What’s this? Brace yourself for new details about
the third SpaceX Starship flight - are you ready to hear what they are? The first parts of SpaceX's
V2 Starship have been spotted at Starbase. Are the crucial propellant tanks for ULA's Vega lost And
what impact does this have? Hold on to your seats, because Amazon does the unthinkable with SpaceX!
My name is TJ. Welcome to What About It!? Let’s get right into it!
Starship Updates Welcome back to the
constantly active and ever-evolving Starbase, where the pulse of progress never ends!
Join me as we explore the latest developments surrounding Starship's third orbital flight.
We begin with the Super Heavy Booster 10 – the powerhouse needed to propel Starship's
upper stage into the skies! First spotted in July 2022,
Booster 10's journey has been quite eventful. A year after its inception, it was transported
to Massey's test site for some cryogenic testing, before being rolled back to the Rocket Garden.
It wasn't until September that it returned to Massey's for another round of testing,
this time involving Raptor thrust simulators. Surviving four cryogenic tests in total,
Booster 10 was moved back to the Mega Bay for engine installation.
Fast-forward two months, and on December 4th, our camera expert John documented the installation
of a metal ring atop this Super Heavy. And if you watch this channel, you probably
know what this purpose is - Hot staging! It’s a technique that allows to separate the
rocket's upper stage without resorting to explosives or complicated push mechanisms.
Instead, the top section of the first stage is fitted with a structure
featuring cutouts that allow for the second stage engine gasses to escape.
At separation, the upper stage ignites its engines and flies away from the first stage.
This simple, yet effective technique has been mostly used in Russian rockets.
However, Starship's approach to hot staging introduces a critical difference: the first
stage or the Booster must not only survive the separation but also remain fully functional.
it's pretty common with other Rockets when you do hot staging that the first stage doesn't survive.
So to keep Starship fully functional this was achieved by heavily reinforcing the hot staging
ring, protecting Super Heavy’s forward dome. Things would escalate really quickly if Ship’s
flame entered Booster’s methane tank… Starship’s first flight demonstrated
that this approach works, and the ring does its job perfectly.
Let’s not talk about what happened seconds later, okay?
The new ring installed on top of Booster 10 looks exactly like the one used in Starship's
second flight, indicating that the design performed to expectations.
With the last piece of the puzzle in place, rollout was imminent,
and indeed, just a day later, a new Booster transport stand was brought into the Mega Bay.
We can now say with 100% confidence that this is not a test stand, but an improved transport stand.
The stand itself is still pretty amazing! This one comes equipped with proper clamps similar
to those found on the Orbital Launch Table, which likely eliminates the need for manual tie-downs.
Additionally, it features signal lights and possibly a pressurization unit to pressurize
the Booster if necessary during transport. I told you, it’s a cool piece of tech!
However, there is one massive drawback, at least for us - Starship enthusiasts.
The new stand's design obstructs the view of the engines - No more serial number spotting.
Soon after it made its entrance, Booster 10 was hoisted into it and emerged from the Mega Bay,
marking the end of months of hard work. While many hoped it would head directly
to the Launch Site, we know that it isn't quite ready to welcome a new prototype yet.
Instead, the Booster was moved to the Rocket Garden.
Nonetheless, it means that this prototype is ready to proceed with its test campaign,
which will likely include just one spin prime, and one static fire.
If all goes according to plan, this could have been its final visit to the Mega Bay.
At this point, you might be wondering: how’s the launch site? When will we see another
Booster on the launch table? Let's delve into that.
At the Orbital Launch Integration Tower known as OLIT, there's a beehive of activity as
preparations for the third flight ramp up. One of the recent tasks involved the removal
and reinstallation of all the hold down clamps on the launch deck.
This doesn't automatically mean that there was something wrong with them,
perhaps it’s just easier to do an inspection with them on the ground.
Additionally, we saw the retraction of the Ship Quick Disconnect arm,
though the plate itself still appears damaged. This could signal impending repairs.
At the same time as Booster 10 was gradually exiting the Mega Bay, Mechazilla’s arms,
also known as chopsticks, were seen going up. They reached the top of the tower before
descending again, likely conducting a self-test ahead of the next stacking operation.
Meanwhile, ongoing work at the tank farm includes the recent demolition of the wall in front of it.
This is likely a preparation to erect a wall similar to the one with the Gateway To Mars
sign. Very cool sign, I'm a big sign guy. Pipelines are also in the process of being
reconfigured, and the new tanks are receiving a protective wall
at the rear, to shield from debris. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw
Booster 10 on OLM in about two weeks from now! What are your thoughts? Do you agree with me,
or maybe you have a different prediction? Please, let me know in the comments!
As the third Starship flight gets closer, we get more and
more intriguing details about this mission. Previously, we speculated whether SpaceX
would once again try the flight profile from the first flight.
The answer is: Probably not. During a recent presentation, NASA’s
Deputy to the Deputy Associate Administrator - Lakiesha Hawkins, revealed a fascinating detail
on a slide about the Human Landing System. It appears that SpaceX plans to conduct a
propellant transfer demonstration during the third Starship flight!
But TJ, this can't be accomplished without two Ships? Right?
The answer might not be as straightforward as you think…
The design of Starship's upper stage could offer a unique opportunity for propellant
transfer demonstration. You see, inside the Ship,
there are four tanks: a primary liquid oxygen tank, a primary methane tank, and
two smaller header tanks located in the nosecone. They are necessary during belly flop and landing,
but they could be repurposed for this experiment. We know that SpaceX can transfer
fuel transfer between the main and header tanks in flight, as demonstrated with the SN8 prototype,
so why not use them in space. NASA's presentation on this matter
sheds more light on the experiment. The goal is to transfer 10 metric
tons of propellant between Starship's tanks. In theory, this means SpaceX could conduct the
test using just one vehicle, moving the fluid between the main and header tanks.
This could also be a hint that the third mission might aim for full orbital insertion!
While the fuel transfer test doesn't necessarily require orbit, the demonstration itself assumes
that the vehicle will be in a stable orbit. Furthermore, FCC documents related to
Starship's third flight discussed a powered landing in the Indian Ocean.
Although the second flight's failure to reach the target might’ve changed everything,
it increasingly looks like SpaceX will target orbit during the IFT-3.
What’s your take on this? Will SpaceX stick to the original trajectory? Or maybe
we’ll finally see a Starship in orbit? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Shifting our focus back to the Build Site, let's examine a particularly interesting component.
Take a look at this ring. Does anything strike you as unusual?
At first glance, it might seem like a standard Starship segment. However, upon closer inspection,
there's something off about it. This new ring has a different
pattern of pins for attaching heat tiles. Previously, prototypes used a system of
three clips for each heat tile, spaced much further apart.
Things get even spicier when we move a bit to the left. It looks like the new
heat tiles might be getting a metal insert. Not only that, but they also appear to be
much smaller, which would significantly improve their strength, making them harder to crack.
At this point, it’s difficult to tell what exactly this could mean for Starship.
Maybe it’s just a test article, and the new tiles will never see the light of day.
There's also the possibility of a hybrid approach, where larger tiles cover the majority of the
Ship’s area, while smaller tiles are used in more challenging areas like near the flaps.
We'll have to keep a close watch to see how this evolves. Who knows,
maybe that’s one of the upgrades for the V2 Ship? Turning our attention to the Sanchez site,
aerial footage possible thanks to Redline Heli reveals some fascinating new hardware
dedicated for Starship manufacturing First, you can see the white phone booth
sections right next to the rusty pieces. This will eventually become a Booster
engine installation stand, destined for the first Mega Bay.
Mega Bay 1 already houses two such stands, and with the legs for a third one already in place,
it appears the rear section of this building will be dedicated to engine installation.
Adjacent to the stand, we can see the Raptor installation platform.
It will work in tandem with the previously mentioned engine installation stand.
To the right, there's the second Booster transport stand currently in progress.
It hasn't yet been fitted with its hold down arms, and it seems SpaceX isn't rushing to complete it,
likely because it's not immediately needed. Further back, we find the Ship transport stand.
As you’ve probably noticed, this stand is considerably less robust
than its Booster counterpart, mainly because the Ship isn’t as heavy.
Then, at the rear of the site, we spot this curious white ring.
Its precise purpose isn't clear, but given its color and design,
it might be a Ship engine installation stand!
If true, this stand would likely be placed inside the High Bay,
streamlining and accelerating the engine installation process for Starship's upper stage.
I’m curious to see how all this new tooling will improve the production
rate of prototypes at Starbase. Book your own ride at Starbase
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Man those things are cool! Now, onto some more news!
The state of the European space market lately, unfortunately, doesn't paint a
picture of success, and it doesn’t look like anything will change anytime soon.
Recently, Europe found itself without any operational rockets, and here's why.
For many years, Arianespace's flagship heavy-lift rocket was the renowned Ariane 5,
which is now being replaced by the Ariane 6. However, less known is the fact that the
European Space Agency also relied on a smaller satellite launcher - Vega.
This relatively simple rocket, capable of delivering about 1,500 kilograms or
3,300 pounds to low Earth orbit, struggled in a competitive market with an estimated
launch cost of 37 million dollars. Despite its costs, Vega provided
Europe with some degree of autonomy in launching smaller payloads into space.
Later, Avio, the company behind Vega, developed an upgraded version named Vega C, with a capacity to
lift 2,300 kilograms or 5,000 pounds to LEO. However, Vega's reliability issues seemed
to have transitioned to Vega C, which experienced a failure on its second mission.
The problem was traced back to the second stage, necessitating a redesign of the engine.
Consequently, the Vega-C is unlikely to fly again until the end of 2024.
Not a great start… While Avio is transitioning to Vega C,
they have one remaining original Vega rocket scheduled to launch
the Sentinel-2C Earth observation satellite. There’s just one issue: Avio lost the tanks!
According to Europeanspaceflight.com, two out of the four propellant tanks required for the
rocket’s fourth stage vanished from the warehouse and had been missing for over two months.
I’m not kidding! In a strange twist,
the tanks were eventually located… in a scrapyard! They threw them out, they got thrown away,
someone threw them away. Either someone was really incompetent or there was
a mix-up in the procedures, either way the parts needed for Vega’s last flight were destroyed.
What’s worse is the fact that Vega and Vega-C are significantly different in design.
The production line for the original Vega was shut down a long time ago,
so there’s no way to manufacture new tanks. This leaves Avio with two rather risky options.
The first involves using old qualification testing tanks.
These vessels are nearly 12 years old now, and assessing their structural integrity at this
point is nearly impossible, but they could work. The second option, which arguably carries even
greater risk, involves retrofitting the upper stage from Vega-C to fit the original Vega rocket.
Such a move would essentially transform the launch into an experimental test flight!
Considering Vega's existing 13% failure rate, this approach may
not sit well with the European Space Agency. In the end, they might ask for a refund and
instead secure a spot for their satellite on a future SpaceX Transporter mission.
Let’s hope that some day the European launch market will return to its
former glory. Though you have to admit, that’s a pretty stupid error to make…
The challenges in space exploration are obviously not exclusive to Europe only.
NASA has recently announced further delays for both the
Mars Sample Return and Dragonfly missions. The MSR program is an ambitious endeavor to
retrieve soil samples from another planet – something we’ve never done before.
This complex mission was initially planned to involve a lander, an orbiter, two helicopters,
and a rocket to return the samples collected by the Perseverance rover.
Sounds quite ambitious, isn’t it? For the 2024 fiscal year,
NASA requested over 900 million dollars to continue developing this groundbreaking mission.
However, the Senate has proposed allocating a third of that amount, only if the total mission
cost does not exceed 5 billion dollars. An independent review, however,
estimated the mission's total expense to be at least 8 billion, potentially reaching up to a
staggering 11 billion dollars. Oh, that’s not good…
This figure is more than double the Senate's limit, potentially leading
to the outright cancellation of the program. Consequently, NASA has had to slow its pace,
to decide which parts of the mission could be cut to salvage the program.
In the worst-case scenario, billions already invested might be lost if the Senate
orders the cancellation of the Mars Sample Return. The Dragonfly mission, aimed at sending a drone
to Saturn's moon Titan, faces similar problems. Inadequate funding has already caused a delay,
with the launch now rescheduled for July 2028. The frustrating part of this situation is
the stark contrast in government spending. While the US military budget surpasses 800
billion dollars, NASA's budget is around 25 billion – more than 30 times less!
If even a small portion of the military budget, say 10-15 billion dollars, were
redirected to NASA, the possibilities of space exploration would be next level.
Sadly, NASA must operate within its allocated budget, but let’s hope that one day space
exploration will eventually regain its status as a top priority for humanity.
And to conclude this episode on a brighter note, let's turn our attention to Amazon and
their satellite constellation program, which has recently seen a rather unexpected twist.
The successful deployment of SpaceX's Starlink constellation, providing fast and reliable
satellite internet, has inspired various companies to embark on similar endeavors.
One such company is Amazon, whose ambitious Kuiper project aimed at
deploying over 3,000 satellites into low Earth orbit to offer internet services.
Amazon struck a multibillion-dollar deal to achieve this massive undertaking,
securing 92 launches from United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Arianespace.
However, there's a catch: apart from Atlas V, all other rockets planned
for these launches are yet to reach orbit. This became problematic when Amazon intended
to send two prototype satellites aboard the Vulcan Centaur, a rocket still awaiting its first launch.
Frustrated by delays, the company moved these prototypes to an Atlas V mission,
which was successfully launched on October 6th. The good news is that the prototypes worked,
allowing Amazon to start mass production. Yet, even before these prototypes made
their way to orbit, the company was hit by a lawsuit from its own shareholders.
The suit claimed that the launch contract lacked careful consideration and neglected
the most economical and speedy option due to Jeff Bezos' personal biases.
Bezos and Musk together in love was not an option, according to Jeff.
According to the lawsuit, though, the fastest solution was SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
In a surprising turn of events, perhaps influenced by the lawsuit, perhaps not,
Amazon recently announced securing three new Kuiper launches from… get this… SpaceX!
Now, that’s a twist! Who knows? Maybe Bezos reconsidered
his approach, prioritizing money over ego… The first of these Falcon 9 launches is slated
for mid-2025. Likely to have it at least launch Kuiper sats after Blue Origins own New Glenn.
While it might seem unusual for SpaceX to assist a competitor,
Elon Musk has previously stated that SpaceX is open to launching payloads for anyone who pays.
They simply don’t care about the competition.
Which is wise if you ask me. That’s it for today! Remember
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