SpaceX Starship SN-09: test flight 1 (test flight)

[Dr Mordrid]

And, Static Fire #3 for today o_0

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1349473054699769859

[Dr Mordrid]

Everyday Astronaut @Erdayastronaut
Jan 13, 2021
Awesome milestone! Back to back to back static fires!!!! We’ve never seen that before. Very impressive. And they still haven’t detanked.... think they’ll go for four?!
|
Elon Musk ✓ @elonmusk
All three static fires completed & no RUDs!
||
Detanking & inspections now. Good progress towards our “Hop in & go to Mars!” goal.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1349478110027280386

[Dr Mordrid]

Friday Static Fire!!

(Crank Up The Volume)

Brutal!

Screenshot_2021-01-22-12-55-45-684.jpeg

SUNDAY Flight TFR: 0700 - 0100 Eastern

[Dr Mordrid]

SN-09

TFR for Monday, Jan 25
Altitude: up to Unlimited

https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_5669.html

They've also installed the Flight Termination System.

[Dr Mordrid]

Flight Readiness Review: GO for launch

Road barricades going up

@BocaChicaGal setting up her camera gear

[Dr Mordrid]

Now that the weather is done throwing a snit...

Boca Chica Road closures!

Primary: Thursday, January 28
Window: 1000 - 1900 Eastern

Secondary: Friday, January 29
Window: 0900 - 1500 Eastern

[Dr Mordrid]

Mary @BocaChicaGal
Boca Chica Village residents have been asked to evacuate by 8 a.m. tomorrow. I can hardly wait to leave and watch Starship SN9 fly.
@NASASpaceflight

https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1354608270728704002

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

As early as Thursday, January 28, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 9 (SN9) – the second high-altitude suborbital flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas. Similar to the*high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8), SN9 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN9 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.

The Starship prototype will descend under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. SN9’s Raptor engines will then reignite as the vehicle attempts a landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down on the landing pad adjacent to the launch mount.

A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing capability, combined with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth. This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.

There will be a live feed of the flight test available here that will start a few minutes prior to liftoff. Given the dynamic schedule of development testing, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates as we move toward SpaceX’s second high-altitude flight test of Starship!

[Dr Mordrid]

/sigh... Feds :whistle:

RGVAerialPhotography @RGVaerialphotos
Reason for delay

“FAA is basically giving SpaceX a hard time with the licensing because of the engine swap, it is technically a new vehicle. “

https://twitter.com/RGVaerialphotos/status/1354860131335475200

Elon Musk ✓ @elonmusk
Unlike its aircraft division, which is fine, the FAA space division has a fundamentally broken regulatory structure.

Their rules are meant for a handful of expendable launches per year from a few government facilities. Under those rules, humanity will never get to Mars.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1354862567680847876

[Dr Mordrid]

Clearance granted! GO for launch.

Clearing the village at 1100 Eastern.

https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1356589939501142017

[Dr Mordrid]

Looking good; pad clearing & fuelling soon.

https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1356668280656683010

[Dr Mordrid]

SN-09

The tank farm methane recondenser has started. We're in the run-up to fuelling.

[Dr Mordrid]

Build site & STARGATE evacuation* (normal)

[Dr Mordrid]

SpaceX stream

https://youtu.be/_zZ7fIkpBgs

[Dr Mordrid]

Good flight but another bad landing. Only one landing engine ignited on time, the other igniting too late. No translation to vertical.

[MultimediaMan]

Cannonballll!!!!!