SpaceX Starship - Integrated Flight Test #2 - Starbase TX - Including Post Launch Dissection

[JB47394]

NSF livestream last night showed what should be the final re-stacking.

I thought a destack was required to enable the FTS on Starship, and that they do that a day before launch. It's my understanding that FTS systems are battery-powered, which is why they need to be "recertified" if a launch is delayed.

Also, yesterday the FTS charges were installed

I loved it when they broke out the duct tape to seal the box. With wood boxes, cord carriers, and duct tape, I wonder if there's a windup mechanism inside the box to set off the charges.

 

[mongo]

I thought a destack was required to enable the FTS on Starship, and that they do that a day before launch. It's my understanding that FTS systems are battery-powered, which is why they need to be "recertified" if a launch is delayed.

Due to height, final pre-arming takes place destacked. Given they removed the transport stand, that may have occured (of course, they could always bring the stand back if was needed elsewhere).
The batteries do have a life limit (measured in weeks). That was an issue with SLS where they needed to extend the certification.

I loved it when they broke out the duct tape to seal the box. With wood boxes, cord carriers, and duct tape, I wonder if there's a windup mechanism inside the box to set off the charges.

Wood and cord are nonconductive and non-sparking. Better than steel around energetic items.

 

[JB47394]

The batteries do have a life limit (measured in weeks).

Are you suggesting that it's already armed? I wonder if the duct taping (apparently, speed taping) is a safety precaution as a result of the charges being installed or of the system being armed.

Edit: Speed tape doesn't come off easily, so I'm guessing that taping is a final step after arming. I wonder if recertification involves removing the speed tape, or simply slicing it on the seam and then taping over the prior tape.

Wood and cord are nonconductive and non-sparking.

Yes, I'm aware of the idea behind using those materials

While poking around for information about FTS on Starship, I ran across a post by a guy on Reddit who gives regular short updates about launch progress as if he was a SpaceX employee. He claims that SpaceX has received the launch license. I can find no media reports of that being true, but SpaceX did just install the FTS charges and restack Starship.

 

[mongo]

Are you suggesting that it's already armed? I wonder if the duct taping (apparently, speed taping) is a safety precaution as a result of the charges being installed or of the system being armed.

Edit: Speed tape doesn't come off easily, so I'm guessing that taping is a final step after arming. I wonder if recertification involves removing the speed tape, or simply slicing it on the seam and then taping over the prior tape.

If they don't launch in the next 20 days, they can just destack and swap batteries or entire controller. No need to try getting a recertification extension.

 

[ecarfan]

Are you [@mongo] suggesting that it's already armed?

I recall the NSF guys — who are definitely not always right — say that it was armed but the pins would still need to be pulled before the countdown starts. Or something like that. And of course they may have their terminology wrong.

 

[mongo]

I recall the NSF guys — who are definitely not always right — say that it was armed but the pins would still need to be pulled before the countdown starts. Or something like that. And of course they may have their terminology wrong.

It's hard to say without being SpaceX. I believe SLS is unsafed before it leaves the VAB. So Starship FTS being in the non-safed state (still not armed) now would not be super unusual.

Launch pad looks quiet today, can't see any red tags flapping in the breeze

 

[JB47394]

Launch pad looks quiet today, can't see any red tags flapping in the breeze

The tags that I saw in the video were inside the box. With the tags removed, the box sealed and the transport stand moved back to production, it sure seems like they want it ready to go. The first flight may have worked the way it did out of an abundance of caution.

 

[Buckminster]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1723160266517406082

 

[JB47394]

Destacked. The crane is also back at the launch site, so they may be taking the hot staging ring off.

 

[ecarfan]

Destacked. The crane is also back at the launch site, so they may be taking the hot staging ring off.

Well that’s a surprise. I wonder why…

 

[ecarfan]

Still working at the top of B9

 

[ecarfan]

NSF livestream currently shows no signs of activity at Stage Zero. In the live chat @Nighbot states that the highway closures for Nov 1/3/14/15 have been revoked.

 

[Grendal]

NSF livestream currently shows no signs of activity at Stage Zero. In the live chat @Nighbot states that the highway closures for Nov 1/3/14/15 have been revoked.

The tweet has the potential launch as NET the 17th. The first post has been updated.

 

[SwTslaGrl]

Wow, 3 SX launches scheduled on the 17th.

 

[JB47394]

Wow, 3 SX launches scheduled on the 17th.

Well, kinda. The 17th is a No Earlier Than. It's not a launch date just yet.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the Fish & Wildlife Service. What are those people doing?

 

[Cosmacelf]

Well, kinda. The 17th is a No Earlier Than. It's not a launch date just yet.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the Fish & Wildlife Service. What are those people doing?

Drinking coffee and shooting the *sugar* around the water cooler? You’d die of boredom being that fly…

 

[bxr140]

I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the Fish & Wildlife Service. What are those people doing?

Despite the implied: Not holding up launch.

 

[Buckminster]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1724167224217235508

 

[JB47394]

That's pretty inept. It's the sort of thing that you do in private if you really want results. Now the FWS can't speed things up or they look like they're weak, being swayed by those guys. Thanks for nothing.

 

[bxr140]

That's pretty inept.

It is indeed quite inept of SpaceX to not be able to manage rounding up approvals to launch.


Less sarcastic, in reality this is a non-issue where the narrative has waayyyyyy taken over the facts. Starship is not ready to launch, period. Any "regulatory delays" are indeed a function of SX not taking timely responsibility for them (eg, you need to pay the DMV to renew your derivers license before it expires) or worse, process ignorance (eg, you didn't know you needed to pay the DMV to renew your license). Elon's misleading tweets on approvals are simply a function of impatiently trying to pressure ALL workstreams converge to a GO; he doesn't have the control over external workstreams like he does with his workforce and so he's leveraging The Court Of Public Opinion to try and strong-arm those external approvals.

Can't blame him for trying...but you also can't blame the regulatory agencies for "holding up the launch".