SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship updates

[Skiver Veteran]

Potentially another static fire coming today, maybe a header tank static fire?

 

 

[DocM]

Another static fire today, this time using the header (landing) tanks. 

 

Targeting a Friday launch.

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

And here we go...three Starship launches licensed by FAA

 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

There are FAA flight restrictions for Saturday and Sunday, but the rubs are 1) if the County will close the road & beach and 2) the weather.

 

https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1388247634687713286

 

[DocM]

SpaceX has taken to p!acing funny signs on a propellant inlet of new Raptor engines. The latest is "Insert Meme Here," a reference to Musk's constant posting of memes.

 

 

 

[DocM]

Weather and the Rocket Gods permitting, launch on Monday.

SN-16 fully stacked,

 

 

[FloatingFatMan]

On 01/05/2021 at 03:30, DocM said:

There are FAA flight restrictions for Saturday and Sunday, but the rubs are 1) if the County will close the road & beach and 2) the weather.

 

https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1388247634687713286

 

Do SpaceX compensate residents for the massive inconvenience they're put to AND the property damage they may suffer from another boom?

 

[DocM]

3 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

Do SpaceX compensate residents for the massive inconvenience they're put to AND the property damage they may suffer from another boom?

 

SpaceX has a very large insurance policy  to cover damages.

 

Road & beach closures are regulated under State law & enforced by the County, and there are only 2 full time residents of the village - both involved in media reporting. The few part time residents are "snowbirds," people from northern states who visit during winter to get warm. Everyone else has been bought out.

 

The long term plan is to reincorporate the area as Starbase city, a corporate municipality owned by SpaceX. Similar to the corporate municipality created by Disney for their parks. Acquiring the remaining private properties would be done by the Cameron County Spaceport Development Corporation

Edited May 2, 2021 by DocM

[FloatingFatMan]

2 hours ago, DocM said:

SpaceX has a very large insurance policy  to cover damages.

 

Road & beach closures are regulated under State law & enforced by the County, and there are only 2 full time residents of the village - both involved in media reporting. The few part time residents are "snowbirds," people from northern states who visit during winter to get warm. Everyone else has been bought out.

 

The long term plan is to reincorporate the area as Starbase city, a corporate municipality owned by SpaceX. Similar to the corporate municipality created by Disney for their parks. Acquiring the remaining private properties would be done by the Cameron County Spaceport Development Corporation

So in other words...  No, SpaceX do NOT cover the residents for their inconvenience and if any damage is done they have to go through insurance claims processes that could be denied.  Oh, and at some point the homeowners there will probably have compulsory purchase orders slapped on them. Nice.

 

Right. Gotcha.

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by FloatingFatMan

[DocM]

13 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

So in other words...  No, SpaceX do NOT cover the residents for their inconvenience and if any damage is done they have to go through insurance claims processes that could be denied. 

 

Not operating under the state and federal rules. This process has been hashed out in the federal Environmental Assessment and by the State legislature over the last 6-7 years. 

 

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Oh, and at some point the homeowners there will probably have compulsory purchase orders slapped on them. Nice.

 

There is no eminent domain in Texas. Those who sold out got 2-3 times their property's value. 

 

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Right. Gotcha.

 

No, you just think you do and choose to stir the pot for whatever reason.  

 

SN-15

 

Now NET Tuesday: weather

[DocM]

 

[Skiver Veteran]

I know they aren't going to launch if everything isn't optimal but my god if Space X don't get a launch on May 4th then they're missing out on a fantastic opportunity!

[DocM]

The weather is iffy for launch, typical central states in spring stuff, but all else is in place...

 

 

[DocM]

SN-15 NSF stream. Most likely 1400-1600 Eastern.

 

 

 

[DocM]

Road closed

 

LabPadre stream

 

 

[DocM]

Village being evacuated, nose fin restraints being removed...

 

 

 

[DocM]

SpaceX feed

 

 

[Steven P. Administrators]

Some images from this successful launch and landing!

 

[anthdci]

Whoop whoop. What’s to happen to SN15 now SN16 is due to roll out? Pull it apart to check the structure?

[DocM]

Likely going to get a thorough going over before becoming an ornament at the entrance to Starbase city.

 

Take THAT, HLS protests!

[DocM]

 

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

 

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On Wednesday, May 5, Starship serial number 15 (SN15) successfully completed SpaceX’s fifth high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from Starbase in Texas.

Similar to previous high-altitude flight tests of Starship, SN15 was powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN15 performed a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.

The Starship prototype descended under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps were actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enabled precise landing at the intended location. SN15’s Raptor engines reignited as the vehicle performed the landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down for a nominal landing on the pad.

These test flights of Starship are all about improving our understanding and development of a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration interplanetary flights, and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.

Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on SN15’s successful flight and landing!

 

[FloatingFatMan]

Let it not be said that I'm unwilling to admit where I'm wrong, and even though I still have many doubts about Starships' viability, I'm not ashamed to congratulate them on their successes, so well done SpaceX on a successful flight and landing of SN15!

 

However, I wonder if this article below will prove to be a roadblock to them moving forwards?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56933443

 

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Cutting methane gas 'crucial for climate fight'

 

Reducing emissions of methane gas is vital for tackling climate change in the short-term, a major UN report says.

 

Methane is produced when living things decompose; it's also in natural gas.

 

It persists for just a short time in the atmosphere - unlike carbon dioxide - but methane is a much more potent global warming gas than CO2.

 

The report says "urgent steps" are necessary in order to reduce methane if global warming is to be kept within a limit laid down in the Paris deal.

 

This agreement, signed by 200 countries, aims to keep the global temperature rise to within 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century.

 

The 1.5C target is regarded as the gateway to "dangerous" warming, where the planet could experience serious adverse effects of climate change.

 

 

[Astra.Xtreme]

52 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

Let it not be said that I'm unwilling to admit where I'm wrong, and even though I still have many doubts about Starships' viability, I'm not ashamed to congratulate them on their successes, so well done SpaceX on a successful flight and landing of SN15!

 

However, I wonder if this article below will prove to be a roadblock to them moving forwards?

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56933443

 

 

This is something we don't hear nearly enough about.  People are accustomed to thinking that CO2 is the evil of climate change, but it's really not.  CO2 is a rather weak green house gas, so focusing on it isn't exactly the best answer.  Methane, on the other hand, is a far stronger green house gas, and humans using it more isn't a good thing.

[FloatingFatMan]

51 minutes ago, Astra.Xtreme said:

This is something we don't hear nearly enough about.  People are accustomed to thinking that CO2 is the evil of climate change, but it's really not.  CO2 is a rather weak green house gas, so focusing on it isn't exactly the best answer.  Methane, on the other hand, is a far stronger green house gas, and humans using it more isn't a good thing.

1 or two rockets every few months won't make a big difference... But Musk wants a fleet of these things and THAT is where it becomes an issue.  They should re-evaluate the fuel mix NOW rather than wait for an inevitable future ban.