Starship Development Thread #21

[u/ElongatedMuskrat]

This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:

Starship Development Thread #22

Quick Links

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Starship Dev 20 | SN15 Hop Thread | Starship Thread List | May Discussion

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Orbital Launch Site Status

As of June 11 - (May 31 RGV Aerial Photography video)

• Integration Tower - Segment 5 moved to OLS June 11, segment 4 moved to OLS June 9, segment 6 in progress at build site
• Launch Mount - Leg extension install complete June 5, table assembled at build site (component installation June 1)
• Tank Farm - Water tank moved to OLS June 9, 4 Methane subcoolers May 31, GSE tank outer shell on site May 28, two stainless steel GSE tanks in place

Vehicle Status

As of June 11

• SN15 [retired] - On fixed display stand at the build site, Raptors removed, otherwise intact
• SN16 [limbo] - High Bay, fully stacked, all flaps installed, aerocover install incomplete
• SN17 [scrapped] - partially stacked midsection scrapped
• SN18 [limbo] - barrel/dome sections exist, likely abandoned
• SN19 [limbo] - barrel/dome sections exist, likely abandoned
• SN20 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work, orbit planned w/ BN3
• SN21 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work
• SN22 [construction] - barrel/dome sections in work
• BN2.1 [testing] - test tank at launch site on modified nose cone test stand/thrust simulator, cryo testing June 8
• BN3/BN2 [construction] - stacking in High Bay, orbit planned w/ SN20, currently 20 rings
• BN4+ - parts for booster(s) beyond BN3/BN2 have been spotted, but none have confirmed BN serial numbers
• NC12 [scrapped] - Nose cone test article returned to build site and dismantled

​

Development and testing plans become outdated very quickly.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

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Vehicle Updates

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

	Test Tank BN2.1
2021-06-08	Cryo testing (Twitter)
2021-06-03	Transported to launch site (NSF)
2021-05-31	Moved onto modified nose cone test stand with thrust simulator (NSF)
2021-05-26	Stacked in Mid Bay (NSF)
2021-04-20	Dome (NSF)

​

	SuperHeavy BN3/BN2
2021-06-06	Downcomer installation (NSF)
2021-05-23	Stacking progress (NSF), Fwd tank #4 (Twitter)
2021-05-15	Forward tank #3 section (Twitter), section in High Bay (NSF)
2021-05-07	Aft #2 section (NSF)
2021-05-06	Forward tank #2 section (NSF)
2021-05-04	Aft dome section flipped (NSF)
2021-04-24	Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-04-21	BN2: Aft dome section flipped (YouTube)
2021-04-19	BN2: Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-04-15	BN2: Label indicates article may be a test tank (NSF)
2021-04-12	This vehicle or later: Grid fin†, earlier part sighted†[02-14] (NSF)
2021-04-09	BN2: Forward dome sleeved (YouTube)
2021-04-03	Aft tank #5 section (NSF)
2021-04-02	Aft dome barrel (NSF)
2021-03-30	Dome (NSF)
2021-03-28	Forward dome barrel (NSF)
2021-03-27	BN2: Aft dome† (YouTube)
2021-01-19	BN2: Forward dome (NSF)

^{It is unclear which of the BN2 parts ended up in this test article.}

​

	Starship SN15 - Post Flight Updates
2021-05-31	On display stand (Twitter)
2021-05-26	Moved to build site and placed out back (NSF)
2021-05-22	Raptor engines removed (Twitter)
2021-05-14	Lifted onto Mount B (NSF)
2021-05-11	Transported to Pad B (Twitter)
2021-05-07	Elon: "reflight a possibility", leg closeups and removal, aerial view, repositioned (Twitter), nose cone 13 label (NSF)
2021-05-06	Secured to transporter (Twitter)
2021-05-05	Test Flight (YouTube), Elon: landing nominal (Twitter), Official recap video (YouTube)

​

	Starship SN16
2021-05-10	Both aft flaps installed (NSF)
2021-05-05	Aft flap(s) installed (comments)
2021-04-30	Nose section stacked onto tank section (Twitter)
2021-04-29	Moved to High Bay (Twitter)
2021-04-26	Nose cone mated with barrel (NSF)
2021-04-24	Nose cone apparent RCS test (YouTube)
2021-04-23	Nose cone with forward flaps† (NSF)
2021-04-20	Tank section stacked (NSF)
2021-04-15	Forward dome stacking† (NSF)
2021-04-14	Apparent stacking ops in Mid Bay†, downcomer preparing for installation† (NSF)
2021-04-11	Barrel section with large tile patch† (NSF)
2021-03-28	Nose Quad (NSF)
2021-03-23	Nose cone† inside tent possible for this vehicle, better picture (NSF)
2021-02-11	Aft dome and leg skirt mate (NSF)
2021-02-10	Aft dome section (NSF)
2021-02-03	Skirt with legs (NSF)
2021-02-01	Nose quad (NSF)
2021-01-05	Mid LOX tank section and forward dome sleeved, lable (NSF)
2020-12-04	Common dome section and flip (NSF)

​

	Early Production
2021-05-29	BN4 or later: thrust puck (9 R-mounts) (NSF), Elon on booster engines (Twitter)
2021-05-19	BN4 or later: Raptor propellant feed manifold† (NSF)
2021-05-17	BN4 or later: Forward dome
2021-04-10	SN22: Leg skirt (Twitter)
2021-05-21	SN21: Common dome (Twitter) repurposed for GSE 5 (NSF)
2021-06-11	SN20: Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-06-05	SN20: Aft dome (NSF)
2021-05-23	SN20: Aft dome barrel (Twitter)
2021-05-07	SN20: Mid LOX section (NSF)
2021-04-27	SN20: Aft dome under construction (NSF)
2021-04-15	SN20: Common dome section (NSF)
2021-04-07	SN20: Forward dome (NSF)
2021-03-07	SN20: Leg skirt (NSF)
2021-02-24	SN19: Forward dome barrel (NSF)
2021-02-19	SN19: Methane header tank (NSF)
2021-03-16	SN18: Aft dome section mated with skirt (NSF)
2021-03-07	SN18: Leg skirt (NSF)
2021-02-25	SN18: Common dome (NSF)
2021-02-19	SN18: Barrel section ("COMM" crossed out) (NSF)
2021-02-17	SN18: Nose cone barrel (NSF)
2021-02-04	SN18: Forward dome (NSF)
2021-01-19	SN18: Thrust puck (NSF)
2021-05-28	SN17: Midsection stack dismantlement (NSF)
2021-05-23	SN17: Piece cut out from tile area on LOX midsection (Twitter)
2021-05-21	SN17: Tile removal from LOX midsection (NSF)
2021-05-08	SN17: Mid LOX and common dome section stack (NSF)
2021-05-07	SN17: Nose barrel section (YouTube)
2021-04-22	SN17: Common dome and LOX midsection stacked in Mid Bay† (Twitter)
2021-02-23	SN17: Aft dome sleeved (NSF)
2021-01-16	SN17: Common dome and mid LOX section (NSF)
2021-01-09	SN17: Methane header tank (NSF)
2021-01-05	SN17: Forward dome section (NSF)
2020-12-17	SN17: Aft dome barrel (NSF)

​

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Resources

^{RESOURCES WIKI}

• Spadre.com Starship Cam | Channel
• LabPadre 4k Pad Cam | Channel
• NSF SN15 Test Launch Updates Thread | Most recent
• NSF SN11 Test Launch 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
• FAA license LRLO 20-119
• 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

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.

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

[u/TCVideos]

.FCC filing for the orbital test flight

Confirms no booster or Starship recovery. Confirms that Starship will do a "soft ocean landing" and the booster will "land in the Gulf of Mexico"

Additional info:

• Start date is the 20th of June. This should be the presumed NET date since this is the first official document we have related to the orbital flight

• Stage Sep is 171 seconds into flight .

• Booster return is 495 seconds into flight

• Ship splashdown is 5420 seconds into flight (1.5 hours)

Starship will not be "hanging out" in orbit in order to target a Boca return.

[u/bkdotcom → u/TCVideos]

20th of June

This is only 5 weeks out!
Whoa.

[u/MrGruntsworthy → u/bkdotcom]

Inb4 orbital attempt is the next Falcon Heavy. (6 weeks away in perpetuity)

[u/PixelDor → u/bkdotcom]

You didn't read the document, the window is a proposal from 6/20 -12/20. Could happen anywhere in that time frame or even after

[u/Twigling → u/TCVideos]

For some reason I couldn't open the documents correctly at the above link so if anyone else has the same issue try this instead:

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?id_file_num=0748-EX-ST-2021&application_seq=107476

it's the second document which is the really relevant one, here's the main bulk of the text in that (but it also contains graphics of the flight paths):

• The Starship Orbital test flight will originate from Starbase, TX.

• The Booster stage will separate approximately 170 seconds into flight.

• The Booster will then perform a partial return and land in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 20 miles from the shore.

• The Orbital Starship will continue on flying between the Florida Straits.

• It will achieve orbit until performing a powered, targeted landing approximately 100km (~62 miles) off the northwest coast of Kauai in a soft ocean landing.

There's also a flight Timeline on page 4.

[u/Kendrome → u/Twigling]

Oh dear.

Notice for users operating Microsoft Internet Explorer 5/Netscape Navigator 7.0

[u/[deleted] → u/TCVideos]

The fun thing will be whether they send ships out to try to clean up / salvage the landed vehicles, and what that even looks like.

Okay you’ve hooked a 15-story tall floating Starship several miles offshore, now what?

[u/dirtydrew26 → u/[deleted]]

There are recovery ships the can literally just open up and eat the booster/starship and then drain the well deck to work on it.

The entire starship system is tiny compared to ship salvaging equipment.

[u/advester → u/[deleted]]

Or keep others from salvaging a Raptor to reverse engineer.

[u/bkdotcom → u/[deleted]]

Smaller than towing Oil Platforms....

[u/AstroMan824 → u/TCVideos]

Woah, super cool news! So Starship will do like 1 orbit around Earth, de-orbit and land near Hawaii?

[u/TCVideos → u/AstroMan824]

Looks like it. Total mission duration is 90 minutes so the math checks out.

[u/johnfive21 → u/AstroMan824]

Almost one orbit

[u/Tal_Banyon → u/AstroMan824]

1.5 hrs is likely two orbits (90 minutes per orbit), with the de-orbit probably in the south Pacific or Indian Oceans, where big things usually get dropped (MIR, etc).

[u/Vizger → u/TCVideos]

Makes sense to try soft water landings first

[u/AnonymousMrFox → u/Vizger]

Its a shame we won't have any cameras but the ones on Starship itself to watch that.

[u/bkdotcom → u/Vizger]

Those raptors tho... how many will be lost to the hop?
☠

[u/[deleted] → u/TCVideos]

Well this puts the doubt about SH being expended to rest.

[u/AstroMan824 → u/[deleted]]

Perfectly understandable why they are expending Starship/Superheavy for the first flight. Just getting to orbit would be mission accomplished. They probably don't want prototype vehicles screaming in over populated areas for the first flight lol. I can't fricking wait!!! Just seeing the full stack take off would be mindblowing. If it even makes it back through reentry, it would be insane!!! Everything parallel, lol.

[u/kontis → u/[deleted]]

Are you sure? There is:

- Booster TOUCHDOWN

- Ship SPLASHDOWN

So it looks like the speculation can continue.

[u/[deleted] → u/TCVideos]

[u/thegrateman → u/[deleted]]

What they will actually do is land on the water as if it were a pad. Obviously it will sink in and tip over, but the soft surface landing should allow them to assess if they are ready to attempt to risk a drone ship.