SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship updates

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New FAA docs: plans for Boca Chica

 

Texts are on DocumentCloud

 

FAA Re-evaluation...

 

Discussion of the StarHopper grass wildfire...

 

Business Insider...

 

Quote

New documents reveal SpaceX's plans for launching Mars-rocket prototypes from South Texas
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* The FAA has reviewed SpaceX's new plans for the site, and the government regulator is preparing to publish two "written reevaluation" documents, which Business Insider obtained on Thursday.

* Although SpaceX has turned Boca Chica into a Starship skunkworks, the FAA believes the company is operating within-bounds of its original assessment in terms of safety and environmental impact.

* In addition, the documents describe a three-phase development plan for Starship over the next two or three years. The pages also contain graphic layouts of planned launch-site construction.
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The new assessment covers SpaceX's shift away from developing a commercial spaceport and confronts its new reality as a Skunkworks for Starship.
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Although the FAA can request public feedback to incorporate into its written reevaluations, a spokesperson for the regulator told Business Insider the document "is final" and "will not have any comment period."
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Phase 1: Tests of ground systems and fueling, a handful of rocket engine test-firings, and several "small hops" of a few centimeters off the ground. The document also includes graphic layouts, like the one above, showing the placement of water tanks, liquid methane and oxygen storage tanks (Starship's fuels), and other launch pad infrastructure.

Phase 2: Several more "small hops" of Starship, though up to 492 feet (150 meters) in altitude, and later "medium hops" to about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers). Construction of a "Phase 2 Pad" for Starship, shown below, is also described.



Phase 3: A few "large hops" that take Starship up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth  the unofficial edge of space  with high-altitude "flips," reentries, and landings.
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However, Phase 3 is likely now more ambitious.
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"More ambitious" indeed 😗

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☺️

 

 

[Unobscured Vision]

Titan is going to be problematic ...

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Beyond Ceres they'll need nuclear reactors for power - solar's too weak.

 

And now, what we've been waiting for.... 

 

Starship Mk1: test flight 1

 

FCC STA (radio frequency allocations)

 

NET October 13, 2019 (STA ends April 13, 2020)

 

Altitude: 22.5km (74,000ft)

 

FAA license pending

 

https://fcc.report/ELS/Space-Exploration-Technologies-Corp-SpaceX/1631-EX-ST-2019

 

This STA is necessary to authorize Starship suborbital test vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1569 from the Boca Chica launch pad, and the experimental recovery following the suborbital launch. Recovery is limited to 2 functions: (1) prelaunch checkout test of the TC uplink from the ground station at Boca Chica (less than five minutes in duration) and (2) experimental uplink testing from the ground station at Boca Chica during descent. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

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Operation Start Date: 10/13/2019
Operation End Date: 04/13/2020
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Tile stuff

 

 

Processed zoom of Mary's image

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by DocM

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Boca Chica

The windbreak is getting covered.

3 more "ringwalls" (build platforms) will soon be built, for a total of 5.

They're mounted what's likely to be the last propulsion module ring + upper LOX dome assembly, and a truck has arrived with a huge triangular object(s). Must be a fin/leg(s).

Screencaps from the LabPadre YouTube stream.

 

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Corrected/brightened image at bottom

 

 

Corrected/brightened

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Doing the Starship pad mods will go fast because most of the mechanicals were built off-site and stored 

 

 

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Also Austin Barnard

 

 

 

 

[Beittil]

That thing is starting to look more and more bizarre with every passing day, haha. 

 

F*kn amazing times. 

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Wow....Raptors are already installed 😁

 

 

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The propulsion module is on the Roll-Lifts and being moved. Looks like it's passed the cargo module, so likely the pad 😍

 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by DocM

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Three Raptors !!

 

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WEBCAST ALERT!!

 

 

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The position of Starship's forward fin is now settled.

 

 

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Hello, upper fins

 

 

 

 

 

 

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LIFTING THE PAYLOAD MODULE

 

Live stream

 

 

 

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