Musk says next test flight in 6-8 weeks…

So, about 3 months then?

Ship 25 completes a six-engine static fire test at Starbase in Texas


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First section of water cooled steel plate being lowered into position inside the OLM…


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What's the latest estimate for the next launch attempt? It's gone a bit quiet lately. End of August at the earliest?

OLM Water Deluge System manifold moved for installation with the steel plate!

SPMT’s are currently under B10 for rollout later tonight.

(To the engine test site, not the OLM)

B10 on the move.

​​​​​​​About 20 of these MOVAC water tankers have arrived to the Launch Complex today. Typically these are used to remove water, not deliver it. However we believe SpaceX has begun to fill the water tanks for the Super Heavy Booster Bidet.

Not sure why that would be needed this early

Testing probably.

Musk:

Looks like we can increase Raptor thrust by ~20% to reach 9000 tons (20 million lbs) of force at sea level and deliver over 200 tons of payload to a useful orbit with full & rapid reusability.

50 rockets flying every 3 days on average enables over a megaton of payload to orbit per year – enough to build a self-sustaining city on Mars.

Purge test of the now installed water spray system…

Superheavy rolled out to the launch pad - next launch as early as this summer (unless the environmental groups have their way):
SpaceX rolls Starship Super Heavy booster to launch pad for testing (photos) | Space
See SpaceX's next Starship Super Heavy booster on the pad (photos) | Space

Booster 9 is fully loaded. Very smooth opening test on the OLM for this upgraded Super Heavy Starship booster.

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After initial activation, a full-pressure test of the new Starship flame deflector is planned for Friday

WOW! Full Starbase OLM Water Deluge System Test.

**HEADPHONE WARNING!**

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I'm wondering how far the upper plate gets thrown by the steam pressure from the heating and erosion of the upper misting plate. hope they used good chewing gum. I am a fan of F9, F9 Heavy, and certainly entertained by starship, but the use of this site for this energy level just because the personality involved is not interested in dealing with the US ACE's requests on compliance is sad. As a system, parking this stacks upper on an unprepared surface on the moon or Mars, and then taking off again from the same surface seems to have some rather large risks. From a prepared, elevated pad self inflicted injuries occur, how's that going to play out on a rocky unprepared surface? Apollo had many great concepts...

The only part that will launch from the moon or Mars is the Starship upper stage, the booster is only used to escape Earth’s gravity.

Some cool video of the first full pressure test. Camera was up above looking down.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023...testing-phase/

Starship Booster 9 and launch infrastructure moving into critical testing phase

After last week’s testing of Booster 9, the water deluge system, and other important activity at Starbase, the Starship program is now moving into a critical testing phase where Booster 9 will begin static test firings of the Raptor engines with the water deluge in use.

Large test windows have been posted, starting Friday – likely pointing to the dual events on separate days, from the Spin Prime test requirement, ahead of a Static Fire test with an unknown number of engines.

Booster 9 was lifted onto the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) on Thursday, July 20, after it was rolled out to the orbital launch pad from the production area of Starbase. A large amount of work was done at the OLM and launch pad area prior to the proof test on the booster, which is slated to fly on the next Starship launch.

On Sunday, July 23, Booster 9 was filled with liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen – in the methane tank – for what SpaceX billed as a propellant loading test. Both tanks reached full capacity as a booster was tested on the OLM for the first time since the eventful Starship first flight on April 20….

Meanwhile, at the former Massey’s gun range now converted to a SpaceX test site, Ship 28 was moved there for proof testing with cryogenic fluids on Friday, July 21. On the same date, Booster 10 was moved out of Massey’s, arriving at the “rocket garden” by the production site after midnight on Saturday, July 22.

Ship 28 was seen with frost lines on its liquid oxygen and methane tanks, after having been loaded with cryogenic fluids on Friday, July 28. The ship, equipped with fins, tiles, and a payload bay, is now expected to roll back to the production site to have its Raptor engines installed, assuming the test was successful.

This ship is expected to be used with Booster 10 on the third Starship test launch….

Another recent test article is one with a hot staging ring in between an aft ring for the ship and a top section of a booster. This was rolled out to Massey’s on Sunday, July 30 for structural testing.

A hot staging ring will be added to Booster 9 and future vehicles to simplify the stage separation procedure during flight.

While Ship 28 has been undergoing its own preparations for flight, Ship 25 has had missing tiles installed and has been connected to a crane for a future lift.

Ship 25 is being prepared to fly atop Booster 9 for the upcoming second Starship test flight…..

Booster 9 completed a flight-like chill and spin of the Raptor engine pumps in advance of static fire.


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