History, Politics And Current Affairs

SpaceX's stated goal for 2023 is 100 launches.

In Q1 SpaceX achieved 21 launches. Which is about 1 launch every 4 1/3 days. It will remain to be seen if SpaceX can pickup the pace in the test of the year to reach 100 launches in 2023. However even 80+ launches would still be big achievement.

SpaceX has been cleared by the FAA for it's first Orbital launch attempt of Starship with the window opening the morning of 4/17.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index ... c=58568.80

Looks like final checks found one or more 'frozen' valves, launch deferred.

Well, better to have systems that find problems pre-launch rather than have to deduce from telemetry and debris...

Nik_SpeakerToCats wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:37 am Looks like final checks found one or more 'frozen' valves, launch deferred.

Well, better to have systems that find problems pre-launch rather than have to deduce from telemetry and debris...

He's really aiming for 4/20

Poohbah wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:55 am

Nik_SpeakerToCats wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:37 am Looks like final checks found one or more 'frozen' valves, launch deferred.

Well, better to have systems that find problems pre-launch rather than have to deduce from telemetry and debris...

He's really aiming for 4/20

so he can light one up?

Nightwatch2 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 5:15 pm

Poohbah wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:55 am

Nik_SpeakerToCats wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:37 am Looks like final checks found one or more 'frozen' valves, launch deferred.

Well, better to have systems that find problems pre-launch rather than have to deduce from telemetry and debris...

He's really aiming for 4/20

so he can light one up?

Perzactly

Well, they said "excitement guaranteed"...

Vehicle cleared the pad, lost a couple engines, continued to climb, attempted stage separation, and started tumbling. Somehow the stack stayed together under thrust (!) until it exited the flight corridor boundaries and the flight termination system activated.

Too bad, but you have break eggs to make an Omelet.

Note, I think the Saturn series was the only rocket family never to blow up. That's not say it didn't have teething issues.

What a major difference between the SpaceX SS/SH and the NASA driven SLS.

For SpaceX, it was, "Well, it blew up. No problem, it cleared the tower, we got good data, let's PARTY!"

For SLS, it would have been a major setback that would have called the whole program into even more question and probably resulted in some firings.

Booster 9 is almost ready for launch, and is a much updated iteration of #7 that went boom. Without anything but gut feeling, I'd guess another attempt within three months.

Edit to add: A lot of the commentators on Ars Technica were comparing this to Kerbals. I find the comparison to be fairly good.

I think the SLS should be killed since it's too much money for too little result. Falcon Heavy might be better.

Who wants to take bets on for next landing on the Moon, NASA, China, or SpaceX? My money is on SpaceX.

I think they might need to make a couple of changes to how they handle the rocket flame.
How did the SpaceX engineers not anticipate that the rocket exhaust from a rocket twice as powerful as the Saturn-V would need a flame trench and a water deluge system?
The damn thing dug it's own flame trench.

That would just be too exhausting to alter.

I'm pretty sure it getting off the pad and downrange without damaging the tower is considered a success, especially since this is the first flight for the booster.

brovane wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2023 3:41 pm How did the SpaceX engineers not anticipate that the rocket exhaust from a rocket twice as powerful as the Saturn-V would need a flame trench and a water deluge system?

iirc the desire to not have a trench was pure Elon, a thing he probably regrets now that starbase and everything else within a kilometer got shotgunned by concrete fragments
It'll buff out, next launch in probably half a year

David Newton wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2023 4:22 pm That would just be too exhausting to alter.

It isn't clear to me who said it, but CNN says it is being described as "a rapid unplanned disassembly."

That's the SpaceX euphemism for it blowing up.

Ace of Spades had an interesting comment, We're 120 years past the Wright Brother's first flight. What would they thing of the Starship?

Goddard's and Von Braun, about damn time.

It'll buff out!

David Newton wrote: ↑Thu Apr 20, 2023 8:47 pm That's the SpaceX euphemism for it blowing up.

An RUD is common phraseology in rocketry apparently.