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Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 11732204)
They could have launched - might have lost tiles, might have damaged the arms, maybe not - but there is no point in sitting around doing nothing, so they carried out the updates that otherwise would just have been done for the next launch.
The Starship is a throw away anyway and they have a second launch tower they would have been ready for the next launch if tower one had been damaged. The tower is up, but the catch arms, launch mount, deluge system etc are nowhere near being installed. There's talk of a flame trench too... There's also tower 3 going up at the Cape... |
FAA response - reading between the lines, don’t hold your breath until 2025….
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....63d511a8a6.png |
It's enough for a cynic to think that the US Federal Government is being harder on Space X ever since Elon came out supporting Trump :rolleyes:
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Sounds like pretty much the whole industry is unhappy with the FAA...
Congress, industry criticize FAA launch licensing regulations - SpaceNews |
In a very odd turn of events, the vessel Hos Ridgewind does indeed appear to be attempting to recover portions of Booster 11.
Hos Ridgewind is at the splashdown point of B11 and has been for the past four days. 🧵 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...778110678.html |
Originally Posted by tdracer
(Post 11733568)
Sounds like pretty much the whole industry is unhappy with the FAA...
Congress, industry criticize FAA launch licensing regulations - SpaceNews FAA AST is following the law and established policy. There is much merit in the recognition that currently applicable launch licensing processes need an overhaul. But deviating from established rules and policy isn't the answer. As for the new Moon race, with all the hardware development hurdles yet to be surmounted, it's almost laughable to blame FAA AST's adherence to established law and policy for anticipatory worries that the PRC will get there first. Or first the second time around. |
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SpaceX: Starship stacked for Flight 5 and ready for launch, pending regulatory approval.
”A reminder that the "regulatory approval" is "pending" *NOT* because SpaceX wants to try to catch a freaking skyscraper with the tower,but because the FAA decided that splashing the hot-staging ring now required a 60 day consultation - despite deeming it ok for the previous flights.” |
My understanding of the FAA position is that they issued a licence for several flights 'of the same type and profile' as IFT4. SpaceX intends to fly a very different profile with IFT5, therefore a new licence is required.
No one has ever done this before, they are literally writing the regs as they go along. The flim flam about waste water from the deluge system and the hot stage ring is a, to parden the pun, a drop in the ocean. All this silly talk about Biden holding up SpaceX because of Musk's political alignment with Trump is just conspiracy nonsense. |
B11 is finally coming home….
We know this has been quite awaited, despite many complications and possible conflicted interests. So here's the FULL story…… Elon Musk: Starship Super Heavy Booster Flight 4… https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8da6c3f09.jpeg |
Propellant load test and preflight checkouts complete ahead of Flight 5.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....73cdf694dd.png |
A Raptor test to destruction…. that didn’t fail…..
VideoWOW! A Raptor just fired for the longest duration ever and by some margin at McGregor just now. A full 897 seconds! Nearly 15 minutes!! Just seeing how long it could keep going for @elonmusk? |
A lot of confusion - especially inside the FAA it seems…. NOTAM for IFT5 from 13th Oct…
New NOTAM for Starship Flight 5. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....519fe4a101.png |
Hope that NOTAM proves true!
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Water Deluge System test at Starbase Pad A, before the potential October 13 launch attempt.
The next milestone should be destack for pre-flight FTS work. |
Starship’s fifth flight test is preparing to launch as soon as October 13, pending regulatory approval →
http://spacex.com/launches/mission/?...rship-flight-5 |
Starship Flight 5: SQD (Ship Quick Disconnect) has been retracted ahead of destacking later today.
This is a nominal process in the path to launch to allow for the FTS (Flight Termination System) work to be completed. |
SpaceX says it will attempt to catch the Starship Super Heavy booster with the pad chopsticks, but it would “require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission’s Flight Director.
If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.” |
Road closures for flight 5 launch have been posted.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....97abdd7fb2.png |
Well it looks like SpaceX got the deluge system draft permit approved.
Combined with an earlier hot stage adapter release to land it in the flight 4 zone, and that's probably why they are confidant it's going to be approved soon. |
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