Building the Full Metal Starship testbed: Starhopper

[HVM]

SpaceX seem to be building a water tower to Boca Chica launch site:

Ohh wait, some support struts:

Odd metal rings.

Rings start to tapper...

That's the godda*mn f**in spaceship!


Image (c) bocachicagal NSF

 

[HVM]

 

[e-FTW]

Nice mockup! Maybe the VP will visit and pose for a wide zoom pic again.

 

[ecarfan]

It does look to be about the right diameter for a Starship mockup.

 

[HVM]

I really think that this is the grasshopper version of Starship, not a mockup. Flimsy looking metal is for the nosecone and not yet used for supersonic flight. And bottom part's welding looks ok, it's just cleaned up with angle grinder. It's also possible they use smaller acctual tanks for the hops.

 

[HVM]

Other hand; here is a Falcon 9 test article/pathfinder -mockup from 2009:

And Falcon 1 one

 

[Cosmacelf]

Why do they make mockups?

 

[HVM]

For testing AND PR/marketing, but don't worry, this is not a mockup:

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk

Replying to @elonmusk @Erdayastronaut and

"I will do a full technical presentation of Starship after the test vehicle we’re building in Texas flies, so hopefully March/April"

 

[HVM]

From Twitter:

Chris (Robotbeat):
"You got something to show us in Texas?"

Everyday Astronaut:
"Stainless steel balloon tanks. Heavy metal. Calling it now. Welcome Atlas back Atlas B."

Elon:
"Stainless steel is correct, but different mixture of alloys & new architecture. Unlike Atlas, Starship is buckling stable on launchpad even when unpressurized. While there are some material similarities, Starship is very different from the Atlas design
----
Yup. Actually, the only significant design element in common with early Atlas is stainless steel & we’re using a different alloy mix. I super 300 Series Stainless!"

Martin { God of Mars }:
"Who makes that Alloy? SpaceX or supplier?"

Elon:
"For sheet/plate, at supplier made to our spec. For cast, in our Hawthorne foundry."

Muddy Schmuck:
"What is being made in San Pedro now? Will you return to manufacturing in San Pedro after the initial prototype or do you think Texas manufacturing is the way to go?"

Elon:
"We’re building subsections of the Starship Mk I orbital design there.
---
This test hopper is at full body diameter of 9m / 30 ft, just not full height. Super Heavy will be full height & diameter."

 

[Cosmacelf]

SpaceX has a metal casting foundry?

 

[Grendal]

So it's official that this is the Starship grasshopper/test bed. We'll see real Raptors in action sometime next year.

Elon Musk on Twitter

 

[ecarfan]

Wow! This is exciting. Seeing the nosecone photo posted by@HVM convinced me, and then I saw Elon’s tweets, which confirmed.

Elon seems to be evading the quesiton of where the Super Heavy and Starship will be primarily built, only confirming that the Starship “subsections” are being built in San Pedro CA.

 

[HVM]

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk 2h2 hours ago
Stainless Steel Starship

 

[HVM]

Fast render ; )

 

[Nikxice]

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk 2h2 hours ago
Stainless Steel Starship

Great photo. A little off topic, capturing that moonrise (moonset?) brings back the memories today. SpaceX will certainly be considering camera angles during the dearMoon mission. Just released from NASA Goddard, Earthrise explained in 4K.

 

[Grendal]

Great photo. A little off topic, capturing that moonrise (moonset?) brings back the memories today. SpaceX will certainly be considering camera angles during the dearMoon mission. Just released from NASA Goddard, Earthrise explained in 4K.

Thanks for sharing. So beautiful and iconic. The video brought me to tears. I recommend putting it in the pinned art/photo section.

 

[skitown]

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk 2h2 hours ago
Stainless Steel Starship

Awesome. Now he can name the first one "SSSS Heart of Gold"

 

[Nikxice]

I

Thanks for sharing. So beautiful and iconic. The video brought me to tears. I recommend putting it in the pinned art/photo section.

If it's no trouble to move, absolutely. For a short video, it is indeed emotional. Synching up the spacecarft orientation, LRO images, along with the astronauts spoken words was brilliant and inspirational.

 

[Grendal]

Back to the topic:
"Stainless Steel Starship"
"3 Raptors"

Elon Musk on Twitter

 

[ecarfan]

Wow, the crew at Boca Chica is working late!

I’m wondering how functional those landing legs will be. I assume they aren’t the final design but they have some shock absorbing capability, some flex in them.

Do you think the fuel tanks inside that hopper will be carbon fiber?