Starship - SpaceX

[Xist]

I never liked International buses, the steering wheel hurt my hands.

[freebeard]

I never liked International buses, the steering wheel hurt my hands.

Summers during high school* and college I drove an International COE truck, 14K GVW box van delivering dairy feed into the Oregon Coast Range.

With a half load on gravel roads, it was FASTER TO DRIFT THE CORNERS.

*During college anyway, during high school it was a hand truck with six foot tall oak handles (5-600lb GVW).

[redpoint5]

Launch 9 scheduled next Tuesday the 3rd at 3:30pm PST.

Predictions?

I'll predict the engines survive this flight, and a controlled re-entry. I don't know if they're giving themselves the option to catch Starship or not.

[freebeard]

They're not going to catch the booster.

It's it's last flight and it's more important to not break Stage Zero.

It will think it's being caught until it gets wet.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

They're not going to catch the booster.

It's it's last flight and it's more important to not break Stage Zero.

It will think it's being caught until it gets wet.

Interesting. You'd think every attempt is worthwhile from a learning perspective, because I still expect a failure at some point, and the solution will need to be figured out.

[freebeard]

Risk mitigation. Here's the story in the first 5:20:
Final Moments before Flight 9! What's Wrong with SpaceX's Starship?
The problem is with the Block 3 ship, they still have Block 2 ships that haven't flown.

edit:
Here's an interesting development.
BREAKING: We Finally Know Why Starship Flight 8 Failed! SpaceX Reveals All at 6:03
They will block some ports on the hot stage ring to kick the booster in a known (not random) direction.

[redpoint5]

Watched the launch today and it was a bit disappointing. They pushed the booster too hard and it did not have a controlled splashdown. The Starship engines finally survived the full boost duration, but then the bay doors didn't open to deploy the payload, and then a fuel leak caused a loss of attitude control and another RUD re-entry. Don't know why they're having leaks all the time.

[freebeard]

I hear they are going for a 4 week cadence. They had less problems with the V1 Starship. It will be sorted out eventually.

Meanwhile Blue Origin is showing an updated Moon lander. SpaceX's Moon ambitions are currently tied to Boeing and Artemis. I like the idea of a mini-Starship in the cargo bay of the big Starship, for a Moon lander.

And instead of a Starship fuel depot, I think the Think Orbital 20 meter sphere would make a cromulent fuel or oxidizer tank.

[Piotrsko]

Cryogenic leaks are difficult to find and fix. It won't leak hot or at room temp, might not leak partially cold, but acts like an open tube flowing for a while until it freezes solid. Wee bit of the leaking fuels is all it takes because it's super corrosive and highly powerful energy wise. Monomethyl hydrazine will attempt to oxidize bricks. Have to passivate the special stainless, and no bends more than 45 degrees at several tube diameters as a bend radius

[freebeard]

Starship blowed up real good.

SpaceX's Latest Starship Explodes During Ground Test
It was a deflagration, not a detonation.