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Today I’ll explain to you, what comes after SpaceX’s Starship Serial Number 8 launch and how long we’ll have to wait for the Serial Number 9 launch!
My name is Felix, and I am your host for today’s episode of What about it!?
And as always, there’s been a lot going on in the space industry lately, so let’s dive right in!
Starship Updates
Here we are! The final Episode of 2020 before the team moves into holiday mode and before a very strange 2020 comes to an end.
We’ve had it all. From very bad to very good.
My personal highlight of 2020 when it comes to the space industry definitely was the SpaceX Starship SN8 12.5-kilometer flight.
What was yours? Tell me in the comments!
Here we are again! Boca Chica Texas through the camera lens of RGV Aerial Photography’s Mauricio!
Check out his channel and Twitter and consider becoming a flight supporter on his Patreon page.
He deserves every penny for these shots.
These pictures were taken right after the Starship Serial Number 8 12.5-kilometer flight and even though they show a debris field,
they are the left overs of what can only be called an incredible success.
Looking at the crash site up close the only large piece left is the nose cone itself.
And there’s some good news as to what’s going to happen with it.
To a Twitter request from Gene and Rachel from SpacePadreIsle asking to preserve the nose cone as a monument,
Elon Musk himself replied saying that he agrees and that it should be preserved!
"Oh my God! You are mad! You blew it up!
God d*mn you all to hell!"
So, expect some very cool looking lawn ornament from SpaceX in the future!
Well done, Gene and Rachel! You Rock!
Thank you Steve, for sharing your pictures with all of us!
And the crash site up close reveals another fascinating detail.
Starship Serial Number 8 left a mark on the pad.
First of all, this looks extremely cool.
Secondly it shows us that the landing did not happen in the middle of the pad but technically it could have landed there.
It’s just barely on the pad, but it would have been enough, if the header tanks had enough pressure,
capable of feeding the engines on the final suicide burn.
Technically it’s not a suicide burn anymore though,
as the Raptors would be able to throttle down enough for a hover and a slow descend even with an empty Starship.
Elon Musk tweeted and shed some light on why SpaceX had to shut down engines in flight.
The Raptor engines were well below max thrust as the Starship would have blown through the altitude limit otherwise.
So, as the engines hit the minimum throttle point, they turned off.
Finally, we can even see marks from the legs and this settles any argument if the legs deployed for landing.
They did not. It’s unknown why,
but one possible reason could be that the legs are deployed at a certain speed and that Starship Serial Number 8 was never slow enough to trigger
the event. We can also see the thrust puck in the center of the aft dome and its complex plumbing system to feed the engines with oxidizer and
propellant. Judging by the extent of the mark as a full circle we can also say that Serial Number 8 was perfectly vertical when it touched down
for its hard landing. So, if the engines had been able to maintain thrust, we would most likely have seen a landing.
Maybe without leg deployment though.
So, what’s missing for that perfect 12.5-kilometer flight?
Header Tank improvements likely to be done on either the plumbing or the software for the avionics system.
Leg deploy improvements. That’s pretty much all.
Everything else worked out.
The debris from the crash went all over the launch site, which was to be expected.
It even reached as far as the tank farm and it crossed highway 4.
If SpaceX is looking for a cheap clean up solution, just send in some fans.
They’ll make sure that not a single piece will be left in a very short time!
But was there any damage? Is the infrastructure intact?
Besides some minor damage on the construction tent next to the orbital launch mount,
some surface work needed on the landing pad and lots of clean-up work to pick up the pieces all over the place, everything looks fine.
SpaceX can go right at it and continue testing with Starship Serial Number 9.
So, when is it going to happen?
This is Starship Serial Number 9 and in front of it, the steely eyed missile man Elon Musk himself.
You can see the pride for the whole SpaceX team in his face and he’s going to push on.
Orbital in 2021. That is the goal.
SpaceX granted access to quite a few people after the successful Serial Number 8 launch and these pictures give an incredible perspective as to
what we can expect for the near future.
Seeing the Starship up close like this reveals the incredible complexity of this undertaking.
We can see, that SpaceX now has shifted to complete assembly at the construction site.
Starships will be rolled out to the launch site including raptor engines and a nose cone.
We’re now entering the flight phase and 2021 is going to see many Starship launches in quick succession leading to our next big milestones of
a first SuperHeavy launch and after that a first orbital Starship.
A rare view taken inside an assembled Nose cone reveals the raised production quality once more.
Each prototype getting better and better.
The COPV mounting brackets. The RCS Thruster connectors.
Everything is precisely where it’s meant to be.
Then Something happened that no one could have predicted.
Mary aka BocaChicaGal from NASASpaceflight sent in a picture that was rather disturbing to see.
Starship SN9 in the High Bay leaning on one side of the building.
The construction stand under it gave in making it fall over against the inside of the high bay.
Is this going to cause a large delay?
When can we see Serial Number 9 fly?
SpaceX is quick as always. In record time the large white Liebherr crane was set up and the Starship was lifted out of the high bay for assessment.
And as it seems, the damage was not severe.
While workers were still busy getting Starship Serial Number 9 back on a new stand a new replacement flap could already be spotted on the ground.
All at the same time. This makes me very optimistic, that the delay caused by this mishap will most likely be very short.
Here’s another wonderful shot by Mary from Nasaspaceflight and it shows the side the Starship hit the high bay with.
I spent quite some time,
carefully studying the image and the only visible damage would be the crushed forward flap and some very little damage on the aft flap on the
same side. So, if the stress on the hull was not too much and some inspection of the welds shows that it is still flight worthy,
some simple flap replacement could be the only action needed to get SpaceX on track again.
Another launch before Christmas would be absolutely incredible.
Do not be disappointed though, if it slips into 2021.
SpaceX is not resting after Starship Serial Number 8.
Not for a single second.
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A new nose cone segment has been spotted on site.
This time for Starship Serial Number 14.
SpaceX right now is working on many Starships simultaneously.
Starships Serial Number 10 & 11, being assembled right now inside the Mid Bay are far along.
Another incredible shot from Steve Jurvetson.
Serial Number 10’s tank section is nearing completion with only the nose cone stack missing.
Serial Number 11 next to it is only missing the Aft dome with Thrust puck and engine skirt.
After that, the nose cone can be stacked here as well.
So even if Serial Number 9 was beyond salvage in the worst-case scenario it would only mean weeks of delay, not months.
SpaceX is pumping out Starships at an incredible pace.
A rare shot from behind the scenes reveals a hull segment of a future Starship with Heat tile attachment pins all over the surface.
This can only mean one thing. SpaceX is far along when it comes to heat shield design.
Thousands of tiles covering one entire half of the Starship hull to give it the needed protection for atmospheric reentry.
I bet; these pictures make many in the WAI family very impatient.
SpaceX is not slowing down at all.
Quite the opposite in fact.
What you’re looking at here is a Liquid oxygen delivery truck.
Shortened to LOX, this is Starships oxidizer helping the methane burn to create thrust.
Combined with Liquid methane it gives the Raptor Engines all they need to create around 225 tons of thrust each.
This truck was photographed on December 15th.
So only 5 days after the Starship Serial Number 8 flight.
The only reason for restocking the fuel farm at SpaceX’s launch site of course is to have another test soon.
So, SpaceX is already preparing for first tests with Starship Serial Number 9 as you watch the episode.
Test dates are out for today, December 17th and tomorrow December 18th as of recording the Episode.
No reason stated right now, so we’ll have to wait and see, what happens.
Serial Number 9 was originally planned to be rolled out to the launch site on Monday December 14th before SN9 – Also nicknamed Eileen fell over
in the high bay, but if SpaceX is able to fix her in time, we might be looking at a possible roll out today.
Keep an eye out on LabPadre’s live stream!
I’ll be there too, if I can make it.
This is SpaceX! Always getting ready for that next milestone.
Never stopping. Never resting.
In honor of the Starship Serial Number 8 flight, we made a shirt, which you can of course buy in our merch store.
The one I am wearing right now.
So, if you’re still looking for the right Christmas present for a true Starship enthusiast or two and want to support the show, go grab one!
Priority shipping should still make it before Christmas!
If you’re looking at polishing up your stem skills to maybe even enter this fast-growing market of launch providers in the future,
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My last words as always go out to the team!
Many of you will already have their Christmas present from my wife and from me in their mailboxes.
For some it’s still on the way.
I’ve heard that some of you opened the boxes before Christmas.
I can fully understand. I’d have done the same thing.
I just wanted to tell you that you have a special place in our hearts and that we don’t want to miss a single one of you.
We’re already looking forward to 2021 with all of you!
Here’s to team WAI. Here’s to one epic journey together!
You Rock!