Space and Science BS Thread

watchin the Marcus House recap. Apparently as the booster was "landing" the chopsticks simultaneously closed attempting to catch the ghost booster!

 

https://x.com/nsfvoyager2/status/1798867526668984670?s=46

 

I think they nailed it
https://x.com/physinhistory/status/1799426203650240617?s=46

 

Still kicking
https://x.com/thejackbeyer/status/1799429797652885859?s=46
https://x.com/thejackbeyer/status/1800057977426305199?s=46

 

https://x.com/spacex/status/1799458854067118450?s=46

Confirmed catch attempt????
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1799497454812844047?s=46

 

Good to see they were on target as that camera wasn’t there by coincidence.

 

That's what the report said. That said, that was definitely the engine that went out with the extra flamey and it was swinging around a bit...

 

But it’s just so cool and amazing to see the progress with each flight. Lots to do but they’re getting it done and solving the problems as they come. I may sound pessimistic at times but I prefer to keep my expectations manageable so that actual results are still positive rather than falling short.

 

Boosters don't come straight down. If you watch falcon 9 boosters landing you will see them do a similar swing. They actually target the ocean to the side of the booster, and swing in once the engines fire. This way if the engines fail to fire they hit water instead of sinking a drone ship. I would assume they do similar to hit ground instead of the launch deck/tower. I'm more surprised it didn't hover for longer.

 

I had the same thought and wondered why the video didn’t show it vertical on the water. Then I watched it again and attributed the lack of extended hover to the engine flameout. You can see the booster compensating when it happens. Because, you know, I’m an internet expert..


https://x.com/tibininin/status/1799483051275423884?s=46

 

They're placing the embeds and about to pour the pile cap, I expect that to take place this week. Good info shown on this on the RGV Aerial vid from this past Saturday.

This was also brought up on the RGV Aerial stream, they looked at it from several angles and from different time stamps and it's still showing the golden hue.

This is due to heating of the stainless, this is called Straw color and means the stainless steel of the deluge reached a temperature of 650ºF.

 

That brings up an interest question: since the chopsticks can swing out past the launch mount to pluck boosters and ships from transport stands would they target that transport stand area for catch attempts?

 

Interesting post week 3-way interview with Marcus House, Scott Manley & Fraser Cain.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ecMlV4W_CLU

 

Nope. The Chopsticks were seen to close above the OLM at about T+7 minutes, which was right when the booster was doing it's landing burn. In addition, the deluge activated again at the same time the chopsticks moved.

 

Thanks! I saved that to watch later.

 

Yes, that’s what they did this time but the problem is that none of the deluge protects the launch mount from above and the exhaust plume will be much closer when the booster slides over the ring rather than drifting across as it clears the tower. The current deluge would actually do a better job of protecting the pad where the transport stands stop to unload than the top of the ring. Fewer engines by then so maybe it’s not a problem.

 

Granted, it took the chopsticks several minutes to close, but it makes sense they would close where they actually will.

 

Elon answered this kinda the other day. They will be aiming for the gulf, and if everything is green, they will swing in to the tower to be caught. Most likely above the deck as it is heavily reinforced with piles underneath.

 

To protect the table a bit more they could also make the catch with the chopsticks higher up the tower. To stack the booster they only come up so high but go much higher to stack the ship. In the meantime we’ll get to watch the rise of tower 2.

 

And by the time it reaches the tower it will only be 3 engines firing. We've seen the concrete handle that before.