and to repeat again, it is about cost, not about a big rocket
that was major issue with Shuttle, to much labor to make it re-flight with enormous cost.
SpaceX aim to reduce the Production cost of Starship/superheavy to $3 million !
with use of Steel they far step ahead in cost reduction, compare to expensive Al–Li alloys or Composite material.
But the major point is cost of Raptors engines and Starship Heat-shield
here lies the biggest challenge !

On Raptor they testing version 3 what has allot reduction in parts, but still high production cost !
about this Musk mention that 3D-printed metal parts are expensive.
Since 2021 they work on LEET or Engine 1337, it low cost version of Raptor that cost $300000/unit

other issue is the Heat-shield if this turn out to be labor expensive task to replace the 18500 tiles after each flight
its GAME OVER commercially for StarShip
It must stand several mission before it replaced totally.

This are biggest issue with Starship program for moment
 
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You certainly do not want a similar situation happening like what happened to Columbia where the Starship burns up in the atmosphere.
 
No, it wouldn't. Can't test easily, no easy change out, no reproducibility..
See below
Why do you want to throw away the baby with the bath water? You still don't get it. It is not just about building a very large rocket. It is about cost.
I didn't say throw it away--Ship 5 with the single downcomer would be sufficient for an expendable Starship anyway. An expendable design would cost less--be less of a headache though.

Perhaps lunar Starship could use a single downcomer and accumulators both to be extra safe. It could land then.

In the past, I championed the idea of "rocket-as-payload" with wet workshops.

Now it is "rocket as engine."

Your criticism about such a design (can't test easily, no easy change out, etc.) could just as easily apply to NASP, where the whole vehicle is an inlet.

Since Starship is designed for re-use--and since the stock Starship is designed to be recoved via chopsticks catching it just below the forward fins --you don't have to worry about landing it on the bottom--so the whole width of Starship's tail could be a super-wide nozzle.

Remember the concept where you had three SRBs connected by struts?

Have those reach up instead--attached to the sides of Starship just above the engine.

This gives more separation between the two stages. Instead of a hot-staging ring--just have curved panels that bear no real weight that blow apart at staging.

If NASP could have been all inlet--perhaps Starship can be the all-rocket equivalent of that--with injectors being all that needs changing out.

Having the whole lower part of Starship be a beefy nozzle lends itself to re-use.

That part can be swapped out if need be. They can take hot stage rings off, after all.

In the CSI STARBASE video, aluminum was called for on some lines.

At the New Materials thread, I posted a link to a phys.org article about aluminum that had better strength when cold.

Even if Elon doesn't want an all aluminum bird--he could at least use that for propellant lines.

On the subject of propellant lines if might be good to have as much plumbing being outside the rocket for EVA/refueling --and to limit leaking propellants into confined areas where you could have an explosion.

With as much plumbing on the exterior of the rocket that you can get away with--leaked propellants just goes into the vacuum. Tesla valve fuel lines may limit Pogo as well.
 
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Your criticism about such a design (can't test easily, no easy change out, etc.) could just as easily apply to NASP, where the whole vehicle is an inlet.
wrong.
A. NASP could go through wind tunnel testing
b. Sub scale testing (see X-43)
c. Incremental testing (increase speed in step)
d. A, b & c not feasible with a rocket
e. where is the working NASP as an example?
 
1. Since Starship is designed for re-use--and since the stock Starship is designed to be recoved via chopsticks catching it just below the forward fins --you don't have to worry about landing it on the bottom--so the whole width of Starship's tail could be a super-wide nozzle.

2. Remember the concept where you had three SRBs connected by struts?

3 Have those reach up instead--attached to the sides of Starship just above the engine.

This gives more separation between the two stages. Instead of a hot-staging ring--just have curved panels that bear no real weight that blow apart at staging.

4. If NASP could have been all inlet--perhaps Starship can be the all-rocket equivalent of that--with injectors being all that needs changing out.

Having the whole lower part of Starship be a beefy nozzle lends itself to re-use.

That part can be swapped out if need be. They can take hot stage rings off, after all.

In the CSI STARBASE video, aluminum was called for on some lines.

At the New Materials thread, I posted a link to a phys.org article about aluminum that had better strength when cold.

Even if Elon doesn't want an all aluminum bird--he could at least use that for propellant lines.

6. On the subject of propellant lines if might be good to have as much plumbing being outside the rocket for EVA/refueling --and to limit leaking propellants into confined areas where you could have an explosion.

7.With as much plumbing on the exterior of the rocket that you can get away with--leaked propellants just goes into the vacuum. Tesla valve fuel lines may limit Pogo as well.
1. Fails right there. No throttle control, no attitude control
2. A kludge and not good engineering.
3. not feasible,
4. not workable, see F-1 issues
5. Aluminum is not good for cryogenic fluids
6. there is nothing that EVA can do with these propellants.
7. Plumbing on the exterior is a bad idea. Costs are higher, more pressure drop, more heating, more complicated. valves don't fix pogo
 
I didn't say throw it away--Ship 5 with the single downcomer would be sufficient for an expendable Starship anyway. An expendable design would cost less--be less of a headache though.
You are throwing it away. Major redesign. The current design only requires tweaking and not major changes.
 
SAR picture of Robert road SpaceX facility
it show the Gigabay foundation and Launch platform (as solid blob in lower center of Picture)
Musk tweede that Launch is Next Week from 19 to 25 May
precede by company talk by Musk at Starbase about "Mars Game Play" livestream on X

Gq5-3R_bwAAdf13
 
I even interviewed with Erskine for a job.
You said that you were impressed with the SpaceX guys once you got to know them.

If it wouldn't break any confidences, could you talk about your work with them?

I know you give shorter answers---raconteurs are rare.

P.S.

“…SpaceX had not yet built a hangar. So the techs and engineers working on the rocket in early 2009 did so out in the open, exposed, on the hangar’s foundation. ULA employees would drive up the access road and stop at the fence. They took photos, shouted mocking comments, and laughed at their would-be competitors.”
– Eric Berger, LIFTOFF

from:
 
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Seems there issue with Starship 35
it roll out to Massey for THIRD static test fire.
That what was scrub during propellant loading.

Also it seems that SpaceX go from Booster Version 1 direct to Version 3?
since the test tank 18.1 was address as Version 3 test hardware
and Musk label Booster 17 as Version 2 !

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTvNJGGsH0I
 
reading this Update
it reveal a problems with Raptor engines, what is serious issue for Starship program.
like i mention in post 9161 the program stand or fails with Raptor (and the Heat shield)
SpaceX is vage about the failure of Engines
However there solution show what wend wrong

the Starship’s upper stage will receive additional preload on key joints,
is there issue how the Raptors are connected to propellant lines and thrust structure

a new nitrogen purge system,
to purge and chill the turbo pumps of Raptors ?
or as fire suppression in engine bay ?
and improvements to the propellant drain system.
Sems there still issue with propellant line either vortex produce gas bubbles or ice suck in
if gas bubble or ice particle hit the turbo pump, the raptor can fail explosive

Future ... Starship will introduce the Raptor 3 engine which will include additional reliability improvements to address the failure mechanism.
less parts less failure issue
still there is issue with Turbo pump sucking stuff in, that not belong there...
...like ice particles or gas bobbles
 
The space Bucket has just posted a video concerning the cause of the failure of IFT-8:


Just hours ago, SpaceX confirmed that Flight 9 is officially scheduled to liftoff on May 27th. In addition, they released a full statement regarding Flight 8 with specifics on what happened to the upper stage, which was lost during its engine burn.
What was initially thought to be an issue very similar to what happened on Flight 7 related to harmonic resonance, turns out to have been an individual Raptor engine.
https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...A&q=https://thespacebucket.com/&v=oyqjCkdOy2M
Credit: SpaceX - / spacex https://www.youtube.com/c/SpaceX
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Raptor Engine Failure
 
reading this Update
it reveal a problems with Raptor engines, what is serious issue for Starship program.
like i mention in post 9161 the program stand or fails with Raptor (and the Heat shield)
SpaceX is vage about the failure of Engines
However there solution show what wend wrong


is there issue how the Raptors are connected to propellant lines and thrust structure


to purge and chill the turbo pumps of Raptors ?
or as fire suppression in engine bay ?

Sems there still issue with propellant line either vortex produce gas bubbles or ice suck in
if gas bubble or ice particle hit the turbo pump, the raptor can fail explosive


less parts less failure issue
still there is issue with Turbo pump sucking stuff in, that not belong there...
...like ice particles or gas bobbles
These are minor changes. They've characterized the failures, tested solutions and then implemented them, in a couple months.
 
The Space Bucket has put out a video about the upcoming IFT-9 flight:


With Flight 9 set to liftoff in a few days on the 27th, SpaceX has been busy preparing both the first booster set to be reused, along with an upgraded Starship upper stage. In a recent report from the company, they went into more detail about each of the changes made and what separates the vehicle from past flights.
If successful, we’ll see a launch that ends with the upper stage completing a landing burn and flip, followed by a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:31 - Starship Upgrades
4:01 - Flight Profile
 
launch was good
sadly the Booster 14 went RUD under new landing profile.
In exchange the Starship 35 manage to get in Space !
Was I the only person looking at that glowing metal and biting my nails? And the door wouldn't open? That seems like the easy part. Oh well. Let's hope they get a successful light of the engine in "orbit" and a boring landing. No sparks on reentry please. ;)
 

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