Space X

ngatimozart

ngatimozart

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Wednesday night local time, Ship 20 was successfully stacked on SHB 4 using the Chop Sticks. This was the first time that this has been done. I did watch the live feed and it was quite quick taking about two hours from start to finish. The lift speed was quite quick.


Today Friday arvo NZ time Elon Musk gave a live presentation during which he talked more about the ultimate aim of the program, which is for the human race to be multi-planetary. He believes that for a Martian community to be fully self sustaining and survivable 1 million tons has to be lifted to it from Earth. It's quite a fascinating concept. Full video of the live presentation.


This is the animation that was played during the live presentation.


Starbase will be the R&D centre with operational business launches happening from Pad 39A at Cape Kennedy / Canaveral in Florida. They are building a second Mechazilla and ship / booster construction facility there. They are still awaiting FAA launch approval and hopefully the environmental sign off will occur in about two weeks or so.
 
Sandhi Yudha

Sandhi Yudha

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News reports are now appearing on the internet that Indonesia's president (and joining him also our beloved Minister of Maritime Affairs, Investments, Covid-19 and everything else) are visiting Space X and its impressive production facility. They are just talking about possible cooperation in the future, but big chance that this is just a sight seeing tour for fun and that nothing will happen after this visit.

According to TVOne, this is the first time a foreign head of state visited Space X. Here a shorter version of the video.

en.antaranews.com

President Jokowi meets Elon Musk, visits Space X

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met with Elon Musk, the founder of American space transportation company Space X, and visited the company’s rocket ...
en.antaranews.com en.antaranews.com

www.euronews.com

Indonesia's Jokowi meets Tesla's Musk after nickel talks

JAKARTA -Indonesian President Joko Widodo met Tesla Inc Chief Executive
www.euronews.com www.euronews.com
 
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ngatimozart

ngatimozart

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There's been significant changes since the last post.

SpaceX has finally received FAA Final Environmental Assessment approval for launching rom its Boca Chica facility but with limitations. However it is still to receive the FAA Vehicle Operator License.

Boosters 4 & 5 along with Ship 20 have been set aside and no longer being used. Booster 5 and Ship 20 are in the Rocket Garden and Booster 4 is still in the launch area. The reason is that the Raptor I engines have been superseded by the Raptor II engines which offer significantly more power per engine. These have been installed in Booster 7 and Ship 24. Booster 7 is sitting on Orbital Launch Pad 1 at the moment undergoing testing and an engine test burn is due any day. Work has started on Orbital Launch Pad Two at Boca Chico as well. The wide high bay is just about finished, a new assembly building is underway and another building is being built. The yellow Liebherr LB11,000 crane has been dismantled and removed from site by the outside crane contractor, its work completed. It took them only a matter of a few days to dismantle it into truckable components and ship it out. SpaceX still have their LB11,000 crane. Of note SpaceX also used the Chopsticks to lift Booster 7 onto the launchpad from it's transporter. This is the first time that the Chopsticks have been used for that particular lift. They have lifted Booster 4 off the pad onto the transporter.




Work has also been ongoing at pace at SpaceX's Florida Kennedy Space Centre facility. The current plan is to use Boca Chico for R&D and Florida for the commercial launches. This is the latest report on activities at Kennedy Space Centre.

 
ngatimozart

ngatimozart

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Space X were testing Booster 7 on the Orbital Launch Mount at Boca Chico today (NZ time) when an explosion occurred beneath the booster. No idea of the cause yet.

 
ngatimozart

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Space X did the first Super Heavy Booster static test fire today using Booster 7.


Booster 7 was moved back to the Launch Facility over the weekend but they had to use the Space X Leibherr crane to lift it on to the OLP because the Chopsticks blew one of the hydraulic ram hose attachments free from the actuator last Friday, spraying hydraulic fluid all over the place. They haven't replaced the ram yet.

Yesterday they were doing spin tests on both Booster 7 and Ship 24, so I suspect that Ship 24 will have had a static fire today or have one tomorrow. Booster 7 only had 20 engines installed when it arrived from the Megabay and they were on the outer rings.

EDIT: Yep Ship 24 did its static test fire as well.

 
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ngatimozart

ngatimozart

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Various Space X updates.

Space X intention for 100 launches during 2023.

A sunset Falcon Heavy launch.

Starship has been stacked on the launch pad at Boca Chico and is undergoing pre-launch testing. The Super heavy Booster has all 33 engines installed and is in its final configuration. The intention is to undertake a 33 engine test fire. IIC 11 engines is the most that they have test fired simultaneously.

Apparently the first Starship launch is in either February or March.

Hopefully the launch comes soon and it will be impressive.

An image of the full stack.
1673947401252.png
Source. NASA Space Flight.com
 
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ngatimozart

ngatimozart

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Last week Space X did a 31 engine static fire of Shuper Heavy Booster 7 at Boca Chico. 33 engines were planned for the static fire, but one engine was withdrawn before the static fire and another went out in sympathy automatically shutting itself down during the static fire. However there was enough thrust present to lift the Super Heavy Booster and starship into orbit. Impressive to watch.


Some still images.
1676433468493.png

1676433505887.png

1676433546742.png
Source: https://www.youtube.com/@NASASpaceflight
 
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ngatimozart

ngatimozart

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Space X has been granted a FAA Launch license for Starship & Superheavy Booster flight test from their Boca Chico Starbase facility.

FAA Issues License to SpaceX to Launch Starship

Posted: April 14, 2023 6:41 pm ET | Last Updated: April 15, 2023 8:16 am ET | The FAA has issued a license to SpaceX to launch its Starship/Super Heavy booster from Boca Chica, TX. SpaceX says it will try as soon as Monday, April 17, to conduct the first launch of the enormous rocket.
spacepolicyonline.com

Space X are targeting Monday 17/4/2023 for the first launch of Starship into orbit. Boca Chico is in the US Central Time zone and is -6 hours UTC / GMT. The 150-minute test window will open at 0700 CT (1200 17 APR 23 UTC).
www.spacex.com

SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.
www.spacex.com www.spacex.com

www.cameroncountytx.gov

SpaceX Set to Launch the Starship Flight Test - Noise Advisory - Cameron County

Scheduled Road Closure, SpaceX
www.cameroncountytx.gov www.cameroncountytx.gov
 
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Ananda

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Space X launch test. I'm not want to discount Space X or Ellon on that matter, however whatever angle you look, it is look like giant male 'thingy'. Can't help to keep thinking that whenever I look it.
 
ngatimozart

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FormerDirtDart said:
Twitter is all "abuzz" suggesting that Elon is probably hoping the re-attempt will occur on "4/20".
Likely his favorite day of the year
Click to expand...
Yep and they are right. The Space X launch coverage on its YouTube channel is listed as starting at 1245 hrs 20/4/2023 GMT / UTC. That means a launch window from probably 0130 hrs 20/4/2023 GMT / UTC.
 
Sandhi Yudha

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kato

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StobieWan said:
420 is a drug reference:
Click to expand...
Outside that fairly far-fetched refererence (420 as a drug reference refers to a time, not a date)...

It can also be mistaken as a reference to other certain political leanings, especially for people who publicly lean in that direction anyway. April 20th was the birthday of Adolf Hitler and is celebrated by neonazis globally.
 
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StobieWan

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kato said:
Outside that fairly far-fetched refererence (420 as a drug reference refers to a time, not a date)...

It can also be mistaken as a reference to other certain political leanings, especially for people who publicly lean in that direction anyway. April 20th was the birthday of Adolf Hitler and is celebrated by neonazis globally.
Click to expand...
It does seem to have drifted from it's original quirky meaning (which I think traces from the Grateful Dead) but that's how the English language tends to work I guess. Elons certainly used the reference himself and also possibly smoked the world's most expensive blunt while drawing fire from the SEC.
 
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