SpaceX (general discussion)

sferrin said:
NeilChapman said:
What is the latest hypothesis on when Starship flight will be?
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Last I saw Elon said, "maybe August" but I'm sure it's dependent on what they find out as a result of the *BOOM*.
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The pictures on NSF showed quite a few of the outboard engine fairings blown off and clear damage to a number of the engine bells. Hopefully since it's an early prototype the key structural parts down there are instrumented and they have the data to show none were out of limits.
 
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Rocket toys only-better not be Funko-type crap. Now for board games: Bezos sues again-back two spacers...'you sank my SPAC!" Branson craft crashes..sing Rocky Mountain High...bounce D-20 off trampoline to dodge Putin's ASAT!
 
publiusr said:
Rocket toys only-better not be Funko-type crap. Now for board games: Bezos sues again-back two spacers...'you sank my SPAC!" Branson craft crashes..sing Rocky Mountain High...bounce D-20 off trampoline to dodge Putin's ASAT!
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They’ll make what sells the most not what people on aviation forums think they should. Especially with Space X huge brand recognition.
 
Robert Road KSC the Starship Factory take shape

FYML1TKWAAAypYB
 
updates
SpaceX will try to return Booster 7 to Launch site and catch it !!!
Fourth Segment of KSC launch tower installed

and rumours
it seems that SpaceX is building a second Starship launch tower at KSC
according the amount of material delivery at Robert road

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfYb-h9e60U
 
SpaceX conducted the 166th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket

This year SpaceX made 32 launches and year is not over yet, another 30 launches until December...
For every single launch of the competitions, SpaceX launch 10 rockets and reuse the first stage !
 
Archibald said:
Why hasn't BFR-Starship flown yet ? what is holding it back ?
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As a more serious answer:
1. They don't have a launch license yet. They have permission for the launch site, but the launch license for the rocket itself is still being worked on.
2. B7 was recently damaged in an 'external overpressure event' (explosion) during all-engine turbine spinup test. They haven't come out and said it, but right now rumors point to it being scrapped and B8 being used instead.
 
Estes Model Rockets will be releasing a SpaceX Dragon/Falcon 9 flying model rocket before Christmas. Other models to come are SLS and New Shepard. All are 1/100 scale.

The rightmost photo below shows Estes principals John and Ellis Langford with Estes model prototypes that were shown at NARAM-63: SLS, Falcon 9 and New Shepard.
 

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Maybe Mattel will work with them. Starship is fat enough that the tech used in the shaped flying penguin balloons might apply...staging exhaust from vape pen..indoors at walking speed-instead of blink-and-you-miss-it hobby rockets. Aerogel nozzles.
 
Richard N said:
Estes Model Rockets will be releasing a SpaceX Dragon/Falcon 9 flying model rocket before Christmas. Other models to come are SLS and New Shepard. All are 1/100 scale.

The rightmost photo below shows Estes principals John and Ellis Langford with Estes model prototypes that were shown at NARAM-63: SLS, Falcon 9 and New Shepard.
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Got nothin' on my Estes X-Wing back in the late 70s. :)
 
In the early 2000s, Estes made a rocket called "The Dude". It was a 7.5' tall mylar envelope with taped on plastic fins, motor mount, and fittings. Like the Atlas, it needed to be inflated with gas to be stiff enough to stand up. Performance could be improved by inflating it with helium making it 2oz lighter. It already looks like a Starship and even lands like one. It would be interesting and fun for Estes to produce a "Dude" Starship.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E9liSJyIE8
 

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December launch planned for Polaris Dawn [dated Aug. 1]

In an appearance at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 29, Isaacman said he expected the mission to fly late this year. “We’re looking at the end of the year right now so, so likely December.”

The mission has three major goals. One is to fly Crew Dragon in an orbit with an apogee of 1,400 kilometers, the highest for a crewed mission in Earth orbit. Another is to test communications with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation.

The third, and perhaps most ambitious, is a spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), that will be both the first from a Crew Dragon spacecraft and the first for a private mission. “There’s a ton of new development that’s happening to support that,” said Anna Menon of SpaceX, another member of the Polaris Dawn crew.

That involves both upgrades to the life support systems on the Crew Dragon spacecraft, because the entire cabin will be depressurized for the spacewalk and repressurized afterwards, as well as development of a spacesuit. “The suit development that is occurring for this mission is really going to help us learn, and we’ll be able to build on this as we go to the moon and ultimately go to Mars,” she said.

A big focus on training for the months leading up to the launch will be on that spacewalk. “The back half of the year is pretty loaded to the EVA ops,” Isaacman said.

Menon said there are more than 35 experiments planned for the five-day mission, many focused on the elevated radiation environment of the higher orbit. “That’s something that we’re going to really need to understand for missions to the moon and to Mars.”
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You just know they're going to fly this mission over Christmas . . .

cheers,
Robin.
 

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