Space and Science BS Thread

This is where I have a beef with bureaucracies. The process may be necessary but not even beginning yet? They don’t need to lay down but if there’s a job to do, DO IT.

 

Offhand that seems likely. I wouldn’t even rule out sticking it under a ship for a static fire if it’s made to use the same connections. Pad B would probably need some shielding topside though.

 

Maybe they haven’t been asked yet

 

I thought this came up weeks ago about the deluge discharge.

 

https://x.com/spacedotcom/status/1705555788326969701?s=46

 

https://x.com/jerrypikephoto/status/1705559448603730123?s=46

 

It’s not that Falcon 9’s are small but that Starship is HUGE.

 

here's an interesting video the algorithm showed me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NogI8fEfYMc

 

Kinda crazy to think how much a difference this can make in manufacturing when “settling” is eliminated. I wonder how much stronger alloys can get. Crystalline structures form without internal stress.

 

https://x.com/spacex/status/1705791262950044010?s=46

If I recall correctly, SpX had set benchmarks for reuse before refurbishment.

These benchmarks have been pushed out but none of these high number of reused F9s have been refurbished, right?

 

https://x.com/nasasolarsystem/status/1705906526240583804?s=46

 

It’s always good when these complex missions are successful
https://x.com/nasa/status/1705968532041687369?s=46
https://x.com/nasa/status/1706015474910114233?s=46

 

Really cool series of pics:
https://x.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1706009850172346426?s=46

 

https://x.com/m_tijn/status/1706027964381425808?s=46

 

I would think the 3 center engines would only be used for deceleration after reentering the atmosphere and only the Rvacs used until then.

 

It's an artist rendering so it might not be accurate. That said, I think it depends what altitude it's at. Stage separation could be low enough in the atmosphere that the center engines would benefit it. There's a lot of unknowns, like how high can it go. It might end up being able to get just high enough in LEO to stay in orbit, but possibly need a tanker to reach higher orbits, let alone leave our orbit. Then again hot staging alone is expected to give them as much payload as an entire falcon 9, so it might be able to knock it out of the park, especially with the new raptor 2 engines! we'll find out for sure when they put engines on the ship they have without flaps. If it gets center engines then it needs them to leave orbit. Maybe sooner if FWL hurries up...

 

I’d put it down to an artistic error since second stages don’t normally even have sea level engines at all since flaring is already well underway. There’s also the close proximity of the hot stage protection dome to the center engines likely causing severe back blast instead of venting. They might hot stage the Rvacs and light the center 3 after separation if they’re still needed. We won’t really know until a hot stage happens.

 

Ran into Neil Armstrong yesterday at the Kalamazoo Air Museum, awesome display.

 

I found out after I posted that, that they removed the hot staging ring to work on the grid fin motors and have access to the Tesla batteries.

Musk has said that all 6 will fire at stage sep and continue until SECO. Then the RVACs will be used in conjunction with the ullage thrusters to maneuver in space.

 

Silly me.