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

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • UtwigMU
    Super MURCer
    • Jul 2002
    • 5651

    #46
    Looks like Elon will launch and remove blue checkmarks tomorrow.

    Comment

    • Dr Mordrid
      Moderator
      • Apr 2001
      • 26592

      #47
      About half of all test flights fail, so successful flight would be clearing the tower and getting some flight data to inform the next attempt. Anything beyond that is sauce for the goose. If successful, the Starship will belly flop into the Pacific Missile Range off Hawaii. The booster will attempt a water landing in the Gulf of Mexico, similar to the water landing tests done with Falcon 9 before attempting to land on a barge or land.

      The notes on the video stream say 08:45 Eastern, webcast will probably start 45 minutes before that.

      Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 20 April 2023, 04:30.
      Dr. Mordrid
      ----------------------------
      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

      Comment

      • Dr Mordrid
        Moderator
        • Apr 2001
        • 26592

        #48
        That went a lot better than many people thought it would. Clearly, they need to work on separation and why there were engine outs, but still a good day.

        With the next flight's already upgraded vehicles produced, they need to check the pad, learn the lessons, make some mods and fly again.
        Dr. Mordrid
        ----------------------------
        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

        Comment

        • Dr Mordrid
          Moderator
          • Apr 2001
          • 26592

          #49
          Washington Post space reporter
          Well that was a successful failure, as they say. FAA confirms no reports of any injuries. SpaceX and NASA pleased with the test flight.


          Christian Davenport @wapodavenport
          Well that was a successful failure, as they say. FAA confirms no reports of any injuries. SpaceX and NASA pleased with the test flight
          Dr. Mordrid
          ----------------------------
          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

          Comment

          • Dr Mordrid
            Moderator
            • Apr 2001
            • 26592

            #50
            Congratulations to @SpaceX on today’s launch of Starship, the tallest & most powerful rocket ever launched! ? Although Starship experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” before stage separation, the test provided good data to the Starship team to prepare for the next one.


            National Air and Space Museum
            @airandspace
            Congratulations to @SpaceX on today’s launch of Starship, the tallest & most powerful rocket ever launched!

            Although Starship experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” before stage separation, the test provided good data to the Starship team to prepare for the next one.
            Dr. Mordrid
            ----------------------------
            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

            Comment

            • Umfriend
              Crabby Smurf
              • Mar 2001
              • 7308

              #51
              They'll get there.
              Join MURCs Distributed Computing effort for Rosetta@Home and help fight Alzheimers, Cancer, Mad Cow disease and rising oil prices.
              [...]the pervading principle and abiding test of good breeding is the requirement of a substantial and patent waste of time. - Veblen

              Comment

              • UtwigMU
                Super MURCer
                • Jul 2002
                • 5651

                #52
                Getting rocket right is extremely tough with all extreme conditions during launch. I watched Russian documentary on N1 rocket which had 3 failed flights. One guy who worked on project said they would have needed 2 more flights to be successful.

                Comment

                • Dr Mordrid
                  Moderator
                  • Apr 2001
                  • 26592

                  #53
                  Launch pad repairs are almost completed, and they started to install the plumbing for the deluge and water cooled plate under the pad. They have also tested a new flight termination explosive system, looked like it was successful. They've also selected Booster 9 and Ship 25 for Flight 2. Booster 9 and Ship 25 have been upgraded to use electric thrust vector control actuators rather than hydraulic with an HPU (which failed during the first flight). Once pad upgrades have been completed, probably the end of June, they will do a few weeks of tests before launching again.

                  Musk also posted information about Raptor 3; they did a successful firing at 350 bar chamber pressure (269 metric tons of thrust), and upgraded Starship's performance to 200 tonnes to LEO with reuse, 300 tonnes expendable..
                  Dr. Mordrid
                  ----------------------------
                  An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                  I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                  Comment

                  Working...