Space and Science BS Thread

My money is on them dialing in the robot that welds the studs and probably installs the panels. Robots, while useful, take months and sometimes years to setup and dial out all the little issues. In a situation like a huge rocket, if the stud welder jams halfway up a barrel section, they might not be able to easily get it to start in the correct place and might have decided that starting a new row was easier. With what I've learned in the last few months working with robots, I no longer fear the robot revolution, they're just not that good yet.

 

You left out the most important thing. Desire. Unlike his competition, Elon wants to make us a space faring civilization. The others just want to make money. Greed will only drive you so far, especially on something as risky as rockets.

 

Hehe normally not, that one just killed me though.

 

That’s probably a lighting issue because of the curve but maybe not. Like how only at certain times of the day you can see rebar shadowing on shotcrete.

During the movement video it was explained that for the booster these were structural bands, some for the tanks but others as well so I assume they’re also needed for the starship.

 

When they show the animation of Starships refueling in orbit. I always thought the engines get in the way…. Guess my concerns were unfounded



https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1422780001183834117?s=21

 

In other news…

https://twitter.com/explorespaceksc/status/1422733049112973312?s=21

 

Just a year ago???!!!!!


https://twitter.com/spacex360/status/1422849436552728577?s=21

 

So on the same day Tim gets an awesome tour with an awesome tour guide, Rocket lab drops a tour video too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKHiPf8cEFk

 

Thanks for mentioning that, just finished part 1, but I think I’ll need to watch it again just to process everything he mentioned. Lol’d at the ITAR comment at the very end, curious what we get to see there.

 

The larger bells are the vacuum engines, correct?

 

Yes sir.


(It’s an older pic but representative of the comparison.)

 

I kinda wonder what metal alloy the bells are made of, to withstand so much heat.

 

It’s throat and combustion chamber that gets the hottest and those gets cooled by the fuel in a jacket along with other measures. Niobium gets used in the bell that doesn’t have a cooled jacket.

 

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1423041198764265473?s=21

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1423041387587641348?s=21

https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1423037578534703105?s=21

 

SHEEESH!!

I've been a bit out of touch lately, but why are there only three grid fins and asymmetrical?

 

There are 4, and offset from 90° to allow the tower catching arms access to the hard points to catch B4 when it lands.

 

Ahhh, ok. Makes sense and clearly I didn't make the connection about the plans for it to be "caught" and needing space for that system

 

I really really really hope it doesn’t go boom.

 

I as well. That said, would be one spectacular and VERY WELL documented fire cracker!