Starship Development Thread #53 (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works

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Portions of this thread copied from the Starship Dev thread on r/SpaceX.

FAQ

When next launch? IFT-3 is NET Mid-March, and after completion of the IFT-2 mishap investigation. Candidate vehicles are Booster 10 and Ship 28.
When previous launch? (IFT-2)? Booster 9 and Ship 25 launched on 2023-11-18.
What was the result? Successful lift off with minimal pad damage. Successful booster operation with all engines to successful hot stage separation. Booster destroyed by AFTS after attempted boost-back. Ship fired all engines to near orbital speed then destroyed by AFTS. No re-entry attempt.
Was IFT-2 a complete failure? No. As part of an iterative test programme, many milestones were achieved. Perfection is neither expected nor desired at this stage.

---

Quick Links

Starship Dev 52 | Starship Dev 51 | Starship Dev 50 | Starship Dev 49 | Starship Dev 48

Official SpaceX Starship Update Video (2024-01-12)

Status

Road Closures

Type	Start (CDT)	End (CDT)	Status
Primary Date	2024-02-15 08:00	2024-02-15 20:00	Closure revoked.
Backup Date	2024-02-16 08:00	2024-02-16 20:00	Closure scheduled.
Backup Date	2024-02-20 08:00	2024-02-12 20:00	Possible closure.

Up to date as of 2024-02-19

Vehicle Status

As of 2024-02-20

Follow Ring Watchers on Twitter and Discord for more.

Ship	Location	Status	Comment
S24	Gulf of Mexico	Destroyed	April 20th (IFT-1): Destroyed by flight termination system after successful launch.
S25	Atlantic Ocean	Destroyed	Mostly successful launch and stage separation
S26	Rocket Garden	Mysterious	Static fire Oct. 20. No fins or heat shield, multiple mysterious changes. Completed 3 cryo tests, latest on Oct 10.
S28	Suborbital test stand	Awaiting testing	Static fired Dec 29th. Stacked on B10 on Feb 13th. Partial WDR conducted Feb 14th and 16th. Destacked Feb 18th. Spin prime Feb 26th.
S29	High Bay	Pending engine install	3x cryo
S30	High Bay	Pending engine install	2x cryo: Jan 3rd and Jan 5th
S31	High Bay	Aft flaps installed
S32	Rocket Garden	Resting	Fully stacked, fore flaps installed but not aft flaps
S33-34	Build Site	Parts spotted	To be scrapped in preparation for Starship V2

Booster	Location	Status	Comment
B7	Gulf of Mexico	Destroyed	Destroyed by flight termination system after successful launch.
B9	Gulf of Mexico	Destroyed	Successfully launched, destroyed during Boost back attempt.
B10	Megabay 1	Awaiting testing	Static fired Dec 29th. Hotstaging ring installed Jan 26th. Partial WDR conducted Feb 14th and 16th.
B11	Megabay 1	Finalizing	Completed 2 Cryo tests.
B12	Megabay 1	Finalizing	Cryo x2
B13	Megabay 1	Fully stacked	Chine installation underway
B14	Build Site	Assembly	Assorted parts spotted
B15	Build Site	Assembly	Potential aft end spotted Jan 5th

Resources

LabPadre Channel | NASASpaceFlight.com Channel
NSF: Booster 7 + Ship X (likely 24) Updates Thread | Most Recent
NSF: Boca Chica Production Updates Thread | Most recent
NSF: Elon Starship tweet compilation | Most Recent
SpaceX: Website Starship page | Starship Users Guide (2020, PDF)
FAA: SpaceX Starship Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site
FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions NOTAM list
FCC: Starship Orbital Demo detailed Exhibit - 0748-EX-ST-2021 application June 20 through December 20
NASA: Starship Reentry Observation (Technical Report)
Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures (May not be available outside US)
Production Progress Infographics by @RingWatchers
Raptor 2 Tracker by @SpaceRhin0
Acronym definitions by Decronym
Everyday Astronaut: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Everyday Astronaut: 2022 Elon Musk Interviews, Starbase/Ship Updates | Launch Tower | Merlin Engine | Raptor Engine

(page 2) 18 comments

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[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago

Starbase activities (2024-01-26):

12th stringer installed on the OTF shells.
Many boom lifts at the OLM. OLM legs are painted, and tower received blast protection.
Assembly of launch tower sections begins with a vertical column.
B10 hotstaging ring moves from Starfactory to Megabay 1 and is installed on B10.
Door is installed on Megabay 1 :(
Starfactory progress: Morning and evening. More columns and beams added.

With some nitter instances down or rate limited, I'm trying out twiiit, which should automatically redirect to a working instance.

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago

Starbase activities (2024-01-27):

Quiet Saturday.
S28 rolls out of Highbay and then to Rocket Garden. StarGazer photo and nose closeup.
Starkitty sighted :)

Other:

6-Tier Open Parking Garage to be constructed.

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago

Starbase activities (2024-02-19):

Nitter links

S28 moves to the suborbital site, is attached to the 2-point lift jig, and lifted onto the suborbital pad.
B10 removed from OLM. Timelapse and 2nd angle.
Four launch tower sections arrive in Brownsville port. Starship Gazer close-up and closer-up
GMK 7550, counterweights, and new vapourisers arrive at the launch site. Vapourisers lifted into place.
Two cryo tanks arrive at the OTF, and lifted to vertical orientation.

𝕏 links

S28 moves to the suborbital site, is attached to the 2-point lift jig, and lifted onto the suborbital pad.
B10 removed from OLM. Timelapse and 2nd angle.
Four launch tower sections arrive in Brownsville port. Starship Gazer close-up and closer-up
GMK 7550, counterweights, and new vapourisers arrive at the launch site. Vapourisers lifted into place.
Two cryo tanks arrive at the OTF, and lifted to vertical orientation.

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Starbase activities (2024-02-20):

Nitter links:

Feb 20th road closure revoked. New possible closures for Feb 22nd and 23rd.
B10 rolls back from launch site to Megabay 1.
FTS explosives arrive at launch site. Possible detonators or other related equipment arrives.
New vapourisers moved temporarily.
New old water tank arrives at Massey's, likely for a static fire water deluge system.
Interesting Ryan Hansen renders of Massey's flame trench: Tweet 1, tweet 2, tweet 3, tweet 4, tweet 5, tweet 6, tweet 7.
IFT-3 NET second week of March (Elon time). Chance of reaching orbit is almost 80%. Flight 4 hardware is almost ready.

𝕏 links

Feb 20th road closure revoked. New possible closures for Feb 22nd and 23rd.
B10 rolls back from launch site to Megabay 1.
FTS explosives arrive at launch site. Possible detonators or other related equipment arrives.
New vapourisers moved temporarily.
New old water tank arrives at Massey's, likely for a static fire water deluge system.
Interesting Ryan Hansen renders of Massey's flame trench: Tweet 1, tweet 2, tweet 3, tweet 4, tweet 5, tweet 6, tweet 7.
IFT-3 NET second week of March (Elon time). Chance of reaching orbit is almost 80%. Flight 4 hardware is almost ready.

Viewing individual tweets on nitter seems to be over, though I can still view them chronologically on account profile pages. Not sure what I will do once this breaks too...

[-] refreeze@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

Interesting that they are going for a flame trench, I guess the water table is different at Massey's. Or since they don't do static fires at full thrust, it doesn't need to be that deep?

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Yeah, I wonder why they aren't just doing another water-cooled steel plate. Seems to have worked well for IFT-2. Perhaps it is cheaper to build/operate a flame trench, so if the terrain allows one, it is the preferable option?

[-] Decronym@lemmy.decronym.xyz 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:

Fewer Letters	More Letters
FAA	Federal Aviation Administration
FTS	Flight Termination System
GSE	Ground Support Equipment
KSC	Kennedy Space Center, Florida
LN2	Liquid Nitrogen
LOX	Liquid Oxygen
NET	No Earlier Than
NSF	NasaSpaceFlight forum
~	National Science Foundation
OLIT	Orbital Launch Integration Tower
OLM	Orbital Launch Mount
OTF	Orbital Tank Farm
QD	Quick-Disconnect
RUD	Rapid Unplanned Disassembly
~	Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly
~	Rapid Unintended Disassembly
SLC-37	Space Launch Complex 37, Canaveral (ULA Delta IV)
SPMT	Self-Propelled Mobile Transporter
TPS	Thermal Protection System for a spacecraft (on the Falcon 9 first stage, the engine "Dance floor")
ULA	United Launch Alliance (Lockheed/Boeing joint venture)
VAB	Vehicle Assembly Building
WDR	Wet Dress Rehearsal (with fuel onboard)

Jargon	Definition
Raptor	Methane-fueled rocket engine under development by SpaceX
iron waffle	Compact "waffle-iron" aerodynamic control surface, acts as a wing without needing to be as large; also, "grid fin"
turbopump	High-pressure turbine-driven propellant pump connected to a rocket combustion chamber; raises chamber pressure, and thrust

[Thread #29 for this sub, first seen 13th Jan 2024, 05:40] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Starbase activities (2024-02-22):

Nitter links

Feb 22nd and 23rd road closures revoked.
S28 stays on the suborbital pad throughout the day: Tweet 1, tweet 2, tweet 3, tweet 4. Possible raptor igniter test and other work.
Ship transport stand leaves launch complex, then returns. Ship lifting jig stand leaves mid-afternoon.
Gravel relocation at gate D2: Tweet 1, tweet 2.
Chopsticks are tested.
Launch tower section and Starfactory coming along nicely.
Mystery structure spotted at Sanchez.

Other:

Second launch pad at Starbase will be where the suborbital pad is now. Tweet 1, tweet 2, PDF 1, PDF 2.
SpaceX seeks a waiver to launch Starship “at least” nine times this year

𝕏 links

Feb 22nd and 23rd road closures revoked.
S28 stays on the suborbital pad throughout the day: Tweet 1, tweet 2, tweet 3, tweet 4. Possible raptor igniter test and other work.
Ship transport stand leaves launch complex, then returns. Ship lifting jig stand leaves mid-afternoon.
Gravel relocation at gate D2: Tweet 1, tweet 2.
Chopsticks are tested.
Launch tower section and Starfactory coming along nicely.
Mystery structure spotted at Sanchez.

Other:

Second launch pad at Starbase will be where the suborbital pad is now. Tweet 1, tweet 2, PDF 1, PDF 2.
SpaceX seeks a waiver to launch Starship “at least” nine times this year

[-] stevecrox@kbin.run 3 points 8 months ago

Have you considered migrating to a magazine on Kbin/MBin?

The daily updates are quite useful but currently my means of finding them is via your posts in Reddit. The post views in Lemmy discourage you to go into spaces and I don't think thread pinning translates accross instances.

KBin/Mbin support the short message format in Activity Pub so creating a thread on that platform should reflect into Mastodon and Mastodon comments will come through into the post. If you add a couple of hashtags it would also help discoverability.

Your posts are the most useful ones for daily summaries and probably the most useful contribution to the reddit starship dev thread.

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[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 months ago

Starbase activities (2024-01-28):

S26 lifted off engine install stand, and rolls further into Rocket Garden.
S28 lifted onto engine install stand. (closeup video)
Reinforcement of OTF tank shells continues.
A tank is removed from suborbital farm and replaced with another. The removed tank then moves to Massey's.
Starfactory progress: Large boxes (possibly air-conditioners) lifted onto roof.
S26: Couplers are added to join the 2nd and 3rd rows of stringers. Mystery continues.
Starkitty sighted :)

[-] carleeno@reddthat.com 0 points 9 months ago

I didn't know Starkitty was famous! I saw her chilling by my car when I visited a couple of weeks ago (potato zoom)

Also, thanks for these summaries! I really appreciate not having to fire up Reddit just to get my starship updates :)

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago

So cool that you met (or at least saw) Starkitty! I'd love to visit Starbase one day.

Also, you're welcome! I had hoped for a bit more discussion in these threads, but I suppose the community is still a bit small for that. Glad people appreciate the updates!

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Starbase activities (2024-01-09):

Weather improves.
At the launch site, the LR11000 removes the first of the vertical inner tanks (GSE #8) and scrapping begins.
At the build site, an unknown nosecone with only a few TPS pins emerges from a tent.
S26 disconnected from LR1750 again. S26 mystery continues.
At Massey's, S30 moves a tiny bit, possibly in advance of transport back to build site.

Other:

IFT-3 is NET February, as per Jessica Jensen, VP of Customer Operations and Integration at SpaceX. (Reported by Eric Berger and Jeff Foust)
Not too surprising, but Artemis II officially slips to 2025-09, and Artemis III slips to 2026-09.

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 months ago

Starbase activities (2024-02-23):

𝕏 links

New possible road closures posted for Feb 26th, 27th, and 28th.
Chopsticks wide open today. Top ship pin arm is removed, cut, and reattached with a slight offset. Possibly an attempt to fix an angular mismatch that occurs between bottom of ship and top of booster. Pin testing.
Build site: Tower section close up. Some cladding is removed from Megabay 2, and Starfactory progress continues. Tweet 1, tweet 2. Alternate angle shots from cnunezimages. Tweet 3, tweet 4.
Empty tank moves from near deluge system to empty slot in old vertical OTF.

Nitter links

New possible road closures posted for Feb 26th, 27th, and 28th.
Chopsticks wide open today. Top ship pin arm is removed, cut, and reattached with a slight offset. Possibly an attempt to fix an angular mismatch that occurs between bottom of ship and top of booster. Pin testing.
Build site: Tower section close up. Some cladding is removed from Megabay 2, and Starfactory progress continues. Tweet 1, tweet 2. Alternate angle shots from cnunezimages. Tweet 3, tweet 4.
Empty tank moves from near deluge system to empty slot in old vertical OTF.