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SpaceX Starship: Orbital Test Flight (launch: April 17, webcast link)

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  • SpaceX Starship: Orbital Test Flight (launch: April 17, webcast link)

    Starship Orbital Test Flight

    NET June 20th, 2021

    On March 16, 2021 Elon Musk expressed the goal of performing a Starship orbital test flight in July, 2021.

    Rob Dickinson @Rjdlandscapes
    Mar 16, 2021
    Replying to @elonmusk @Erdayastronaut and @SpaceX
    Crazy! Full stack flight July?
    |
    Elon Musk ✓ @elonmusk
    That’s our goal



    On November 20, 2020 SpaceX and NASA entered into an agreement for tracking Starship during re-entry,

    NASA has selected 17 U.S. companies for 20 partnerships to mature industry-developed space technologies for the Moon and beyond. The NASA and industry


    SpaceX will partner with NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to capture imagery and thermal measurements of its Starship vehicle during orbital re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. With the data, the company plans to advance a reusable thermal protection system, which protects the vehicle from aerodynamic heating, for missions returning from low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
    There will also be observers at the Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.

    Now there's an FCC filing for the Starship orbital test flight (PDF)



    Flight Profile

    The Starship Orbital test flight will originate from Starbase, TX. The Booster stage will separate approximately 170 seconds into flight. The Booster will then perform a partial return and land in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 20 miles from the shore. The Orbital Starship will continue on flying between the Florida Straits. It will achieve orbit until performing a powered, targeted landing approximately 100km (~62 miles) off the northwest coast of Kauai in a soft ocean landing.

    Objectives

    SpaceX intends to collect as much data as possible during flight to quantify entry dynamics and*better understand what the vehicle experiences in a flight regime that is extremely difficult to*accurately predict or replicate computationally. This data will anchor any changes in vehicle design*or CONOPs after the first flight and build better models for us to use in our internal simulations
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    In preparation for the Orbital Test Flight the >469 foot/142 meter Integration Tower is going up in segments using the beastly Liebherr 11350 crawler crane.

    Eventually this integration tower will have a booster catching system. This will "grab" a landing booster during a hover and insert it back in the launch mount.

    The launch table platform and its legs are being prepared for joining after the tower is comp!ered. 3D concept on Twitter,



    Construction progress


    Brady Kenniston @TheFavoritist
    That’s going to be one tall tower.

    The full Starship stack is going to be ridiculous.



    IMG_20210618_193750.jpg
    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 18 June 2021, 17:52.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

    Comment


    • #3
      New numbers on the launch tower. Big SOB...

      I added the metric conversions...

      FAA PDF...


      ** DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION **
      >
      >
      Structure: Launch Tower
      Location: Brownsville, TX
      Latitude: 25-59-45.95N NAD 83
      Longitude: 97-09-16.94W

      Heights:

      9 feet site elevation (SE) (2.743m)

      479 feet above ground level (AGL) (145.999m)

      488 feet above mean sea level (AMSL) (148.742m)
      >
      Dr. Mordrid
      ----------------------------
      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

      Comment


      • #4
        TankWatchers @WatchersTank
        Jun 24, 2021
        BN2.1 ROLLBACK

        BN2.1, SpaceX’s Super Heavy test tank, has been lifted from its testing mount stationed between Pad A and Pad B.

        With today’s road closure canceled, a rollback is now expected in the coming days.
        |
        Elon Musk ✓ @elonmusk
        We’re almost done with first prototype booster. This will go to test stand A. Next one will fly to orbit. Team has been crushing it many days & nights in a row!

        Dr. Mordrid
        ----------------------------
        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

        Comment


        • #5
          Raptor Vacuum (RVac) arrives at Starbase. 3 of these powerful engines power Starship into orbit, and beyond.

          IMG_20210627_195856.jpg

          Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 27 June 2021, 17:06.
          Dr. Mordrid
          ----------------------------
          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

          Comment


          • #6
            Super Heavy Booster 3 rolls out for pressure & cryogenic testing

            Height: 70 meters (229.66 feet)
            Width: 9 meters (29.5 feet)
            Engines;
            Center cluster: 9 sea level Raptors
            Outer ring: 20 RBoost Raptors (high thrust variant)
            Liftoff thrust: 7,500 tonnes (16,534,670 lb-f)

            Orbital Launch Pad Integration Tower gets segment #7 (of 8).

            20210701_145036.jpg

            20210701_145043.jpg

            Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 1 July 2021, 14:14.
            Dr. Mordrid
            ----------------------------
            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

            Comment


            • #7
              So much for the 29 Super Heavy engine arrangement; 32 or 33.

              7,600 t-f is 17,024,000 lb-f, and a thrust/weight of 1.5 means it'll get off the pad in a sporty fashion.

              500 million is clearly a typo - 500 thousand

              Dr. Mordrid
              ----------------------------
              An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

              I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

              Comment


              • #8
                Super Heavy Booster 3 static fire next week with a partial engine count (can't do a full set until the orbital launch pad is complete)

                Everything SpaceX @spacex360
                A second Raptor has arrived at the launch site ahead of installation onto Booster 3 (see far left)!

                Dr. Mordrid
                ----------------------------
                An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                Comment


                • #9
                  Super Heavy engine count decided;

                  33 Raptor 2's with 230 t-f (500,000+ lb-f) of thrust each.

                  Dr. Mordrid
                  ----------------------------
                  An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                  I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Super Heavy Booster 3 static fire attempt Monday, July 19 between 1300-2300 Eastern. Only a couple engines, likely testing ground support equipment and the internal systems & plumbing.

                    Dr. Mordrid
                    ----------------------------
                    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      SpaceX's Super Heavy booster did a static fire. 3 engines today, Musk teased a possible 9 engine firing.




                      Dr. Mordrid
                      ----------------------------
                      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Boca Chica

                        Section #9 added to the Orbital Launch Tower, reaching 469 ft/143 m. It also gets a 10 ft/3 m lightning arrestor and robotic arms for catching the booster. Nickname: "Mechazilla"



                        Another 39.3 ft/12 m propellant tank added to the Orbital Launch Pad (OLP) tank farm



                        Orbital Launch Table moved to the OLP site.



                        OLT from above



                        @BocaChicaGal (Mary) took a portrait of the launch site. If all goes well a second tower, pad, and tank farm will be built near this one.

                        20210729_004226.jpg

                        Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 28 July 2021, 21:45.
                        Dr. Mordrid
                        ----------------------------
                        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Super Heavy's grid fins will not fold for launch, and their wheel of cheese tradition is being honored.

                          Also, the <MASSIVE> Orbital Launch Table was mounted to its legs this morning. Outfitting will commence then Super Heavy Booster 4 will roll out for pad tests.

                          20210731_152630.jpg






                          Screenshot_2021-07-31-14-30-41-455.jpeg
                          Dr. Mordrid
                          ----------------------------
                          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            About 500 SpaceXers have been brought in from California, Florida, etc. to help get the pad, tower, and tank farm ready for Booster 4 tests and the first orbial Starship launch. They want it ready for the full stack in about 10 days.

                            20210731_164004.jpg

                            20210731_164016.jpg
                            Dr. Mordrid
                            ----------------------------
                            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Booster 4 engines installed overnight. Possible rollout to the pad Tuesday.

                              20210802_160228.jpg

                              Dr. Mordrid
                              ----------------------------
                              An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                              I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                              Comment

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