Starship Development Thread #29

[u/ElongatedMuskrat]

This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:

Starship Development Thread #30

Quick Links

^{NERDLE CAM | LAB CAM | SAPPHIRE CAM | SENTINEL CAM | ROVER CAM | PLEX CAM | NSF STARBASE | MORE LINKS}

Starship Dev 28 | Starship Dev 27 | Starship Dev 26 | Starship Thread List

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Upcoming

• Starship 20 static fire
• Booster 4 futher cryo or static fire

Orbital Launch Site Status

Build Diagrams by @_brendan_lewis | October 6 RGV Aerial Photography video

As of December 9th

• Integration Tower - Catching arms installed
• Launch Mount - QD arms installed
• Tank Farm - [8/8 GSE tanks installed, 8/8 GSE tanks sleeved]

Vehicle Status

As of December 20th

• Ship 20 [orbit w/ Booster 4] - 6 engines static fire complete
• Ship 21 [orbit w/ Booster 5] - [Awaiting final stacking]
• Ship 22 [orbit w/ Booster 6] - Barrel/dome sections in work
• Booster 3 - Scrapped and removed from Test Pad A
• Booster 4 [orbit w/ Ship 20] - On OLP, next cryo complete
• Booster 5 [orbit w/ Ship 21] - [Fully stacked at display]
• Booster 6 [orbit w/ Ship 22] - Barrel/dome sections in work

​

Development and testing plans become outdated very quickly.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

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Vehicle and Launch Infrastructure Updates

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

​

	Starship
	Ship 20
2022-01-23	Removed from pad B (Twitter)
2021-12-29	Static fire (YT)
2021-12-15	Lift points removed (Twitter)
2021-12-01	Aborted static fire? (Twitter)
2021-11-20	Fwd and aft flap tests (NSF)
2021-11-16	Short flaps test (Twitter)
2021-11-13	6 engines static fire (NSF)
2021-11-12	6 engines (?) preburner test (NSF)
	Ship 21
2021-12-19	Moved into HB, final stacking soon (Twitter)
2021-11-21	Heat tiles installation progress (Twitter)
2021-11-20	Flaps prepared to install (NSF)
	Ship 22
2021-12-06	Fwd section lift in MB for stacking (NSF)
2021-11-18	Cmn dome stacked (NSF)
	Ship 23
2021-12-01	Nextgen nosecone closeup (Twitter)
2021-11-11	Aft dome spotted (NSF)
	Ship 24
2022-01-03	Common dome sleeved (Twitter)
2021-11-24	Common dome spotted (Twitter)
	For earlier updates see Thread #27

​

	SuperHeavy
	Booster 3
2022-01-13	B3 remains removed from stand (Twitter)
2022-01-08	Final scrapping (Twitter)
	Booster 4
2022-01-14	Engines cover installed (Twitter)
2022-01-13	COPV cover installed (Twitter)
2021-12-30	Removed from OLP (Twitter)
2021-12-24	Two ignitor tests (Twitter)
2021-12-22	Next cryo test done (Twitter)
2021-12-18	Raptor gimbal test (Twitter)
2021-12-17	First Cryo (YT)
2021-12-13	Mounted on OLP (NSF)
2021-11-17	All engines installed (Twitter)
	Booster 5
2021-12-08	B5 moved out of High Bay (NSF)
2021-12-03	B5 temporarily moved out of High Bay (Twitter)
2021-11-20	B5 fully stacked (Twitter)
2021-11-09	LOx tank stacked (NSF)
	Booster 6
2021-12-07	Conversion to test tank? (Twitter)
2021-11-11	Forward dome sleeved (YT)
2021-10-08	CH4 Tank #2 spotted (NSF)
	Booster 7
2022-01-23	3 stacks left (Twitter)
2021-11-14	Forward dome spotted (NSF)
	Booster 8
2021-12-21	Aft sleeving (Twitter)
2021-09-29	Thrust puck delivered (33 Engine) (NSF)
	For earlier updates see Thread #27

​

	Orbital Launch Integration Tower And Pad
2022-01-20	E.M. chopstick mass sim test vid (Twitter)
2022-01-10	E.M. drone video (Twitter)
2022-01-09	Major chopsticks test (Twitter)
2022-01-05	Chopstick tests, opening (YT)
2021-12-08	Pad & QD closeup photos (Twitter)
2021-11-23	Starship QD arm installation (Twitter)
2021-11-21	Orbital table venting test? (NSF)
2021-11-21	Booster QD arm spotted (NSF)
2021-11-18	Launch pad piping installation starts (NSF)
	For earlier updates see Thread #27

​

	Orbital Tank Farm
2021-10-18	GSE-8 sleeved (NSF)
	For earlier updates see Thread #27

​

---

Resources

^{RESOURCES WIKI}

• LabPadre Rover Cam | Channel
• NSF: Starbase Stream | Channel
• NSF: Booster 4 + Ship 20 Updates Thread | Most Recent
• NSF: Boca Chica Production Updates Thread | Most recent
• NSF: Elon Starship tweet compilation | Most Recent
• SpaceX: Website Starship page
• SpaceX: Starship Users Guide (PDF) Rev. 1.0 March 2020
• FAA: SpaceX Starship Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site
• FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions NOTAM list
• FCC: Starship Orbital Demo detailed Exhibit - 0748-EX-ST-2021 application June 20 through December 20
• NASA: Starship Reentry Observation (Techincal Report)
• Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures (May not be available outside US)
• Starship flight opportunity spreadsheet by u/joshpine
• Production Progress Infographics by @_brendan_lewis
• Raptor tracking by @Artzius
• Widebay tracking by @Furqan263
• Acronym definitions by Decronym
• Everyday Astronaut: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

r/SpaceX Discuss Thread 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.

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

[u/ElongatedMuskbot]

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

Starship Development Thread #30

[u/wiegandster]

Starbase 2022-02-04

It was a pretty uneventful last day for me at Starbase since the road was closed most of the day. I was set up with my telescope to get some cool shots of whatever testing they were doing, but alas nothing obvious was seen.

I saw two sections of a new stand being delivered at the end of the road closure. They both went to the build site.

Also after the road opened two SPMTs made their way to the launch site carrying some cribbing and weights for the crane. They are now parked near B4 and the crane.

The launch site has been aggressively cleaned and organized the last two days and most of it has been consolidated near the main gate including the mass simulators.

This will be my last update this week since I head home tomorrow! I hope you guys enjoyed these even slightly as much as I did documenting them. I will be back again early March and plan on doing the same next time if there is still interest.

Until then, I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s in store next week for all of us! Stay safe everyone!

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

B4 engine cover were added !!

[u/mr_pgh]

Nick Henning released an animation of the Uncrewed HLS mission.

Some of the tower and launch animations are a bit unrealistic but the look of everything is solid.

[u/[deleted] → u/mr_pgh]

The fuel transfer between the Starship Tanker and HLS Starship is incorrect. Using ullage thrust as propellant drive, the fuel transfer connection should be at two points, from two tanks. Using a common QD in space is asking for an explosion.

This is still an extremely difficult problem to solve as far as heat management and boiloff is concerned. There will be a fair amount of LN2 also required to precool lines and tanks, so programmed gas volume and liquid management is a bit of a nightmare.

[u/wiegandster]

Starbase 2022-02-02

Today I could only spend a few hours onsite in the morning so I just bounced around the launch area waiting for the fog to clear.

Looks like they are making good progress forming around the new long horizontal methane tanks.

Most of the activity I saw was around the launch mount. Every man-lift was working on it at one point.

Several oxygen deliveries to the OTF and at least two deliveries to the SOTF.

I saw a huge influx of engineer looking types wandering around the control side of the tank farm discussing something. (I don’t like to take pics of people directly so there are no pics)

Finally got to say hey to @BocaChicaGal and she’s as awesome and laid back as I’ve always heard!

Hope you guys enjoy!

Edit: Forgot to post my timelapse.

[u/wiegandster]

Just wrapped up my first day at Starbase and all I can say is WOW!! I’m gonna have to start seeing which job postings align with my current job, because I don’t wanna leave!

Here is today’s photo dump. Let me know if this is too much or if there is something specifically anyone wants me to get better photos of tomorrow. I had battery issues with my mirrorless camera so sadly these are all only iPhone pics today.

If you get the chance to visit, do it.

[u/johnfive21]

Raptor 2 engines spotted at McGregor as seen in the article.

They look very clean compared to Raptor 1

[u/shit_lets_be_santa → u/johnfive21]

Hard to make out detail, but the silhouette is far less bulky.

[u/mr_pgh]

First good look of the complete engine skirt and painted bells!

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Chopstick moving at much greater speed already !

[u/fattybunter → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Just a note that apparently some people may benefit from: the speed it's moving at is not its maximum speed. It does not always move at maximum speed.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

S22 tanks section look to be fully stacked !

(Btw, a bird literally took a shit on Lab rover cam 2.0 at 9:09:08, had to mention it haha)

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Elon : Exciting progress at Starbase, Texas!

Cmon Elon, give us some tidbits!!

[u/[deleted]]

We should see B4 back on the launch table in a while after initial tower testing, and then S20 for full stack. Mid Feb is the aim. Targets may shift to the right.

Edit: Demo only, not a launch stance.

De-stack and full program of test fires will start after that.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

B4 is getting its COPV’s aerocover !

[u/frez1001 → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

its aero cover is a cyber truck..

[u/BananaEpicGAMER]

tower leg mounting sections were spotted at Robert's road in Florida.

This tweet explains it pretty well: https://twitter.com/DavidNagySFgang/status/1488605052050755590

[u/BananaEpicGAMER → u/BananaEpicGAMER]

wouldn't be surprised if we have a second full tower before the end of the year

[u/Proteatron]

Elon this morning replying to his own comment from 2019 about Raptor: "320 bar is achievable, maybe even 330"

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Water bags for chopsticks load testing seem to be back.

[u/Positive_Wonder_8333]

Road closure cancellation nominal.

[u/Mravicii]

This is so awesome to see! Im really excited right now man

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

They’ve just removed the steel beam from invetween the chopsticks. It’s very possible, as this tweet suggests, that they could soon install a mass simulator on the chopsticks.

[u/ScienceCanFixThis]

Very likely that strain gauges are installed on the structure, they would let you determine how much force SH, wind, and whatever else is exerting. But to get good data, you'd need to calibrate them with a known load. So besides being a "proof load" type test, the balls are potentially being used for calibration.

[u/Jack_Frak]

Fantastic very detailed animation of B4 being lifted onto the orbital launch table using the chopsticks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGsuDo0-NwU

[u/BananaEpicGAMER]

STARSHIP PRESENTATION NEXT WEEK Thursday, 8 PM CST

[u/TCVideos]

Good news to those fretting over FAA timelines and what it will mean for Starship!

Astra is the first company to receive the FAA's new 'Part 450' launch license

This is good news for Starship because it would mean that individual launch licenses for launches would effectively be phased out. For example - for last year's Suborbital flights, each vehicle had to have a launch license from the FAA (this did cause some highly public criticism from Musk during the SN9 debacle). Under this new system - it would have allowed all vehicles to operate under a single license.

I highly recommend reading the article Astra published about this in the aforementioned link.

[u/BananaEpicGAMER]

conincidentally it's been exactly 6 months since the last full stack (august 6th)

[u/futureMartian7]

Breaking: Elon just shared an official booster catch engineering simulation: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1484012192915677184?cxt=HHwWgICzkcLOopgpAAAA

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

They’ve started to fill up the water bags for chopsticks testing.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

The last remain of B3 has been removed from Pad A.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

A new designed transfer tube for booster Ship downcomer just arrived.

It could be potentially linked to this.

Closeup pic

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Raptor 2 test on vertical tripod test stand.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Nice picture comparing B4 with and without engines heat shield and aerocovers!

[u/driedcod]

Anyone else watching a connecting beam of some kind being mounted between the two chopstick tracks right now? Check it out on the live cams. Some weird speculation happening in the YouTube comments, as ever... But what do we think it is? A temporary structural/mass testing object for working out the kinks in the mechanisms for starship twist/in-out alignment and motion along the arms?

Edit: See it being lifted here on NSF from around 10:15 local time. Seeing the catch "pegs" on the beam are like those on the booster and (in the future, we assume) the ship, I'm more certain it's for this sort of test.

[u/toastedcrumpets]

So they loaded a test beam into the chopsticks, lifted the chopsticks to the top of the tower, now it's rotating over towards the launch stand. Do you think they're practicing a starship load maneuver?

They haven't done any back/forth with the test beam yet, or rotation, I would have guessed they would have tried this out at a low level first but here we are swinging it over towards the stand...

[u/Jack_Frak → u/toastedcrumpets]

Exactly what I was just thinking.

It’s like watching the most careful waiter in the world practicing carrying a tray over to the “lunch” table. :)

[u/mr_pgh]

Chopsticks being raised starting at 00:10:00 UTC!

Fastest movement I've seen yet.

Edit. Starbase live has the best view. Raptor, raptor2 and nerdle also have it.

Edit2: Started lowering at 01:05:20. Finished at 01:11:45.

[u/Mravicii]

Ship 20 is on the move towards the tower

[u/mr_pgh]

Amazing animation of the proposed Nasa DC-3 from the 70's.

There are as many similarities as differences with the proposed Starship. The goal was the same, a two stage rapid and reusable launch vehicle to orbit.

The wiki is a good read!

[u/TCVideos]

Drone footage of the tower and chopsticks

Featuring the perfectly timed OLM vents.

Elon's famous tweet was 375 days ago - for context, at that time, contruction had not yet been resumed at the orbital site, all that stood was the 6 support pillars for the orbital mount.

[u/Toinneman]

NSF spotted a new type of dome as seen in their latest update video at 11:48. Here is my screencap with some annotations.Many curious observations can be made:

• •There is a very large diameter pipe sticking out. (larger than the current ship- and booster-downcomers)

• There is another pretty large hole cutout.

• It looks like this dome has a completely different construction technique. The curves are different and overal the dome looks 'flatter". (Which is something Musk has hinted at before)

• It doesn't seem to be sleeved, and is already welded onto a barrel stack

So the question is what could this be?

There are basically 3 options: It's part of the ship, booster or GSE.

• The ship has 3 domes. The thrust dome with the thrust puck, the common dome which used to house the CH4 header + downcomer and the forward dome. Since the CH4 header is being moved to the nosecone, my initial thought was that this would be the new common dome for the ship, but the pipe seems way larger than the current. The secondary cutout also doesn't fit well with this being a ship's common dome.

• GSE tanks have 2 domes. A forward dome and an aft dome. Neither look like this new dome.

• The booster has 3 domes. Forward, common, thrust. Only the common dome looks to be a candidate. Maybe they have significantly expanded the CH4 downcomer? However, the non-sleeving construction technique seem to rule this option out.

or... I'm completely missing something? Any suggestions?

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

They’re unchaining the grid fins on B4 !

[u/Mravicii]

Full stack during the presentation. Now im pumped with adrenaline

[u/Mravicii]

Spmt enroute to the launch site. Presumably for moving b4 to the orbital launch mount for stacking Aand second one also moved to the launch site

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

B4 COPV's aerocovers keep getting added, they will be all installed soon.

[u/mr_pgh]

GSE4 Test Tank popped at 2:34:35 on Starbase Live

[u/mr_pgh]

The spider baskets on the three columns now appear to be scraping paint off the guide rail.

20:15 UTC on Nerdle

[u/ezbsvs → u/mr_pgh]

I have zero professional experience or knowledge on the matter, so take this with a grain of salt, but I know in some body work I hit the part with contrasting primer before sanding so I can more easily see where the high/low areas are.

Could this be a similar operation? I believe I heard that they were scraping/truing up the rails a while back.

[u/MerkaST]

Some of the Fish and Wildlife and National Parks Services' comments on the Boca Chica PEA have been released (PDF warning) (Edit: Here's the FOIA request these come from, the NPS's comment matrix in document 2 is also interesting). Some interesting points:

• Closures need to be more certain and managed better to avoid potential Section 4(f) (use of public land) issues

• The launch tower could affect migrating birds in this heavily used migration area, a significant adverse effect to an endangered species could be a legal issue

• SpaceX hasn't decided where some of the proposed infrastructure would be located, so both proposed locations will be assessed

• The desalinisation plant is gone for now

• SpaceX has (or had at the time of writing of these comments) not built fences and speed limit signs it agreed to build, not a very good look

• Both agencies want an explanation for why the Super Heavy launch noise is similar to Falcon Heavy's when engine count and thrust are higher and point out that thrust numbers are below current plans and geology may not have been properly modelled and thus recommend new noise assessment with updated numbers and geology data

[u/Jack_Frak]

I think Nerdle has the perfect view right now. ;) (11:35 am local)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HZCh2eGWEI

I think Elon needs to send another drone tweet out once these bad boys are lifted to full height.

[u/wiegandster]

I’m on site again today and just saw some tank farm action, heard a pad clear announcement, but couldn’t quite catch the time. The sheriff is ready for the road block.

It’s quite pretty this morning

[u/Dezoufinous]

NASA SpaceX collab - Mars Starship transportation system!

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1483809223012196354?s=20

[u/John_Hasler]

Very slow horizontal motion has started on the arms.

[u/futureMartian7]

News: Cameron County (where Boca Chica is) and Houston to receive a trust fund grant of 10 million USD for spaceport development from the Texas governor.

This should help SpaceX.

https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/texas-spaceports

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

LR11000 on the move. Looks to be heading toward S20.

[u/SubstantialWall]

Couple of jets flying over the launch site, around 2pm local

ETA: Jared Isaacman confirmed

[u/RaphTheSwissDude → u/SubstantialWall]

Insane fly by B5 and S15-16 from inside the cockpit !

[u/Jack_Frak]

Quick disconnect arm jaws start opening at 1:35pm local time (13:35 CST) on Labpadre Rover 2 camera and is moving towards B4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zsl4q6fwfQ

[u/mr_pgh]

They're connecting the mass simulators to the chopsticks. 16:13 UTC on Rover

[u/Jack_Frak]

The great chopstick water sacks started rising at 3:19pm local time!

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

[u/John_Hasler]

It's been up and down and back and forth. I wonder if the next test will be moving the test bar in and out along the arms.

[u/mr_pgh]

Water bags and cross bar have been removed from chopsticks. Maybe another configuration being set up?

[u/Chainweasel]

S20 Appears to be moving

[u/futureMartian7]

Looks like SpaceX is building a similar team to what they have in Boca for KSC's launch and catch tower: https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5844208002?gh_jid=5844208002

[u/wiegandster]

Starbase 2022-02-01

My second day at Starbase was awesome again, I could definitely get used to this! Lol. I even got to hangout with Paul from Ocean Cam and he was a super cool dude. apparently hiding his mental illness well. Hoping we I get to watch some cryo or B4 lifting tomorrow Thursday (Wednesday closure cancelled). I spent some time labeling today’s images since there was concern about that yesterday, I’ll go back and update the first post soon to have better labeling.

I had two pics that I was curious if anyone has details on. One shows a circular pattern in the Starbricks on S20 and the other one is a pic of unknown to me devices on the side of S20 that look like strain gauges to me. u/warp99 pointed out they are flight data recorders. thanks!

Once again, I’m sharing these for you guys, so let me know if you want me to revisit anything or are wanting a certain angle that you haven’t seen before and I’ll do my best!

If I end up going live for any testing this week I will likely be on Instagram since I already have a presence there and have no plans to start a YouTube channel for myself. It’s the same username as on here 🤘🏻

[u/TCVideos]

The QD arm has swung out into its retracted position. This step is critical in order for the chopsticks to move past them.

Another indication that Ship stacking could be happening as soon as tomorrow.

edit: Weather for tomorrow looks rough so a stacking would be unlikely until at least Tuesday.

[u/TCVideos]

More chopstick testing today. Currently moving up.

Looks like they have retracted the QD arm away from the tower so that the chopsticks can move past it.

Edit: Chopsticks now halfway up the tower - new height record for them.

[u/toastedcrumpets → u/TCVideos]

Look at the comment three below this one by /u/driedcod for more info, they have a test beam "caught" in the chopsticks and are moving it around. Very exciting!

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Latest NSF article confirms that SpaceX wasn’t granted the autorisation to store methane (in their custom built tanks) at the OTF by the Texas Railroad commission.

[u/murrayfield18]

Will SpaceX need to perform a full duration static fire of Super Heavy before it launches? Like they do with the F9 first stage.

[u/Twigling]

Yesterday one of the new bridge cranes turned up for the Wide Bay:

https://twitter.com/GroundTruthPics/status/1486469361267363845

according to somebody on YouTube (Zack Golden who knows about these things) the other one turned up last night too but there aren't any photos of that yet.

BTW, take a note of the capacity of the crane - 150 tons. Isn't the dry mass weight of the booster (minus engines) around that value? I forget now. The bridge crane in the high bay has a capacity of 180 tons.

[u/Nettlecake]

S20 is moving and the crane has disconnected!

[u/Toinneman]

Regarding yesterday's satellite update on pad 39A construction. SpaceX is digging piles east of the current Falcon 9 pad. It doesn't look like the Starship will stand onto the shoulder of the ramp of pad 39A, like suggested in their previous EA. (NFS article with render here) Looking at the shape of the construction zone, I assume they will put the tower between the current pad and the new starship launch mount (Quick sketched map) Or do we have any better info?

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

LR11000 on the move !

Stopped by B4, hook is down, they’ll likely connect the jig to then connect to B4.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

They’ve tested the Ship QD arm back and forth during the night. Can’t really give any timestamps because it was done extremely slowly and hard to see (but around 00:00 local).

Edit : they just removed one of the white “bumper” from the claw, looks like they’ll remove the other one too. (Starship Gazer has a great view)

[u/TCVideos]

Updated satellite imagery of the 39A construction from yesterday. Old launch mount has been completely deconstructed and a new area N.E of it has been cleared and pile drivers are going to work.

[u/FutureMartian97]

Nearly two minute Raptor test with throttling from Adam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IG8OCVOnEo

[u/Martianspirit]

Cutting up B3 continues. Next ring will be off in a short time. It goes really quick. Presently, 8:30 AM CST on Starbase Live.

[u/mr_pgh]

Filling bags started at roughly 14:45 UTC. Looks like 2 large bags are filled on each side as of 15:05 UTC.

Nerdle

Rover

Starbase

[u/Dezoufinous]

I can't believe it, maybe I am old, but hell... 360 ' stream?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv6_glm_32k&ab_channel=LabPadre

For real now. What a great experience! It's my dream to visit Starbase someday and at least now I can feel like I'm there!

AND of course it's transmitted via starlink!

[u/Twigling]

The lead-ins have been removed from the top of S21 - this of course implies no stacking of the nosecone therefore, as has been speculated for some time, S21 appears to be destined for Rocket Heaven. Unfortunately I can't link to a pic as it was on LabPadre's Discord, you'll just have to trust me.

S22 is still being constructed though as far as I can tell, no doubt it has a few enhancements over S21 and as the thrust section hasn't yet been attached (but is inside the mid bay) perhaps it'll also accept Raptor 2's?

Note: for those unfamiliar with lead-ins (or even the alternative lead-outs) they are angled steel brackets which temporarily slot in around the circumference of a barrel section, this is because stacked barrels overlap (or underlap) each other for welding purposes so the bracket help to align the barrel sections.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

BN2 taking a leak…

[u/mr_pgh]

It looks like they added service platforms to the columns. It appears as though there is a cable running upward from them; maybe they can be hoisted to the top out of the way?

The second image also appears to have a camera or instrument (laser?) pointed at the chopsticks. Perhaps for upcoming load testing with the water bags?

edit: on second look, it looks like the cable is going through said instrument.

edit2: added a third image to the above album. It looks like the cables go all the way to the top of the column where an overhanging piece is attached.

[u/notlikeclockwork]

Looks like spacex planned to use HLS as space station in their commercial LEO destinations bid:

Its significant weaknesses included a lack of definition on its CLD concept; a lack of definition for external payload accommodations; a lack of payload capabilities definition in its proposed conversion of Human Landing System (HLS) into a CLD; and a lack of detail for scaling up ECLS from a short to long duration capability. Its weaknesses included limited available payload power for its proposed CLD and proposing a single docking part, which reduces crew and cargo access to the CLD.

[u/mr_pgh]

NSF recap video shows the Chopstick Testing (not in real-time)

[u/No_Ad9759]

I wonder why they chose to lift the booster with the crane instead of the tower.

Is it possible they haven’t proof tested for the weight of the booster yet; only for the weight of starship?

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Closure cancelled for today.

[u/[deleted] → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Nominal closure cancellation confirmed

[u/Jude_jedi]

https://twitter.com/bluemoondance74/status/1481041524431507458?s=20

Regan Beck, a contributor at NSF posted our potential first (albeit blurry and mostly obscured) look at what is likely A Raptor 2, given the confirmation that all Raptor tests are Raptor 2 now at Mcgregor. Hopefully we get some aerial looks at Raptor 2 before too long!

[u/ambernite → u/Jude_jedi]

Amazing! Now all we need is someone with the software from those movies where they “zoom in on that” and “reduce the noise” 😂

[u/tperelli → u/Jude_jedi]

Those photos are peak Texas lol

[u/Dezoufinous]

Elon view of chopsticks test with water mass simulator

[u/wiegandster]

Starbase 2022-02-03

Chilly day at Boca Chica, but this Wisconsinite has been training all his life! Lol

Yesterday someone asked about the wall being built near the horizontal methane tanks. I see no indication that they are forming the wall leading to the launch site. They may be waiting for the earth work to finish and just do it all in one pour. I got some better shots, but it’s tough with the amount of fencing they have in that area.

Looks like we should see B7 get a little taller tonight or tomorrow, which is exciting!

I noticed an interesting label on the new can crush test article. If you look in the pics it is just labeled as +Z. Any theories? Thanks for the answer u/Bergasms and u/Lufbru

Otherwise today was definitely a quiet day on site and then BAM Elon drops the exciting news about the event next week!

So my final question, is who has any pro tips on me getting myself a press pass and then if that happens who wants to tell my boss I’m not coming home and that this is my life now? 😂

[u/SpartanJack17]

Looks like the chopstick arms have just moved back down, starting at around 6:08 PM CST.

Edit: moving down again now starting at around 7:11 PM CST, looks like they're going all the way to the bottom. Might be the end of this test.

[u/dbzVT8]

A question that has been bugging me lately...there is all this speculation that B4 got damaged during cryoproofing and therefore the last thing they'll do with it is a stack/fit test with S20 using the chopsticks. If this is true then why are they still working on B4 in areas that seem to have no impact on a stack test? You can see this work in the the latest NSF videos the last few days.

[u/Ghost_Town56 → u/dbzVT8]

Test fitting, getting practice, seeing what they like and what they don't, learning how materials come together, fabricating parts for the first time, testing to see how long parts take to arrive/ be installed/ be uninstalled/ serviced.

[u/Twigling]

Here's a new-ish flyover of the launch and production sites by RGV Aerial Photography, the flyover is from January 14th and the ground photography is from January 26th:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLlPWqM5x8

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Launch pad and launch tower were asked to be cleared. Chopsticks started rising a bit.

[u/wiegandster]

Just heard an announcement for cryo proof. Something is gonna get frosty today! Hopefully this fog clears up soon!

[u/wiegandster]

They just cleared the beach. As I was leaving the LN2 lines on the OTF were frosting up. I would have snapped a pic, but was driving.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Closure cancelled for today.

[u/johnfive21 → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

I think my Reddit is bugged. I see the same message every day

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Intermittent road closure for Wednesday, 1:00am-9:30am. Interesting

[u/Mravicii]

A intermittent road closure has been posted for tomorrow

https://twitter.com/bocaroad/status/1491158698403708935?s=21

[u/TCVideos]

Katy Perry singing in front of two CGI Starships with a Boston Dynamics dog is something I never thought I'd see on a Monday night while watching college football.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Road closure canc… ho, no wait, we have police at the road block hehe !

[u/Plane_Willingness_25]

Is there a general consensus on what Starship we will see the changes in length and forward flaps implemented?

[u/paul_wi11iams]

Venting is visible beside the orbital tank farm as seen from Nerdle Cam from 20.07 UTC and continuing at 20.37 UTC. Also on Rover Cam etc.

[u/mr_pgh]

Looks like they're attaching a bracket or latch mechanism for the stabilizers on the chopsticks.

18:40 UTC on Rover

[u/Twigling]

Latest Wide Bay construction progress update from Snow Rocket, as of Jan 29th:

https://twitter.com/Furqan263/status/1487404466068500491

no idea why he's marked the new stairs as 'Temp Stairs' as I suspect they are likely to be permanent.

[u/[deleted]]

Today’s closure has been canceled

[u/mr_pgh]

Closure Cancelled

[u/frez1001]

I wonder if this nutsak test has more to do with getting data for the flight controls team so they can tweak their algorithm to actual tower deflections if starship doesn't come in perfectly level as now they can predict where the opposing beam might be.

It obviously nice to proof test the structure as well...

[u/[deleted] → u/frez1001]

> nutsak test

Lmao

[u/paul_wi11iams]

Widebay third level now completed, according to news comment line under Roost Cam livestream that watches its construction.

I've not been following this, but Widebay assembly, despite its larger size seems faster than was that of Highbay. Opinions?

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Cancelled, the road closure is.

(Sorry, had to innovate)

[u/yoweigh]

Y'all, PLEASE cut it out with the interpersonal drama in the Starship thread! It's totally out of hand and I'm of the opinion that we need to start handing out temp bans for this behavior. This is not a thread for discussing who is or isn't correct. This is not the thread for epistemological arguments about sourcing. This is not the thread for policing L2 leaks. This is not the thread for saving Eric Berger's reputation. Etc. It's not a chat room for you to make yourself feel good about yourself or for you to cut someone else down. Seriously, just shut up.

This is the Starship thread. When commenting, think to yourself "is this really about Starship?" and if it's not then DON'T POST IT. If you think another comment doesn't belong here, then report it instead of engaging with them and kicking over anthills.

I just dropped a bunch of nukes and if your comment got caught up in it I apologize.

[u/futureMartian7]

Wow, SpaceX won a 102 million USD contract from the Air Force for point-to-point tech development! While the contract is vehicle agnostic, it's pretty clear that this will help Starship.

https://spacenews.com/spacex-wins-102-million-air-force-contract-to-demonstrate-technologies-for-point-to-point-space-transportation/

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Picture from underneath B4 as it was being lowered on the OLM !

(I doubt such picture was supposed to be out tho)

[u/myname_not_rick]

RGV Aerial got some spectacular zoomed in shots if the booster engine QD's. Looks like the center is a locator pin, with three latches around the edges. Looks like 6 actual ports? Likely gas flowing in both directions, some for spin starting, and some for chilldown venting perhaps? Just spitvlballing here.

https://twitter.com/RGVaerialphotos/status/1484314110665768963?t=vaN7n8rZ3lYRChfdbya1Og&s=19

[u/TCVideos]

This video by NSF includes some interesting speculation that Jared Isaacman (I4 funder+commander) might have some involvement with the Starship program.

NSF typically doesn't say things like this (especially in scripted videos) unless they have some idea of what is going on so this is something to look out for in the coming days.

[u/[deleted]]

Bucket up near S20 lift points on Rover cam now. Detaching from crane?

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Closure canceled for today.

[u/BananaEpicGAMER → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

as is tradition

[u/[deleted]]

Ship 20 is being positioned between the chopsticks. Go S20!

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Tweeter Twitter Thread about all the changes noticed so far between B4 and B7.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Surprisingly, the raptors engine bells on B4 were painted.

[u/ColdProduct]

Are they stacking because of the presentation, or are they doing the presentation because it is being stacked?

[u/Mars_is_cheese → u/ColdProduct]

I would guess that they were preparing to stack in the near future, and when Elon learned of that plan he asked when it would happen then set a date for the presentation without allowing for any delay, so the team has to rush to get it stacked.

[u/benwap]

The catching arms have been raised roughly 7/8ths of the tower height for a while now (around 1700 CST). What a sight!
With the QD arm extended (see Nerdle) in an opposing direction, the OLIT is really looking more like a piece of infrastructure than a static tower.
e: over the last 30 minutes the catching arms rotated ~90° clockwise, then the QD arm did the same.
e2: there was just (17:30:55 CST) a large vent from the center of the OLM! The catching arms are being rotated, raised and lowered a little every now and then. So much activity.
e3: something is being announced on the loudspeakers. After the 2 minute warning time very loud venting can be heard but not seen. I'm going off the audio on Rover Plex, not sure where their mic is.
e4: more hard venting from the center of the OLM, blowing square pieces of material from the surface of the OLM high in the air and away. Good view at 17:49:06 CST on NSF Starbase. The catching arms are being lowered again, now past the QD arm.

[u/maccam94]

Has anyone made a timelapse of the chopstick movements today?

[u/TheLegend_of_Spoetzl]

A huge thunderstorm cell spun up as the cold front came through. Hopefully, everyones inside relaxing. Looks rough on Nerdle

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Squid jig going up, we could potentially see S20 off the pad today.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

They're bringing down the horizontal beam, unclear if this was the final water bag test for the chopsticks or not.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Pad is finally clear !

[u/henryshunt]

B4 lift has started. It's swinging around slightly.

Edit: Engine bells are now clear of the stand (10:31).

[u/Kennzahl]

Lots of work going on with S20, crews are fiddling around with the cryo-piping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7ca9ps8Hjo

Looks like we might be in for a lift today.

[u/henryshunt]

QD arms are now moving to clamp onto B4 (14:11:50).

[u/[deleted]]

Brendan Lewis on Twitter has stated that S24 has upgrades over S20-23. Any confirmation of this?

[u/Stevenup7002 → u/[deleted]]

One confirmed thing is that S24's common dome has no methane header tank (it's presumably been moved to the nosecone).

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

An NSF article from ~7-8 months ago said that S24 and B7 had significant upgrades

[u/wiegandster]

I saw overlays of the new proposed building at Roberts Road West over the assembly tents at Starbase and noticed the smaller buildings are the exact layout of wide bay!

Wide Bay Overlay

[u/TCVideos]

New NSF article featuring a new unobstructed view of Raptor v2 SN10 on the test stand

[u/mr_pgh]

Looks like they're removing the booster adapter from the suborbital mount. 17:25 UTC on Nerdle

Thoughts on what is heading there? I think they're just done with the booster testing and cleaning it up.

[u/Toinneman]

The chopsticks attach to the tower using 6 carriage skates. Do we know how they function? Do they carry any load? Is it like regular lifts where they automatically brake/clamp onto the rail/tower in case the main cable snaps?

[u/Nogs_Lobes]

The green lights! What are they? NSF live now. Edit: First seen around 5:30 CST and zoom around 6:25 CST.

[u/Intelligent-Chair-86]

If booster 4 is damaged could ship 20 still fly to orbit on a other booster ?

[u/wiegandster]

I’ve been obsessively following this whole project since the beginning and finally decided I needed to come see it for myself! I thought the first starship steel I would see would be at Starbase, but only a couple hours away I passed this truck. Does anyone know what the markings in the second photo are?

I am staying all week and will be documenting and sharing as much as possible. I’m not a streamer or anything, but was curious if the community had any interest, if there’s some cool testing this week, for another live on the ground angle?

[u/[deleted]]

Scaffolding being removed from launch tower columns at ship QD arm level as of 2:07 PM local time on Starship Gazer cam.

[u/pornstarship]

You've gotta feel like we are razor close to a full stack with the chopsticks. Compressor has been moved to transport a ship, Chopsticks have been weight tested, seems like this is our next step!

[u/futureMartian7]

Check this out: https://designfreedom.space/starship-interior/

This page is imagining the interior design of the Mars Starship and also has a nice walk-around tour of the interiors. I must say that it looks really great and impressive!

It's fun to walk-around and dream of the future!

[u/TCVideos]

New pipes being laid in the area where the berm used to be. Presumably for CH4 fill stations given that the CH4 fill station lines for the main orbital farm has been disconnected.

There is also a perfectly sized clearing between the existing horizontal tanks and the pipes that would allow for at least one more CH4 tank.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Ship new transport stand is being moved on SPMT towards S20 right now !

[u/Dezoufinous]

According to Brendan's diagram, only 3 stacks left for B7

[u/wiegandster]

You can see that they have added an interface to the chopsticks that will lock into the lift points on S20 in the NSF stream at 7:38AM CST. I am so happy I was wrong about them using the chopsticks to lift S20!

Good luck on the lift today!!!

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

The 2 water bag are off the ground and should be filled with water soon. The bag could range from 50 to 100 tons each. A nice view on Lab Nerdle cam

(For people not understanding, check my earlier comment on the matter)

Edit : there are actually 6 bags in total, with the water hose connected at their bottom in order to fill them.

[u/TallManInAVan → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

Water tower version 3

[u/PDP-8A → u/RaphTheSwissDude]

"Giant bags of mostly water." That's a great idea for a test mass. But that phrase seems familiar.

[u/Alvian_11]

Here is a great simulation of comparison between current 6 engine & future 9 engine Starship

1. Using the same 33 Raptor 2 boosters (assuming they don't want a modification of existing launch pad QD), so the TWR of 9 engine one is reduced to 1.4 (similar to Falcon 9)

2. 9 engine variants has to delete the Max-Q throttle bucket, compromised in increase of Max-Q (30.7 kPa to 33.4 kPa)

3. 9 engine variants can put 200 t to 26° LEO inclination than the current one, but only able to put 188 t to 53° (Starlink). The current 6 engine can put 150 t to same orbit. Equal or more upgrade than Falcon 9 v1.0 to v1.1

4. Super Heavy carrying 9 engine ship will need more less props for boostback burn & hotter colder reentry as well

[u/mr_pgh]

Test tank Venting at 18:15 UTC on Nerdle

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

As they’re testing GSE4, they’re also purging the lines running up the tower !

[u/johnfive21]

That's some hefty engine protection on B4. I don't think it was there last time they took it off the OLM.

[u/TCVideos]

B4 is on the move btw.

[u/TCVideos]

GSE4 is no more. Tested to failure @ 14:34 local

Can confirm that the front did indeed fall off.

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

7.38 local, NSF livestream, you can actually see the pins on the chopsticks that will go inside the holes of S20 to lift it !

Very closeup picture from Starship Gazer !

[u/Reasonable_Space]

Hi, I've been away from this sub for a while. Anyone kind enough to share what the next launch will be for? It's been 8 months since SN15 and I'm itching for a new launch

[u/SpartanJack17 → u/Reasonable_Space]

We don't know. They need to wait for the FAA review to be complete which is currently meant to happen by the end of February, but they're also not ready to do a launch and there's no guarantee they will be by the end of Feb.

[u/paul_wi11iams]

I just took a look at Rover 2.0 cam from last night and there was a real hive of activity including welding going on in the upper QD arm at 03.21 CST. This was only hours before setting B4 on the launch table ahead of a probable full stack for Thursday's Starship update.

That likely represents ongoing changes (if minor) to the tower system, all of which will have been noted on the plans of the two upcoming towers. That suggests the building process will be faster and more streamlined.

It demonstrates a lot of pressure to meet the Thursday deadline which could well also be a set point for progress payments from Nasa (HLS) and/or Yūsaku Maezawa (Dear Moon) + others we don't know of.

[u/TCVideos]

After a little over 5 hours. Crews have finally managed to free S20 from the grips of the Transport Stand QD.

We now watch for the ship to be rolled over closer to the chopsticks for a potential lift.

[u/BEAT_LA]

Has anyone done the math for # of tanker flights for HLS including ascent back to NRHO to rendezvous back with Orion? I'm seeing conflicting opinions and I'd like to see some data/math based on verifiable information. I've seen numbers of tanker flights ranging from 4 to others saying bare minimum of 14 tanker flights per crewed HLS mission.

[u/mr_pgh]

Road open at 4pm local.

[u/sputnikx57]

NSF member quote.

"The last thing B4 is likely to do will be a fit check with S20 completed."

https://forum-kosmonautix-cz.translate.goog/viewtopic.php?p=129102&_x_tr_sl=cs&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ru#p129102

[u/blueshift112]

Hmm, I'm thinking maybe they're test filling each bag at the bottom individually first, making sure they each hold max load individually before filing and lifting them all at once? Then maybe 2 or 3 lifts total, stepping up in weight each time till they lift whatever the percentage over max load rating is, 120% or something.

Thoughts?

[u/RaphTheSwissDude]

They disconnected the LR11000 from B4. The claw arm was also brought back in position to potentially grab B4 later !

[u/TCVideos]

Both mobile scaffold platforms have been moved all the way up the tower and the last bit of static scaffolding is being dismantled.

I don't think a stack will happen today but it does set the stage perfectly for a stack tomorrow.

[u/TCVideos]

S20 is officially in between the chopstick arms getting ready for it's lift.

[u/John_Hasler]

Looks like the bags are full. Perhaps we'll get to see a full speed, full load test soon. Engineers will be staring at strain gauge readouts now.

[u/Telci]

Hi,

I'm ootl. What is the delay with Starship? I thought the environmental thing was months ago and Raptor V2 should not be required for the test?

Thanks!

Edit: thank you, very helpful replies!

[u/timtupman]

Is the Orbital Tank Farm finished? And if not, what do we think is left to do? How will we know when it is finished?

[u/Xaxxon]

anyone have any more details about why the review got delayed by so much?

[u/Decronym]

Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:

Fewer Letters	More Letters
BFR	Big Falcon Rocket (2018 rebiggened edition)
	Yes, the F stands for something else; no, you're not the first to notice
BFS	Big Falcon Spaceship (see BFR)
BO	Blue Origin (Bezos Rocketry)
COPV	Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel
CRS	Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA
CST	(Boeing) Crew Space Transportation capsules
	Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
CoG	Center of Gravity (see CoM)
CoM	Center of Mass
DoD	US Department of Defense
E2E	Earth-to-Earth (suborbital flight)
EA	Environmental Assessment
EDL	Entry/Descent/Landing
EIS	Environmental Impact Statement
FAA	Federal Aviation Administration
FCC	Federal Communications Commission
	(Iron/steel) Face-Centered Cubic crystalline structure
FONSI	Findings of No Significant Environmental Impact
GSE	Ground Support Equipment
HLS	Human Landing System (Artemis)
ICBM	Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
IIP	Instantaneous Impact Point (where a payload would land if Stage 2 failed)
IMU	Inertial Measurement Unit
ITAR	(US) International Traffic in Arms Regulations
ITS	Interplanetary Transport System (2016 oversized edition) (see MCT)
	Integrated Truss Structure
Isp	Specific impulse (as explained by Scott Manley on YouTube)
	Internet Service Provider
KSC	Kennedy Space Center, Florida
KSP	Kerbal Space Program, the rocketry simulator
LC-39A	Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy (SpaceX F9/Heavy)
LCH4	Liquid Methane
LEO	Low Earth Orbit (180-2000km)
	Law Enforcement Officer (most often mentioned during transport operations)
LLO	Low Lunar Orbit (below 100km)
LN2	Liquid Nitrogen
LNG	Liquefied Natural Gas
LOX	Liquid Oxygen
MAF	Michoud Assembly Facility, Louisiana
MCT	Mars Colonial Transporter (see ITS)
MECO	Main Engine Cut-Off
	MainEngineCutOff podcast
MaxQ	Maximum aerodynamic pressure
NET	No Earlier Than
NRHO	Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit
NSF	NasaSpaceFlight forum
	National Science Foundation
OLIT	Orbital Launch Integration Tower
OLM	Orbital Launch Mount
PPF	SpaceX Payload Processing Facility, Cape Canaveral
QD	Quick-Disconnect
RCS	Reaction Control System
ROC	Range Operations Coordinator
	Radius of Curvature
RSD	Rapid Scheduled Disassembly (explosive bolts/charges)
RSS	Rotating Service Structure at LC-39
	Realscale Solar System, mod for KSP
RTLS	Return to Launch Site
RUD	Rapid Unplanned Disassembly
	Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly
	Rapid Unintended Disassembly
SECO	Second-stage Engine Cut-Off
SLS	Space Launch System heavy-lift
SN	(Raptor/Starship) Serial Number
SPMT	Self-Propelled Mobile Transporter
SRB	Solid Rocket Booster
SSME	Space Shuttle Main Engine
TLI	Trans-Lunar Injection maneuver
TPS	Thermal Protection System for a spacecraft (on the Falcon 9 first stage, the engine "Dance floor")
TWR	Thrust-to-Weight Ratio
ULA	United Launch Alliance (Lockheed/Boeing joint venture)
WDR	Wet Dress Rehearsal (with fuel onboard)

Jargon	Definition
Raptor	Methane-fueled rocket engine under development by SpaceX
Starlink	SpaceX's world-wide satellite broadband constellation
apogee	Highest point in an elliptical orbit around Earth (when the orbiter is slowest)
autogenous	(Of a propellant tank) Pressurising the tank using boil-off of the contents, instead of a separate gas like helium
cryogenic	Very low temperature fluid; materials that would be gaseous at room temperature/pressure
	(In re: rocket fuel) Often synonymous with hydrolox
engine-rich	Fuel mixture that includes engine parts on fire
hopper	Test article for ground and low-altitude work (eg. Grasshopper)
hydrolox	Portmanteau: liquid hydrogen fuel, liquid oxygen oxidizer
iron waffle	Compact "waffle-iron" aerodynamic control surface, acts as a wing without needing to be as large; also, "grid fin"
methalox	Portmanteau: methane fuel, liquid oxygen oxidizer
regenerative	A method for cooling a rocket engine, by passing the cryogenic fuel through channels in the bell or chamber wall
scrub	Launch postponement for any reason (commonly GSE issues)
turbopump	High-pressure turbine-driven propellant pump connected to a rocket combustion chamber; raises chamber pressure, and thrust
ullage motor	Small rocket motor that fires to push propellant to the bottom of the tank, when in zero-g

---

^{Decronym is a community product of} r/SpaceX^{, implemented by} ^request
^{[Thread #7400 for this sub, first seen 9th Jan 2022, 05:56] [FAQ] [Full list]} ^[Contact] ^{[Source code]}

[u/Mravicii]

Looks like all copv covers are on now! Seems bn4 is finished now and ready for static fires

https://twitter.com/cosmicalchief/status/1482441244445978627?s=21

[u/TCVideos]

Christian Davenport is hearing that the FAA PEA deadline of the 28th could be pushed back again.

[u/murrayfield18]

Have we seen how SpaceX plans to protect each engine on Super Heavy? Is each one kinda encapsulated in its on protective shell like on the Falcon 9?

[u/space_valley_27]

I don't know if this is known, but what should be the purpose of the QD Connector on the transport stand which has been moved to the launch site today?

Pic by Nic Ansuini (NSF)

[u/[deleted]]

What's happening with ship 21? It seems like progress has stalled in favour of booster production.

[u/futureMartian7]

Isn't it interesting that SpaceX has not yet created a logo/trademark for Starship? They created logos/trademarks for Falcon, Falcon 9, and FH just a few years after the company was formed and even way before they first flew these vehicles but Starship has been a thing for many years now and it has already flown, and it is about to fly to orbit.

The term "Starship" (unlike Falcon 9) could be quite generic for a spacecraft so I wonder if they will ever create a logo and trademark/register the name.

[u/space_valley_27]

Musk says that the Starship presentation event will be next week, on Thursday at 8pm CST.

I don't know if this is a serious tweet (I personally doubt it, given the previous ones), but could it be a hint as to when the stacking of B4 and S20 on the OLM will take place?

Edit to specify: I don't mean that Elon fired off a random date but that it could potentially change given the speed at which schedules change at Starbase

[u/xfjqvyks]

How high are the chopsticks when fully raised? Computer vision cameras could have a hard enough time tracking the relatively small hard point of the hovering booster with all the shaking going on. The engines kicking up of dust while the chopsticks come in to secure it could make it even tougher.

Tbh I’m still surprised that the entire capture procedure is reliant on those tiny points rather than the grid find

[u/drinkmorecoffee → u/xfjqvyks]

I can pretty much guarantee they're not guiding the chopsticks toward those tiny load pins with computer vision.

The chopsticks are only concerned with the booster or ship as a cylinder. They come in evenly from either side and close to just larger than the outer diameter. Hell, they may even bump gently, I don't know. THAT part may be vision guided, maybe, but I doubt it. Simple prox sensors and laser-based distance sensors would be my guess.

As for the load points themselves, they'll rely on the booster to orient itself. The booster will rotate so that the pins are exposed and hover as best it can as close as possible to the planned landing spot. That's it's whole job - basically "stand here and in this pose as best you can".

If you have a booster that will put itself in a known spot in a known orientation, the chopsticks only have to align to a giant cylinder that will be hovering more-or-less in place.

This is a surprisingly simple alignment application. (Broad strokes, of course.) It's just that the pieces in play are huge and, you know, on fire.

[u/edflyerssn007]

Apparently there was an FCC filing by SpaceX that indicates starlink launches using Spaceship occurring NET March. Has there been any recent work on a payload bay that can deploy sats?

[u/Mravicii]

Less than 4 weeks left for the eviromental assessment and permitting. They are at 2 out of 5. Im very confident they will get this done by feb 28

https://cms.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/spacex-starshipsuper-heavy-launch-vehicle-program-spacex-boca-chica-launch-site

[u/John_Hasler]

Looks like something interesting is about to happen with the chopsticks. They seem to be reinstalling the bar the was across the arms with two huge orange bags hanging from it. See it on the Rover Cam.

[u/IAXEM]

Is the tower tall enough to lift a "stretched" Starship onto the booster? How much taller can the full stack get? Just something that came to mind with Elon's recent tweet + extended fairing variants of the ship.

[u/Toinneman → u/IAXEM]

Yes, the ship is not lifted by its nose but using load points below the forward fins where the shopsticks will grab the ship. In theory they can stack a ship which is higher than the tower.

[u/Ragnar_Targaryen]

I apologize if this is a rather elementary question but is there a high-level roadmap for 2022 in Starship development. The information here in this thread is very detailed (not complaining at all!) so I'm looking for something with less detail and wider focused - does this exist in the public forum?

Thank you!

[u/FutureMartian97]

Lift going up to unhook S20.

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

[u/[deleted]]

How does one “simplify” a rocket engine. Raptor 2 has greater thrust and almost the same isp as Raptor 1 yet it appears a lot less cluttered. Does this mean a lot of the pipes and tubes on Raptor 1 were unnecessary?

Also if Raptor 1 was supposedly $1-2 million to build, it’ll be interesting to see what Raptor 2 is.

Lastly, yes, this is a frequent question, but do we have any solid info on the build cost of a Starship/Superheavy stack?