Finally here, Starship rocket launch tomorrow AM.,

[glhs837]

Subject to scrubs for reasons, as are all rocket launches. Barring those, this candles gonna get lit. 0715 EST is feed start time, with 08 veing the launch window that runs til 9am.

SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.

www.spacex.com

This the largest and more powerful rocket in the history of the world. There's a good chance some or all of it ends in a massive fireball. But given the whole program starting from first metal is less than 4 years old, its still an amazing accomplishment.

 

[Sneakers]

Didn't think it was bigger than the Saturn V, but it is....

Saturn V vs. SpaceX Starship: How These Mega Capacity Rockets Compare

The Saturn V and SpaceX Starship are two super-heavy launch vehicles for exploring space. Here's how the old design compares to the new.

history-computer.com

Comparison​

	SpaceX Starship	Saturn V
Height	394 feet	363 feet
Diameter	30 feet	33 feet
Dry Weight	330 tons	207 tons
Payload	110 to 165 tons	48 to 118 tons
Maximum Passengers	100	3 (on Apollo modules)
Engine Thrust	16.9 million pounds	9 million pounds
Rocket Fuel	Liquid Methane	Kerosene, Liquid Hydrogen, Liquid Oxygen
Hull Material	Stainless Steel	Aluminum, Titanium, Asbestos Panels
Designer	SpaceX	NASA

 

[glhs837]

 

[Grumpy]

No launch today

 

[Clem72]

scrubbed with 40 seconds left. What tease.

 

[Grumpy]

scrubbed with 40 seconds left. What tease.

It was scrubbed with around 8 minutes left, they continued the countdown as a rehearsal.

 

[stgislander]

Why the scrub... wind?

 

[glhs837]

Why the scrub... wind?

Stuck valve. Constant problem with cryo and moving bits.

 

[Sneakers]

Stuck valve. Constant problem with cryo and moving bits.

Eh. Just tap it with a hammer. Only needs to work for a few minutes.

 

[stgislander]

Is SpaceX going to light the candle today?

 

[glhs837]

Is SpaceX going to light the candle today?

Nope, next attempt is the 20th. Takes time to get more cryo tankers down there.

 

[stgislander]

Nope, next attempt is the 20th. Takes time to get more cryo tankers down there.

I am assuming they off-loaded all that fuel back to the tank farm. Do they loose fuel in the process?

 

[glhs837]

I am assuming they off-loaded all that fuel back to the tank farm. Do they loose fuel in the process?

Yep, a lot of that vapor you see is venting. So that stuffs lost.

Guy tweeted this morning at 830am regarding tankers that he had counted. I assume an LN2 purge will be required before refuelling.

"26 x LN2 11 x LOX 3 x CH4"

 

[Kinnakeet]

View attachment 169971

Is that a space shuttle of some sort on the end?

 

[glhs837]

Is that a space shuttle of some sort on the end?

If you mean the far right side, nope. Thats Starship. Comprised of Super Heavy, the first stage, and Starship, the second stage, when stacked, they are the Starship System. Fully reusable like the shuttle. But a bit different in execution. The Shuttle wasted a lot of mass on flight surfaces. This one has a different return profile. For this test, both stages will land at sea, but eventually, I think within a year you will see both rockets return to the launch site to be caught by the launch tower.

While the booster will pretty much act like a giant Falcon 9 first stage, the Starship will reenter sort of like the Shuttle, but then enter a minutes long free fall like a skydiver. Those huge flaps are not wings, there's no glide like the shuttle. Its a straight vertical fall at terminal velocity. At the end og which it will ignite two or three engines and flip to a hover. There was another flight after this one that sucedded, but this one had the best onvoard views of one of those tests.

 

[Kinnakeet]

If you mean the far right side, nope. Thats Starship. Comprised of Super Heavy, the first stage, and Starship, the second stage, when stacked, they are the Starship System. Fully reusable like the shuttle. But a bit different in execution. The Shuttle wasted a lot of mass on flight surfaces. This one has a different return profile. For this test, both stages will land at sea, but eventually, I think within a year you will see both rockets return to the launch site to be caught by the launch tower.

While the booster will pretty much act like a giant Falcon 9 first stage, the Starship will reenter sort of like the Shuttle, but then enter a minutes long free fall like a skydiver. Those huge flaps are not wings, there's no glide like the shuttle. Its a straight vertical fall at terminal velocity. At the end og which it will ignite two or three engines and flip to a hover. There was another flight after this one that sucedded, but this one had the best onvoard views of one of those tests.

Is the video real or animation? pretty dam awesome

 

[glhs837]

Is the video real or animation? pretty dam awesome

Every bit of it is real. Nice thing about this taking place at Boca Chica is that everyone can see it all. Its such a small place. These guys run a 24/7 live feed, and stand up multiple cameras with hosts when flights or static fires happen. They are fans who found a way to monetize this. Scroll through thier list of videos. I cant keep up, but ther documenting every single aspect. The build site a mile or so down the raod where the rockects are built. Arrival of new parts and materials. These rockets are being built in fabric tents and giant open bay hangers right there in Texas. Engines built in Hawthorne, CA.




This is the video they streamed for that same test.



Recommend watching one of these Starbase updates just to get a feel for the level of scrutiny these rocket fans have this place under. I know I dont watch them all. Not enough free time, but its handy to go back to see things.



One last thing. This entire place was pretty much a dirt lot four years ago........ I dont think Old Space could draw up the site plans in less than four years.

 

[stgislander]

I remember these excitement with those NSF guys last year when SN15 successfully stuck the landing. Not quite an Apollo 11 moment, but it was up there.

 

[stgislander]

Interesting. I just heard on NSF that even though they are filling the header tank (used for landing), they will not be using it on for this test splash down. I just assumed they try to drop the rocket into the water gently for recovery.

 

[Grumpy]

No snags so far...5 minutes to launch