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SpaceX needs to get her flying ASAP before the FCC renigs on their Starlink authorizations. One launch, 240 satellites!
It's too bad we don't have folks covering the construction of the launch infrastructure at the Cape the way we do down in Boca Chica... granted it might not be non-stop or as high-fidelity given the location of the launch complex(es).
We'll know more here in a few weeks... if the FAA doesn't give the thumbs up for Boca Chica, it'll be all eyes on the Cape.
It's too bad we don't have folks covering the construction of the launch infrastructure at the Cape the way we do down in Boca Chica... granted it might not be non-stop or as high-fidelity given the location of the launch complex(es).
We'll know more here in a few weeks... if the FAA doesn't give the thumbs up for Boca Chica, it'll be all eyes on the Cape.
Is there anyway a constructed SS or Booster could be transported to the Cape for launch?
I bet we would need to wait for one to be constructed at Roberts Road.
I bet we would need to wait for one to be constructed at Roberts Road.
I've thought about this. They've got a while until they can launch from the Cape... but transporting out of BC on truck just seems unfeasible, they'd need to take it a very, very long way from the construction site to get to a dock.
The easiest way to get it there is by hopping it the whole way. If that isn't permitted by the FAA review, they may be able to get away with hopping it part of the way. My guess is they try to hop the booster and Starship separately to a ship just offshore. This might require temporary legs be installed, but that's nothing.
That video by Jack Breyer opens with a sped up view of the stacking operation. It’s interesting because it shows two drones (with lights) zooming around while the ship is raised and then translated and lowered onto the booster; when it gets really close the drones move in right near the interface.
I noticed that as the ship is lowered there is a point where it pauses and then it rotates the ship just a bit so that the mating points line up.
The chopsticks can not only move up and down and side to side but they can rotate what they are holding as well as move towards and away from the tower. Basically, move in all three dimensions AND rotate the vehicle around it’s long axis.
Super cool.
I’m not sure if B4 and S20 will making the suborbital flight or if it will be B7 and S24 which are near completion.
I did notice that S20 has two tiles missing near the nose. Not sure how they are going to replace them; that elevation appears to be beyond what the the cherry picker lifts can reach.
Yeah, plus the crane lift points.
They can demount S20 and put it back on a stand for more work access.
For the most part it was what we already knew as enthusiasts. Hopefully soon we get to see some launches.
Raptor 2 seems like its coming along well. 33 engines....
Raptor 2 seems like its coming along well. 33 engines....
Agreed. As a SpaceX and Starship obsessive, I did not learn anything new.
I thought Eric Berger asked good questions but Elon deflected, didn’t really answer them.
Elon seemed relaxed and was having a good time. Speaking totally off-the-cuff as usual.
Nikxice
Active Member
Somewhat relevant to the charity bet. Elon did mull over Eric's question concerning hardware readiness for the first Starship orbital launch attempt. Assuming the FAA gives the thumbs up, Elon indicated both should be ready about the same time, in a couple of months. I'd interpret that to indicate there won't be a launch attempt any earlier than April. (Although there's a couple on here that are okay with May!)
There's another, less likely scenario. If the environmental impact statement proves problematic, Elon stated moving to the Cape could cause a 6 to 8 month delay.
There's another, less likely scenario. If the environmental impact statement proves problematic, Elon stated moving to the Cape could cause a 6 to 8 month delay.
There was some new info, even for the diehards. Most of it wasn't hard fact, more "what Elon thinks" and some of it was him confirming what he hinted at in the past, but lacked specifics on.
The stuff that comes to mind is lots of info om Raptor 2 and a beautiful shot of it, info being the specific main issue they are working through (melting) and that its one of the two big projects hes focused on atm (the ither being FSD), 247 bar current max, up to 800 seconds of runtime and multiple restarts on a single test engine, roughly 1 Raptor 2 per day, how absurdly cheap they are getting (even cheaper than quoted in the past, etc.
Then there's Starahip stuff. Hopefully 200t of fuel to LEO refilling*. Both SH and SS will likely get get longer and more powerful over time, diameter won't change. Not working on an interior or lifesupoort at the moment - purely focused on getting to orbit.
We got to here his take on the impending EIA/EIS decision, what SpaceX plans are if things don't go as hoped, and how that impacts time-frames. We learned what his long-term thoughts are for the Boca Chica site - hinted at in the past, but never explicitly stated. We learned a little about their time-frame for operating out of the Cape and for conducting in-space propellant transfer.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton. Lot of good of info though!
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It is >230 tons of thrust (on its way to 250), and chamber pressure of >300 bar (on its way to 330).
Correct, I wanted to update that but it wouldn't let me edit when I came back and saw what I typed. Anyhow, point being, the fact that they have been able to peak at 247t is new info. There was lots of new info.
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