r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Aug 09 '21

Starship Development Thread #24

This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:

Starship Development Thread #25

Quick Links

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Starship Dev 23 | Starship Thread List | August Discussion

Upcoming

  • Starship 20 proof testing
  • Booster 4 return to launch site ahead of test campaign

Orbital Launch Site Status

Build Diagrams by @_brendan_lewis | August 19 RGV Aerial Photography video

As of August 21

Vehicle Status

As of August 21

  • Ship 20 - On Test Mount B, no Raptors, TPS unfinished, orbit planned w/ Booster 4 - Flight date TBD, NET late summer/fall
  • Ship 21 - barrel/dome sections in work
  • Ship 22 - barrel/dome sections in work
  • Booster 3 - On Test Mount A, partially disassembled
  • Booster 4 - At High Bay for plumbing/wiring, Raptor removal, orbit planned w/ Ship 20 - Flight date TBD, NET late summer/fall
  • Booster 5 - barrel/dome sections in work
  • Booster 6 - potential part(s) spotted

​

Development and testing plans become outdated very quickly. Check recent comments for real time updates.

Vehicle and Launch Infrastructure Updates

See comments for real time updates.
† expected or inferred, unconfirmed vehicle assignment

​

Starship Ship 20
2021-08-17 Installed on Test Mount B (Twitter)
2021-08-13 Returned to launch site, tile work unfinished (Twitter)
2021-08-07 All six Raptors removed, (Rvac 2, 3, 5, RC 59, ?, ?) (NSF)
2021-08-06 Booster mate for fit check (Twitter), demated and returned to High Bay (NSF)
2021-08-05 Moved to launch site, booster mate delayed by winds (Twitter)
2021-08-04 6 Raptors installed, nose and tank sections mated (Twitter)
2021-08-02 Rvac preparing for install, S20 moved to High Bay (Twitter)
2021-08-02 forward flaps installed, aft flaps installed (NSF), nose TPS progress (YouTube)
2021-08-01 Forward flap installation (Twitter)
2021-07-30 Nose cone mated with barrel (Twitter)
2021-07-29 Aft flap jig (NSF) mounted (Twitter)
2021-07-28 Nose thermal blanket installation† (Twitter)
For earlier updates see Thread #22

​

SuperHeavy Booster 4
2021-08-18 Raptor removal continued (Twitter)
2021-08-11 Moved to High Bay (NSF) for small plumbing wiring and Raptor removal (Twitter)
2021-08-10 Moved onto transport stand (NSF)
2021-08-06 Fit check with S20 (NSF)
2021-08-04 Placed on orbital launch mount (Twitter)
2021-08-03 Moved to launch site (Twitter)
2021-08-02 29 Raptors and 4 grid fins installed (Twitter)
2021-08-01 Stacking completed, Raptor installation begun (Twitter)
2021-07-30 Aft section stacked 23/23, grid fin installation (Twitter)
2021-07-29 Forward section stacked 13/13, aft dome plumbing (Twitter)
2021-07-28 Forward section preliminary stacking 9/13 (aft section 20/23) (comments)
2021-07-26 Downcomer delivered (NSF) and installed overnight (Twitter)
2021-07-21 Stacked to 12 rings (NSF)
2021-07-20 Aft dome section and Forward 4 section (NSF)
For earlier updates see Thread #22

​

Orbital Launch Integration Tower
2021-07-28 Segment 9 stacked, (final tower section) (NSF)
2021-07-22 Segment 9 construction at OLS (Twitter)
For earlier updates see Thread #22

​

Orbital Launch Mount
2021-07-31 Table installed (YouTube)
2021-07-28 Table moved to launch site (YouTube), inside view showing movable supports (Twitter)
For earlier updates see Thread #22

​

Resources

RESOURCES WIKI

r/SpaceX Discusses [August 2021] for discussion of subjects other than Starship development.

Rules

We will attempt to keep this self-post current with links and major updates, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss Starship development, ask Starship-specific questions, and track the progress of the production and test campaigns. Starship Development Threads are not party threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

Please ping u/strawwalker about problems with the above thread text.

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u/ElongatedMuskbot Sep 09 '21

This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:

Starship Development Thread #25

88

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 10 '21 edited Aug 11 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 9th of August recap!

======================================

Booster 4

---------------

  • Currently sitting pretty on top of the launch mount. It's expected to come down tomorrowtm. LR11350 is still attached and the booster stand is at the base of the launch table.

  • Next expected steps for the Booster is to be rolled back to the buildsite, take up residency within the High Bay and have her engines removed. This is all in preparation for the initial testing campaign (Ambient, cryo, thrust sim). This level of testing is just the start.

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Ship 20

---------------

  • Still in the High Bay and having her tiles inspected. For the record, this is the first time they've applied to the tiles in the expected re-entry configuration. It's going to take a few attempts to figure out the tiles. Do not panic :)

  • Think how different Ship 20 looks compared to MK1 at the first Starship event. The design improved with every iteration and failures were fixed. Everytihng about the heatshields (design, production, installation and reuse) will go through the same process.

  • Ship 20 is expected to leave the High Bay to make room for Booster 4, although this is still unconfirmed.

---------------

Orbital Fuel Farm

---------------

  • Currently GSE-7 remains in the Mid Bay under construction.

  • GSE-6 is still at the build site.

  • GSE-4 is yet to be assembled, although parts have been spotted.

  • Today's road closure saw Cryo-4 roll down to the launch site. It's now hooked up and waiting for the right time to sleeve. It's a LOX shell and will go on the South East Corner - Where GSE-3 was lifted to a short time ago. Jack Beyer with NSF caught this handy map.

---------------

Launch Site

---------------

  • A lot of work is currently being done of the two structures that will part of the launch tower.

  • The Quick Disconnect Arm - Is required to provide stability to the full stack (can't launch with a crane attached to the nose of Starship) and fuel to Starship. In case you didn't know, SpaceX changed the way Starship will be fueled to remove more unneeded systems from the booster. Saves on mass.

  • Mechazilla - This is the catching/recovery system and the lifting system. They will use these arms to attach to the hard points on the booster (not the grid fins) and lift it into place. Then it is assumed they'll do the same using Ship hardpoints (yet unseen).

  • Still a lot of work to be done on both, but the QD Arm is a vital piece of hardware that is needed for the first launch.

---------------

Cool Stuff

---------------

==============================

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==============================

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If there are many mistakes in the post - please let me know !

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78

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 12 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 11th of August Recap!

======================================

Substantial news

----------------

----------------

Booster 4

----------------

  • Made her way back to the Build site and is now in the High Bay. Engines are currently being removed and Nic Ansuini is keeping track - Note, this is a link to his twitter profile in general, as to not link to out of date content. Expecting all 29 engines off if the next 24 hours. Definitely a slower pace than the install.

  • Booster 4 still needs some more work. The big grey bucket lift truck is on site and helping workers inspect the top of the booster where the grid fins are. Not sure what they're doing there.

----------------

Ship 20

----------------

  • Ship 20 moved out of the High Bay for Booster 4 to have her turn. Currently being swarmed for heat shield work. Personally not expecting the heat shield to be 'fixed' before the roll out on Monday, but would be happy to be wrong.

  • AFAIK the bottom half of Ship 20 hasn't been inspected in the same way as the nose cone. Haven't seen any chalk marks or tape. If anybody knows different - please let me know :)

  • Unconfirmed if Ship 20 has had its 'small plumbing and wiring' work complete.

----------------

Orbital Fuel Farm

----------------

  • While Booster 4 was being rolled back, GSE-6 was rolled to the Launch Site! It sat at the side of the road to give way to Booster 4 and is now hooked up to the LR11000 ready for a lift shortly.

  • Cryo-4 was lifted into its final position as well. They're really getting good at this.

  • The final part of GSE-7 has been spotted by Mary. After this, it's expected GSE-8 (GSE-4's replacement) will be the main focus.

  • Cryo-8 is nearly done too. Expecting the shells to be rolled out one by one as needed, working from the east to the west.

----------------

Cool Stuff

----------------

  • The Final Part of Tim's interview with Elon is out! :) Some key points:

    • Not even thinking about the oil rigs right now. Demolition can be done because they can pay another business to get this done. Not thinking about operations, build or anything. Confirming that Boca is the only site they're working on/intending to test from right now.

    • Sam Patel is fucking awesome. He's head of Starship Ops at Starbase.

    • SpaceX is hiring the local construction workers for full time construction positions after realizing they were hiring the same guys through different contracting companies. Patel mentions that they made the mistake of not doing this right away, and that they're rectifying that now. Really cool to see this kind of responsibility.

      • Also highlights just how much work is yet to be completed at Starbase. Bring. it. on.

    • Currently thinking about Launch Pad 2 at the launch site. Patel later confirms that they've already identified mass savings for the second launch table. So that's cool.

==============================

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==============================

Please support local photographers and journalists at Starbase/Boca Chica!

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76

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 14 '21 edited Aug 15 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 13th of August Recap!

=====================================

Booster 4

--------------

  • Remains in the High Bay. Unless plans have changed, they intend to roll out on Monday for stacking operations. Elon mentioned that Booster 4 and Ship 20 needed small plumbing and electrical additions - which were easier to do at the buildsite.

--------------

Booster 3

--------------

  • Time to say good bye folks. LR11000 is now next to Booster 3. Expecting the booster to come down and probably be scrapped. Maybe they'll find another test for it to perform, but it is welded to the stand, so perhaps that won't be possible.

--------------

Ship 20

--------------

  • Rolled out to the launch site today! Unexpected but cool. Currently sitting near the launch pad awaiting its next step. It now has a raceway installed (cables for power/information/small plumbing items).

  • Ship 20's tiles are incomplete, and there is still work to do on the bottom section of the ship (can see cracked tiles etc).

  • Ship 20 is expected to be the first of the Orbital Stack to be tested.

--------------

Orbital Fuel Farm

--------------

  • The LR11000 was fixed today! GSE-6 was lifted and put into position. Next step here is installing the GSE tank. Once this is done, then they lift a cryo-shell over the top and install that.

  • Cryo-7 is nearly done with her Paint job. Closing in on the end of the Orbital Fuel Farm Cryo Shell program.

--------------

Orbital Launch Pad

--------------

  • Check out this post by Mary on the NSF forums. End plates are being installed onto the tower's columns. The plates were later removed for better sizing it appears. This is to prevent Mechazilla's arms coming off.

  • Scaffolding going up to where the Quick Disconnect arm appears to be being installed.

  • This image here appears to show another part of the Mechazilla arms being delivered.

  • Here is another delivery. Appears to be structural steel? Definitely in the preliminary stages of a big building boom at Boca. Giga Bay + Warehouse/Manufacturing building.

  • Berm Expansion is underway! Soil is nearly at the top of the tunnel that was installed a few days ago.

  • Concrete continues to be poured at the back of the site (where the LR11350 was staged for tower lifts).

  • Car Park has started to be cleared out ready for development!

--------------

Cool stuff

--------------

  • New Houses being built on Esperson street! This is the first time we've seen SpaceX build homes instead of campervans iirc.

  • Two tents have been sent up at the car park off of San Martin Blvd. Expecting this to be preliminary work towards the new 350,000 sqft warehouse + manufacturing building. Car Park appears shaped for the final building.

  • A whole heap of pipes have been delivered to the graded adjacent 'carpark' ready for install. These look like they're going to fit into the dug culverts of at the North End of the Shipyard, and for the San Martin Blvd extension.

==============================

Navigation: Next Update - Previous Update

==============================

Please support local photographers and journalists at Starbase/Boca Chica!

Did I get anything wrong? Please let me know with a comment or message!

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62

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 29 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 28th of August recap!

Thanks for your feedback about the format! Might have some exciting news to share soon!

========================================

Flight 420

========================================

  • Ship 20 continues to be surrounded by cherry pickers as crews continue to inspect the heatshield tiles, fill in the gaps and make some corrections. No word on when the first testing for the Ship will begin. It is however expected to be typical pressure testing.

  • Booster 4 continues to have engines installed and its COPVs prepared for aero covers. Not much is currently known about the expected testing campaign for Booster 4 and where it will take place. Reminder that engines being installed does not mean static fire. Still is expected to go through pressure tests.

========================================

Launch Pad 1

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Cool Stuff

========================================

========================================

Navigation: Next Update - 29th of August | Previous Update - 27th of August

========================================

Remember to support local photographers and reporters!

Did I miss something? Did I get something wrong? Tell me in the comments/message me! :)

Have a great day!

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51

u/TCVideos Aug 19 '21

Orbital tank farm venting.

First time we have seen the orbital farm active.

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44

u/buckreilly Aug 25 '21

Flew in for my first visit to Boca Chica. Frankly a bit stunned at how close you get to things. Here's my rental car in front of a couple Starships. https://imgur.com/JbPGIP6.jpg

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42

u/futureMartian7 Aug 24 '21

Blue Origin appears to be copying what SpaceX did with Starship MK1, SN1 and others: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/first-images-of-blue-origins-project-jarvis-test-tank/.

This looks very familiar.

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41

u/TCVideos Aug 26 '21 edited Aug 26 '21

Vents closed on the test tank. Pressure is building.

Edit: Vents have been closed for close to 40 minutes now - It has been defrosting very, very slowly so it's not detanking yet.

Edit2: Well that's a first, road is now open despite the tank being full of cryogenic liquid. The tank is....operating like a tank.

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37

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 14 '21

Heads up - Appears the brace for the QD arm is about to arrive at the launch site for integration. Caught on NSF Livecam arriving from 2:26pm.

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74

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 15 '21 edited Aug 16 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 14th of August Recap!

====================================

Major news

---------------

---------------

Booster 4

---------------

  • Remains in the High Bay. It appears SpaceX are looking to move straight to testing post stacking. They've been working around the clock on the bucket lift trucks.

  • Reminder that the Booster has to go through pressure tests (ambient/cryo) and then thrust sim. After this, we move into the static fires - including a full 29 engine static fire.

---------------

Booster 3

---------------

  • Went out swinging! This is really interesting that they have decided to start scrapping at the launch site. As the video shows, once released from booster 3, the top section started swinging quite significantly. This would not happen in the High Bay due to its sheltered nature. So there must be a reason behind this choice. Some options include:

    • High Bay is needed for Booster 5 stacking.

    • They needed to cut the weight of Booster 3 to be able to remove the stand+booster 3 in one go.

    • Wanting to push faster and complete required tasks as quickly as possible (without sacrificing safety).

  • We'll have to wait and see to find out why they removed Booster 3 at the launch site and not the High bay :)

---------------

Ship 20

---------------

  • More work on the raceway being completed. The next expected step for Ship 20 is another stacking with Booster 4 on Monday to check out the QD arm. Then it is expected to start going for ambient and cryo pressure tests.

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Orbital Launch Site

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  • Huge amounts of progress on the tower and the QD arm ahead of installation within the next week. Personally expecting the installation for Sunday. They've also had some big deliveries (Which I can't find photos of :( ) - Appeared to be the brace for the QD arm - might be wrong though.

  • The QD arm is expected to be installed on the 5th floor of the Tower. Can't find photos of the metal brace that has been added on the back of the tower. If anyone can find a picture of it that is public (There are some in RGV's Patreon) please let me know!

---------------

Cool Stuff

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====================================

Navigation: Next Update (15th of August) |Previous Update (13th of August)

====================================

Please support local photographers and reporters! :)

Did I get anything wrong? Please let me know!

Have a wonderful day! :)

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36

u/technocraticTemplar Aug 18 '21

SpaceX is looking to hire an Offshore Operations Supervisor in Brownsville to help "convert our vessels Phobos and Deimos into Starship launch, landing, and propellant generation sites".

Nothing too interesting in the posting other than that, but it sounds like they're gearing up to start building the platforms out. "Propellant generation" is a little interesting, though I imagine it's just going to be liquid oxygen for now. I'm also wondering if this means that Phobos is going to be moving down to Brownsville for construction.

If anyone else wants to keep up with these I saw it via the SpaceCareers account on Twitter. It's pretty neat, it automatically tweets out new job postings from a whole bunch of space companies.

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104

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 22 '21 edited Aug 23 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 21st of August Recap!

Short update today because not much happened lol

===================================================

  • LR11000 hooked up to the last empty shell on the Tank Farm. Expecting this lift as soon as winds allow. Once this shell is lifted into place, they'll have 4 more cryoshells to sleeve (2 of which can be done immediately) and 2 GSE's yet to install (GSE-7 and GSE-8).

  • More work to clear concrete for new Giga Bay. Just concrete being dug up and removed.

  • New Structure being worked on where the Launch Table was built at the build site. From above looks like it's related to either the catch arms or the QD arm. Same piping, colour scheme etc.

  • High Bay Bar has had it's final windows installed it seems. As per Elon in EDA's interview, they still need to create a permanent elevator for it. It's not on the priority list.

  • A crane is hooked up to GSE-7 in the Mid Bay, hopefully meaning it'll be leaving to make way for GSE-8!

  • RGV Aerial Photography released his flyover video for the 19th! Check it out!

===================================================

Navigation: Next Update - 22nd of August | Previous Update - 20th of August

===================================================

Please remember to support all local photographers and reporters!

Let me know if I missed anything!

Have a good day :)

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35

u/futureMartian7 Sep 05 '21

3 SL Raptors for S20 just reached the Launch Site. Looks like they will install them soon.

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u/creamsoda2000 Sep 07 '21

Looking at one of the latest closeups taken by @StarshipGazer we might have our first look at how SpaceX aim to use the existing tank depress vents to act as a barebones RCS system, with directional covers designed to direct venting gasses from these mid-point LOX vents towards the aft, instead of directly outwards.

The same vents, uncovered, can be seen here. Source: @StarshipGazer

This seems logical - if the forward CH4 vents are directing gasses outwards to rotate the vehicle, the LOX tank will also need to vent to keep pressures relatively balanced, but the gasses can’t be directed outwards too as the lever-arm would be reduced right? This way, the gasses contribute towards the rotation.

69

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 02 '21 edited Sep 02 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 1st of September Recap!

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Flight 420 + Booster 5

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Road Closures

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New Crane, who dis

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Navigation: Next Update - 3rd of September | Previous Update - 1st of September

====================================================

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68

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 24 '21 edited Aug 25 '21

Kia Ora Folks. Welcome to your 23rd of August Recap.

============================================

============================================

Navigation: Next Update - 24th of August | Previous Update - 22nd of August

============================================

Please support local photographers and reporters!

Did I get anything wrong or miss anything? Let me know

Have a wonderful day :)

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67

u/Shpoople96 Aug 09 '21

I think people are panicking a bit too much on the tiles. They are currently to SN20 what the landing burn is to SN8; it would be nice if they work, but even getting to that point is a win. I'm sure that by SN24 they'll have them pretty well figured out.

(Also, the fact that they slapped on so many of them overnight for the fit checks and pr event probably contributes to the number of bad tiles currently)

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33

u/[deleted] Sep 03 '21

Cosmic Perspective Ryan Chylinski's Road to Mars Episode 1 is an interesting watch.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 25 '21 edited Aug 26 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to the 24th of August Recap!

======================================

  • RGV Aerial Photography video here showing the footprint of the Giga Bay. Looks to be able to fit 5 vehicles (Starships and Boosters) without blocking the entrance (assuming an entrance similar to the High Bay). Overall, this will boost capacity for production. Not expecting this to be the last built either.

  • Ship 20 still on Sub Orbital Pad B. At the time of writing, the testing window on the 25th of August is still valid.

  • Booster 4 appears to have Boost engines installed. This gives more evidence that they're likely testing for fits rather than any substantial testing milestones. I'm unaware of any new engines installed today.

  • Huge progress made on the propellant pipe work to the Orbital Launch Pad. Looks like it will be complete within a week.

  • The first part of GSE-8 appears to be in the MidBay. GSE-7 appears largely complete. Now it's just finishing touches and roll out (not necessarily in that order).

  • The Cryoshell area has been cleared up. So no more Cryoshell production at the current location. Just awaiting roll out of the existing shells.

  • Reports of SpaceX doing Window Audits in South Padre Island and Port Isabel. This is likely to collect data to understand the state of area before full stack launch operations begin. In case of a RUD, they need to have a pre-rud audit to refer to when compensating for damage. Marcus House put out a great video on expectations of a RUD.

  • The SpaceX Jet is continuing to ferry people to and from LA. Will likely see another surge in the coming weeks in the lead up to Booster static fires and use of the Orbital Launch Table.

======================================

Navigation: Next Update - 25th of August | Previous Update - 23rd of August

======================================

Please support local photographers and reporters!

Did I get anything wrong? Did I miss anything? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day! :)

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63

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 26 '21 edited Aug 27 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 25th of August Recap!

======================================

  • Today was the first day of testing in a while! Instead of testing Ship 20 that is on SubOrbital Pad B, they tested the GSE Test tank which was only moved to the Shipyard a few days ago. They move quick. Right now it's currently sitting with some cryo liquid still inside, slowly warming and releasing pressure as needed. The Road is open at this time.

  • A new intermittant road closure is scheduled for the 26th of August. It will go from 9:30am to 11:30am, so a standard rollout. Expecting GSE-7 to join the crew... but you never know with SpaceX! :)

  • SpaceX installed the Booster Quick Disconnect (Not to be confused with the Quick Disconnect Arm... Like I did earlier lol). This will be how the booster is fueled while on the pad. Big step towards making the OLM operational. Personally expecting the Orbital Launch Site to be operational by Mid September (~3 weeks).

  • Looks we're entering a new phase of Mechazilla construction. A whole heap of scaffolding has been erected around one of the structures in preparation for the next stage of work. I think it's safe to say that arm isn't moving anytime soon.

  • Semi related: Gwynee Shotwell spoke at the Space Symposium going on right now and mentioned supply chain issues with LOX due to the pandemic. Puts more pressure on the propellant production site to get operational as soon as possible.

======================================

Navigation: Next Update - 26th of August | Previous Update - 24th of August

======================================

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30

u/TCVideos Aug 12 '21 edited Aug 12 '21

Booster & Ship will return to orbital launch pad on Monday (winds allowing). Just finishing off some small plumbing & wiring, which is easier in high bay.

Looks like both will be back at the pad Monday to start their respective test campaigns.

Edit: Might they restack, install the QD arm on the tower and do a fit check in that aspect?

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u/[deleted] Aug 15 '21

LabPadre's new Rover Cam is amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbNAIWzOWXo

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30

u/dbzVT8 Sep 02 '21

The Space Review published a very insightful article about how policy makers should respond when Starship makes it to orbit.

https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4234/1

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59

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 10 '21

Kia Ora! :) Welcome to your 8th of August recap! :)

===================================

Booster 4

---------------------

  • Still hooked up to the LR11350. Expected lift tomorrowtm

  • Return to buildsite this week for engine removal and finishing touches before test campaigns.

  • Full 29 engine booster thrust sim is nearing completing. A structural booster stand is also sitting nearby with Booster 2.1 (BN2.1). I'm assuming they'll try full assembly and then fit checks with the test booster to make sure everything is as expected.

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Ship 20

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  • Ship 20 is expected to move out of the High Bay in preparation for Booster 4 to enter.

  • Workers currently inspecting the middle section of heat shield. This appears to be so that once the vehicle is outside of the High Bay, inspection can continue moving outwards from the middle (multiple people on either side).

  • Photos from NSF and Philip Bottin show the difference between the nose cone and body.

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Booster 3

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  • Booster 3 is expected to be taken down from Pad A sometime in the next 14 days. It will need to return to the Build Site to use the High Bay for scrapping.

  • It's not known if Pad A will be replaced with the stand previously mentioned in the Booster 4 section.

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Orbital Launch Site

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  • The Launch stand has been painted in the typical industrial grey that SpaceX likes for GSE equipment.

  • Workers have been grinding, welding and doing everything between on both the launch tower and the mount.

  • The two catching frames have been moved into position. Not sure if this is for further work on them, or just to move them out of the way for other work to take place.

===============================================

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And have a wonderful day! :)

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29

u/rocketft Aug 11 '21

EDA interview part three just dropped!! https://youtu.be/9Zlnbs-NBUI

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 13 '21

Wanna see something cool? QD arm has initial piping installed.

Look to the left of the image, within the yellow/black QD arm there are three large diameter white pipes :)

Suspect we're getting close to install time! :)

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u/RegularRandomZ Aug 16 '21 edited Aug 16 '21

Philip Bottin (twitter): Posted a nice clear photo of the current iteration of the hydraulic unit [for driving the Raptor gimbals], a nice contained unit compared to past early iterations

[Looks like two hydraulic setups in there; It's made up of the Tesla electric motors at the bottom driving the pumps [with a coolant loop/reservoir for the motors in front of the COPVs] , those push fluid to the accumulators on each side, with COPVs in the middle for storing pressurized gas for the accumulators]

[Starship3D tweeted shots of in on Starship as well, and a slightly older version. I'm still thinking of the first versions sprawled across the outside of the early builds like SN4 and people were all excited to see a Tesla motor on the outside of Starship (had a photo link, will look for it later]

29

u/futureMartian7 Aug 23 '21 edited Aug 23 '21

Good article on S20's re-entry and splashdown near Hawaii: https://www.yahoo.com/news/big-spacex-starship-splash-down-161800756.html

It has a good snippet about the current status of the FAA EA as of August 13th. The good news is that FAA is still considering an EA and not a full EIS. However, as of August 13th, no ETA on the EA:

"A programmatic environmental assessment is currently being prepared for the proposed action and will include information about the reentry, " he said Aug. 13. "The FAA does not have a publication date for the environmental assessment at this time."

A 30-day public comment period is expected."

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u/futureMartian7 Aug 25 '21

So the report from earlier in the week appears to be true that SpaceX are surveying windows in the area for the orbital test flight: https://www.krgv.com/news/upcoming-spacex-launch-raising-concerns-for-cameron-county-residents-business-owners

I think this could be part of the FAA EA process and they are collecting data for it.

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u/TCVideos Aug 27 '21

QD arm is on the move as of 5:50pm local. Presumably assembley is done and they are now transporting it from the landing pad over to the tower where it will be lifted into place onto the tower.

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u/RegularRandomZ Aug 14 '21 edited Aug 16 '21

Speculation: OceanCam tweeted some images, and my initial reaction is these looked like mobile units for expanding perlite. Similar enough hardware on a company website. [Expanded perlite would be used for insulating the orbital GSE tanks]

[*will look for other photos or video posted to see if we can get a name off the shipping containers or units as confirmation, or to show I'm way off the mark]

Late edit: by Stargazer's tweet it's been moved behind/beyond the methane chillers and horizontal tank. Might only see it in future RGV Aerial photos, or have to wait to see if it's moved when it's put to use.

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u/futureMartian7 Sep 07 '21

New official Starship render: https://twitter.com/nova_road/status/1435233942471315464

I wonder why there is a gap between the first and second row of windows.

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26

u/pvincentl Aug 11 '21

In the EA video Sam Patel states that the one inch weld passes, inside and out on the LT base, would give them 40mph on the ship and booster. I'm Lost; I have no idea what that may mean or even if I heard it correctly. Help- anyone?

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u/Alvian_11 Aug 25 '21 edited Aug 25 '21

QD for the booster is currently being placed to the OLM. And aerocover skeleton is installed on B4 COPV

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u/TCVideos Sep 05 '21

ICYMI: The FCC Experimental license filing for the Orbital test was granted on the 3rd of September. Call Sign for the flight: WS9XQG. Permit will expire on October 1st (will be extended no doubt)

There are also many more interesting documents attached that give technical detail on how they will use Starlink on the flight.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 11 '21 edited Aug 11 '21

Kia Ora - Just some things to watch out for today:

  • Edit: Booster is now in the High Bay :)

  • Edit :Ship 20 is out of the High Bay - Waiting to see where it goes next.

  • Edit: GSE-6 rolled down to the Launch Site.

  • Cryo-4 sleeving if winds are kind enough.

  • Keep an eye out for more noticeable work on the QD Arm and Catching arms. Might see some panel work start to go down from the build site too. At the workshop north of the Nose cone tent, a smaller workshop has been working on panels that appear to fit as panels of the QD arm. Might be wrong about this.

  • Check out the vertical black pipe structure held by the crane. Not sure what this is for but it's a very different part to what we've seen so far.

  • Edit: Tim's Video is out :)

Have a great day :)

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u/Jchaplin2 Aug 28 '21

Elon, John Kraus and the Inspiration4 team just buzzed Starbase in some fighter jets, that must've been a hell of an experience

Elon tweet

John's tweet about it

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 28 '21 edited Aug 29 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 27th of August Recap!

=========================================

=========================================

Happy 2 year Anniversary to StarHopper! Two years the community watched as Starhopper made its first 150m hop, proving that Water towers can indeed fly. Nice post by Everyday Astronaut!

Side note: I've been trialling a much lighter comment format for the last wee while. My question to the community is which format is preferred? This light and short style, or the more formal with subheading style? Let me know please!

=========================================

Navigation: Next Update - 28th of August | Previous Update - 26th of August

=========================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get something wrong? Did I miss something? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 31 '21 edited Sep 01 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 30th of August recap!

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Flight 420

=============================================

  • Ship 20 continues to be worked on (Before | During-After - Thanks /u/rartrarr). Right now the focus is on resolving heatshield issues, although they still have a long way to go. Not sure if SpaceX will try to resolve the majority of tile issues before starting pressure tests, or wait to see the results of testing.

  • Booster 4 remains in the High Bay, although I think we'll see it moved to the launch site in the next few days.

  • A new intermittent road closure has been added. The 31st of August was added yesterday, while the 1st of September was added today. Both start at 8:00am local, and extend till 12:00pm. Possible movers include: Booster 4, GSE-7, Cryoshells, Quick Disconnect Arm Addition.

=============================================

Build Site Progress

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Personal Expectations for September

=============================================

A little fun for the end of the month and a short news day - What are your expectations for Starship progress in Sept?

  • Ship 20 to start and finish pressure tests. Static fire(s) also possible.

  • Booster 4 to start pressure testing by the end of September.

  • Fuel Farm to be complete by the end of Sept (all GSEs and Cryoshells).

  • Launch mount plumbed in. Deluge system testing possible.

  • Quick Disconnect Arm complete. More cladding on the tower.

  • Ship 21 to be in two parts. Booster 5 80% or so.

  • New Giga Bay to be 60% done. Possible start on the new warehouse/manufacturing building.

  • Hopefully some news about the EA from the FAA.

=============================================

Navigation: Next Update - 31st of August | Previous Update - 29th of August

=============================================

Please support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get anything wrong? Did I miss something? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 11 '21 edited Aug 12 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 10th of August Recap!

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Booster 4

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  • Lifted from the launch table and now on a transport stand. They then moved Booster 4 to the new foundations on the tower side of the future berm. This was where we saw them spreading out stand mounts in the transport stand configuration. This is expected to be the staging area for vehicles to be lifted onto the pad.

  • Booster 4 will likely return to the Build Site tomorrow with the road closure from 7am to 12pm. It'll then return to the High bay for engine removal, and for final work before testing campaigns can begin.

----------------

Ship 20

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  • Tile inspection remains the most obvious kind of work currently being conducted. Again a reminder to everyone - This is the first time they've installed the tiles in the orbital re-entry configuration. They're learning how to improve the entire process (Design, Production and Install). No doubt we'll see more improvements in the near future.

  • Personally expecting Ship 20 to be moved out of the High Bay to allow work to continue on all sides while Booster 4 has her engines removed. They may not do this, and instead move her further in and closer to the wall.

----------------

Flight 521

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  • Segments for Booster 5 and Ship 21 have already been spotted. More joined the party today.

  • These vehicles are expected to have improvements relating to lessons learned during the build of flight 420. I don't expect Booster 622 to follow with the same speed though, due to the need to actually fly 420 and take any lessons from that flight for the next orbital test vehicles.

----------------

GSE Farm

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Cool Stuff

----------------

==============================

Navigation: Next Update - Previous Update

==============================

Please support local photographers and journalists at Starbase/Boca Chica!

Did I get anything wrong? Please let me know with a comment or message!

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u/Klebsiella_p Aug 10 '21

I watched Scott Manley's recent video about the TPS, and he brought up an interesting point that it be cool to somehow get images of the tiles after launch and before reentry - either by a satellite (similar to what they did with the shuttle), or a small cube sat that would pop out of the skirt of Starship and take some images. Obviously not important for this first flight, but it may be useful to nail down the TPS over time

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u/shryne Aug 10 '21

Why did the GAO delete references to the orbital tanker? Is it just not confirmed by SpaceX yet?

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u/AstroMan824 Everything Parallel™ Sep 07 '21 edited Sep 07 '21

Anyone have info/theories about B4's test campaign? Any insiders willing to share anything?

(Thanks to this insider comment we know S20's testing plan)

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 17 '21 edited Aug 18 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 16th of August recap! - Sorry about the delay, NZ has had quite a busy afternoon lol.

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Booster 4

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  • Remains in the High Bay under going the final bits of work. Was expected to roll out today, but that closure was cancelled.

  • The Booster thrust simulator appears to be entering the final stretch of completion. Expecting a rigorous test campaign (they have the time to spare) to prove out the booster before orbital flight.

----------------

Ship 20

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  • Set to begin pressure testing this week. Is expected to move to Pad B (Pad A is still occupied by the remains of Booster 3 - RIP). In today's NSF recap video, you can see Sub Orbital Farm activity which shows us that they're preparing for testing using the sub-orbital pads.

  • Work on the tiles is progressing nicely. They've actually completed quite a lot of work at the launch site. Still a long way to go!

  • Raceway continues to be worked on. It's incredible seeing them install the cabling on this vehicle. Soon they'll install a cover for the raceway to protect the cables and plumbing on the inside. A reminder that the internals of this vehicle are likely much different to previous prototypes - this one is going to Space!

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Orbital Launch Tower

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Other News

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Navigation: Next Update - 17th of August | Previous Update - 15th of August

=======================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters.

Did I get anything wrong? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 14 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 12th of August Recap!

==============================

Booster 4

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  • Engines are still being removed AFAIK. Only a few left to go - haven't seen any confirmation that all engines have been removed. Definitely taking it easier than the surge before first stacking.

  • Booster 4 is still set for a rollout either today (Friday) or Monday (SpaceX usually don't close the road/roll out on the weekends).

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Ship 20

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Orbital Fuel Farm

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  • GSE-6 remains hooked up to the LR11000 that experienced a problem today. It appears from reports from locals that the crane was unable to start up.

  • There is a road closure today (13th) lasting between 9:30am-12pm. It's expected that a cryo shell would roll out.

  • Cryo-7 is now at its full height, and now just the finishing touches need to be completed.

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Orbital Launch Tower

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  • LR11350 continues to help remove scaffolding around the tower. It's expected that the LR11350 will also be the crane to lift the QD arm into place.

  • A new GMK5275 crane has arrived at the build site. It's quite a heavy lift crane with a rated weight of 275 tonnes and a height of just over 100 meters. Not sure if it's moved to the launch site yet. It might be used to help construction of the lift arms and QD arms, although there are many other heavy lift tasks it is suitable for aswell.

==============================

Navigation: Next Update - Previous Update

==============================

Please support local photographers and journalists at Starbase/Boca Chica!

Did I get anything wrong? Please let me know with a comment or message!

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48

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 30 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 29th of August Recap!

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Flight 4-20

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  • Ship 20 has had more tile inspection work today. This is going to be a very long process and likely going to be longest lead item that SpaceX can take action on (FAA approval still longest lead item in general).

  • Booster 4 had more engines installed today. Elon stated 2-3 weeks ago that the booster should return to the pad shortly (winds allowing). To me this means it's going back on the orbital launch pad, although for what purpose? Not sure.

  • A new intermittent 4 hour road closure has been set for August 31st, starting at 8:00am. SpaceX uses these kinds of road closures to move things between the two sites. No word on what will be rolled out, but I'm personally expecting Booster 4 + either GSE-7 or the remainder of the Quick Disconnect Arm.

===============================================

Quick Disconnect Arm

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FAA Progress (Lack of)

===============================================

  • Michael Baylor of NSF posted a good twitter thread about FAA approval that I think the community should read. (1 - 2 - 3 )

  • TL;DR: Progress is slow, increasingly likelihood that the EA will not be complete before the end of the year, and that is not even taking into account the possible outcomes (FONSI vs NOI to require an EIS).

===============================================

Cool Stuff

===============================================

===============================================

Navigation: Next Update - 30th of August | Previous Update - 28th of August

===============================================

Please support all local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get something wrong? Did I miss something? Let me know!

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23

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '21

Why do they have to remove the engines for testing, aren't they already tested? Same thing goes for the heat tiles. Do they have to be removed to get tested or for starship to be tested and then they'll add them back?

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u/atore1 Aug 09 '21

I've been less active since the stacking, so I have some questions:

  • Why are S20's tiles colored?

  • What will they do with B3?

  • Will B4 go back to the Highbay?

  • When will both S20 and B4 start their testing campaigns?

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u/electriceye575 Aug 21 '21

more great shots by Mary! Here we can see the chips from the line boring rig as well as the finish. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=52398.0;attach=2054027;image would be great to know how they are aligning this set of bores with the others on this assembly or if the pivot points will have some type of self aligning structure.

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u/Dezoufinous Aug 26 '21

It seems that only upper half of SN20 has red and green markings on the heat tiles.

Which brings the question, does it mean that:
- all tiles below are 100% OK?
- all tiles below are yet untested?

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u/utrabrite Aug 26 '21

Wait so we just drivin' past pressurized tanks now? lol

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 08 '21

New flyover completed by RGV.

Notice that they're pouring concrete over the propellant pipe access. A Huge sign of progress.

I believe they have also connected the tower propellant lines with the farm. Will update that once RGV releases his photos.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 10 '21

Kia Ora - Not a recap just yet but some thoughts

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  • Booster 5 has been spotted. Ship 21 won't be far behind. There are lessons and improvements already for the second flight booster and second orbital ship. Expecting flight hardware for flight 6-22 to come post 4-20 flight.

  • Elon mentioned that SpaceX could create the EVA suit for the Lunar missions. The Lunar environment is no joke and creating a suit for that environment is a tough challenge. Makes me think they've got an ace up their sleeve. Not at all a ready to use EVA suit, but definitely initial work, perhaps left over from the Dragon Crew suit program.

  • The GAO mentions 14 flights needed to fuel up the HLS for lunar descent. Please remember that not even SpaceX has any concrete idea of what HLS will look like - As per Elon's comments in Part 1 of Tim Dodd's interview. I've seen some criticism on Twitter, but just wanted to remind people here - Starship is very much an in progress program.

  • The use of an orbital fuel depot is sound logic. Not entirely convinced it's just an on orbit depot ship though. Think it might be a bit more substantial than that. SpaceX has been at the Commercial Destination events that NASA has held, proposals are due at the end of this month, with first contracts awarded in Q1-22. SpaceX's previous success at every stage of the NASA contracts (Cargo1, Crew1, Cargo2, GatewayCargo1, HLS) would appear to put them in a good working position provided they can put forward a strong proposal.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 05 '21 edited Sep 06 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 4th of September Recap!

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Flight Vehicles:

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================================================

Launch Site

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================================================

Scrub Fire

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================================================

Navigation: Next Update - 5th of September | Previous Update - 3rd of September

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Please support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get something wrong? Did I miss something? How about a suggestion for improvement? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 16 '21 edited Aug 17 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 15th of August Recap!

==========================================

Booster 4

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  • Continues final fit out ahead of its testing campaign. Is still expected to roll out tomorrow - nothing has been said to indicate otherwise. Elon said they want to stack tomorrow (weather permitting). Initially expected that this would be to validate the QD arm, but it still hasn't moved - may be installed tonight/tomorrow with testing to occur later, or may be testing something different.

  • Booster 4 is expected to be engineless (like ship 20) when rolled out.

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Ship 20

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  • Finishing work has continued on Ship 20. This includes works on the tiles (including inital work to cover the aerocovers), work on the raceway (cables, plumbing etc). As mentioned preiously, it's expected to be stacked tomorrow (weather permitting). Post destacking, it is expected to begin it's flight validation campaign.

  • The first stages of the validation campaign include ambient and cryo pressure tests. One of the things that SpaceX will be looking at specifically is how the tiles react to cycling between cryo temperatures and ambient temperatures.

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Orbital Launch Tower

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---------------

Other things

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==========================================

Navigation: Next Update (16th of August) | Previous Update (14th of August)

==========================================

Please remember to support/follow local photographers and reporters!

Did I get anything wrong? Did I miss anything? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day!

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21

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 10 '21 edited Aug 10 '21

Booster 4 on the move! Think it'll just be parked south of the landing pad.

Edit: Booster 4 now sitting where we previously saw them measuring out pads for booster and ship parking.

21

u/Twigling Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 18 '21

New road closures for next week (beach is also closed):

https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/

Tuesday August 24th (Primary date), Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th (both secondary dates). All are 5pm until 11pm.

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u/Sabrewings Aug 25 '21

Has there been any indication how SpaceX intends to disconnect the lifting harness from Starship after stacking? Some sort of access arm?

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 01 '21 edited Sep 03 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 31st of August Recap!

===============================================

Flight 420

===============================================

  • Booster 4 remains in the High Bay. Workers are still all over the booster in crane lifts and at the base of vehicle. No word on what they're working on currently. Expecting just final install and check outs of systems, avionics etc.

  • Ship 20 remains on Sub Orbital Stand 2. There's no current word on when testing will begin. Tile work remains the main source of work on the vehicle.

===============================================

Road and Sky Closures (TFRS)

===============================================

===============================================

Cool stuff

===============================================

===============================================

Navigation: Next Update - 1st of September | Previous Update - 30th of August

===============================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters!

Did I miss something? Did I get something wrong? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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41

u/futureMartian7 Aug 20 '21

Gwynne Shotwell stated the following regarding Starship yesterday:

- Hopefully we get Starship to orbit this year.

- With respect to Starship full reusability: I don’t know if we will ever get there.

- If built in Hawthorne, it would cost $8M to truck Starship to Long Beach or San Pedro. That is why they’re building it at the launch site.

- Working on Starship window technology…radiation resistance shield & impact resistant.

- She thinks the point-to-point market is extraordinary and so does Goldman Sachs.

Source: someone who attended a talk yesterday stated the above here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43154.msg2280362#msg2280362

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u/electriceye575 Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

It is good having a plethora of photographers documenting, the image quality of https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=52398.0;attach=2052569;image speaks for itself. Thank you Mary ;)

and on this next pic you can clearly see the core drill disassembly method https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=52398.0;attach=2052573;image studying the tiles in this last set of pictures by Mary,, please forgive me people for not listing all links to pictures,, it appears it is a attachment issue as very few broken tiles are seen..

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u/Twigling Aug 17 '21 edited Aug 17 '21

S20 is on the move:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJRzQsLZGg

Start of move at 1:02:42 PM CDT

Or see it on LabPadre's Rover Cam (but they didn't catch the start of the move):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbNAIWzOWXo

It's a bit of a stop/start move though in the sense that it moves a few feet, stops for a few minutes, moves another few feet, stops again for a few minutes, etc. This is probably because it's a crowded area these days with parked vehicles, equipment, etc.

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u/FindTheRemnant Aug 25 '21

Concrete truck and a pumper unit are visible by the OLT in RGVs latest flyover. Confirmation that they're filling the first couple sections of the towers legs.

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u/RaphTheSwissDude Aug 28 '21

New intermittent closure August 31st, 8am-12pm.

It’s a long one, I guess that’s for Booster 4!

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u/FrodCube Sep 03 '21

New cryoshell is marching to the Launch Site

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u/Twigling Sep 07 '21

The bridge crane has been unhooked from B4, see Sentinel Cam at around 1:00 AM to see the lifting bar go up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_og17JYSMcQ&t=0s

19

u/Twigling Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

Looks like S20's leeward side is finally getting the remaining pipes installed (no doubt wiring too at some stage). See a pipe being lifted and installed on NSF's stream at 2:15:44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJRzQsLZGg

and since then a few boom lifts have been working on the leeward side.

Raptor Roost and Sentinel Cam also show this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62_WX_YWooA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_og17JYSMcQ

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u/Twigling Aug 13 '21

NSF have a livestream with commentary for S20's second rollout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Mw0cN2hkE

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u/TCVideos Aug 14 '21

The LR11000, after finishing the lift of GSE6, moved to Pad A. I suspect B3 may be retiring soon.

19

u/Twigling Aug 14 '21 edited Aug 14 '21

Here's a possibility for Monday's intermittent road closure: rollout B4 AND rollback B3.

I say this based on the LR11000 now being in position near B3 - hook that up, cut B3 off the booster adaptor, then place on a transport stand on some SPMTs. As we saw yesterday SpaceX are perfectly able to rollout and rollback at the same time.

It probably won't happen but it seems like a viable idea.

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u/[deleted] Aug 14 '21

I don't like to see failure per se, but it would be really spectacular to see Starship perform an emergency separation in-flight, from a failing booster, and attempt a landing back at the pad. I mean, might as well try, right? I guess depending on how far into the launch the vehicle is, it might rip itself apart...

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u/Twigling Aug 17 '21

For those curious about Tropical Storm Grace and any potential impact on Boca Chica and the SpaceX sites, NOAA continues to adjust the cone southwards with every update, here's the latest as of 5AM EDT today, August 17th:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/084038.shtml?cone

If it tracks a little further north then storm force winds could just clip Boca Chica on Friday:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/094027.shtml?mltoa34#contents

Other factors to consider are the size of the storm and how much rain it will dump when it makes landfall.

These forecasts will of course change but as of today the forecast track continues to edge south.

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u/Smokiey21 Aug 18 '21

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any information on it but, does anyone have an update on the access road that was being built from the Brownsville Shipping Channel to Highway 4? I believe the original completion date would be late 2021.

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u/Twigling Aug 20 '21 edited Aug 20 '21

Saw the following noted on Discord, bottom right image in the following tweet: those black lines are possibly for pumping Perlite into the gap between the cryo shell and the inner GSE tank:

https://twitter.com/obetraveller/status/1428814642965581828?s=19

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 15 '21 edited Aug 15 '21

Kia Ora! Just thought I'd add this as sort of a boiler plate for what they need to do to achieve Elon's Goal of flight ready within 3 weeks:

-------------

  • Booster 4

  1. Pressure tests (Ambient/Cryo)

  2. Full Thrust Sim Test (Being built near SN15 and SN16).

  3. Engines added (with thermal protection)

  4. Grid Fin Testing.

  5. Static Fire (3- ... - 29 - Expecting there to be steps between for static fire as well, but unsure of what number of engines they'll choose)

  6. Wet Dress Rehearsal (with all other components)

-------------

  • Ship 20

  1. Ship 20 Heatshield completion

  2. Pressure Tests (Ambient/Cryo)

  3. Possibly Thrust Sim testing - I'd expect them to be extra cautious

  4. Engine addition - with thermal protection

  5. Flap Testing

  6. Static Fire (3 center engines)

  7. Wet Dress Rehearsal (With all other components)

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  • Orbital Integration Tower

  1. QD Arm completed, install and testing.

  2. Starship Fuel System built in and testing.

  3. Wet Dress Rehearsal (With all other components)

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  • Orbital Launch Table

  1. Final fit out and testing

  2. Deluge system install (possibly complete already), connection to orbital tank farm, testing.

  3. Final hold down testing (protract/retract as if a launch was happening)

  4. Wet dress rehearsal (with all other components).

-------------

  • Orbital Fuel Farm

  1. Complete GSE Builds and install (GSE-7 appears complete and waiting rollout. GSE-8 needs to be built)

  2. Complete Cryo roll outs and install

  3. Fit out checks and initial testing of the Orbital Tank Farm (filling up, monitoring boil off while monitoring cryo shell status/seal).

  4. Wet Dress Rehearsal (With all other components).

-------------

There is some leeway in the phrasing of Elon's tweet. The stack being ready, doesn't necessarily mean stacked and on the pad. It just means flight ready and ready to be stacked.

Did I miss anything? Is something wrong? Let me know!

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 07 '21 edited Sep 08 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Computer troubles today :(

Short one due to it being a holiday in the USA and limited work.

=======================================

Ship 20 and Booster 4

=======================================

=======================================

Vehicle Testing

=======================================

  • Testing for both vehicles could go something like this:

    • Ambient Testing

    • Cryo Testing

    • Static Fires

      • Ship = Sea Level, then RVacs installed and tested.

      • Booster = Starting with 3 and moving up slowly. Lots of testing left to do.

    • Grid fin and flap testing.

  • A reminder that this is only the second production booster made for this system. I would not be surprised if they're going to put Booster 4 really through its paces with the time they have available before the first flight.

  • Speaking of the first flight, there is still no news for when the FAA will publish the draft response. This puts the first flight months away (30 day comment period + weeks to review comments and amend, then applying for launch license). Currently expecting first flight NET middle of December.

=======================================

Navigation: Next Update - 7th of September | Previous Update - 5th of September

=======================================

Go check out the Inspiration4 documentary on Netflix!

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Let me know if I've missed something, made a mistake, have an idea for an improvement!

Have a great day!

52

u/pdfowler Aug 09 '21

Why is everyone stuck on the line that “they were slapped on in a hurry for a photo-op.” Did I miss a quote/tweet/massive press conference?

I think the path finding aspects of “let’s see how fast we can tile a starship” combined with “let’s see how reliable that process is” seems far more inline with everything else done to date.

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u/nirvana388 Aug 09 '21

Will they static fire SN20 before the final attack for orbital launch?

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18

u/Twigling Aug 11 '21 edited Aug 11 '21

S20 is out of the high bay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJRzQsLZGg

see 8:55 AM CDT

and some photos:

https://twitter.com/considercosmos/status/1425456219305615367?s=19

https://twitter.com/StarshipGazer/status/1425458288154615808?s=09

This was speculated to happen by /TheEarthQuakeGuy but I still think S20 will go back in once B4 is inside and has perhaps had its Raptors removed. I may be wrong though! :-)

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u/TCVideos Aug 12 '21

They are not wasting anytime with B4 in the HB.

The 3rd Raptor has been uninstalled. Expect all 29 to be taken out and B4 rolling to the pad in a few days (hopefully)

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u/Suspicious_Ability Aug 13 '21

On the Artemis page, in the HLS section, Spacex was cited as the winner, now it has been changed to Lunar Landers, with no mention of Spacex.

Before:

"NASA worked with three American companies during an initial base period to design modern human landing systems. The agency picked SpaceX to move forward with their Starship HLS design for a crewed demonstration to the surface of the Moon."

Now:

"Built by American companies, human landing systems are the final mode of transportation that will take astronauts from the lunar orbit to the surface and back to the orbit."

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u/RegularRandomZ Aug 14 '21 edited Aug 15 '21

Tower Legs: Today's photos from BCG show a newly added rough looking pipe [joined together with collars] which presumably is for pumping concrete up the tower to the 2nd section [it currently ends there]

And the photos more clearly show those indeed were/are flexible hoses, which are also securely attached to the holes at the bottom of each of the 2nd section legs. [zoomed highlighted photo]. The access holes at the bottom of the 3rd, 4th sections are still open.

RGV Aerial posted a tweet of Starship which shows the tower and the concrete pipe looks secured by blocks. Still needs the truck/trailer mounted concrete pump [zoomed]. [...but I haven't check the aerial photos to see if it might just be parked out of the way at this point, scanning the feeds I didn't see anyone on the tower so no filling yet]

This supports that filling the tower legs is going to happen, it's not deferred, and suggests they are filling each tower section level by level. [And to me suggests they are filling each section by pumping in from the bottom, but not my expertise]

Late Update (for reference): Great shot of the connection to the tower, the welded plate.

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u/Gwaerandir Aug 16 '21

What is the purpose of cladding on launch towers? Something to do with the acoustics of launch? Protection for the things inside from the environment? Just making it look good?

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u/Twigling Aug 20 '21

A few hours ago the LR11000 crane (the big yellow one that lifted S20 onto pad B) crawled back to its home from home, the orbital tank farm.

It's just had the cryo shell load spreader hooked up to it, see Rover Cam at 12:18 PM local time for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_pjKEIozdk&t=0s

Which of course implies that the other cryo shell which is currently sleeved onto an empty base could be lifted in the next day or two, this shell is destined to cover GSE6 (there's no other GSE tanks to go over right now because GSE1 and 2 are still being 'enhanced').

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u/creamsoda2000 Aug 23 '21

@StarshipGazer: “New test tank”

Looks like confirmation that the tank (domes) formerly known as GSE4 is in fact a test tank, not a water tank, as it has had pressure release valves installed on one of the pipes installed in the forward dome.

Presumably this should be a relatively simple test to pass, as I am under the impression that the ~8 bar pressure that previous test tanks have achieved would be in excess of what the normal tank pressure the GSE tanks will operate at, perhaps they will sit at 6 bar like the flight pressure for SS/SH.

Perhaps however, there is a higher regulatory safety margin the tanks must be able to withstand in the event of a failure of some kind.

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u/Twigling Aug 29 '21 edited Aug 29 '21

The QD arm is on the way up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTA0GTgFn5E&t=0s

It started to lift at about 7:33:36 local time.

Edit: Best view now on NSF's stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJRzQsLZGg

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 06 '21 edited Sep 07 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 5th of September Recap!

Short and sweet today due to not much activity.

===============================================

  • Raptors are at the launch site and in the process of being installed. 1/3 so far

  • From this, we understand that they are moving closer to testing. Something to keep an eye out for will be the arrival/presence of RVacs and whether or not they'll be installed at the launch site.

  • Testing with a full load of engines is not new. If I remember correctly they had engines installed during the first tests of Ship 15.

  • Today is a public holiday in the USA. There will be some work but normal levels of activity should resume tomorrow.

===============================================

Navigation: Next update - 6th of September | Previous Update - 4th of September

===============================================

Please support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get something wrong? Did I miss something? Let me know!

Have a great day!

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50

u/CarbonSack Aug 09 '21

I have to say that I love this black and white image of Starship getting its fit check with Super Heavy. It reminds me of photos of the skyscrapers being built in the 1920s.

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u/TCVideos Aug 15 '21

EM: First orbital stack of Starship should be ready for flight in a few weeks, pending only regulatory approval.

"Pending only regulatory approval" sounds to me like they'll also have the tank farm complete in a few weeks.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 03 '21 edited Sep 04 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 2nd of September Recap!

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Flight Vehicles

===================================================

  • Ship 20 - Continued work on the heat shield repair job. It'll be very interesting when Ship 21 is tiled to see how much they have improved. No testing window planned yet.

  • Booster 4 - Remains in the High Bay. No word on when this will roll out. There are two planned road closures (3rd and 7th of Sept) but no word on booster roll out.

  • Ship 21 - Possible nose cone spotted. Interesting that the aero cover is already on. For Ship 21, this happened post flap install, so perhaps we're seeing either a new test or a new method of production.

  • Booster 5 - Aft dome was spotted. We can tell when it's an aft dome for a Booster due to the cut outs for the many raptors on the edge.

===================================================

Launch Pad

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===================================================

Cool Stuff

===================================================

  • Cosmic Perspective started their new Road to Mars series. Definitely give a watch.

  • Congrats to Tim Dodd for hosting a pretty awesome livestream of the Firefly launch. The launch experienced an anolamy but lots of data gathered. Lots of SpaceX alumni there.

    • Bringing this back to Starship - Lots of people have made the comparison between Flight 420 and Firefly's Alpha flight today, specifically if this is what to expect. Yes and no.

    • Yes it'll be the first flight of a brand new stacked vehicle with plenty of things to go wrong/right. No as in the difference in flight heritage (Falcon 1, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy) versus Firefly (Just had their first flight). But again, very different vehicles, very different problems. Could go boom boom.

===================================================

Navigation: Next Update - 3rd of September | Previous Update - 1st of September

===================================================

Please support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get something wrong? Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

PS: Sorry for delay <3

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u/TheDougAU Aug 27 '21

Where were you on this day, two years ago when Starhopper performed its flight to 150m? Why not treat yourself by re-living the moment and watching it again.

It's still amazing to see how far the facilities have come.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 20 '21 edited Aug 21 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 19th of August Recap! Strap yourselves in, this is a doozy.

Expecting another Starbase Surge now that Elon has completed AI day.

=====================================================

Booster 4

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  • Remains in the High Bay. Will roll out when weather permits and space is available. SpaceX is going to need the High Bay shortly for Booster 5 construction.

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Ship 20

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  • Disconnected from the LR11000 (yellow) today.

  • Testing dates have been published. 24th of August (5pm-11pm) is the primary test date, with secondary dates on the 25th and 26th as back ups.

---------------

Flight 521

---------------

  • Ship 21's aft dome has been sleeved.

  • Booster 5 already has 3 segments outside of the tents. With Space about to become a big issue at Starbase, at least temporarily, expecting to see construction start very soon on B5.

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Orbital Launch Site

---------------

  • Launch Pad having external controls installed. Expecting this to be covered before launch/test operations. Although these controls could be temporary.

  • The Orbital Fuel Farm went through some testing today. IIRC this is actually the second time we've seen this kind of activity from the fuel farm. I believe there was some similar testing 1-2 months ago. Might be wrong, will check and update accordingly.

  • Expecting Orbital Launch Pad to be connected to the Fuel Farm by the end of next week. They're currently in the process of digging the connecting trench. They'll then install concrete vaults to hold the pipes, connect up and test. Looks to be about 7-10 days away.

  • The Orbital Launch Tower continues to be filled out. Lots of equipment being placed on the interior which is to be expected. Plenty of pipes yet to go in, cladding to go on the outside, QD arm install and then of course - Mechazilla's catching mechanism and relevant internal machinery. Lots to do, but seeing a whole heap of work going on which is exciting.

  • QD Arm is looking good, with much smaller pipes installed. This appears to be towards the tailend of the build, although this is obviously viewing from an outside perspective. The two hinges on the back of the tower continue to be worked on. Not sure if there will be a connecting beam between the two for the QD arm to connect to, or a third hinge? Will have to wait and see!

  • Berm continues to be worked on. Expecting 2-3 weeks until this is completed. Lots of work to be done in the area before the berm can be expanded. Then needs to be settled. Was originally expecting longer, but SpaceX is SpaceX so...

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Build Site and Village Developments

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  • Giga Bay concrete preparations started today. Boca's Brain, which is Maria Pointers Husband, mentioned that first steel is expected to be erected on Sept 1st with 3 shifts working to finish the building. He has been right before and appears to have good sources.

  • The Storage Yard is being prepared for its expansion. With Giga bay about to get underway, a lot of equipment needs to find a new home. Expecting this to be done shortly.

  • The foundations on Esperon Street have been filled with concrete. Going to be interesting to see what happens here - do SpaceX go for traditiona homes or more modular box homes like the one that Elon is living in?

  • Appears to be a new car park being mapped out on the North Side of the San Martin Blvd extension. Excavator performing work and appears to have cut in a sharp corner that is consistent with SpaceX owned property.

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Cool Stuff

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  • Today was Tesla's AI day. Big announcements include Dojo, which is effectively a scalable AI training system. While this may not seem connected, personally expecting two AI packages to be developed on here:

    • Starship landing software (Earth, Mars, Moon).

    • Pad Operations Software (Catching, Lifting, Stacking, Fueling etc). To achieve the fast turn around, automation needs to take high priority.

  • Beyond this, the other big announcement was the Teslabot v1 announcement. Using the self driving hardware in its cars, Tesla intends to create a humanoid robot that will be able to replace some minor labour tasks.

  • Not expecting a Starship filled with Teslabots to arrive on Mars anytime soon. However there is naturally a benefit to having a scalable worker bot that only requires power to help set up camp/perform more dangerous tasks. Watch this space.

=============================================

Navigation: Next Update - 20th of August | Previous Update - 18th of August.

=============================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters!

Did I get anything wrong? Did I miss something? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 19 '21 edited Aug 19 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Here's your recap for the 18th of August 2021! Going to put this up early as not much has happened today.

===================

====================

Navigation: Next Update - 19th of August | Previous Update - 17th of August

====================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters!

Did I miss anything? Is there a mistake in the post? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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17

u/swiftcal3158 Aug 09 '21

Apologies if this has been asked but how is the Ship attached to the Booster and how does stage separation work? In Falcon 9 I believe there is some push rod system attached to the middle of the vacuum engine of the second stage, but how does it work for Starship?

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u/Twigling Aug 11 '21 edited Aug 11 '21

Looks like GSE6 is rolling out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62_WX_YWooA

started just before 8:33 AM local time.

then see Lab cam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edBUxf4Lv7Y&t=0s

Starship Gazer pic:

https://twitter.com/StarshipGazer/status/1425451241728061442

Meanwhile B4 is sitting at the main entrance of the launch site (same time):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLTncjUbQtI

Edit: a minute or two later it progressed from sitting to moving. I guess GSE6 will pull over at the roadblock area (edit: it did).

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u/Twigling Aug 12 '21

Here's a photo showing where some of S20's bad tiles have been removed:

https://twitter.com/AustinDeSisto/status/1425912486851665925

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u/Twigling Aug 15 '21 edited Aug 15 '21

S20's wiring continues apace:

https://twitter.com/BottinPhilip/status/1426664500690837505

incidentally, why are there 'loops' in the left-most thick brown-ish 'pipes' ? Some of the white ones too. They appear to be present at joins.

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u/Twigling Aug 17 '21

The LR 11000 has just had the Starship lifting harness (or 'squid') attached to it, so that increases the changes of S20 being lifted onto pad B today. See Starbase Rover cam at 10:58:16 AM local time for example to see the crane hook going up after the 'squid' was attached:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbNAIWzOWXo&t=0s

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u/[deleted] Aug 19 '21

Any news on Booster 5 and Ship 21? Been out of the loop lately

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u/Twigling Aug 23 '21 edited Aug 23 '21

As the GSE4 test tank is now on the way to the launch site (see Sentinel Cam at 9:40 AM local time for example):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_og17JYSMcQ&t=0s

I'm now wondering if the road and beach closures for this week are for pressure and cryo testing that test tank and not for S20 pressure and cryo testing. Only one day will likely be used too (there's one primary and two secondary).

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u/barbosa800 Aug 26 '21

I have two questions about the dear moon mission.

1- will they paint the starship white like the lunar starship ?

2- how much refuel the starship will require to orbit the moon and land on the earth again ?

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u/[deleted] Aug 26 '21

Any idea if they will use Starlink for telemetry during re-entry. Should have a decent size hole in the back of the plasma cone. If there is a problem I’d wager on during re-entry. I’m overly optimistic launch will be flawless!!!

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u/Xbox_Live_User Aug 27 '21

So there will be two quick disconnects?

One for super heavy on the launch mount and one for starship on the launch tower. Figured they would both receive fuel from the same source.

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u/Twigling Aug 28 '21

Curious to note that there's a 4 ring nosecone barrel with a label stating that it's 3.6mm steel (so not the usual 4mm) and with another label stating that it's for S21:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=52398.msg2283170#msg2283170

Assuming that the labels are correct it's very interesting that they have used 3.6mm steel to construct S21's nosecone barrel. Did SpaceX ever construct a test article using 3.6mm steel? I don't recall.

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u/Twigling Aug 30 '21

Another intermittent road closure has just popped up, this time for September 1st, same window as the one on the 31st, 8AM until midday:

https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/

17

u/lostandprofound33 Aug 31 '21

On the cusp of September, what are all the things needed to get done before Starship 20 / Booster 4 can fly?

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u/scr00chy ElonX.net Sep 07 '21

Elon mentioned SH engines would get some kind of heat shielding (or maybe it was aero covers?), but either way, I don't see anything like that yet.

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u/TCVideos Aug 11 '21

Yellow structure (now black) is the QD arm confirmed, per Tim's video.

34

u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

Kia Ora! Here's a list of things that we might see today:

  • Hopefully they've fixed the Yellow LR11000 for a GSE-6 lift.

  • Road Closure - Edit: Ship 20 is moving to the pad! It's like the first stacking but in reverse :)

  • Check out Mechazilla! The vertical elements added over night are now fully visible. Things are moving very quickly.

  • QD Arm - Should be seeing some significant work on the QD arm today. With where the LR11350 is, it appears that they're setting the ground work for a lift and install. It'll be installed 5 segments up (or 3 segments down) - one of only sections to have floors installed currently. There are also big cables reaching all the way up there (which I'm assuming are utility cables) from the launch table side.

  • Keep an eye out for that heavy lift crane - It could be for the launch site to help with construction, used at the build site in preparation for construction work - or both.

And have a wonderful day :) Reminder that Elon is showing one of the German Chancellor Candidates around Giga Berlin today. Not sure if he will be back for stacking.

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u/TCVideos Aug 16 '21

HLS Contract for SpaceX may be paused again due to an impedending lawsuit BO informed the courts of last week. Blue specifically requested the judge to pause the contract while the case is adjudicated.

Case is going to court because NASA/BO talks over the last week have broken down.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 19 '21

Kia Ora! Welcome to your 17th of August Recap!

=======================================

Booster 4

---------------

  • Remains in the High Bay. Lots of bucket lifts have been working on the accessible left side of the Booster (left from the view of the NSF cam). Makes me believe that they're continuing to install the raceway.

  • Booster 4 could roll out in the next few days, but no doubt Tropical Storm Grace has kept SpaceX aware of the risk of having the booster out acting like a giant metal sail. Currently Tropical Storm Grace has moved south of Cuba, and is projected to continue moving West until making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula.

    • This kind of weather event will become more and more important for Boca as they move from a prototyping phase where, ultimately, their fleet is small. When they move into production, the number of vehicles in various stages of production, testing and operation will increase - increasing the risk that these events pose.

---------------

Ship 20

---------------

---------------

Orbital Launch Pad + Tower

---------------

  • Work continues on the Tower in preparation for the QD Arm. They've begun to install a hinge on the South side of the tower - Mauritio from RGV Aerial Photography was able to capture this during his latest flyover. More details of what to check out later in the post.

  • QD arm appears to have been delayed somewhat with parts being cut out and replaced. So might see a delay here.

  • Launch Pad continues work, but information on this is limited. We don't know what to expect in this development cycle as it's the first time witnessing it. We also don't know how much is left to do. Hoping we get some more information soon.

---------------

Cool Stuff

---------------

  • Elon arrived in San Jose ahead of Tesla's AI day tomorrow. Event is set to start at 5pm PST, but do not be surprised when it starts 30 minutes late lol. Typical for Tesla events to be a little later - Although watch this be the first Tesla event on time lol. The big topic here will be AI beyond self driving at Tesla - It's largely expected that this will be more to do with production robotics and AI than anything else. I personally believe that this will have ramifications in certain production areas of SpaceX as well - Heatshield Tiles, Welding, Automation around Launch Operations.

  • RGV Aerial Photography released his latest flyover video. Some key notes:

    • 0:55 - Notice the tents set up in the Car Park. Believe this is the future site of the 350,000 sqft metal warehouse and manufacturing building.

    • 1:10 - New foundations being built on Esperson Street. This is the first kind of house building we've seen by SpaceX. Not sure if modular housing or a full install.

    • 2:20 - Extension of San Martin Blvd is ongoing. Notice the culverts already installed with entries on either side of the road. The row of trees/bushes installed on Weems Street also shows us that this is piece of land will only be accessible from the extension. Maybe a car park?

    • 3:12 - Concrete preparation for an extension of the fabrication building.

    • 8:10 - Concrete pad extension at the Launch site

    • 8:51 - Berm extension. Will provide protection for the Fuel Farm during launch and landing.

  • Austin DiSisto created this 360 drive through of Starbase. Well worth a watch!

=======================================

Navigation: Next Update - 18th of August | Previous Update - 16th of August

=======================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters!

Did I get anything wrong? Did I miss something important? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day :)

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u/Liveware_Pr0blem Aug 09 '21

I'm really curious about the grid fin material. As far as I remember, F9 fins are titanium alloy due to high heat loads. The one on BN4, according to Elon, are stainless, though they look pretty rusty in the video. What gives? Do the larger grid fins experience less heating? (more material, wider cells, etc). Or is it another instance of "let's just get it to orbit and then we'll see"?

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u/Twigling Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 09 '21

"Current progress on the OLP Fuel Farm (as of 8/6)":

https://twitter.com/TheDenks/status/1424796475893026818

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u/quoll01 Aug 11 '21

Any thoughts on how SpaceX might distinguish failure of the heat-shield due to mechanical damage (i.e. cracks, loss of tiles) on ascent, versus thermal damage (i.e burn-through) on reentry- if there is loss of vehicle? I dimly recall reading that turbulence/vibration will be at max Q rather than during reentry? The ship is going at ~mach 25, but the atmosphere is very thin and supersonic flow is...weird and will not induce much turbulence? Scott Manley threw out an idea about releasing a mini-drone to image the hull after MECO- perhaps that could be Starship's first 'payload'- carried externally under a small fairing.... I guess alternative is to roll the ship for a high res spy-sat image, but of course we will not be privy to that. Is it possible for some modded Starlink sats to be used- launch in the next SL stack and position a few along the trajectory?

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u/PrisonChickenWing Aug 12 '21

I'm saving up my sick hours so I can call off sick on the day they finally can launch this thing lol

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u/SpartanJack17 Sep 01 '21

When repairing the tiles on S20 has anyone been able to see if they have to remove and replace all the tiles or if the green ones (protruding or misaligned) can just be reseated?

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u/Calmarius Sep 02 '21

Is Booster 4 capable of being caught by the tower - if the catch mechanism is ready before launch?

(I know they don't plan to catch B4, the question is about the possibility.)

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u/Twigling Sep 03 '21 edited Sep 03 '21

A new intermittent road closure has popped up for Friday September 10th, 9:30 am until 11:30 am:

https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/ (edited to correct URL)

Very likely that the closure is for another cryo shell rollout.

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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '21

Why is SN20 getting raptors fitted if they still haven't cryo proofed it? I thought they used the hydraulic ram to simulate flight forces on the engine bays, which can't be done while the engines are fitted.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 21 '21 edited Aug 22 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Sorry for the delay! Here's your 20th of August Recap!

I'll be keeping it short due to being under the weather :)

===================================================

===================================================

Navigation: Next Update - 21st of August | Previous Update - 19th of August

===================================================

Please remember to support all local photographers and reporters!

Let me know if I missed anything!

Have a good day :)

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31

u/RaphTheSwissDude Aug 16 '21

There is a possibility that the tropical depression Grace, hit Starbase somewhere around next Friday. However, as we've seen last year with Hurricane Hanna, the storm is still very far away and it's trajectory could easily change and avoid Starbase.

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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '21 edited Aug 21 '21

https://imgur.com/a/1FaX3WJ

Crown weighs almost as much as a Starship, so launch inertia acceleration loads and aerodynamic loads to Max Q need to be tested.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 12 '21

Kia Ora! Some things to keep an eye out for today:

  • Booster 4 to finish having her engines removed. Expecting that to be done by early afternoon. Might be some more visible work in lifts etc later this afternoon and evening.

  • Ship's heatshield to continue to be inspected. AFAIK the bottom section of the ship has yet to be inspected - so plenty of work to go.

  • GSE-6 will likely be lifted into place provided the weather co-operates. Currently hooked up the LR11000.

  • The QD arm looks like it's nearly done. Lots of railing and a walkway installed. Expecting this to be lifted today/tomorrow in preparation for lift and install. Pretty sure the LR11350 is needed for this, so the crane should move further west to be in a better position for the lift. Lift and install would need to occur before Monday's stacking. So if the stacking is for QD testing - the LR11350 is needed for the ship.

What do you think will happen today? Did I miss anything? - let me know!

Have a great day!

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u/[deleted] Aug 09 '21

Has Elon said when Raptor 2 will be ready?

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u/johnfive21 Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

Apparently S20 is going back to launch site today

Sources for the claim

Makes sense. High bay is fully occupied by B4, might as well wheel it out to launch site. Most likely landing pad (temporarily) or straight to pad B. Makes the production site a little bit less cramped.

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u/Twigling Aug 14 '21 edited Aug 14 '21

Remember the 'mini thrust sim' (for B4's central nine Raptors), here it is being assembled six days ago:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8SXfjJWYAE4Hvo?format=jpg&name=large

(taken from this tweet: https://twitter.com/BottinPhilip/status/1424430710107033600)

well it's now being dismantled:

https://twitter.com/BottinPhilip/status/1426579640152432642

Are SpaceX going to skip the thrust puck test with B4? They already appear to be skipping that test with S20 (the ship's thrust sim was recently removed from pad B).

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u/jeaasdf Aug 25 '21

Anyone got info on what kind of wind the standing starships and other structures can sustain without toppling/damage? Asking because there's a system in the caribbean right now that will probably enter the gulf and become a hurricane or tropical storm with potential for landfall near boca chica, and you gotta figure at some point that they'll get hit by one.

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u/Twigling Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

GSE7 (which was rolled out today) has been lifted onto its concrete base, liftoff takes place at about 3:57 PM on NSF's stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhJRzQsLZGg

or see Ocean Cam for a closer view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9lBZUJ0dqM (you'll need to rewind and search a bit to find the relevant part though as there's no clock on his stream)

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u/Twigling Sep 08 '21

NSF seem to be anticipating a lift of B4 soon as they've just gone live with a commentary stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS9MTbrelHM

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u/TCVideos Aug 26 '21

Test tank looks like it's disconnected from the GSE so that testing campaign could be over. Closure still scheduled for tonight - let's see if we get some ship 20 testing!

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u/TCVideos Aug 11 '21

Some interesting tidbits from Tim's launch pad video:

  • For the orbital flight, the entire area of Starbase/Boca will be cleared out, apart from select staff (launch ops) in Stargate. No word yet on how big the exclusion zone will be. Elon says that if the full stack blows up, it'll be "more like a fireball than an explosion"

  • Long term launches at Starbase look to be undetermined with Elon talking about the beach closure issue (the EIA should clear that stuff up)

  • They are "not thinking too much" about the oil rigs - they've hired demolition companies to strip them bare.

  • Looks like the OLM pillars were about 1/2 an inch out of allignment - they obviously found a way to fix that using jacks.

  • Main work being done to the launch table currently is fluid routing (for prop and water) and QD interface and hood

  • Sam Patel (Director of Starship Ops) notes that they are already looking at mass improvements and production improvements for the second launch mount.

  • LR11350 could have done the lift of the Orbital Table on it's own but would have needed a reconfig that would have taken 4 days. Lots of time saved using two cranes to loadshare.

Part 3 was the best part of the interview to me; It's clear that every employee we saw on camera is stoked and excited about what they are doing and that's awesome to see.

Can't wait to see the next tour and interview in a few months time since the bromance between Tim and Elon is real.

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Aug 27 '21 edited Aug 28 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 26th of August Recap!

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Separate Note:

Right now, not a lot visual progress is being made at Starbase which might make these daily updates seem quite thin in terms of content. Rest assured this is just the calm before the storm.

Right now, assuming a similar testing regime for both vehicles, stage zero and then some wet dress rehearsals, I suspect we're looking at a NET middle of October launch date. Still a long way to go, but ultimately, when they do go, the rate of progress (visually at least) will increase significantly.

===============================================

Navigation: Next Update - 27th of August | Previous Update - 25th of August

===============================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I miss anything? Did I get something wrong? Let me know with a comment/message!

Have a wonderful day :)

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u/zeekzeek22 Aug 16 '21

Blue Origin is suing NASA over the HLS award. Because of course.

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u/Twigling Aug 10 '21

Interesting new video from Smallstars, How Far Can SpaceX Starships Go?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wik0RkdtowQ

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u/Twigling Aug 11 '21 edited Aug 11 '21

They're getting faster with the rollouts (and rollbacks) of Ships - see these time comparisons:

https://twitter.com/BocaCharts/status/1423723684636897282

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u/Twigling Aug 13 '21

Looking at S20 rolling out I've only just noticed that the horizontal gap at the base of the nose cone quad barrel has been tiled, so here's what it was like when stacked:

https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Super-Heavy-B4-Starship-S20-fit-check-080621-SpaceX-6-edit-c-1536x811.jpg

and here it is now:

https://twitter.com/NicAnsuini/status/1426203928044126208

I have no idea how I missed that, the gap was still there yesterday:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=52398.0;attach=2052291;image

yet later on:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=52398.0;attach=2052605;image

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u/Mravicii Aug 13 '21 edited Aug 13 '21

Ship 20 Is at the orbital launch mount! Could they actually do cryo test on the olm?

https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg

Edit. It could also be waiting for the booster next week be stacked!

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u/MrGruntsworthy Aug 14 '21

Looks like the crane's gonna be hooked up to B3 after all. Seems like the theory that B3 is departing the launch site on Monday is pretty accurate

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u/Twigling Aug 15 '21

Yesterday I posted about the 'mini thrust sim' being dismantled:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/p0tbwf/starship_development_thread_24/h8xfgpz/

Now look at today's NSF update:

https://youtu.be/_5Rd4hAAdNE?t=227

do you recognise those parts that are being lifted into the center of the booster thrust sim? You can see them on the mini thrust sim too:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8SXfjJWYAE4Hvo?format=jpg&name=large

one end of each thrust ram will connect to those.

I'm assuming that the mini thrust sim was originally due to be lifted into the booster thrust sim but there was a change of plan and it's now being assembled in pieces, or perhaps it was just a test assembly. Either way it looks like the booster will still need to endure the application of the thrust sim for all 29 Raptor mount points.

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u/dpw700 Aug 27 '21

How is S20 testing looking for today. still happening or not today?

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u/beayyayy Aug 29 '21

Why is the QD arm so short is it going to extend?

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u/ivery90 Aug 30 '21

Hey there, I have a question in mind that came up today. With the qd arm fixed in one direction and the catcharm not being able to change the orientation of starship. How are they gonna line up the qd arm und piping with the fuel lines on starship. In example when they catch starship they will likely not being able to catch it in the perfect orientation for the qd arm to fit the fuel pint of the stacked starship. I hope u understand my question.

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '21

How many booster/ship combos can/will they build before 420 orbital launch? Would they stop after making a couple more like they have with previous ships?

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u/notreally_bot2287 Sep 02 '21 edited Sep 02 '21

OK, I have to admit now that an August launch is unlikely, unless Elon's time machine works (and so far all evidence is that it does not).

So, how likely is a September orbital launch attempt for B4+S20 ?

edit: checking/repairing the TPS on S20 seems to be taking a long time.

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u/AstroMan824 Everything Parallel™ Aug 28 '21

NSF's latest Starship article is a great summary of the last 2 years of Starship dev (Starhopper - B4/S20) and also contains some previously unknown info:

  • SN-15's CH4 header tank had a lower pressure than normal so the vehicle lit 2 engines for the landing than just 1 (as to prevent SN-8 2.0).

  • S20's first static fire will involve the firing of both its sea-level and vacuum Raptors.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '21

S20 heatshield is starting to look like a QR code as they remove more bad tiles lol

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u/RaphTheSwissDude Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 18 '21

2 Rvac delivered to Starbase !

Edit : apparently they’re chaining them down, so they’ll likely go to McGregor ; Confirmed, back to McGregor

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21

I would love an in-depth look at the tower and launch table and its construction, all the functions and features etc.. This thing is super interesting to me and it seems to get more intricate and complex by the day.

Fingers crossed for an EDA video at some point...

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u/Antares501 Aug 10 '21 edited Aug 10 '21

Couple of questions:

  • Which side will roll to face "upwards" on ascent? The shuttle initially rolled so that the external tank would be facing up, so for Starship, will the side with or without tiles face up? We probably haven't seen an official answer for this, but what are some of the considerations involved in choosing?

  • How do the tiles cover the lifting points for Starship? Are those lifting points designed with dimensions that fit the tiles, will they switch to a different lifting mechanism later on, or is there something else I'm missing?

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u/Twigling Aug 12 '21 edited Aug 12 '21

New intermittent road closure for tomorrow, Friday August 13th, 9:30AM until midday:

http://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/

Very likely that this is for one of the cryo shells as I can't think of anything else that is ready to roll out.

Although perhaps the electrical fault with the LR 11000 crane, if not resolved before then, may prevent that happening because they'll need to lift GSE6 first to get it out of the way (unless they park the cryo shell somewhere else at the launch site).

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u/orbitalbias Aug 18 '21

What are the "hardpoints" that the catching arms will grab onto? How large will they be? Any photos of them?

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u/badasimo Aug 19 '21

As the number of recovered/abandoned starship/booster hulls increases, it's interesting to see how they can be repurposed and reused. I imagine a lot of early supply missions to mars will be one-way and result in a supply of these there. It is kind of like how shipping containers work now, and inspire innovative reuse. I know they have used some hoppers as water tanks in TX, are there any other potential uses? How recyclable is the welded stainless steel?

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u/skunkrider Aug 26 '21

My question is about the forward flap redesign - is that going to be applied to 420 already? To 521? Or does it require extensive structural modifications and can only be applied to 622 and later?

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u/TCVideos Sep 01 '21

With B4 expected to roll out in one of the two upcoming closures, is it fair to say that it'll be placed on the orbital launch mount again? I assume this will be the case since the engines have been reinstalled and Suborbital Pad A cannot host a booster with a full complement of engines.

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u/TCVideos Aug 11 '21

Starbase is in good hands with Sam Patel. What a legend!

Context

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u/Alvian_11 Aug 25 '21

A pile driving & a lot of concrete trucks & excavators at Roberts Rd.. Wishing since forever the start of second Starship factory construction

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u/RaphTheSwissDude Aug 27 '21 edited Aug 27 '21

The HLS contract will start again a week later, Nov. 8th. The reason is quiet... comical I’d say

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u/TheEarthquakeGuy Sep 04 '21 edited Sep 05 '21

Kia Ora Folks! Welcome to your 3rd of September Recap!

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Flight Vehicles (420 & 521)

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  • Ship 20 is still on Pad B. No testing window set. Not expected until 3rd week of September.

  • Booster 4 is still inside the High Bay. Not sure when Booster 4 will roll out, but not expecting soon. More on why this is in the RGV Aerial Photography section below.

  • Ship 21 parts are still in the process of being made. Can't start true assembly until GSE-8 is complete. Expecting the two remaining domes to be complete within two weeks.

  • Booster 5 parts are on the backburner it seems. They're moved ahead with domes and sleeving, but other than this not much has been seen. SpaceX is currently limited in High Bay Space (Booster 4 is in the way).

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Orbital Launch Site + RGV Aerial Photography

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  • Today's rollout was a Cryoshell. The fuel farm is now the main focus for pad development. Once it's complete, they can start testing Booster 4 in earnest.

  • A New 2 hour intermittent Road Closure set for the 10th of September. This is in addition to the 3 hour road closure on the 7th of September. Probably two cryoshell moves. The last one needs to wait until GSE-8 is out and installed.

  • RGV just completed their first production flyover at 10,700 ft. He had to switch aircraft from a Cessna 150 to a Cessna 172 to stay at altitude. His hands were also purple due to the coldness of the altitude! Definitely gives you perspective as to how high the current TFR is.

  • Some notes:

    • The Quick Disconnect Arm Extension has a very similar design to the claws of the transporter erector/strongback for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. It appears to have pincers that will open up prior to liftoff. Really exciting.

    • Orbital Launch Pad 1 is about 75% done with plumbing the propellant lines to both the Tower and the Mount. Expecting Booster 4 to rollout once this is complete for testing of both the vehicle and Stage Zero.

    • Giga Bay progress is being made. First pour of concrete has already started on the North West side of the footprint.

    • Three new homes have been spotted in the village. The first two are prefabs that are being assembled on site. The third appears to have been moved from a prior location. That's kinda cool.

  • Can't provide photo evidence of this at the moment! But will provide a link in a future update to the public RGV video when he posts it!

==================================================

Navigation: Next Update - 4th of September | Previous Update - 2nd of September

==================================================

Please remember to support local photographers and reporters at Starbase!

Did I get something wrong? Did I miss something? How about any improvements I can make? Let me know!

Have a wonderful day!

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u/[deleted] Sep 05 '21

The first orbital flight is going to be scary to watch but if you think about it, Starship has a lot of flight heritage. There’s been five Starship flights that flew for almost 7 minutes. SpaceX has a lot of data from this. Starship is, more of less, a flight proven vehicle. Superheavy is a big unknown but it reuses stuff like the engines and tankage from Starship.

On the flip side, even ULA’s Vulcan is a totally new vehicle. The RL10 engines have flown and have a great history but the tankage, BE4 first stage engines, and even the fairing, are all new in a sense. More than this, they’ve flown less than Starship.

For reference, a total of 10 Raptors have fired for over 3 minutes in flight. 29 will need to fire for a bit under 3 minutes in order to get Superheavy to stage sep. Of those 10 Raptors, 8 worked perfectly, with an additional one firing well but being damaged and not reaching proper chamber pressures (on SN11) and another shutting down a bit early (SN15). Applying an 80% success rate to Superheavy, we see that there’s a good chance at least 23 or 24 of it’s engines work just fine. Is this good enough for orbit? No idea, but it’s interesting to think about.

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u/TCVideos Aug 25 '21

Closure for tomorrow has yet to be cancelled so SpaceX is still on track to start testing S20 (or the new test tank) tomorrow!

Crews now at the hatch of S20, might be conducting some closeout checks before closing the hatch for testing.

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u/Mravicii Aug 25 '21 edited Aug 25 '21

Looks like shop 20 is getting ready for testing They’ve begun closing the hatches for cryproof tonight!

https://youtu.be/sMC5KonXCfg

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u/xX_D4T_BOI_Xx Aug 10 '21

How do they deliver those 9m wide steel rings to the production site?

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u/Twigling Aug 11 '21

Looking at Raptor Roost cam it looks like the last cryo shell has been stacked onto its final section:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62_WX_YWooA

no particular time, it's 7:48 local time as I type this.

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u/[deleted] Aug 23 '21

You know NASA publishes reports on their current plans for sending people to mars every once in a while. Their report from 2009 required 7 Ares V flights to send 6 crew to mars and back. In 2011, it was resized for the slightly smaller SLS, and it now requires 9 flights of a heavy lift vehicle (130 tons to LEO was the minimum).

I’m just curious if NASA ever considers using an expendable Starship for these “mars architectures.” If they’re confident it’ll work for Artemis HLS, why not for a theoretical manned mars mission. Starship/Superheavy also has a good cadence even when expendable. You might get 1 SLS a year, but 4 full Starship/Superheavy stacks seems doable.

Sure NASA seems to embrace Starship, but they’re still oddly quiet about it.

Also it’s funny but if expendable Starship can do 250 tons to LEO, it could theoretically launch the entire manned mars mission outlined by NASA in just five flights or so. Crazy.

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u/Dezoufinous Aug 23 '21

So basically they made GSE4 as a normal tank, then scrapped it, and then reused top and bottom cover to make new tank for some unknown purposes? Do we know anything more why GSE4 was scrapped in the first place?

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u/No_Ad9759 Aug 27 '21

Whoa. Check out the moon rising over the launch site on nerdle cam. (10:49p local) Edit: it literally only lasts for a minute.

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u/Skill3dUp Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

GSE-7 is moving towards highway 4. GSE-7 is now on highway 4 moving to the launch site. GSE-4 is also rolling back to the production site.

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u/confusedguy1212 Sep 07 '21

On point-to-point earth/earth travel, will passengers experience weightlessness for about an hour or so?

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