SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship updates


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May 23 2019 tweetstorm, texts  copied & edited for brevity....

 

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1131345711960694784

 

Elon Musk @elonmusk
Replying to @Erdayastronaut and @SpaceX
Turbopump propellant flow path to achieve high chamber pressure is quite tricky. Requires an inducer & 2 impellers with ~100,000 shaft horsepower.
7:46 PM · May 22, 2019
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
About to complete SN5, ramping to an engine every 3 days this summer
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
Mk1 & Mk2 ships at Boca & Cape will fly with at least 3 engines, maybe all 6 
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Eric Ralph @13ericralph31
.... 7? ;) [ref: Starship previously had 7 engines]
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Elon Musk
@elonmusk
Replying to @13ericralph31 @SPEXcast and 5 others
After the GoT finale, we dropped it to 6 [ref: GoT winner rules 6 of 7 kingdoms]
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Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo @JaneidyEve
Replying to @elonmusk @13ericralph31 and 6 others
Why tho? 🐉
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
3 sea level optimized Raptors, 3 vacuum optimized Raptors (big nozzle)
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Eric Ralph @13ericralph31
So RaptorVac is back on the table for nearer term launches?
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
Aspirationally
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
Hoping for 380 sec Isp, but at least 370. Otherwise similar to sea level version.
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SPEXcast @SPEXcast
With Raptor development progressing smoothly, how is vernior/RCS thruster development going for Starship? Still methane-based? Nitrogen, hydrazine, or something new?
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
N2 for vacuum. Aero surfaces & high gimbal angle main engines for atmosphere.
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
Replying to  @_ishanspatil @SPEXcast and 7 others
Aiming for 150 tons useful load in fully reusable configuration, but should be at least 100 tons, allowing for mass growth
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Free Thinker @curiousmind44
What are your thoughts on ONeil structures @JeffBezos talked about?
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Elon Musk @elonmusk
Replying to  @curiousmind44 @SPEXcast and 8 others
Makes no sense. In order to grow the colony, youd have to transport vast amounts of mass from planets/moons/asteroids. Would be like trying to build the USA in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!
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2 hours ago, Beittil said:

What happened to SN3? 

 

#1 was tested past its limits at McG, #2 was previously on Hopper, now its #4. Where's #3? 

#3 was @ McG at the endish of last month, it did a 40second test fire there. So it's probably still there.

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9 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

Until I see that thing flying for real, I'm just not going to be able to take it seriously.  Way too much like TinTin for me...

 

220px-The_Adventures_of_Tintin_-_16_-_De

 

Fly-by-wire can make about any shape fly, videos on YouTube show lawn mower shapes buzzing about, so an aerodynamic design like Starship should be a snap.

 

File under "Orbit class rockets can't land on their tail!!"

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