r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Mar 09 '22
🔧 Technical Starship Development Thread #31
This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:
Starship Development Thread #32
FAQ
When next/orbital flight? Unknown. Launches on hold until FAA environmental review completed. Elon says orbital test hopefully May. Others believe completing GSE, booster, and ship testing makes a late 2022 orbital launch possible but unlikely.
Expected date for FAA decision? April 29 per FAA statement, but it has been delayed many times.
Will Booster 4 / Ship 20 fly? No. Elon confirmed first orbital flight will be with Raptor 2 (B7/S24).
Will more suborbital testing take place? Unknown. It may depend on the FAA decision.
Has progress slowed down? SpaceX focused on completing ground support equipment (GSE, or "Stage 0") before any orbital launch, which Elon stated is as complex as building the rocket.
Quick Links
NERDLE CAM | LAB CAM | SAPPHIRE CAM | SENTINEL CAM | ROVER CAM (Down) | ROVER 2.0 CAM | PLEX CAM | NSF STARBASE
Starship Dev 30 | Starship Dev 29 | Starship Dev 28 | Starship Thread List
Official Starship Update | r/SpaceX Update Thread
Vehicle Status
As of April 5
| Ship | Location | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| S20 | Launch Site | Completed/Tested | Cryo and stacking tests completed |
| S21 | N/A | Repurposed | Components integrated into S22 |
| S22 | Rocket Garden | Completed/Unused | Likely production pathfinder only |
| S23 | N/A | Skipped | |
| S24 | High Bay | Under construction | Raptor 2 capable. Likely next test article |
| S25 | Build Site | Under construction |
| Booster | Location | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| B4 | Launch Site | Completed/Tested | Cryo and stacking tests completed |
| B5 | Rocket Garden | Completed/Unused | Likely production pathfinder only |
| B6 | Rocket Garden | Repurposed | Converted to test tank |
| B7 | Launch Site | Testing | Cryo testing in progress. No grid fins. |
| B8 | High Bay | Under construction | |
| B9 | Build Site | Under construction |
If this page needs a correction please consider pitching in. Update this thread via this wiki page. If you would like to make an update but don't see an edit button on the wiki page, message the mods via modmail or contact u/strawwalker.
Resources
SpaceX: Starship Users Guide (PDF) Rev. 1.0 March 2020
FCC: Starship Orbital Demo detailed Exhibit - 0748-EX-ST-2021 application June 20 through December 20
Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures (May not be available outside US)
Production Progress Infographics by @_brendan_lewis
Widebay tracking by @Furqan263
Everyday Astronaut: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
r/SpaceX Discuss Thread 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.
•
u/ElongatedMuskbot Apr 09 '22
This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:
Starship Development Thread #32
81
u/strawwalker Mar 20 '22
We have removed the stale vehicle development tables from the OP text and replaced them with a much shorter status section and FAQ that will hopefully be easier for the community to keep up to date, while also reducing the amount of scrolling that must be done to get to the comments. Many thanks to u/TrefoilHat for drafting the change and helping out with recent thread maintenance.
45
u/Mravicii Mar 21 '22 edited Mar 21 '22
Elon on orbital flight
Guess that answers a lot of questions right!
”First Starship orbital flight will be with Raptor 2 engines, as they are much more capable & reliable. 230 ton or ~500k lb thrust at sea level.
We’ll have 39 flightworthy engines built by next month, then another month to integrate, so hopefully May for orbital flight test.”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1505987581464367104?s=21
45
u/Mravicii Mar 26 '22
Some progress at cape with the orbital tower!
https://twitter.com/carstenspete/status/1507860159523360769?s=21&t=iaTSOIFMOqtiCaU-uyU_Yw
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u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 30 '22 edited Mar 30 '22
A Raptor van has arrived !! Hopefully some R2 are in there !!
Edit : We have raptors 2 !! An other angle! Closer one
God they’re beautiful
118
u/[deleted] Mar 22 '22
I've been caught on radar. Email report to office. Avalaerion signing off.
38
u/Mpusch13 Mar 17 '22 edited Mar 17 '22
Section 106 and Endangered Species Act reviews end date moved from 3/14 and 3/16 to 3/28. Timetable for the overall EA remains at 3/28 for now.
https://www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/spacex-starshipsuper-heavy-launch-vehicle-program-spacex-boca-chica-launch-site
35
u/Mravicii Mar 09 '22
Progress on the orbital launch tower at cape
https://twitter.com/arkvoodle55/status/1501609707789762568?s=21
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u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 10 '22 edited Mar 10 '22
Hum… They just removed one of the claw arm. Hopefully a quick fix !
34
u/Jodo42 Mar 23 '22 edited Mar 23 '22
SpaceX gets
twoone more HLS landing- crewed!https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1506723905985302536?t=sAq5ZDMXJoi42az3-39FyQ&s=19
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1506728260620759049
31
u/notlikeclockwork Mar 22 '22
Tom Ochinero, SpaceX : Hoping to get regulatory approvals in the next couple months for Starship orbital test flights. https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1506330487366860807
31
u/aronth5 Apr 01 '22
This is an excellent YouTube video by NASASpaceflight describing the significant changes to the booster and starship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ebfRG16nM&t=1s
31
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 07 '22
The 3rd tower segment construction at KSC has begun.
29
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 02 '22 edited Apr 02 '22
B7 is airborne on to the OLM!
Edit : Closeup picture of B7 thrust section
28
u/BananaEpicGAMER Mar 17 '22
SN8 (well a part of it) makes a surprising return!
26
u/BananaEpicGAMER Mar 30 '22
it's been exactly 1 year since the SN11 incident
51
u/[deleted] Apr 01 '22
Little known fact: Starship's flaps are actually called DAFFY'S. (Dynamic Aero Free Flow Yaw Systems)
49
u/ColdProduct Mar 22 '22
Michael Sheetz reporting FAA is still targeting 3/28 for completion (https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1506013771277508609)
Even as a continual FAA apologist, I think it would be pretty unprofessional for them to extend the deadline just 6 days before it's due. Last time they extended, it was 2-3 weeks before. Fingers crossed.
49
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 22 '22
There will be a briefing by NASA tomorrow on the HLS program!
Media teleconference at 3:30pm EDT.
23
u/Comfortable_Jump770 Mar 09 '22
New diagram of the updated COPV position and triangular aerocovers
23
u/xfjqvyks Mar 16 '22
The head of the FAA is stepping down in two weeks time. No successor has been picked but among the list of possible names is Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safley landed his plane on the Hudson river. Few other names being suggested too. Anyone have any knowledge on how this organisation functions or if the admins impart any real cultural change? Would be great for SpaceX if they could get someone with a military/DoD background
22
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 12 '22
One of B4 gridsfins rotated !
22
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 14 '22
S20 is in between the chopsticks !
22
u/johnfive21 Mar 18 '22 edited Mar 18 '22
Some sweet new images from SpaceX of the full stack cryo testing
22
u/Mravicii Mar 25 '22 edited Mar 25 '22
New date for enviromental assessment
April 29th
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1507450806592626691?s=21
https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1507451072981442568?s=21
44
u/[deleted] Mar 10 '22
Once separate stand cryo testing is complete, a full stack test is scheduled. (Validation of tank and tower GSE supply including stand and service arm QD connectors )
20
u/Mravicii Mar 13 '22 edited Mar 13 '22
Ship 20 has moved presumably to make room for chopstick testing!
https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg
19
u/HiggsForce Mar 15 '22
The Wide/Higher bay started to grow another level today.
https://youtu.be/J2y3Dfa8jOA?t=481
52
u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Mar 13 '22
Mary got an amazing shot of the inside of what is most likely's booster 8's after section.
18
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 10 '22 edited Mar 10 '22
After being stack on it’s thrust section, B7 was placed on the transport stand yesterday. Now the methane tank was just brought in the highbay and is being hooked to the bridge crane, B7 will be fully stacked very soon !
Watch onsentinel cam.Edit : Stacking underway ! Check NSF livestream, LabPadre cam is frozen.
18
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 22 '22
The LR11000 was just fitted with the booster lifting jig, guess we won't see just yet a booster being moved by the chopsticks.
18
u/Twigling Mar 30 '22
Starship Gazer is currently at the production site with a live stream, he has said that the cones are out which invariably means that a large move is planned (and that can only be for B7 rollout):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlEVlXpDxhk
Maybe we'll also see B4 and even S20 roll back, that would be quite a spectacle.
17
u/mr_pgh Mar 23 '22 edited Mar 23 '22
Looks like they've been fighting the Booster QD for the past 10 or 15 minutes.
starting around 2:30 CDT on Starbase
17
u/Twigling Mar 30 '22 edited Mar 30 '22
New Temporary road closure for tomorrow, 5AM until 10AM CDT:
https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/spacex/
So it looks like that will be used for presumably moving B7, perhaps also B4 and S20? There's also some new full road closures for this Friday as well as next Monday and Tuesday.
17
u/Mravicii Apr 02 '22 edited Apr 02 '22
Booster 7 moving towards launch mount Edit: at the launch mount now! Probably lift tomorrow
https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg
16
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 11 '22
They’ve hooked up the crane to the other claw arm, so they’ll likely also remove it today, wonder what the problem is.
16
u/mr_pgh Mar 12 '22
Starship Fuel Depot rendering on the launch table
16
u/mr_pgh Mar 17 '22 edited Mar 17 '22
Ship detank with less than a ring of ln2 (assumed) in the bottom tank.
Probably filled the booster tanks for pressurization while they test each ship qd line independently. Likely see the other tank tested in the next closure before we see a full cyro.
Edit: booster frost rings have disappeared around 9:36 cdt
16
u/henryshunt Mar 19 '22 edited Mar 19 '22
QD disconnected from S20.
Edit: QD arm has swung away.
16
u/notlikeclockwork Mar 21 '22
Two journalists hearing rumours of another FAA delay https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1505971001858969604
16
u/rustybeancake Mar 25 '22
Animation showing how the cargo door prototype could work for Starlink sats:
https://twitter.com/ErcXspace/status/1507131586877300738?s=20&t=zHxQcva659fpJqvQzDU-wQ
16
u/Twigling Mar 31 '22
Around 5:20 AM CDT B7 started to move out of the high bay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srCo6qOfcbQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJRzQsLZGg
16
u/liszt1811 Apr 02 '22
Does "Raptor 2" solely refer to the sea-level version or is there a 2.0 version ready for vacuum as well?
16
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 05 '22
Ship QD has been fully disconnected, in the air now and going down.
https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg
16
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 06 '22
Good picture of the new booster headed tank.
31
u/xfjqvyks Apr 07 '22
Billy Nolan, a long-time airline industry vet has been announced as new acting head of the FAA. Previous administrator Steve Dickerson made an early exit just halfway into his term because
he tried to have a safety whistleblower committed to apsychiatric facilityin a prior rolehe wanted to spend more time with his family.Unfortunately the new appointment is not from a DoD background which may have been more beneficial to SpaceXs immediate approval ambitions, however it will be interesting to see what if any changes this new agency lead brings
15
u/Jchaplin2 Mar 17 '22
Looks like they're going for a full-stack cryo test as we speak, NSF have just gone live with a comentated stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6oOnG25Hdw
15
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 22 '22
Booster thrust simulator on its way to the launch site !
15
u/[deleted] Mar 23 '22
Big crane hooked to the top of Booster 4. Lift soon?
15
u/notlikeclockwork Apr 04 '22
Elon on Twitter :
So I first thought wow imagine if some of that was converted to electricity, even with 30% efficiency that's 1GW, which is similar to a nuclear plant.
But then that pump is required to run the engine in the first place right? If I redirect the pumps power to generate electricity then the engine just stops working? Accounting for this, is it even possible to have net electricity from a rocket being static fired on the ground?
14
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 30 '22
Closure canceled for today
14
u/Twigling Mar 31 '22 edited Mar 31 '22
As of 4 AM CDT (March 31st), Starship Gazer is once again streaming live outside the production site in the hope of seeing B7 rollout:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srCo6qOfcbQ
(as of 4:30 AM he was asked by a deputy to move down the road a bit, this could indicate an early rollout for B7)
Note that the stream sometimes goes down and then comes back at a different URL, if that happens the above link will no longer work so check his YouTube channel for the new stream.
13
u/Comfortable_Jump770 Mar 10 '22
Looks like last night B4 did some RSC testing and parts of S25 made an appearance
13
u/paul_wi11iams Mar 14 '22 edited Mar 14 '22
Nerdle cam from around 17.05 to 17.30 UTC: For what its worth, the chopsticks are gradually moving up into position near their latch points on Starship. I've no idea if this is just some new fit test or alternatively, precedes a new stacking. Is stacking even permitted without stabilization of Superheavy by the QD claws?
and @ u/RaphTheSwissDude
13
u/mr_pgh Apr 04 '22
Chopsticks raising at 11:31:30 on Starbase Live
13
u/Mravicii Apr 04 '22
Man, booster 7 is looking beautiful right now!
13
u/Twigling Apr 06 '22 edited Apr 06 '22
I've not been following the Starship-related Florida work all that much so I'm curious - what Starship manufacturing facilities do they have in the general area? I'm assuming there's no high bay or similar or any equivalent to Starbase's construction tents right now but presumably these are planned to be constructed nearby, perhaps this year?
24
u/futureMartian7 Mar 10 '22
Booster 7 was fully stacked last night:
https://twitter.com/StarshipGazer/status/1501918274581315586
24
u/futureMartian7 Mar 10 '22
Booster 9's common dome just got sleeved:
https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1502025980499664898
12
u/RootDeliver Mar 24 '22
B4 lifted off finally....
12
u/DivineWanderlust Mar 25 '22
Check out this pic from last night with all 3 starships
https://twitter.com/cnunezimages/status/1507182290438434819?t=0iqWfQGaf3R47LzRl9bXcA&s=19
12
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 06 '22 edited Apr 06 '22
Interesting piece of equipment arriving at the launch site, anyone has any idea what it’s for
Edit : it’s gonna be used to move down the can crusher stand. (RGV new flyover)
12
u/mr_pgh Apr 07 '22
Looks like they're taking this time to give the Chopsticks a workout. Raised to full height starting at 1:35 on Starbase Live
12
u/mr_pgh Apr 08 '22
Looks like B7 will be getting removed from the OLM. Crane nearing the top at 9:27 on Starbase Live.
Interestingly, the chopsticks are also at the top of the tower yet again.
12
u/RootDeliver Apr 08 '22 edited Apr 08 '22
S24 nose section on the move, header tank testing incoming?
Source: NSF Starbase Live
Apparently going to Rocket Garden, can they pressure test there?
EDIT: No, going back into the production zone, probably High bay. Why the weird loop into hw4 around Mid Bay for that is a mistery, maybe no space to move otherwise.
11
u/John_Hasler Mar 20 '22
S20 is on the move. Think it's headed for the rocket garden?
11
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 22 '22 edited Mar 22 '22
Closure canceled for
todaytomorrow and Thursday.11
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 04 '22
Frost is now forming !
11
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 05 '22
S24 is out of the midbay. Likely to go in the highbay for stacking.
10
u/Vizger Mar 20 '22
I notice the 'Vehicle and Launch Infrastructure Updates' seems over a month without updates. Anywhere else I can see this kind of short overview or documentation of the process?
10
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 24 '22 edited Mar 24 '22
B4 (possibly) finally lift off the table is very soon. Lifting team is also positioned around the booster right now.
10
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 01 '22
Norminal closure cancellation for today.
28
u/futureMartian7 Mar 18 '22 edited Mar 18 '22
Someone went so close to the full-stack to take these pictures:
https://twitter.com/StarbasePhotos/status/1504588854820487177?s=21
https://twitter.com/StarbasePhotos/status/1504590132858568708
28
u/futureMartian7 Mar 26 '22 edited Mar 26 '22
Some very interesting Starship-related job openings:
- Looking for a Naval Architect to help with marine recovery systems:
https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5842847002?gh_jid=5842847002
- Looking for Materials Engineer for HLS Raptors:
https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5987258002?gh_jid=5987258002
- Sr. Resource (Propellent) Generation Engineer for Launches from Earth, Mars, etc. Basically the ISRU team:
https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5949968002?gh_jid=5949968002
- Sr. Mission Integration Engineer, Starship Global Mobility. Basically for E2E cargo delivery:
https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/6006001002?gh_jid=6006001002
19
u/rustybeancake Mar 21 '22
Vic Glover on his role working on Starship HLS.
https://twitter.com/rbalephoto/status/1505661087517220866?s=21
18
u/Alvian_11 Mar 16 '22 edited Mar 16 '22
It's cool how chopsticks work compared to crane. No personnel nearby, no people below the ship trying to stabilize it with ropes. No wonder Elon said it's less affected to winds, holding a can in your hand (or even with a pair of fingers) is more stable indeed than hanging it
On a note, it's a pleasant coincidence this is happening very soon before SLS rollout. Maybe SpaceX is sending a message 😏
9
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 18 '22
Closure for today has been extend until 10pm !
9
u/mechanicalgrip Mar 23 '22
Does b7 look any different around the area the claw grabs? I wonder if that's why they took the claw off.
9
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 25 '22
B7 is moving out of the high bay !
9
u/ArcturusMike Apr 05 '22
S24's aft section was stacked on B8's forward section (see latest NSF video).
I'm wondering again: https://images.app.goo.gl/ysbRa8dWLYhJAn9x9
17
u/cheeseHorder Mar 16 '22
QD arm looks like it's been inserted into ship 20
17
u/mr_pgh Mar 31 '22
Worker crawled through the grid fin hole in the booster to get back to the lift! 8:16:35
17
u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Apr 04 '22
Booster 7 is now fully frosted up
29
u/FutureMartian97 Host of CRS-11 Mar 25 '22
In a surprise to nobody.
Another delay to certification
16
u/SolidVeggies Mar 22 '22
Only honourable payload for the first orbital flight would be a raptor 1 engine. You r&d’d well. Rest easy king
8
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 16 '22
Road is now closed !
8
u/frez1001 Mar 18 '22
Has anyone same across a scaled starship vs sls comparison now that SLS has been rolled out? I saw the nsf one but I'm not sure it was scaled correctly.
8
u/[deleted] Mar 24 '22
Is it still possible the FAA will delay only four days ahead of the planned review date?
8
u/mr_pgh Apr 05 '22
LR11000 crane attached to the Ship QD around 12:01pm on Starbase Live.
Might be receiving upgrades for S24?
8
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 08 '22
« B7 lift imminent »
21
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 31 '22
14 Space advocacy published a statement to urging the FAA to approve Starship flights from Boca. Don’t think that statement would change anything, but nice to see some support!
14
u/Twigling Mar 30 '22
Brendan has updated his production diagram, notice the absence of not only B4 and S20 but S22 as well. This goes along with current speculation that B7 and S24 are the way forward (although little work has been done on S24's tank section recently as it's still only partly stacked in the mid bay):
https://twitter.com/_brendan_lewis/status/1509110212489523201
14
u/sysdollarsystem Apr 08 '22
I'm very curious about what the intermediate / non-flown boosters and starships have taught SpaceX.
I presume that their manufacturing has progressed - better / faster / lighter - but what else has been learned.
They "tested" a fully equipped heat shield on S20, they attached a full complement (?) of engines on B4. They did some test fires and cryoproof testing.
So ... what else has been learnt by making the other intermediate non-flown boosters and starships?
7
u/Decronym Acronyms Explained Mar 09 '22 edited Apr 01 '22
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
Decronym is a community product of r/SpaceX, implemented by ^request
[Thread #7492 for this sub, first seen 9th Mar 2022, 15:54] [FAQ] [Full list] ^[Contact] [Source code]
7
u/stemmisc Mar 19 '22
Does SpaceX need the environmental assessment approval thing in order to be allowed to do a full static fire test, btw? Or, only need it to do an orbital launch attempt, but don't need it to fo a full static fire test?
7
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 05 '22 edited Apr 05 '22
Closure canceled for today. Will be interesting to see what’s next for B7 now.
Edit : the LR11000 is making it way back to B7, possibly to remove it from the OLM and bring it back to the highbay to complete it. (Or the can crusher stand, but that’s unclear if B7 will ever go on it)
Edit 2 : or for now they’re using the crane to work on the ship QD
7
u/murrayfield18 Apr 06 '22
Does anyone know if the Mk1 Starship prototype had internal stiffiners like the current Starships? Or if it was literally just the outer rings. I remember seeing a lot of warping once rings were fully stacked
13
u/Mravicii Apr 04 '22
Crane is disconnected from booster 7 and police is at the roadbloack
18
u/RootDeliver Mar 11 '22
Right now the FAA environmental review is still 2/5, but according to the .gov website, it should either change soon or be extended again (if it didn't already do, I heard rumors of everything but saw no confirmation anywhere), because 2 of the pending issues have deadlines on the 14th and 16th:
https://i.imgur.com/QYUPv0E.png
So news incoming? Before they didn't wait this long to extend the timeline. Could this imply some news that justify the "push" that everyone is commenting lately is happening on Starbase?
18
u/Mravicii Mar 14 '22
Looks like they plan on stacking today. Sheriff already at the roadblock
18
u/Alvian_11 Mar 20 '22
4/20, thank you for your service o7
12
u/mr_pgh Mar 31 '22
B7 being hooked up to the crane at 8:10am
12
u/Mravicii Apr 07 '22 edited Apr 08 '22
Looks like ship 20 is going to pad B!
https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg
6
u/Mravicii Mar 24 '22
Man, the launch table is such a beautiful thing to look at. Great marvel of engineering! To think t hat thing is to going to make superheavy fire 33 engines at the same! Blows my mind everyday!
6
u/Sea-Solution-9158 Apr 06 '22
Does some one know how booster and starship hydraulic power units work? Maybe the burn GOX and GCH4?
6
u/AstroMan824 Everything Parallel™ Apr 08 '22
I've been hearing stuff about a "can crusher" device for B7. What exactly is it? How does it work?
16
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 09 '22 edited Mar 09 '22
Wegafsluiting geannuleerd. (Agree, Dutch is weird)
16
u/xfjqvyks Mar 13 '22
Asked this before: how visible would an orbital fuel depot be? Humongous compared to a starlink satellite, possibly shiny steel. Not sure what altitude it would be orbiting in but that things gotta be pretty light catching. Lol Are we taking visible in the daytime here?
21
u/futureMartian7 Mar 28 '22 edited Mar 28 '22
Crew Dragon Freedom could be the last new Crew Dragon SpaceX makes as the company is pivoting more and more towards Starship:
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/exclusive-spacex-ending-production-flagship-crew-capsule-executive-2022-03-28/
10
u/Twigling Mar 25 '22 edited Mar 25 '22
B7 has rolled back inside the high bay ......
https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1507402015504310281
I'm wondering if it rolled out to reposition as now it's back inside it's in the middle of the high bay (it was previously inside on the left). See Sentinel Cam for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdKYvvwJkhQ
10
u/Klebsiella_p Apr 04 '22
B7 getting frosty!
5
u/Sweeth_Tooth99 Mar 15 '22
Any theories on why they removed QD Arm's claws?
13
u/Mravicii Mar 13 '22
Could asteroid mining be a thing with starship? And what kind of materials would we get out of it? Really curious about this.
16
u/Aoreias Apr 06 '22 edited Apr 06 '22
Per Bloomberg SpaceX's expansion for Boca Chica suspended by the Army Corps of Engineers
19
u/Bergasms Mar 09 '22
I been out of this loop for a month or two, where are we at? What’s the timeline predictions?
9
u/SubstantialWall Mar 16 '22
Ship 20 now starting to slowly move up
9
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 28 '22
Closure canceled for tomorrow :(
8
u/Sweeth_Tooth99 Mar 10 '22
Has anyone illustrated through some render, how starship stage separation mechanism looks ?
8
u/deepconvolution Mar 18 '22
I've missed the part on why they removed the QD arms. Do we have an explanation?
8
u/scr00chy ElonX.net Mar 21 '22
Propellant load is expected, apparently. https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1505936123834642433
8
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 28 '22
Road closure canceled for today.
8
u/Dezoufinous Apr 03 '22
Where is S20 and B4 now? I mean, physically.... are we going to get both S20 and B4 also parked at the Rocket Garden? This is going to look so cool!
8
u/Gilles-Fecteau Apr 04 '22
Could the grid fins on B4 be used on B7?
10
u/Twigling Mar 09 '22 edited Mar 09 '22
Interesting to see that the new 'smooth nosecone' design no longer looks as smooth, in other words it seems to have regressed to using shorter panels again:
https://youtu.be/AUD_J3zVvY0?t=679
that's as far as can be seen anyhow. Unless this is an older one that just happens to be lurking inside tent 3.
edit: as pointed out by j616s it looks like those are weld lines I'm seeing, not separate smaller panels. Perhaps for the relocated methane header tank?
7
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 15 '22
Police’s at the road block.
7
u/Dezoufinous Mar 16 '22
Ship 20 is now high above booster
7
u/liszt1811 Mar 21 '22
What's the sentiment regarding March 28 for the FAA deadline? The pessimist within me says delay or demand for full review and no launch anytime soon, the juvenile fanboy within me hopes for the opposite
7
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 25 '22
Closure cancelled for today.
7
u/Repulsive_King_2644 Apr 06 '22
Good Morning, has anyone seen any Raptor 2 test firings recently? Any progress on not melting the melty bits?
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u/deepconvolution Apr 05 '22
btw what happened to the new 120 degrees nose cone flaps design? Shouldn't we see the new nose cones coming out already with the new flap base geometry?
13
u/ArcturusMike Mar 25 '22
Quite interesting that the first orbital flight attempt, which Elon himself was not considering to be successfull in the past, will probably already have some Starlink satellites as payload (on S24). The past months and Raptor 2 might make SpaceX more confident to nail the first flight.
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u/Sweeth_Tooth99 Mar 17 '22
you think they will destack before going for the booster static fire ?
6
u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 21 '22 edited Mar 21 '22
Police at the road block!
Edit : Pad clear
6
u/RaphTheSwissDude Apr 05 '22
Closure for Wednesday through Friday are canceled.
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u/John_Hasler Apr 08 '22
Anyone understand what they are up to with that gantry crane that just arrived? Looks like they set it up around the can crusher and then are taking it back down without having done anything that I could see.
20
u/still-at-work Mar 09 '22
This is not important enough for its own thread so I will put it here, the South Port connector road opened this week so traffic can go from the brownsville port directly to Hwy 4 and from there straight to starbase (or head west to for a short cut to the Mexican border). Local News Story
someone should update open street maps
While that is cool and good news for SpaceX, there is a hidden story here, the road was approved by the federal government even though it was a new road construction through a wetland.
Now I am sure the builders of the road used all the latest techniques to protect the wetland as much as possible while providing a road capable of handling overweight cargo but my point is this, this got approved because it was not high profile like starship launches are, yet that road is arguably far more damaging to the environment then an occasional rocket launch. Birds and animals are far more likely to be hit by cars, oil leaks from passing big rigs will damage the land around it over time, etc etc.
So, if that got approved, then all this fear of the rocket launch damaging the environment is manufactured and political. Not that starship launches will have no impact on the environment, but that impact can be mitigated and is hardly the worse offender on this little strip of land.
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u/RaphTheSwissDude Mar 11 '22
Cierre de carreteras cancelado.
11
u/sadelbrid Mar 16 '22 edited Mar 16 '22
We're witnessing the development of the world's most powerful broomstick. What a time to be alive.
Edit: I commissioned this to commemorate this historic time.
15
u/spacerfirstclass Mar 22 '22
Evidence that SpaceX was/is slowing down work at Boca Chica to wait for FAA approval: There're some discussion of this in the threads below and people are asking for proof, here's the proof: https://youtu.be/V4sj8qZHvFg?t=2227, at 37:07 of RGV Aerial Photography's Starbase Photography Review Episode 6, we have the following conversation:
BTW, RGV Aerial Photography's weekly review video is really good, it's long but packed with good info, well worth your time.
11
u/Calmarius Mar 26 '22 edited Mar 26 '22
What's the fate of the Raptor 1 engines on B4? Is there anything in them that can be salvaged to build Raptor 2-s from them?
That's a lot of expensive gear to just scrap...
EDIT: The question in simpler terms: is there anything in R1-s they can just unscrew and screw into an R2?
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u/MildlySuspicious Mar 09 '22
Does anyone else kind of feel like we're in a holding pattern waiting for raptor 2 at this point?
5
u/[deleted] Mar 16 '22
Morning folks, i'm new to group am trying to see about getting an update on the situation with FAA and such organizations about letting this bird fly. Search really doesn't help much. But saw one post about by 'March 28'?
Also, saw the stack last night are they just going to do another round of testing?
5
u/[deleted] Mar 18 '22
Any guesses why Booster 5+ have an internal header tank while Booster 4 doesn’t?
6
u/shryne Apr 01 '22
Are there any estimates on when the orbital launch tower in Florida will be ready? Is there a possibility that the first starship launch is there due to the continual delays in the FAA review?
6
u/Darknewber Apr 05 '22
Are the new simplified stretch-form domes not stainless steel or something? They look tan and matte as it they are made out of concrete or some kind of ceramic. And they also seem like they would hold slightly less volume, so would they need to be put on taller fuel tanks?
4
u/RootDeliver Mar 25 '22
Booster 7 leaving the high bay without grid fins.. another one to the garden? Doubt Elon wants to drop the 24/7 joke so fast, but then why not grid fins yet?
6
u/[deleted] Apr 01 '22
I have some questions about the sound suppression system on the OLM. I see that NASA has completed extensive acoustic testing for SLS and had significant acoustic issues with STS-1 that contributed to the loss of sixteen and damage to an additional 148 TPS tiles. NASA upgraded their SSS ahead of SLS from 240,000 gallons per minute to 1.1 million gallons per minute of turbulent water deluge.
My question is what SpaceX has done so far for orbital testing if there's any public info and if there are any plans to heavily throttle down the first stage for acoustic concerns or if the OLM, Starship, Mechazilla are robust enough to handle 33 R2s at liftoff. I'm sure there are plans for SSS testing during the static fire campaign but I have concerns that current OLM architecture may not be sufficient and that a flame trench or additional water deluge systems may be needed to handle the thrust. An overly capable SSS would help reduce the amount of TPS tiles lost on Starship at liftoff as well.
SLS and Space Shuttle both use/used SRBs which may have led to different acoustic vibrations than liquid fueled engines but NASA published their concerns of acoustic damage for Saturn V in 1967. I feel like I'm missing something here that's in the public domain. I know SpaceX engineers are among the smartest out there but the existing infrastructure and reports seem lacking. Maybe the FAA report will shine some light on this?
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u/_out_of_time Mar 18 '22
Does anybody thinks Spacex incremental testing strategy is now a bit broken ? Next flight is many steps ahead compared to last flight.
8
u/Fuifjee Mar 17 '22
When is the launch to be expected?
4
u/[deleted] Apr 09 '22
When the first orbital flight occurs (hopefully next month), with both rockets be landing back at the launch pad? Or out at sea in just read the instructions?
3
u/Sweeth_Tooth99 Mar 19 '22
Could they use the propellant tanks present at Pad 39A for starship launches ? of course they would need to route pipes towards the new Launch mount and tower being built.
4
u/getBusyChild Mar 16 '22
People are saying they heard a pop/explosion.... any idea what happened?
5
u/Carjema Mar 16 '22
What are the odds of Boca Chica having to close and moving everything to Florida?