Falcon Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

[RDoc]

A) All the proposed cargo lighter than aircraft I'm aware of are dirigibles with internal structure
B) My understanding is that the BFR/BFS air frame production facility is at Berth 240 in the Port of Los Angeles.

I expect the engines will be moved to the ocean-side facility for installation rather than moving the air frame to Hawthorne and back.

 

[thenaimis]

Maybe I've missed some intervening news updates but I thought the plan was to construct the BFR in the LA dock/port/marina/whatever facility they're constructing and ship via boat to the launching facilities.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Maybe I've missed some intervening news updates but I thought the plan was to construct the BFR in the LA dock/port/marina/whatever facility they're constructing and ship via boat to the launching facilities.

That's what I thought too.

 

[ecarfan]

does anyone have an opinion yay/nay regarding hauling, for example, a BFR from factory to port (thence barge to launch site) by means of a heavy-lift dirigible?

I have an opinion: that makes no sense.

The Super Heavy/Starship is being built in Long Beach, within a few feet of the water. It is already at the port.

It will be barged from the factory in Long Beach to Boca Chica.

 

[AudubonB]

Geez, ecarfan...and the others: taking pot shots at dirigibles.
Kinda makes shooting fish in a barrel seem skilled.



But thanks for alerting me that construction is occurring at Long Beach. I thought it was at Hawthorne.

 

[Electroman]

I have an opinion: that makes no sense.

The Super Heavy/Starship is being built in Long Beach, within a few feet of the water. It is already at the port.

It will be barged from the factory in Long Beach to Boca Chica.

Via Panama Canal?

 

[HVM]

Malcolm Head‏ @Malcolmmarsman 11h11 hours ago

"@elonmusk Elon, how long until we can have more tech details about the bfs design changes? Some of us rocket nerds are dying to know anything! Thanks!"
Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk

Replying to @Malcolmmarsman
"Contour remains approx same, but fundamental materials change to airframe, tanks & heatshield"

I guess that it's not balsa and cast iron.

 

[Nikxice]

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk
"Contour remains approx same, but fundamental materials change to airframe, tanks & heatshield"

Nice. Hope that keeping the same contour means no major retooling. A comment (probably related} from Elon during his Axios/HBO interview last night, "We’ve recently made a number of breakthroughs that I am just really fired up about". I don't think he's offering any more details, yet.

 

[ecarfan]

Via Panama Canal?

Yes. That is the only feasible sea route from California to Texas.

 

[ecarfan]

Elon Musk‏Verified account @elonmusk

Replying to @Malcolmmarsman
"Contour remains approx same, but fundamental materials change to airframe, tanks & heatshield"

That statement puzzled me. SpaceX has already built parts of the propellant and/or oxidizer tank, based on photos they have released. If there is now a “fundamental materials change to...tanks” than I sure hope the parts already constructed have incorporated that change.

 

[RDoc]

As a huge Steampunk fan I'm hoping for riveted wrought iron with polished brass fittings.

 

[e-FTW]

I say they found some nice red and white paint:

 

[winfield100]

Into the rabbit hole...

Apparently, a blimp is a non-rigid aerostat. Blimp is a type of dirigible.

Blimp = (old name) (B)alloon, Limp

 

[HVM]

I rolled my eyes when Boeing named its CST-100 to "Starliner".
... Starship eh... it just not going to grow on me.
But what will the new material(s) be aluminum-lithium alloys steel and titanium, -not radical. Silicone based TPS and new composites, TUFROC-X?

 

[Bobfitz1]

I rolled my eyes when Boeing named its CST-100 to "Starliner".
... Starship eh... it just not going to grow on me.

Nor me. Has anyone thought up a plausible explanation of why Musk would change name to something the new rocket and spaceship clearly are not? Not that he can't call them anything he wants.

 

[bxr140]

Nor me. Has anyone thought up a plausible explanation of why Musk would change name to something the new rocket and spaceship clearly are not? Not that he can't call them anything he wants.

I mean, “Autopilot”...

 

[Cosmacelf]

Nor me. Has anyone thought up a plausible explanation of why Musk would change name to something the new rocket and spaceship clearly are not? Not that he can't call them anything he wants.

Sure, here’s plausible. The ship in the HHGTTG is called starship Heart of Gold. That’s it. That’s the reason.

 

[Bobfitz1]

Sure, here’s plausible. The ship in the HHGTTG is called starship Heart of Gold. That’s it. That’s the reason.

Thanks, that seems plausible. Though I'm not sure DA would have objected if first of the BFS ships was named Heart of Gold!

 

[mongo]

Change from BFR may have also been a concession to NASA to be more serious...

 

[ecarfan]

Change from BFR may have also been a concession to NASA to be more serious...

I think that Elon simply wanted a more inspirational name for the vehicle than “BFS” which started out as an internal SpaceX acronym (even though Elon hates acronyms) and stuck after it leaked out.

I am very happy with the new “Starship“ name. It fires the imagination!