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  1. ecarfan

    Wiki Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

    Hah hah! :D That certainly is a third possibility, in fact even the likely outcome of the first few Mars landing attempts, which is why I think SpaceX could plan to send multiple ships staggered days/weeks apart during the Q4 2026 launch window. They will simply be test vehicles to figure out...
  2. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Based on post-launch photos I’ve seen the OLM and surrounding infrastructure looks undamaged. Of course we only have long distance photos to go on. But after the first two test flights SpaceX greatly improved things and I think they have got it figured out.
  3. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    That is a huge improvement over IFT-2. Let me try to find an image from that flight… EDIT: I see @JB47394 beat me to it. Here’s what I found.
  4. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-4 - Starbase TX - Pre-Launch Preparations Thread

    Thanks. I see the context tweet that @JB47394 and @Electroman refer to. Don’t know why you can’t. I’m not logged into X.
  5. ecarfan

    Starbase: Boca Chica/Brownsville SpaceX Site

    That photo of the Massey’s flame trench/static fire testing pad that Marcus House used appears to be weeks out of date: here is a new one from RGV, go to about the 50 minute point in the video (the entire video is 1 hour 55 minutes, a ridiculous length of time for the amount of information...
  6. ecarfan

    Wiki Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

    In 2017 at the IAC in Australia Elon said: In his most recent statement about the timeline, “on Mars within 5 years”, he doesn’t specify if that is just cargo or including humans. Personally I think a flight with humans could be possible 5 years from now (launch window Q1 2029). A flight with...
  7. ecarfan

    Discussion of SpaceX's Government Satellite Network: Starshield

    Reuters: China's military, state media slam U.S. after Reuters report on SpaceX spy satellites So now the Chinese government (if the PLA says it, it comes from the government) is calling Elon a “villain”. Of course both America and China spy on each other, for decades now. The Chinese have...
  8. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    (EDIT: oops, I see this video was posted last night in the Starship general development thread) Great video from LabPadre showing all three test flight videos time-synced to demonstrate the remarkable progress achieved so far.
  9. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Interesting to see visible pressure waves during liftoff.
  10. ecarfan

    SpaceX Internet Satellite Network: Starlink

    I have, but that is off topic for this thread, thanks. Apologies to the moderators for my post potentially taking this thread off topic.
  11. ecarfan

    SpaceX Internet Satellite Network: Starlink

    Reuters: Musk’s SpaceX is building spy satellite network for US intelligence agency, sources say It’s a report about Starshield, which I thought was only a dedicated and secure US military comms network, separate from the consumer Starlink system. But according to this new report: It appears...
  12. ecarfan

    Wiki Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

    Love Eric Berger’s perspective: After Thursday’s flight, Starship is already the most revolutionary rocket ever built He marvels at the views we were treated to of the plasma heating on reentry. He marvels that in just the third test flight: And then he shifts his focus to costs: Yes, it is...
  13. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Wow, that is illuminating. To my non-expert eye that roll looks excessive but it is greatly speeded up.
  14. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    All this discussion about thrusters makes me wonder; with half the ship covered in TPMS are there any thrusters on that side? I assume not. Does that then make ship thruster control more difficult?
  15. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    So does it seem like at T+43 when it appears that the ship is trying to position itself for reentry that it changes its attitude a lot more than is necessary and then keeps changing as it descends? It’s very hard for me to figure out the attitude of the ship relative to Earth just based on the...
  16. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Correct, SpaceX posted afterwards: However, I wonder if the roll during the coast phase was intentional and controlled and then plan was to null it out before the relight attempt but they were not able to do so.
  17. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    During prop loading there were clouds of condensate coming off the ground extending out into the wetlands area but the wind wasn’t blowing it that way, in fact it was blowing the opposite direction. I don’t understand that.
  18. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Regarding the cargo door test, I found it very hard to tell from the one camera angle how far the door was opened. There was a brief view at around T+14:23 showing the door in the close position (I think) and then later a view from a different camera with the door at least partially open. Don’t...
  19. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    We discussed the apparent rolling of the ship during coast phase. Rewatching the test flight video, I noticed that during coast when there was no video signal, the ship graphic showed a slow roll around the long axis, with no pitch changes, that seemed to match what you could see happening when...
  20. ecarfan

    Wiki Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

    Thanks, I’m not entirely clear if the IFT-3 vehicle was a V2 or a V1. If it was V2 then I assume that means a V3 is the stretched version? Well, I am pretty sure that Roscosmos won’t be a part of the ISS replacement station, so that will help with the space requirements. 😉 But it seems not that...
  21. ecarfan

    Wiki Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

    Those numbers are mind blowing, but Elon likes to get ahead of himself. V3? Let’s get V1 fully functional (recovery at Stage Zero, reuse, and in-orbit refueling) and then talk about V2. That will surely take a few years. V3 seems like quite a ways off. To me the really telling number right now...
  22. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    It was discussed upthread that perhaps the RCS failed in some way resulting in loss of attitude control. Well before reentry the ship did not appear to have effective attitude control. Then at reentry the ship was unable to keep the TPMS facing the “hot” side. Also, by then a number of tiles...
  23. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    I would think that would be mandatory given that SpaceX essentially lost control of both vehicles. Yes, they both probably impacted within their target areas, but they did not appear to be under control during final descent.
  24. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Scott is of the opinion that the Pez door test failed. He also noted that there appeared to be residual atmosphere inside the cargo bay that vented out when the door opened slightly.
  25. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Apologies, you are correct. Not sure why I got that so wrong… :oops:
  26. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Here’s something I don’t understand. At T+9:16 the graphic showing the ship orientation reverses direction in a fraction of a second. But the video stream does not show such a rotation.
  27. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    And here is the rest of SpaceX’s first public analysis: “Initiated” the prop transfer, no indication it was successful. Interesting about the “vehicle roll rates” stopping the engine relight test. So the roll was not intentional.
  28. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    SpaceX has already posted their summary of the flight. Here is the part about the booster after stage sep. Some new details.
  29. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Yes I noticed that and was surprised because at that point the ship was at 112km so very little atmosphere and engines were off; why were those tiles falling off at that point in the flight? I can understand during ascent or reentry but not in the coast phase.
  30. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    I’m not aware that SpaceX had any aircraft with cameras over the Indian Ocean, satellites seems very unlikely, and the ship does not have a “black box” like commercial aircraft do.
  31. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    22 years. Founded in 2002 by a crazy guy who was laughed at by the entire aerospace industry. He is still crazy, but no one is laughing at SpaceX now.
  32. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Ship failed to survive reentry. Not a surprise. Maybe lost too many tiles. Overall, a real success! Some milestones achieved, others not. And of course it is Pi Day today, so for all geeks everywhere…
  33. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    That was incredible video. I assume the ship has hit the water by now.
  34. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    It seems like the ship is doing the classic barbecue roll to prevent the remaining propellants from overheating?
  35. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    So the brief views of the ship in orbit could be through Starlink communication? And the ship appears to be maneuvering in the coast phase, rolling a bit.
  36. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Payload bay door opening! Even the SpaceXers call it the Pez dispenser. :D
  37. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Cool view before liftoff.
  38. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    The views from the ship were mind boggling, during ascent, hot staging, and after. Blew my mind. Some tiles lost early during ascent, but not a huge number based on the limited view we had.
  39. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    So the booster grid fins looked like they were really working hard before the signal was lost. And the ship engine relight was a success, and they said the payload door did open. All good news.
  40. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Wow, incredible so far. Is the ship venting LOX right now?
  41. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Yes, Angry Astronaut has a useful thermal camera view that clearly shows the frost lines. But he just said that Scott Manley posted that the weather is “not cooperating”. Maybe that was on X, which I am not on.
  42. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    Update from SpaceX, now targeting 8:25AM Central time
  43. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    SpaceX stream now shown as starting at 5:37AM. Lots of tank farm activity and the OLM is venting so that’s a good sign, chilling it down to prepare for prop loading.
  44. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    That T-42 was based on watching the Angry Astronaut YouTube stream, but now it changed to T-1:08. And SpaceX shows their stream starting at 5:29AM which I assume is my local time.
  45. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    How can it be T-42 and no visible prop loading?
  46. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Launch Thread and Post Launch Discussion

    YAY! What is the weather forecast?
  47. ecarfan

    SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Pre-Launch Preparations Thread

    Less than 24 hours remaining until the earliest possible launch time. Fingers crossed for launch license coming today…