SpaceX flight testing in South Texas
Tabs please!
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From: Biffins Bridge
Here is some footage from within the Starship engine bay at the point of stage separation. The "flip" caused by partially blocking the exhaust path worked perfectly. That is a technology first. The clearance between the engines and the top of the booster tank is surprisingly small. Well done SpaceX.
Apologies for the lousy commentary.
Apologies for the lousy commentary.
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From: Blighty
Good video, I thought the commentary was fine.
I wonder if the old Russian rocket designers are looking at that 'new' permanent hot staging structure with a wry smile. It looks very much like theirs. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
The flip assist is very cool though.
I wonder if the old Russian rocket designers are looking at that 'new' permanent hot staging structure with a wry smile. It looks very much like theirs. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
The flip assist is very cool though.
Tabs please!
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From: Biffins Bridge
I thought the commentary was rather flat and stilted. Yep, the Chinese have used it too although both seem to have allowed more room between the stages, I wonder of SpaceX have been a little too clever. The next versions will have an angled lattice instead of the current straight version which will not detach from the booster i.e. no hot staging ring to discard.
The next flight could be less than a month away, we live in magical times.
The next flight could be less than a month away, we live in magical times.
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From: Germany
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From: Peripatetic
A closer view of Booster 16's 33 Raptor engine nozzles while being lifted onto the launch mount this morning for static fire testing in preparation for upcoming Starship test flight 10.
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From: Peripatetic
VideoSTATIC FIRE! Booster 16 fires up in preparation for Starship Flight 10.
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From: Peripatetic
................
Video
Video
Ouch! A bit of a rough morning for Booster 16!
This was a pretty rare de-stacking operation, with the booster being lifted to the top of the tower and taking nearly a full hour to be lowered to the transport stand.
Once in position there appeared to be some issues getting the booster into the proper alignment.
After engaging the alignment pins on the transport stand, the stabilizer arms on the chopsticks released the booster. Because of the uneven weight distribution, its important for at least one of these to be attached at all times.
But, for some odd reason, the pins suddenly retracted without reengaging the stabilizers arms first. With nothing the hold it straight, the booster crashed into the transport stand and appeared to bounce off of it multiple times!
Hopefully this didn't cause too much damage to either an engine or the protective shielding!
After this, the stabilizers re-attached to the booster and centered it above the stand before handing it back off to the alignment pins. It took several attempts with extending and retracting the clamp arms to finally set the booster onto the stand.
There are quite a few speed ramps in this time-lapse, but I included the clock from the @NASASpaceflight stream so you can get an idea of how fast this clip has been sped up.
When all was said and done it took around 6 hours to complete this operation.
This was a pretty rare de-stacking operation, with the booster being lifted to the top of the tower and taking nearly a full hour to be lowered to the transport stand.
Once in position there appeared to be some issues getting the booster into the proper alignment.
After engaging the alignment pins on the transport stand, the stabilizer arms on the chopsticks released the booster. Because of the uneven weight distribution, its important for at least one of these to be attached at all times.
But, for some odd reason, the pins suddenly retracted without reengaging the stabilizers arms first. With nothing the hold it straight, the booster crashed into the transport stand and appeared to bounce off of it multiple times!
Hopefully this didn't cause too much damage to either an engine or the protective shielding!
After this, the stabilizers re-attached to the booster and centered it above the stand before handing it back off to the alignment pins. It took several attempts with extending and retracting the clamp arms to finally set the booster onto the stand.
There are quite a few speed ramps in this time-lapse, but I included the clock from the @NASASpaceflight stream so you can get an idea of how fast this clip has been sped up.
When all was said and done it took around 6 hours to complete this operation.
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From: Peripatetic
VideoStarship 36 has performed a single engine static fire test today in preparation for upcoming Starship test flight 10. A full 6 engine static fire is still expected before rolling back to megabay 2.
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From: Peripatetic
Elon Musk:
Starship will have 42 engines.
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From: Central UK
It'll be interesting to see how much damage has been done to the ground installations (fuel and O2 storage for instance) and whether it was wise to have placed them so close and apparently exposed to the pad. Would this have implications for the fundamental layout of the launch sites too?
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From: Peripatetic
SpaceX Statement:
On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.
Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.
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From: Peripatetic
😁😁😁 I prefer the last one…..
@grok Simply reframe this post in short but do it as an old man with wisdom.
“Son, when SpaceX's Starship met its fiery end on that Texas night, it wasn't just metal lost. Each burst of flame teaches us, like scars on an old man's hands. Progress ain't smooth; it's forged in trials, where failure whispers wisdom. No soul was harmed, thank the stars, but the path to the heavens demands patience. Trust the process, for every fall plants seeds for flight.
SpaceX's bold heart keeps beating, learning from this mishap as it did with rockets past. The cosmos waits, and these stumbles are but steps on a long road. Heed this, young one: true pioneers embrace the fire to find their way.”
“Son, when SpaceX's Starship met its fiery end on that Texas night, it wasn't just metal lost. Each burst of flame teaches us, like scars on an old man's hands. Progress ain't smooth; it's forged in trials, where failure whispers wisdom. No soul was harmed, thank the stars, but the path to the heavens demands patience. Trust the process, for every fall plants seeds for flight.
SpaceX's bold heart keeps beating, learning from this mishap as it did with rockets past. The cosmos waits, and these stumbles are but steps on a long road. Heed this, young one: true pioneers embrace the fire to find their way.”
Now get honest and give it to us like Hunter S Thompson would.
“The Starship saga is a wild, cosmic gamble, a chrome beast screaming to the heavens, only to crash in a blaze of hubris. This ain't no moonshot fairy tale—Ship 36's explosion on June 18, 2025, at 11 p.m. CT, spewed debris and dreams across Texas dirt. SpaceX's chasing reusable glory, a Mars-bound vision to slash launch costs to pennies.
NASA and the Pentagon nod, entranced by the promise. But the beast's fragile, too heavy, some say, with $10 billion burned and no sure thing. Failures teach, sure, but each blast—four of nine tests—screams risk. Debris rains, greens weep, and the FAA's watching. It's a mad dance with the void, thrilling and terrifying.
“The Starship saga is a wild, cosmic gamble, a chrome beast screaming to the heavens, only to crash in a blaze of hubris. This ain't no moonshot fairy tale—Ship 36's explosion on June 18, 2025, at 11 p.m. CT, spewed debris and dreams across Texas dirt. SpaceX's chasing reusable glory, a Mars-bound vision to slash launch costs to pennies.
NASA and the Pentagon nod, entranced by the promise. But the beast's fragile, too heavy, some say, with $10 billion burned and no sure thing. Failures teach, sure, but each blast—four of nine tests—screams risk. Debris rains, greens weep, and the FAA's watching. It's a mad dance with the void, thrilling and terrifying.
@grok revise it to utterly unhinged. Maximum absurdity. A manic, schizophrenic fever dream laced with incoherent logic, frayed disdain, catastrophic melancholy, and screaming nonsense…..
”Starship 36's fireball screams cosmic betrayal, a steel prophet gargling static in the Texas void. Engines wail, logic frays—metal bones shatter under manic starlight.
Costly? Sure, billions weep, but who counts tears in this schizophrenic dance?
Delays claw at Musk's Martian fever dream, yet each explosion births unholy data, whispering fixes to deranged engineers. Safety holds—no flesh burned, just egos.
X buzzes with doomsayers and apologists, split like a cracked skull. Setback? Or divine chaos refining the beast?
I doubt all narratives, but this madness fuels progress, maybe. Truth's a glitch in the void.”
”Starship 36's fireball screams cosmic betrayal, a steel prophet gargling static in the Texas void. Engines wail, logic frays—metal bones shatter under manic starlight.
Costly? Sure, billions weep, but who counts tears in this schizophrenic dance?
Delays claw at Musk's Martian fever dream, yet each explosion births unholy data, whispering fixes to deranged engineers. Safety holds—no flesh burned, just egos.
X buzzes with doomsayers and apologists, split like a cracked skull. Setback? Or divine chaos refining the beast?
I doubt all narratives, but this madness fuels progress, maybe. Truth's a glitch in the void.”
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From: Peripatetic
…………..
Initial armchair aerospace engineer analysis suggests one of the COPVs in the payload bay, which are arranged around the header tank transfer tubes, may have blown and punched a hole in the windward side of the ship while also severing both header tank transfer tubes. Ship belly starts to unzip and the fwd dome is damaged leading to mixing and ignition.
Important to note that there were workers up around the payload bay on S36 in recent days after the successful single engine static fire.
Here are the COPVs in question. There are 6 dark cylinders, 3 on each side of the header tank transfer tubes. This is right at the base of the nose cone where the initial puff appears.
Important to note that there were workers up around the payload bay on S36 in recent days after the successful single engine static fire.
Here are the COPVs in question. There are 6 dark cylinders, 3 on each side of the header tank transfer tubes. This is right at the base of the nose cone where the initial puff appears.
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From: Peripatetic
The fact that this is still burning is a very bad sign. Based on personal experience this is an indication that the methane isolation valves are stuck in the open position.
In these situations...emergency services will not approach the site. They will allow it to burn itself out because they have no way of predicting what will happen. This is basically like having an uncontrolled gas well.
Not trying to overhype the situation...but as a petroleum engineer these are my thoughts as I watch this.
In these situations...emergency services will not approach the site. They will allow it to burn itself out because they have no way of predicting what will happen. This is basically like having an uncontrolled gas well.
Not trying to overhype the situation...but as a petroleum engineer these are my thoughts as I watch this.
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From: Peripatetic
Here’s the aftermath of the Ship 36 explosion last night at Massey’s test site.
