Space and Science BS Thread

Bonus view of the catch:
https://x.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1845555801848775105?s=46

And other doings…
https://x.com/labpadre/status/1845557040510599657?s=46

 

Double launch w/ ship to ship fuel transfer. Although increasing Starlink coverage is a priority I think if NASA was behind pushing for this launch progress towards HLS mission capability might get front of the line status. This would highlight the ability to rapidly sequence launches of multiple flight ready ships which they’ll have soon. How many orbits(hours or days?) of the first ship until launch of the second? I’m guessing the second pair would be waiting on transport stands back at the bays to avoid shock waves from the first launch so at least a day or two(or whatever interval is convenient for matching orbits. But first they need to practice the procedures for safing and transporting caught boosters until they have them developed into rapidly reusable status.

 

I think they'll start with payloads. Gotta get the next gen Starlink sats going. From there work towards not having any burn through on the heatshield, then catch, then fuel transfer. The improved heatshield did much better, but there were still some problems around the forward flaps. I think it's going to take them several iterations to get the heat shield where they want it. The booster looked to do good, only lost a couple side panels and a bunch of insulation/lines in the engine bay, but we'll have to wait to see those up close pictures to really tell.

 

I guess it’s a question of priorities. Absent the HLS commitment I’d agree with you. If NASA helped move the FAA I think that tips the scales some. Something happened behind the scenes.

 

Musk posted some of the booster’s Raptor nozzles had some melt/warping. “Easy fix”

 

I think getting Ship to an actual orbit and a Starlink deploy. NSF has been noticing increased activity around the Starlink building in Starbase.

It's pretty cool to see how other countries, especially Mexico with it being so close, react to this.

I saw a joke yesterday that IFT6 will be Booster 12 and they will roll Ship 26 (the one without flaps or tiles) out and launch those 2. Then my brain realized that S26 doesn't have engines currently.

Definitely an easy fix by using Raptor 3's.

 

I wonder which stage gets them first or if both get them. I could see them making their debut in the ship. I thought the most significant changes were above the nozzles by replacing external plumbing with internal channels which the nozzles already have. I wouldn’t be surprised if they already have design changes in the works for BV2’s at both ends since they probably were aware of this heating from previous flights. Since the outer ring doesn’t have relight capability does that mean they can’t bleed LOX through the nozzles once they’ve shut down? I would think they still could but lack the ability to spin prime & light. If so it could be as simple as a software change rather than any hardware.

 

Maybe S26 gets some R3’s.

 

Ship v2 will get the R3s. They're currently in testing at McGregor and S33(?) is the first v2 ship. Booster v2 will also get them, but that will be a bit. The Ring Watchers haven't seen Booster v2 hardware yet. Musk said that R3s don't need the shielding for reentry, but I have my doubts about that.

Not sure why you want to have the outer 20 relight? Or have have them SP and light?

Are you in the S26 fan club?!

 

I don’t want them to relight until the next flight at which point they need to remain unmelted by the previous descent. My comment was directed at a method of chilling them(outer 20) only. The inner engines get conditioned already. My understanding is that the R3 engines don’t need shielding but it was the R2 nozzles that were damaged so the same potential for damage remains even with R3’s.
Edit - no attachment to S26 but if it can serve a further purpose not requiring reentry then use it.

 

Well they can handle the heat of the exhaust with a bit of boundary cooling, so .. maybe?

 

It landed on pins. Mind blown.



Watch the upper right feed.

https://x.com/yayavarkm/status/1845542761451159585

 

rotation should have been mostly done via grid fins on the way down, and there looks to be a bit of margin for error with fine control afterwards. But yeah, those are some tiny pins. I was halfway expecting the pins to miss and then it hanging on for dear life by the grid fins...

 

I think the pins landed nearly 90º to the rails, but would want to confirm with a top down view. The stabilizer arms weren't in line, sure. But I think that had to do more with the booster landing slightly outboard of the tower, not roll/rotation.

 

The catch was very,,, graceful in a way. The control of the booster and chopsticks was amazing. That they achieved it on their first attempt, historic.

Unrelated:
https://x.com/pascalleetweets/status/1845875791093289112?s=46

 

Pins you say?
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1846157694492676169?s=46

 

Certainly looks like it landed 90º on the rails. NSF has a time lapse showing how they moved the rails outboard of the tower to line up the Booster with the OLM.

 

Watching it descend from a distance(that view from Mexico in particular) gives a different perspective. “It’s going to make a big hole if it doesn’t stop” was what I was thinking. I know, they’ve done hundreds now with F9 but different engines, fuel, lighting sequence, SIZE. It was surreal.

 

What I don't get are the flat earthers saying it was CGI. Really? Really?! You convinced THOUSANDS of people that were actually there to all say it is CGI?!

 

https://youtu.be/HMyOSJX7a9Q?si=ABaDtPIPxgo6wzTA

This is pretty cool. I've been following Archer Aviation's progress for a while now.