SpaceX (general discussion)

Hopefully they've got a robust QA/ Inspection program in place lest we find out SN2 was a lucky one-off.
 
"One trip alert on engine high power" sounds more like they got some sort of out of normal range sensor reading as the engines reached their high power setting. They later reported that the abort was due to an "out of family" sensor reading, which means one of the sensors passed an unexpected value, not necessarily excessive thrust.
 
Doesn't seem like the booster for the Starlink launch landed on the barge. It made a successful re-entry burn but there was no callout for the landing burn. No update on Twitter so possibly broke up coming down through the atmosphere or the engines didn't re-light for landing. This would have been the 5th landing for this specific booster. They also had trouble on the previous Starlink booster landing so I wonder if it could be related to the new launch trajectory they use for these missions.
 
This video on Everyday Astronaut Twitter account shows an unusual smoke event near MECO where it is speculated that an engine may have failed. Also, a piece of debris is seen passing by just before the re-entry burn. If an engine was damaged, it might have caused caused atmospheric flight instability or heating.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1240264453997944832
 
Meant to post this yesterday:
science.slashdot.org

SpaceX Encounters First Launch Delay Due To Coronavirus - Slashdot

On Tuesday, the Air Force's 45th Space Wing confirmed that the timing for SpaceX's upcoming SAOCOM launch, which was set to take off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on March 30 using a Falcon 9 rocket, has been put on "indefinite" hold due to the impact of the current coronavirus...
science.slashdot.org
 
Don't know if it had been already reported here:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Friday picked SpaceX as the first supplier to bring cargo to the agency's Gateway station in orbit around the moon, a big contract win for Elon Musk's space company.
Click to expand...

www.cnbc.com

SpaceX's most powerful rocket will send NASA cargo to the moon's orbit to supply astronauts

NASA on Friday picked SpaceX as the first supplier to take cargo to the agency's Gateway station in orbit around the moon.
www.cnbc.com www.cnbc.com


We just entered the age of interplanetary business... Ripley, wake up!

gettyimages-2694406.jpg
 
new video from Boca Cica
seems that new building wil be much lower as expected...

Question what are those Yellow rods something hydraulic ?

TomcatViP said:
We just entered the age of interplanetary business... Ripley, wake up!
Click to expand...

Rocket Sommer is coming...
 
Michel Van said:
new video from Boca Cica
seems that new building wil be much lower as expected...

Question what are those Yellow rods something hydraulic ?
Click to expand...

They look like actuator rods with their length being the travel length. The cone supporting structure is elevated but has freedom of movement along the circumference (3 pivot points to reduce the gelly effect on the nose cone while being raised).
 
so far i understand the Rods, seems that next Test will be SN3 cryogenic fueling and put hydraulic pressure on it Thrust structure
So a SN2 Test rerun this time with Complete Tanks and structure.
but what next ?
SN3 end up in backyard like SN2, SN1 and Mark 1 nosecone ?
or will SN3 completed and Static test firing and 20k flight ?

current change on Boca Chica site
this older picture show site
the tent marked with ? is new low tent 4
the square marked with ? next WJ down right, is new Assembly building "Lowbay (LB)"
what ever they need it it involve moving heavy stuff with a bridge crane !

here is patter emerging
if Tent4 is for ring segment production
Then Tent 3, 2, 1, LB serve to assemble of starship segments, that are put together in HB.
again open question:
What will happen to Windbraker ? seem it got no function on site.
Wenn they build a "VAB" for Superheavy ? HB is too small for 70 meter tall first stage.
 

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Are people surprised at the sudden announcement of Dragon XL?
 
Michel Van said:
so far i understand the Rods, seems that next Test will be SN3 cryogenic fueling and put hydraulic pressure on it Thrust structure
So a SN2 Test rerun this time with Complete Tanks and structure.
but what next ?
Click to expand...
SN3 is currently planned to perform cryo testing, a static fire and then a ~150m hop.

Michel Van said:
What will happen to Windbraker ? seem it got no function on site.
Wenn they build a "VAB" for Superheavy ? HB is too small for 70 meter tall first stage.
Click to expand...
They'll presumably begin a big high bay some time in the next few months; as for the windbreaker, they might use the windbreaker for assisting stacking ring segments taller than 4 rings as production ramps up and there's multiple Starships start being stacked concurrently. So you might have a CH4 tank being assembled in the WB, a full tank section being stacked in the HB and full Starships or SuperHeavies being stacked in a future VAB (the current HB is slightly too short to stack full Starships; in the interim they'll have to just do it slightly outdoors).
 
Some random thinking about this

- never realized Dragon 1 would be replaced by... a *cargo Dragon 2*. How about that.

- what's the point of Dragon XL since the Gateway might be screwed to get that 2024 landing faster ?
 

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