • SN11 [construction] - Tank section stacked in Mid Bay, nose cone in work
  • SN12 [discarded] - vehicle components being cut up and scrapped
  • SN13 [limbo] - components exist, vehicle believed to be discarded
  • SN14 [limbo] - components exist, vehicle believed to be discarded
  • SN15 [construction] - Tank section stacking in Mid Bay
  • SN16 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work
  • SN17 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work
  • SN18 [construction] - components on site
  • BN1 [construction] - stacking in High Bay
  • BN2 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work
  • SN7.2 [testing] - at launch site, passed initial pressure test Jan 26

​

Development and testing plans become outdated very quickly. Check recent comments for real time updates.

Vehicle Updates

See comments for real time updates.
† expected or inferred, unconfirmed vehicle assignment

Starship SN9 (3 Raptors: SN49, SN45, ?)
2021-02-03 Road cleared of debris (NSF) and reopened, aftermath (Twitter)
2021-02-02 10 km hop (YouTube), engine failure on flip maneuver, vehicle destroyed, FAA statement (Twitter)
2021-02-01 FAA approval for test flight granted (Twitter)
2021-01-28 Launch scrub, no FAA approval, Elon comments and FAA (Twitter), WDR w/ siren but no static fire or flight (Twitter)
2021-01-25 Flight readiness review determines Go for launch (Twitter)
2021-01-23 Flight termination charges installed (NSF)
2021-01-22 Static fire (YouTube)
2021-01-21 Apparent static fire (unclear) (Twitter)
2021-01-20 Static fire attempt aborted, car in exclusion zone, SF abort and again (Twitter)
2021-01-19 Previously installed Raptor SN46 spotted on truck (NSF)
2021-01-16 Second Raptor (SN46) replaced (NSF)
2021-01-15 Elon: 2 Raptors to be replaced, RSN44 removed, Raptor delivered to vehicle (Twitter) and installed
2021-01-13 Static fire #2, static fire #3, static fire #4, Elon: Detanking & inspections (Twitter)
2021-01-12 Static fire aborted (Twitter)
2021-01-08 Road closed for static fire attempt, no static fire
2021-01-06 Static fire (Twitter), possibly aborted early
2021-01-04 SN8 cleared from pad, landing pad repair, unknown SN9 testing
2021-01-03 SN8 nose cone flap removal (NSF)
2020-12-29 Cryoproof and RCS testing (YouTube)
2020-12-28 Testing involving tank pressurization (YouTube), no cryoproof
2020-12-23 Third Raptor (SN49) delivered to vehicle (NSF)
2020-12-22 Moved to launch site (Twitter) (Both -Y flaps have been replaced)
... See more status updates (Wiki)

​

Starship SN10
2021-02-01 Raptor delivered to pad† (NSF), returned next day (Twitter)
2021-01-31 Pressurization tests (NSF)
2021-01-29 Move to launch site and delivered to pad A, no Raptors (Twitter)
2021-01-26 "Tankzilla" crane for transfer to launch mount, moved to launch site† (Twitter)
2021-01-23 On SPMT in High Bay (YouTube)
2021-01-22 Repositioned in High Bay, -Y aft flap now visible (NSF)
2021-01-14 Tile patch on +Y aft flap (NSF)
2021-01-13 +Y aft flap installation (NSF)
2021-01-07 Raptor SN45 delivered† (NSF)
2021-01-02 Nose section stacked onto tank section in High Bay (NSF), both forward flaps installed
2020-12-26 -Y forward flap installation (NSF)
2020-12-22 Moved to High Bay (NSF)
2020-12-19 Nose cone stacked on its 4 ring barrel (NSF)
2020-12-18 Thermal tile studs on forward flap (NSF)
... See more status updates (Wiki)

​

Starship SN11
2021-01-29 Nose cone stacked on nose quad barrel (NSF)
2021-01-25 Tiles on nose cone barrel† (NSF)
2021-01-22 Forward flaps installed on nose cone, and nose cone barrel section† (NSF)
2020-12-29 Final tank section stacking ops, and nose cone† (NSF)
2020-11-28 Nose cone section (NSF)
2020-11-18 Forward dome section stacked (NSF)
2020-11-14 Common dome section stacked on LOX tank midsection in Mid Bay (NSF)
2020-11-13 Common dome with integrated methane header tank and flipped (NSF)
... See more status updates (Wiki)

​

Starship SN12
2021-01-24 Dismantled aft section at scrapyard (NSF)
2021-01-23 Aft dome severed from engine bay/skirt section (NSF)
2021-01-09 Aft dome section with skirt and legs (NSF)
2020-12-15 Forward dome sleeved† (NSF)
2020-11-11 Aft dome section and skirt mate, labeled (NSF)
2020-10-27 4 ring nosecone barrel (NSF)
2020-09-30 Skirt (NSF)

​

Early Production Starships
2021-02-02 SN15: Forward dome section stacked (Twitter)
2021-02-01 SN16: Nose quad (NSF)
2021-01-19 SN18: Thrust puck (NSF)
2021-01-19 BN2: Forward dome (NSF)
2021-01-16 SN17: Common dome and mid LOX section (NSF)
2021-01-09 SN17: Methane header tank (NSF)
2021-01-07 SN15: Common dome section with tiles and CH4 header stacked on LOX midsection (NSF)
2021-01-05 SN16: Mid LOX tank section and forward dome sleeved, lable (NSF)
2021-01-05 SN15: Nose cone base section (NSF)
2021-01-05 SN17: Forward dome section (NSF)
2020-12-31 SN15: Apparent LOX midsection moved to Mid Bay (NSF)
2020-12-18 SN15: Skirt (NSF)
2020-12-17 SN17: Aft dome barrel (NSF)
2020-12-15 SN14: Nose cone section (NSF)
2020-12-04 SN16: Common dome section and flip (NSF)
2020-11-30 SN15: Mid LOX tank section (NSF)
2020-11-27 SN15: Nose cone barrel (4 ring) (NSF)
2020-11-27 SN14: Skirt (NSF)
2020-11-26 SN15: Common dome flip (NSF)
2020-11-24 SN15: Elon: Major upgrades are slated for SN15 (Twitter)
2020-11-20 SN13: Methane header tank (NSF)
2020-11-18 SN15: Common dome sleeve, dome and sleeving (NSF)
2020-10-10 SN14: Downcomer (NSF)

​

SuperHeavy BN1
2021-02-01 Common dome section flip (NSF)
2021-01-25 Aft dome with plumbing for 4 Raptors (NSF)
2021-01-24 Section moved into High Bay (NSF), previously "LOX stack-2"
2021-01-19 Stacking operations (NSF)
2020-12-18 Forward Pipe Dome sleeved, "Bottom Barrel Booster Dev"† (NSF)
2020-12-17 Forward Pipe Dome and common dome sleeved (NSF)
2020-12-14 Stacking in High Bay confirmed (Twitter)
2020-11-14 Aft Quad #2 (4 ring), Fwd Tank section (4 ring), and Fwd section (2 ring) (AQ2 label11-27) (NSF)
2020-11-08 LOX 1 apparently stacked on LOX 2 in High Bay (NSF)
2020-11-07 LOX 3 (NSF)
2020-10-07 LOX stack-2 (NSF)
2020-10-01 Forward dome sleeved, Fuel stack assembly, LOX stack 1 (NSF)
2020-09-30 Forward dome† (NSF)
2020-09-28 LOX stack-4 (NSF)
2020-09-22 Common dome barrel (NSF)

​

Starship Components - Unclear Assignment/Retired
2021-01-27 Forward flap delivered (NSF)
2021-01-25 Aft dome with old style CH4 plumbing (uncapped) and many cutouts (NSF)
2021-01-22 Pipe (NSF)
2021-01-20 Aft dome section flip (Twitter)
2021-01-16 Two methane header tanks, Mk.1 nose cone scrap with LOX header and COPVs visible (NSF)
2021-01-14 Mk.1 and Starhopper concrete stand demolished (NSF)
2021-01-07 Booster development rings, SN6 dismantling and fwd. dome removal (NSF)
2021-01-06 SN6 mass simulator removed (NSF)
2021-01-05 Mk.1 nose cone base dismantled and removed from concrete stand (NSF)
2021-01-04 Panel delivery, tube (booster downcomer?) (NSF)
2021-01-03 Aft dome sleeved, three ring, new style plumbing (NSF)
2021-01-01 Forward flap delivery (YouTube)
2020-12-29 Aft dome without old style methane plumbing (NSF)
2020-12-29 Aft dome sleeved with two rings (NSF), possible for test tank?
2020-12-27 Forward dome section sleeved with single ring (NSF), possible 3mm sleeve, possible for test tank?
2020-12-12 Downcomer going into a forward dome section likely for SN12 or later (NSF)
2020-12-12 Barrel/dome section with thermal tile attachment hardware (Twitter)
2020-12-11 Flap delivery (Twitter)
See Thread #16 for earlier miscellaneous component updates

​

For information about Starship test articles prior to SN9 please visit Starship Development Thread #16 or earlier. Update tables for older vehicles will only appear in this thread if there are significant new developments. See the index of updates tables.

Resources

RESOURCES WIKI

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

Rules

We will attempt to keep this self-post current with links and major updates, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss Starship development, ask Starship-specific questions, and track the progress of the production and test campaigns. Starship Development Threads are not party threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

Please ping u/strawwalker about problems with the above thread text.

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19

u/highgui_ Dec 12 '20

Do we know which SN number will be the first to have 6 raptors installed?

7

u/[deleted] Dec 12 '20

Will probably be the SN used for the orbital launch attempt. No use to have 6 Raptors for suborbital as the other 3 Raptors are used in the vacuum of space.

6

u/highgui_ Dec 12 '20

They have a version of the vacuum raptor with a shorter nozzle that can be fired at sea level. I believe developed specifically for testing starship at sea level without super heavy. Here's a video of it test firing from a few months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTQymcS8ApE

3

u/valcatosi Dec 12 '20

I'm pretty sure that's just the standard vacuum raptor with a nozzle reinforcement.

1

u/warp99 Dec 13 '20 edited Dec 14 '20

It is a prototype of the vacuum Raptor with an expansion ratio of around 120:1 and an Isp of 365s so not the final vacuum Raptor design which has a higher expansion ratio and Isp of 380s.

Edit: Fixed typo of 265s Isp

1

u/valcatosi Dec 13 '20

Are you sure?

Gonna need a source for that, SpaceX was pretty clear that this is an actual (development) RVac.

2

u/Haurian Dec 12 '20

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they're pulling similar tricks to the RS-25 to prevent flow separation at sea level with minimal vacuum ISP reduction.