User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 5/10/2024 11:33:19 PM EDT
[#1]
 SpaceX Rolls Out Booster 11 for Fourth Starship Flight Test Campaign |
|
|
|
WLF
|
Posted: 5/10/2024 11:47:13 PM EDT
[#2]
Whoops, SPMT broke down part way to the pad. That one wheel is F'ed up.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 8:31:46 AM EDT
[#3]
It looks like they're poised to do a chopstick lift of the booster onto the OLM.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 1:24:15 PM EDT
[#4]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 2:59:36 PM EDT
[#5]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 7:14:41 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Chokey:
 |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 7:24:32 PM EDT
[Last Edit: PR361]
[#7]
Just heard a blurb on the local news, caught halfway on the porch from the TV inside; discussing upgrading or building a new launch pad at the Space Center anticipating 44 Starship Launches a year in the near future.
It’s coming. 
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 10:06:10 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By PR361: Just heard a blurb on the local news, caught halfway on the porch from the TV inside; discussing upgrading or building a new launch pad at the Space Center anticipating 44 Starship Launches a year in the near future. It’s coming. What is the refueling infrastructure like around the cape? Would SpaceX still need to truck in their methane & lox? At some point it seems a pipeline directly from a well or manufacturing facility would be needed to keep up with demand for increased starship launch cadence. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 10:40:30 PM EDT
[#9]
At what point does it make sense to build a condensing plant and pipe in methane gas next to the tank farm?
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 10:43:05 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By PR361: Just heard a blurb on the local news, caught halfway on the porch from the TV inside; discussing upgrading or building a new launch pad at the Space Center anticipating 44 Starship Launches a year in the near future. It's coming. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 10:45:34 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Hadrian: I wonder if they're planning to build Starships in Florida or build them in Texas and That would be cooler.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 10:54:52 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DK-Prof: That would be cooler. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DK-Prof: Originally Posted By Hadrian: I wonder if they're planning to build Starships in Florida or build them in Texas and That would be cooler. I've always imagined that's what's going to happen. The question in my head is if they'll "hop" direct to Florida or go to orbit then land in Florida. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 11:30:05 PM EDT
[#13]
Is there any way for starship to land in Florida? If it can, why can't they ferry boosters over from Texas?
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 11:44:20 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By shooter_gregg: Is there any way for starship to land in Florida? If it can, why can't they ferry boosters over from Texas? At the moment, no. I don't think they have an operational tower. So no launches or landings just yet. As for ferrying the things. It could be fairly easy, but my understanding is that these things have been built to stay upright. ULA ships rockets from Alabama to the Cape regularly. But shipping a Starship and booster if they both have to stay upright the whole trip might be a bit of a challenge. |
|
|
|
WA, USA
|
Posted: 5/11/2024 11:55:14 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By shooter_gregg: At what point does it make sense to build a condensing plant and pipe in methane gas next to the tank farm? It's going to be one of their supply choke points in the not to distant future. I think it's rocket lab that has said there is not enough methane in all of New Zealand to support launching neutron from there. |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 12:28:52 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Combat_Leader: It's going to be one of their supply choke points in the not to distant future. I think it's rocket lab that has said there is not enough methane in all of New Zealand to support launching neutron from there. Liquid oxygen actually. The entire LOX supply generated in the country every day would fill a Neutrons tanks halfway. Its kinda funny that we are beginning to get a handle on these engineering challenges and are starting to bump up more and more against logistics issues. |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 10:33:59 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By shooter_gregg: Is there any way for starship to land in Florida? If it can, why can't they ferry boosters over from Texas? |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:02:46 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DarkGray: What is the refueling infrastructure like around the cape? Would SpaceX still need to truck in their methane & lox? At some point it seems a pipeline directly from a well or manufacturing facility would be needed to keep up with demand for increased starship launch cadence. Methane would have to be trucked in same as it's already done with LOX, LH2, RP4... I think the only commodities that flow directly are liquid and gas nitrogen, and possibly helium. The road the trucks use to deliver on site is fucked already, has been for >20yrs. The waves of tankers needed to support 40+ of these a year is going to be a problem. |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:06:28 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Hesperus: At the moment, no. I don't think they have an operational tower. So no launches or landings just yet. As for ferrying the things. It could be fairly easy, but my understanding is that these things have been built to stay upright. ULA ships rockets from Alabama to the Cape regularly. But shipping a Starship and booster if they both have to stay upright the whole trip might be a bit of a challenge. But now, your post has me constructing 3d models in my head of blue water barges and/or ships with partial vertical silos with boosters and starship sticking out the top like some wicked oversized open top VLS. Mind you, I'm not thinking of the silos as launch silos, just transport silos. I did briefly entertain a vision of repurposed JFK and Kitty Hawk conventional carrier hulls rescued from the ship scrappers in South Texas. Can you transport starship vertically on an old carrier with huge holes punched through the deck? Maybe yes, but why would you want to? |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:18:06 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By RiverSwine45: Methane would have to be trucked in same as it's already done with LOX, LH2, RP4... I think the only commodities that flow directly are liquid and gas nitrogen, and possibly helium. The road the trucks use to deliver on site is fucked already, has been for >20yrs. The waves of tankers needed to support 40+ of these a year is going to be a problem. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By RiverSwine45: Originally Posted By DarkGray: What is the refueling infrastructure like around the cape? Would SpaceX still need to truck in their methane & lox? At some point it seems a pipeline directly from a well or manufacturing facility would be needed to keep up with demand for increased starship launch cadence. Methane would have to be trucked in same as it's already done with LOX, LH2, RP4... I think the only commodities that flow directly are liquid and gas nitrogen, and possibly helium. The road the trucks use to deliver on site is fucked already, has been for >20yrs. The waves of tankers needed to support 40+ of these a year is going to be a problem. You aren't kidding about the roads. I traveled all over the US last year when I escaped Reno and the roads around Boca Chica were among the worst I found. There were some roads in New Mexico that were worse. But they seemed to be trying to fix those. Some of the space enthusiasts who go there had their vehicles badly damaged on those roads. It makes a rather wild contrast that they have this incredibly sophisticated facility out in the middle of nowhere that needs to be supported by convoys of trucks. If the launch cadence picks up dramatically then it will probably demand new roads and probably pipeline networks. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:26:43 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: I've always assumed starships and boosters would be shipped horizontally on inland barges. It wasn't a researched thought, but the most conventional way if rockets are shipped from Texas to Florida the way Saturn was shipped from Michoud to Cape. But now, your post has me constructing 3d models in my head of blue water barges and/or ships with partial vertical silos with boosters and starship sticking out the top like some wicked oversized open top VLS. Mind you, I'm not thinking of the silos as launch silos, just transport silos. I did briefly entertain a vision of repurposed JFK and Kitty Hawk conventional carrier hulls rescued from the ship scrappers in South Texas. Can you transport starship vertically on an old carrier with huge holes punched through the deck? Maybe yes, but why would you want to? Last time a thread was done on it the Kittyhawk looked about halfway dismantled. As you said, transporting these things in a vertical orientation across the Gulf o Mexico would be a huge headache that would probably demand custom made ships or barges. An idea that's been posited here before that I like is a ring of launch sites and platforms around the world where boosters could land downrange. Refuel, take on a new cargo and launch again until they make a complete circuit of the world. But it's probably going to be a hundred years or more until we have a need for that level of space launch infrastructure. Humanity would have to be moving into space in a BIG way to justify that. |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:26:52 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By RiverSwine45: Methane would have to be trucked in same as it's already done with LOX, LH2, RP4... I think the only commodities that flow directly are liquid and gas nitrogen, and possibly helium. The road the trucks use to deliver on site is fucked already, has been for >20yrs. The waves of tankers needed to support 40+ of these a year is going to be a problem. Really think the future will need barge or ship transport of fuels, oxygen, and other liquified gas needs. Either that or skip the middle man if natural gas pipelines are already run. Go to an onsite production plant for making liquid products from air such as 02 and N2. Also make methane from natural gas. Elon companies tend to grow more vertically oriented as they progress. Not sure of the overall economics of various routes, but I bet people are working on figuring that out or planning a path. |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:26:59 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: I've always assumed starships and boosters would be shipped horizontally on inland barges. It wasn't a researched thought, but the most conventional way if rockets are shipped from Texas to Florida the way Saturn was shipped from Michoud to Cape. But now, your post has me constructing 3d models in my head of blue water barges and/or ships with partial vertical silos with boosters and starship sticking out the top like some wicked oversized open top VLS. Mind you, I'm not thinking of the silos as launch silos, just transport silos. I did briefly entertain a vision of repurposed JFK and Kitty Hawk conventional carrier hulls rescued from the ship scrappers in South Texas. Can you transport starship vertically on an old carrier with huge holes punched through the deck? Maybe yes, but why would you want to? Don’t ship them, fly them.. |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 11:33:22 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Hesperus: Last time a thread was done on it the Kittyhawk looked about halfway dismantled. As you said, transporting these things in a vertical orientation across the Gulf o Mexico would be a huge headache that would probably demand custom made ships or barges. An idea that's been posited here before that I like is a ring of launch sites and platforms around the world where boosters could land downrange. Refuel, take on a new cargo and launch again until they make a complete circuit of the world. But it's probably going to be a hundred years or more until we have a need for that level of space launch infrastructure. Humanity would have to be moving into space in a BIG way to justify that. I don't think the idea is practical anyway, but the poetry of JFK loaded with vertical or even horizontal boosters and s was too hard not to fantasize about. |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 12:18:56 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: I figured the scrappers had taken Kitty Hawk too far down. I don't think the idea is practical anyway, but the poetry of JFK loaded with vertical or even horizontal boosters and s was too hard not to fantasize about. I've joked that if Boeing were to make reusable boosters then their landing barges would probably be roughly the size and shape of a Nimitz Class Carrier and they would probably have an elaborate onboard hangar mechanism that would probably be similar to what you described. They would intend to build those. But they would probably never go to sea because of many, many issues at the shipyards. 
|
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 12:39:15 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NwG: Don't ship them, fly them.. If launching from Boca, completing an actual mission or tested mission, then landing at Cape is the plan, then that makes the most efficient way of ending up with a supply of reusable ships and boosters at the Cape. If the allowed launch rate from Boca is not sufficient to meet deadlines, it may be required to ship rockets to the Cape. Hopefully, relaunch of Boca launched missions from Cape and new launch of Boca missions from Boca happens soon enough to meet mission required cadence and deadlines. |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 12:55:52 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: It depends on the cadence allowed from Boca and the deadlines that must be met. If launching from Boca, completing an actual mission or tested mission, then landing at Cape is the plan, then that makes the most efficient way of ending up with a supply of reusable ships and boosters at the Cape. If the allowed launch rate from Boca is not sufficient to meet deadlines, it may be required to ship rockets to the Cape. Hopefully, relaunch of Boca launched missions from Cape and new launch of Boca missions from Boca happens soon enough to meet mission required cadence and deadlines. If they do have to ship, doing so vertically shouldn’t be too hard. They ship gantry cranes across the pacific like this regularly..  Attached File |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 1:03:25 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Hesperus: I've joked that if Boeing were to make reusable boosters then their landing barges would probably be roughly the size and shape of a Nimitz Class Carrier and they would probably have an elaborate onboard hangar mechanism that would probably be similar to what you described. They would intend to build those. But they would probably never go to sea because of many, many issues at the shipyards. Also, he is going to have to get into the modular nuclear reactor business for space, land, extraterrestrial power and propulsion. After that, he might as well get into nuclear submarines in order to keep America alive as well as a source of funding. Always thought he would buy naval reactors for a short cut to extraterrestrial reactors, but low rate production and lack of competitive capitalism of defense contractors means it makes more sense to go the other way around. |
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 1:23:42 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NwG: If they do have to ship, doing so vertically shouldn't be too hard. They ship gantry cranes across the pacific like this regularly.. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/84193/IMG_0722_jpeg-3212490.JPG It's the payload I'm concerned about not the shipping vessel. Also, blue water wave loading vs gentle inland water and exposure to salt spray. Those are cranes built from steel with large safety factors. Rockets have very low safety factors. Then again, SpaceX rockets have a lot of Austenitic Stainless Steel and proved pretty tough to severe atmospheric forces on the first launch. Newer rockets were reduced in skin thickness after that though. Preference is to avoid sea water corrosion and blue water wave action loading if possible. Not sure if Saturn ever had to be transported over blue water to reach the cape.I'm unfamiliar with inland waterways once you reach Pensacola. Need to look that up. But Saturn was disposable, so corrosion problems would be less of a concern. |
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 1:28:35 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Houstons_Problem]
[#30]
Apparently, both first and second stage of Saturn V were shipped blue water to the Cape. Second stage came from California through Panama Canal. Third stage arrived by air in the Guppy.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 1:34:05 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: Apparently, Elon has to get into the shipbuilding business to build offshore platforms and transporters. Also, he is going to have to get into the modular nuclear reactor business for space, land, extraterrestrial power and propulsion. After that, he might as well get into nuclear submarines in order to keep America alive as well as a source of funding. Always thought he would buy naval reactors for a short cut to extraterrestrial reactors, but low rate production and lack of competitive capitalism of defense contractors means it makes more sense to go the other way around. He has stated many, many times that he wants humanity to be multi planetary. But everyone agrees that is going to be really hard. I’m hoping that the solar system and our entire planets industrial base is willing to give us a few shortcuts though.  Major Discoveries About Mercury May Rewrite a Few Textbooks  Copenhagen Atomics first reactor images |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 1:34:36 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: I've watched cranes like that come up the Houston ship channel on such a vessel and get installed at Barbours Cut. It's the payload I'm concerned about not the shipping vessel. Also, blue water wave loading vs gentle inland water and exposure to salt spray. Those are cranes built from steel with large safety factors. Rockets have very low safety factors. Then again, SpaceX rockets have a lot of Austenitic Stainless Steel and proved pretty tough to severe atmospheric forces on the first launch. Newer rockets were reduced in skin thickness after that though. Preference is to avoid sea water corrosion and blue water wave action loading if possible. Not sure if Saturn ever had to be transported over blue water to reach the cape.I'm unfamiliar with inland waterways once you reach Pensacola. Need to look that up. But Saturn was disposable, so corrosion problems would be less of a concern. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Houstons_Problem: Originally Posted By NwG: If they do have to ship, doing so vertically shouldn't be too hard. They ship gantry cranes across the pacific like this regularly.. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/84193/IMG_0722_jpeg-3212490.JPG It's the payload I'm concerned about not the shipping vessel. Also, blue water wave loading vs gentle inland water and exposure to salt spray. Those are cranes built from steel with large safety factors. Rockets have very low safety factors. Then again, SpaceX rockets have a lot of Austenitic Stainless Steel and proved pretty tough to severe atmospheric forces on the first launch. Newer rockets were reduced in skin thickness after that though. Preference is to avoid sea water corrosion and blue water wave action loading if possible. Not sure if Saturn ever had to be transported over blue water to reach the cape.I'm unfamiliar with inland waterways once you reach Pensacola. Need to look that up. But Saturn was disposable, so corrosion problems would be less of a concern. NASA barges |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 2:34:07 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Houstons_Problem]
[#33]
Quote HistoryNever knew NASA had their own covered barges. I only remember seeing open deck barge with an S1C on it. I always thought it was just a commercially chartered open deck. The starship booster is smaller diameter than S1C. I wonder if a starship booster would fit in the covered barges? Wow, looks like Starship Booster might fit with 7 feet in length to spare. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/sls_pegasus_fact_sheet_508_final_04212017.pdf?emrc=c246d7 |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 2:38:34 PM EDT
[#34]
Pretty sure that a Starfactory is being built at the Cape as well-Roberts Road. Hasn't exactly been a secret.
Nick |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 2:41:12 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Commando_Guy: Pretty sure that a Starfactory is being built at the Cape as well-Roberts Road. Hasn't exactly been a secret. Nick Yes, but how long is it going to be until it's cranking out ships and boosters like 🍺 kegs? Even as fast as SpaceX does things... |
|
|
|
TX, USA
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 3:00:50 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Commando_Guy: Pretty sure that a Starfactory is being built at the Cape as well-Roberts Road. Hasn't exactly been a secret. Nick I think the starfactory at the cape was repurposed for Sats. |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 7:14:04 PM EDT
[#37]
The Enterprise is stricken from the rolls and scheduled for scrapping. Sell it to SpaceX as a launch platform. Eight nuclear reactors and lads of space below decks. Turn it into a launch facility and propellant manufacturing station. The navy already does LOx and LN2 production onboard ships. Figure out a way to manufacture methane onboard or harvest it from the sea floor.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 9:19:36 PM EDT
[#38]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/12/2024 9:47:23 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DarkGray]
[#39]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Chokey:
Looks like they finally installed a hot gas thruster. What's the problem?
|
|
|
|
WLF
|
Posted: 5/13/2024 4:37:59 PM EDT
[#40]
 SpaceX Preparing to Fully Stack Booster 11 and Ship 29, But Ship 31 Sees a Serious Electrical Fault! |
|
|
|
Posted: 5/13/2024 5:02:09 PM EDT
[#41]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/14/2024 1:09:11 PM EDT
[#42]
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/14/2024 7:25:51 PM EDT
[#43]
Man I want to see that ship land on the moon and mars.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/14/2024 8:55:33 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Chokey:
That was less than ideal, I think. 
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 4:01:20 PM EDT
[#45]
next victim is stacked
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 4:21:08 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Commando_Guy: Pretty sure that a Starfactory is being built at the Cape as well-Roberts Road. Hasn't exactly been a secret. Nick Yeah i don't see them barging boosters or ships around. They aren't ment to go horizontal but that could just be a matter of bracing. With a factory in florida there would be no need and it would probably be easier to just fly them there. My vision of the offshore rigs would essentially be to chain them out so you could take off from shore, not have to so a boostback thus providing improved performance and then get refueled with a tanker and hop to the next pad. You either get to the end of the line and fly an expendable mission or have enough to circle the globe. I guess that poses some problems with payload integration... |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 4:53:45 PM EDT
[#47]
I've lost track. What Booster? What Ship? What IFT?
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 5:02:15 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tortilla-flats: I've lost track. What Booster? What Ship? What IFT? IFT-4, Booster 11 & Ship 29 |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 5:06:58 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Hesperus: Yes, but how long is it going to be until it's cranking out ships and boosters like 🍺 kegs? Even as fast as SpaceX does things... Remember that one complication SpaceX has is that they tweak and twist designs almost launch-to-launch. That's one reason FH took so long....because they kept improving F9's performance AND making major changes to it that kept forcing the FH team to revise their designs. So, before the Starfactories start cranking them out on a weekly basis.....they are probably going to have to "freeze" on one design iteration (at least for one series production). Florida will probably be the "mass production" effort, while iterative development continues at Boca Chica. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 5/15/2024 5:13:20 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Fulcrum-5: Remember that one complication SpaceX has is that they tweak and twist designs almost launch-to-launch. That's one reason FH took so long....because they kept improving F9's performance AND making major changes to it that kept forcing the FH team to revise their designs. So, before the Starfactories start cranking them out on a weekly basis.....they are probably going to have to "freeze" on one design iteration (at least for one series production). Florida will probably be the "mass production" effort, while iterative development continues at Boca Chica. Oh certainly, Starship as it is now is an absolutely incredible piece of hardware. But it's clearly not where it needs to be to replace Falcon 9 yet. Never mind fulfiling the NASA contract for a lunar lander. Once they get to the point that Starship is refined enough to truly supplant F-9. The world changes forever. But yeah, there's still work to be done. |
|
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
