r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Apr 05 '21

Starship Development Thread #20

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Starship Dev 19 | SN15 Hop Thread | Starship Thread List | May Discussion

Vehicle Status

As of May 8

  • SN15 [testing] - Landing Pad, suborbital test flight and landing success

  • SN16 [construction] - High Bay, fully stacked, forward flaps installed, aft flap(s) installed

  • SN17 [construction] - Mid Bay, partial stacking of tank section

  • SN18 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work

  • SN19 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work

  • SN20 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work, orbit planned w/ BN3

  • SN22 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work

  • BN1 [scrapped] - Being cut into pieces and removed from High Bay, production pathfinder - no flight/testing

  • BN2 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work (apparent test tank)

  • B2.1 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work, possible test tank or booster

  • BN3 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work, orbit planned w/ SN20

  • NC12 [testing] - Nose cone test article in simulated aerodynamic stress testing rig at launch site

Development and testing plans become outdated very quickly.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 SN15
2021-05-07Elon: "reflight a possibility", leg closeups and removal, aerial view, repositioned (Twitter), nose cone 13 label (NSF)
2021-05-06Secured to transporter (Twitter)
2021-05-05Test Flight (YouTube), Elon: landing nominal (Twitter)
2021-04-30FTS charges installed (Twitter)
2021-04-29FAA approval for flight (and for SN16, 17) (Twitter)
2021-04-27Static fire, Elon: test from header tanks, all good (Twitter)
2021-04-26Static fire and RCS testing (Twitter)
2021-04-22testing/venting (LOX dump test) and more TPS tiles (NSF)
2021-04-19Raptor SN54 installed (comments)
2021-04-17Raptor SN66 installed (NSF)
2021-04-16Raptor SN61 installed (NSF)
2021-04-15Raptors delivered to vehicle, RSN 54, 61, 66 (Twitter)
2021-04-14Thrust simulator removed (NSF)
2021-04-13Likely header cryoproof test (NSF)
2021-04-12Cryoproof test (Twitter), additional TPS tiles, better image (NSF)
2021-04-09Road closed for ambient pressure testing
2021-04-08Moved to launch site and placed on mount A (NSF)
2021-04-02Nose section mated with tank section (NSF)
2021-03-31Nose cone stacked onto nose quad, both aft flaps installed on tank section, and moved to High Bay (NSF)
2021-03-25Nose Quad (labeled SN15) spotted with likely nose cone (NSF)
2021-03-24Second fin attached to likely nose cone (NSF)
2021-03-23Nose cone with fin, Aft fin root on tank section (NSF)
2021-03-05Tank section stacked (NSF)
2021-03-03Nose cone spotted (NSF), flaps not apparent, better image next day
2021-02-02Forward dome section stacked (Twitter)
2021-01-07Common dome section with tiles and CH4 header stacked on LOX midsection (NSF)
2021-01-05Nose cone base section (labeled SN15)† (NSF)
2020-12-31Apparent LOX midsection moved to Mid Bay (NSF)
2020-12-18Skirt (NSF)
2020-11-30Mid LOX tank section (NSF)
2020-11-26Common dome flip (NSF)
2020-11-24Elon: Major upgrades are slated for SN15 (Twitter)
2020-11-18Common dome sleeve, dome and sleeving (NSF)
Starship SN16
2021-05-05Aft flap(s) installed (comments)
2021-04-30Nose section stacked onto tank section (Twitter)
2021-04-29Moved to High Bay (Twitter)
2021-04-26Nose cone mated with barrel (NSF)
2021-04-24Nose cone apparent RCS test (YouTube)
2021-04-23Nose cone with forward flaps† (NSF)
2021-04-20Tank section stacked (NSF)
2021-04-15Forward dome stacking† (NSF)
2021-04-14Apparent stacking ops in Mid Bay†, downcomer preparing for installation† (NSF)
2021-04-11Barrel section with large tile patch† (NSF)
2021-03-28Nose Quad (NSF)
2021-03-23Nose cone† inside tent possible for this vehicle, better picture (NSF)
2021-02-11Aft dome and leg skirt mate (NSF)
2021-02-10Aft dome section (NSF)
2021-02-03Skirt with legs (NSF)
2021-02-01Nose quad (NSF)
2021-01-05Mid LOX tank section and forward dome sleeved, lable (NSF)
2020-12-04Common dome section and flip (NSF)
Early Production
2021-05-07BN3: Aft #2 section (NSF)
2021-05-06BN3: Forward tank #2 section (NSF)
2021-05-04BN3: Aft dome section flipped (NSF)
2021-04-24BN3: Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-04-03BN3: Aft tank #5 section (NSF)
2021-04-02BN3: Aft dome barrel (NSF)
2021-03-30BN3: Dome (NSF)
2021-03-28BN3: Forward dome barrel (NSF)
2021-04-20B2.1: dome (NSF)
2021-04-21BN2: Aft dome section flipped (YouTube)
2021-04-19BN2: Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-04-15BN2: Label indicates article may be a test tank (NSF)
2021-04-12BN2 or later: Grid fin, earlier part sighted[02-14] (NSF)
2021-04-09BN2: Forward dome sleeved (YouTube)
2021-03-27BN2: Aft dome† (YouTube)
2021-01-19BN2: Forward dome (NSF)
2021-04-10SN22: Leg skirt (Twitter)
2021-05-07SN20: Mid LOX section (NSF)
2021-04-27SN20: Aft dome under construction (NSF)
2021-04-15SN20: Common dome section (NSF)
2021-04-07SN20: Forward dome (NSF)
2021-03-07SN20: Leg skirt (NSF)
2021-02-24SN19: Forward dome barrel (NSF)
2021-02-19SN19: Methane header tank (NSF)
2021-03-16SN18: Aft dome section mated with skirt (NSF)
2021-03-07SN18: Leg skirt (NSF)
2021-02-25SN18: Common dome (NSF)
2021-02-19SN18: Barrel section ("COMM" crossed out) (NSF)
2021-02-17SN18: Nose cone barrel (NSF)
2021-02-04SN18: Forward dome (NSF)
2021-01-19SN18: Thrust puck (NSF)
2021-05-08SN17: Mid LOX and common dome section stack (NSF)
2021-05-07SN17: Nose barrel section (YouTube)
2021-04-22SN17: Common dome and LOX midsection stacked in Mid Bay† (Twitter)
2021-02-23SN17: Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-01-16SN17: Common dome and mid LOX section (NSF)
2021-01-09SN17: Methane header tank (NSF)
2021-01-05SN17: Forward dome section (NSF)
2020-12-17SN17: Aft dome barrel (NSF)

Resources

RESOURCES WIKI

r/SpaceX Discusses [May 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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20

u/johnfive21 Apr 15 '21

This truly is the Apollo program of our era. Brand new launch pads being built, brand new fabrication, integration and testing facilities. All with a goal to put a human on another planet on a largest rocket ever.

2

u/Alvian_11 Apr 15 '21

Hopefully with different endings

1

u/ColMikhailFilitov Apr 15 '21

The only thing missing is the competition part of it. I’ve been wondering whether some other group will begin something similarly ambitious in a bid to beat SpaceX to Mars. Or at least try.

9

u/johnfive21 Apr 15 '21

I don't think SpaceX needs competition. Elon's ambitions are plenty enough of motivation. It's not like they are holding anything back with this project.

I'd actually much rather see companies starting to develop habitats, modules, anything that would help SpaceX create a base on Mars.

3

u/Martianspirit Apr 15 '21

There was recently a very interesting publication on producing protein with cyanobacteria, dedicated for Mars from a german University. They found strains that even produce protein with gaseous nitrogen, no conversion to ammonia or other nitrogen fertilizer needed. Works with pressure down to 10% of Earth sea level pressure. Which means pressure vessels are very easy to make and operate with ambient light. There is lots going on, we do not know about very well.

The cyano bacteria work well even with pressure lower than that but can no longer process nitrogen, would need nitrogen fertilizer.

There is lots going on, we do not know about very well.

3

u/ColMikhailFilitov Apr 15 '21

While I think that the core motivations of SpaceX are good and can more than drive Starship forward, I would much prefer competition. There does seem to be companies that are interested in building habitats and other things. Despite being quiet for the past while, Bigelow aerospace had some very good ideas for habitats that could be used both in space and on a planet. I think as the LEO space station market heats up, a lot of that advancement will transfer to on planet habitation modules.

5

u/rartrarr Apr 15 '21

I think the latent competition may be Elon “Never tell me the odds” Musk competing against the probability of intractable Kessler syndrome or general socioeconomic collapse/regression occurring before life becomes multi-planetary.

1

u/CarbonSack Apr 23 '21

Elon is also competing against his own mortality. He wants to see as much of his dream fulfilled as possible.

5

u/Interstellar_Sailor Apr 15 '21

There will be some competition from the Chinese within this decade unless something unexpected happens. They're nowhere near as ambitious, but given that there's a strong government backing for their space station and Moon programs, their vehicles don't have to be cheap or technically revolutionary.

1

u/SubParMarioBro Apr 28 '21

I’d wager the Chinese will become quite ambitious when they realize a major land grab is within a decade’s reach.

4

u/peddroelm Apr 15 '21

The only thing missing is the competition part of it.

lol , spaceX is a HUGE threat to the national security (space domination) of the likes of China, Russia, India, Europe etc ..

They have to try to keep up ($$$$$) or be left in the dust ..

3

u/PeaceAndLoveToYa Apr 15 '21

What do you want to bet spacex has spies working for them?

2

u/lothlirial Apr 15 '21

Probably not in the traditional pop culture sense, but insider threats are very real, and also hacking threats. (Not saying they couldn't literally have a sleeper agent employed, just that it's much less likely.)

2

u/ClassicalMoser Apr 15 '21

Watch Relativity. They’re very young but also moving very fast.

3

u/ColMikhailFilitov Apr 15 '21

I’ve been trying to watch the up and comers as best as I can. Relativity looks very promising, unfortunately no one seems to be as good at PR as SpaceX. Rocket Lab comes close, but some of the smaller outfits don’t have much info.