SpaceX Starship: Orbital Test Flight (launch: April 17, webcast link)

[Dr Mordrid]

A Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued for the airspace around Starbase and the adjacent Mexican airspace.

Dates: April 10-12
Windows: 0800 - 1200 Eastern

These could slip, anything can happen, but the FAA launch license is expected to be granted this week.

This tweet has some video of the vehicle and launch tower, stacked & ready to go... pending some final tests and the arming of the flight safety system.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1643873905113722880

[Dr Mordrid]

FAA should be issuing the launch license for the Starship test flight in about 2 weeks. They should be launching sometime in April.

[Dr Mordrid]

I was dog sick for a bit with a flu which wasn't in the vaccine this year. I'll spare you the gory details <barf>

Today SpaceX completed a successful wet dress rehearsal: Starshi 24 and its Super Heavy Booster 7 were filled with almost 10 million lbs/4,535 tonnes of propellants and a practice countdown executed by Starship's flight computers.

If they follow past practice next comes a spin-prime test, essentially they start up the booster engine turbo pumps. After that comes a static fire test followed by launch. With a little luck, by the end of February or March

The team from NASA's Artemis Human Lander System program is usually present for major tests like this, and for the launch they are likely to use NASA's WB-57 reconnaissance aircraft to film the in flight events.

There is another Super Heavy and Starship pair being prepared for a quick follow up flight; Booster 9 and Ship 25.

[Umfriend]

What Utwig said.

[UtwigMU]

Doc, thank God you're back, I thought I will have to take up the mantle of MURC space editor.

I was going to post this video if you wouldn't have come back:

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1611024931348959232?t=vmI8BMUkPyD5lvq55P10Yg&s=19

Making the rocket land perfectly is really really hard to achieve, so this makes this even cooler.

[Dr Mordrid]

After many bureaucratic delays the launch campaign for Starship has begun. The NASA team should be present for each of the upcoming major events; the wet dress rehearsal, a test firing of all 33 Booster 7 engines, a test firing of Mission 2's Ship 25, and the full orbital launch attempt.

Meanwhile, construction is well along at the Kennedy Space Center LC-39A Starship pad. NASA Artemis program lunar launches will fly from there and LC-39B

+++++++

As soon as Monday, #SpaceX may begin the long-awaited orbital launch testing campaign kicking off with a wet dress rehearsal (WDR). This will include filling #SuperHeavy #B7 and #Starahip S24 completely full of propellant for the first time and simulating the launch countdown.

https://twitter.com/ryanhansenspace/status/1616854342874570755

20230121_232230.jpg

[Dr Mordrid]

Starship S24 static fire test

6 engines (3 sea level, 3 vacuum) - standard pack. Lost 30 tiles; test, learn, repeat.

This should be the vehicle for the first orbital test flight. Booster tests upcoming.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1568010239185944576

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/156801296698929971

[Dr Mordrid]

Super Heavy booster rollout to the orbital launch pad. Fully loaded with 33 Raptor 2 engines, this thing is effing gigantic.

Pressure and static fire engine tests soon. Starship #24 will also be preparing for the first launch.

[Dr Mordrid]

It seems Ship 24's nose fins look smaller. This had been hinted at but not seen. This is likely the first orbital test flight vehicle.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1536896085557399552

20220614_225027-crop.jpg

[Dr Mordrid]

2 Starship flight articles on the way.

Bear in mind that SpaceX has one launch pad ready in Boca Chica and another under construction at KSC LC-39A, now preparing to stack its launch/catcher tower.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1536747824498585602

Elon Musk @elonmusk
Jun 14, 2022

Replying to @SirineAti and @mn_google
Starship will be ready to fly next month. I was in the high bay & mega bay late last night reviewing progress.
|
Elon Musk @elonmusk
We will have a second Starship stack ready to fly in August and then monthly thereafter

[Dr Mordrid]

After months of trying to get FAA
environmental approval for their Boca Chica launches the agency report finally came out as a mitigated FONSI, of finding of no significant impact. FAA still needs to issue a launch license, but the ball is rolling downhill now.

SpaceX is also building several Starship pads at the Kennedy Space Center, the first at a new pad co-located at LC 39a where they launch Crew and Cargo Dragon. NASA and SpaceX are also talking about building a Dragon capability into the LC40 pad used for military
& Com ercial satellite launches.

[Dr Mordrid]

The FCC has issued a Special Temporary Authority (STA, frequency license) for the Starship orbital test flight. FAA Environmental Assessment and flight license pending.

Window: December 20, 2021 - March 1, 2022

[Dr Mordrid]

More on the Kennedy Space Center LC-39A Starship pad construction. This will be used for commercial, StarLink, and NASA Artemis program crewed and cargo Moon missions. Most likely Mars missions when that time comes.

The Starship launch tower & mount will be about half way between the hangar and Falcon launch tower/mount, off to the right side (from the hangar's view.)

The launch tower will incorporate the "Mechazilla" robotic arms for catching inbound Super Heavy boosters and Starships, rather than doing legged landings.

The boxy Starship launch mount they built ~2 years ago has been taken down in favor of something like the Starbase round launch table mount.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/03/elon-musk-spacex-starts-construction-of-starship-launchpad-in-florida.html

Elon Musk says SpaceX has started building a Starship launchpad on Florida’s Space Coast

>
NASA, in a statement to CNBC, confirmed that SpaceX is “within the rights of their lease agreement to make launch infrastructure improvements within the boundaries of the pad.” The agency also confirmed that NASA is not providing funding for the Starship launchpad, and deferred to SpaceX on the project’s scope, cost, and timeline.
>
Tom Engler, director of planning and development at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, told CNBC that he think the SpaceX plan is “really exciting.” Before the company leased the complex, it was previously used to launch Saturn V rockets for Apollo missions, as well as Space Shuttle missions.

“If you look at the history of the launchpad, this is probably right in line with how it was meant to be used,” Engler said. “To us, it’s really just kind of an reaffirmation of the thought process of why that pad was built to begin with.”
>

[Dr Mordrid]

How Starship is assembled

[Dr Mordrid]

Booster-catching "Chopsticks" lifted to integration tower.