SpaceX flight testing in South Texas

[ORAC]

Parts for a second launch tower arriving on site. Speculation they may be for a barebones “catcher” tower for the first couple of landing attempts, avoiding the risk of damage/loss of the main OLM and further delays to th3 test programme.

https://x.com/csi_starbase/status/17...HhlFHGKbTPQr_A
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[ORAC]

Elon Musk:

We need to replace a grid fin actuator, so launch is postponed to Saturday

[ORAC]

https://x.com/nasaspaceflight/status...HhlFHGKbTPQr_A

Now inside T-24 hours. Hot Staging Ring is reinstalled after workers replaced three grid fin actuators overnight.

Preparing to return to full stack for a launch attempt on Saturday morning.

[20 minute launch window opens at 0700 local, 1300 UTC]

[Hokulea]

Live video here:

You Tube

which isn't official but I'm enjoying it; the commentators aren't idiots. The launch is about 40 minutes away if things go well and if they go really well the 2nd stage should land near me (well, about 300 miles away) but I have my umbrella ready in case they get things a little wrong.

There are other live streams right now, including a so-called SpaceX one that is trying to sell me bitcoins, but hope the launch goes well and those interested can watch it live. I think most people here are intelligent enough to find what they want to watch.

[Hokulea]

I'm trying to figure things out from various sources, but it looks as though the launch was successful, the 1st stage had to be blown up after separation, the second stage continued but had to be "terminated" when it was very close to to its planned shutdown. Right now it looks as though it did a lot better than its first flight and will probably be called successful.

The explosion of the first stage was quite spectacular. It looked like a supernova remnant.

[ORAC]

From the video it looks like the booster developed a leak and had a RUD during the turn back. Could be from damage during the hot separation, in which case they’ll have to modify the sequence and/or strengthen the dome on the booster for the next launch.

Starship lost contact almost simultaneously with the planned SeCO and could be a problem with the engine shutdowns and possible course deviation triggering the inflight termination system autonomously. They’ll have to parse the data to identify that, but it doesn’t seem like a hardware problem.

Launch site and OLM seem undamaged, so the deluge system seems to have worked perfectly and no issues for future launches under the current licence.

Next launch( timing will probably be dictated by any hardware changes to the booster.

But it was a beautiful launch.

[Hokulea]

Captured from the live feed - 1st stage explosion well after separation:

[ORAC]

[ORAC]

[ORAC]

Video of stage separation and booster turn back and explosion. Certainly seems to start at the hot end not the dome.

https://x.com/larscyril/status/17258...HhlFHGKbTPQr_A

[IFMU]

That was awesome!

[pasta]

Something that came to mind when it was sitting on the pad, emitting great clouds of boiling-off propellant: How do they avoid creating an explosion risk? Do they capture the boiling methane and just vent oxygen to the atmosphere?

[skadi]

Originally Posted by pasta

Something that came to mind when it was sitting on the pad, emitting great clouds of boiling-off propellant: How do they avoid creating an explosion risk? Do they capture the boiling methane and just vent oxygen to the atmosphere?

Most of the clouds are just formed by condensation of the ambient air humidity

skadi

[ORAC]

[ORAC]

RUD at 1/4 speed…

​​​​​​​https://x.com/jerram/status/17258815...HhlFHGKbTPQr_A

[pasta]

Originally Posted by skadi

Most of the clouds are just formed by condensation of the ambient air humidity

Fair point. It's still (necessarily) venting a lot of propellant though, and you wouldn't want them mixing in anything even vaguely approaching a stoichiometric ratio.

Originally Posted by ORAC

RUD at 1/4 speed…

That's interesting; looks like it might have started in the region of the intertank.

[ea200]

Looks to me as if something triggered the self destruct mechanism.

[ORAC]

Latest reports are that the Starship self destruct system automatically activated when it lost its telemetry link with Mission Control (rather than the other way round) - something to be fixed for the next mission either through adding a ground relay station or ensuring its Starlink system is always connected.

[Expatrick]

Or, mabe be just give it up and devote the resources to something useful.

[tdracer]

Originally Posted by Hokulea

I'm trying to figure things out from various sources, but it looks as though the launch was successful, the 1st stage had to be blown up after separation, the second stage continued but had to be "terminated" when it was very close to to its planned shutdown. Right now it looks as though it did a lot better than its first flight and will probably be called successful.

About a week ago, Musk said something to the effect that if they had a successful flight through staging, it would be considered a successful test - anything after that would be icing on the cake. So yes, I think Space X will consider this to be a success.

Originally Posted by Expatrick

Or, mabe be just give it up and devote the resources to something useful.

Said no rocket scientist, EVER!
BTW, why don't you think the ability to extremely large payloads into orbit - at a reasonable cost - would be "something useful".