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March 28, 2024, 08:54:25 AM

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SpaceX Starship

Started by Alberon, March 03, 2021, 09:45:36 PM

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Alberon

Blue Origin and Dynetics have both filed objections to NASA giving SpaceX the sole contract to develop the moon lander. So the money is on hold until this is resolved.

Meanwhile, there's a good chance the SN15 test flight will be later today.

Alberon

Yesterday's attempt was abandoned due to weather, but it is gearing up for another attempt in the next hour or so.

Dex Sawash


Alberon

NASAspaceflight.com run this one which is quite good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPNvB5ComFw

If the launch goes ahead SpaceX will almost certainly have their own channel running.

seepage

In the side chat someone called Ernest Galvan has just donated $500!!! wtf?

Alberon

I know. That's not uncommon.

To be fair, NASASpaceFlight does have a good few remote cameras that are inside the evacuation zone so they do spend a fair bit on kit. IIRC one of the cameras, or the solar panel powering it, was taken out by debris from the SN11 explosion.

Alberon

Launch could be in about thirty minutes.

Alberon

Succesful soft landing!

BUT, there is a fire at the base of the rocket.

EDIT: Fire seems to be out. I think they've done it!

touchingcloth

I haven't been following SpaceX developments very closely because as much as I love space exploration, I can't get over what a monumental prick Elon Musk is.

But am I right that for their lunar landers they're doing away with egress ladders and replacing them with window-cleaner-style winches?

Blumf

Lovely to see a successful flop and land. It's just astounding how they can get it all working, amazing engineering.

Quote from: touchingcloth on May 06, 2021, 10:25:50 AM
But am I right that for their lunar landers they're doing away with egress ladders and replacing them with window-cleaner-style winches?

Not checked, but that sounds reasonable. The lander will be a Starship upper stage, which is what they've been testing here. Those are 50m tall[nb]Apollo lander was only 7m[/nb] with the bottom half being fuel tanks, so the crew will be at least 20-30m off the ground.

steve98

Quote from: touchingcloth on May 06, 2021, 10:25:50 AM

But am I right that for their lunar landers they're doing away with egress ladders and replacing them with window-cleaner-style winches?

So this'll be a small... what, for a man? Whirr? That's one small whirr for a man?

Alberon

The concept designs look like this-



What's the back-up plan if the winch breaks?

Here's the low-fi mock-ups each competing team made of their astronaut egress systems. The ladder on Dynetics effort is easier than the Apollo Lunar Lander, but the one on Blue Origin is ridiculous. There is no way that would ever be acceptable.




Zetetic


Zetetic

Quote from: Alberon on May 06, 2021, 05:27:45 PM
but the one on Blue Origin is ridiculous. There is no way that would ever be acceptable.
Seems more tolerable in 1.62 m/s² gravity.

steve98

Can they gaurantee that the ship won't land on a slope or a rock, big enough to tip it over or otherwise fuck it right up?

Blumf

Quote from: Zetetic on May 06, 2021, 05:29:58 PM
Seems more tolerable in 1.62 m/s² gravity.

But in a space suit.

ZoyzaSorris

You'd be right pissed off stuck on the moon with the door back to the rocket 30m up in the air above you out of reach. 

Captain Z

It's one giant leap for a man...

beanheadmcginty

That's one small window cleaning job for man

Alberon

It's been a bit quiet on the launching front recently, but that's because SpaceX have been preparing for the first launch to space of Starship.

For the last few weeks the orbital launch tower has been assembled at Boca Chica.


Here the seventh of eight sections is being lifted into place.

In the last few days Booster 3 has been moved to the launch pad for cryogenic and pressure testing.



Booster 3 won't fly, but Booster 4 should be on the launchpad with Starship SN20 on top of it by the end of this month. There's still some regulatory hurdles to clear but the first space test flight could occur late this month or, more likely, sometime in August.

The current plan is that in the flight the booster will be dropped into the Gulf of Mexico six minutes after launch and the SN20 will attempt a soft splashdown about 60 miles away from a Hawaiian island.

Eventually it is planned that the booster will return to the launch pad and be caught by the launch tower itself. The first few attempts at that should be entertaining.