Holy fuckin shit !!!!!

I love this timeline.

They have done an excellent job making the assembly simpler and more producible. So, there is no need to exaggerate this by showing a partially assembled engine without controllers, fluid management, or TVC systems, then comparing it to fully assembled engines that do.

Tory Bruno  (@torybruno) August 3, 2024

now with Community Notes.

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Congratulations

Tory Bruno  (@torybruno) August 9, 2024

Tory is a good man.

Holy shit

This comment had me : And my personal favorite, that I invented, but never got to fly; Magnetohydrodynamic thrust vectoring.

Nick

The CC8800-1 crane jib was accidentally detached from its trolley and swung freely, causing a mast strut to break loose. This could have ended a lot worse...good thing it's secured now. pic.twitter.com/x5Fdjtpaa7

LabPadre Space  (@LabPadre) August 9, 2024

Not good... https://t.co/lWN91dIFvz pic.twitter.com/qCb3QpoGMx

LabPadre Space  (@LabPadre) August 9, 2024

I think in that context he means Joint Venture and not Junior Varsity.
Not real sure what the argument is however.

'JV' as in 'Joint Venture', not Jr. Varsity.

I've worked with ULA, I actually think that, for Oldspace, they're a pretty good company. Their engineering is certainly pretty quick to get on stuff and get you an answer.

Much faster, in that way, than Boeing, Lockmart, or NG.

That doesn't mean SpaceX isn't kicking their ass, because they are, but...

I think Tory got caught out there, not realizing what SpaceX thought was possible. It's also worth pointing out that ULA is, at it's core, an integration company. They build rockets, from parts bought elsewhere. They don't build rocket engines, so if he wasn't following closely, he might have legitimately thought that was a bare engine.

In Aerospace, it's very common for 2 companies to build something together... while also making competing products, even products that compete with the product they make in the JV.

What he's saying is that ULA, like any other company, has shareholders. In this case, those shareholders are Boeing and Lockheed Martin. But ULA isn't 'their' company, and they don't compete with ULA, and they don't get stuff for free from ULA, any more than you would get stuff free from a company you held shares in.

If Boeing needs a rocket, Boeing pays for it.

I would guess that this is around the Starliner Debacle, and the fact that if Boeing needs another Atlas V... there isn't one that isn't sold. And Boeing owning 50% of ULA isn't going to change that. But I'm guessing - I didn't read the thread. I suspect it's unrelated to him getting schooled by Elon.

(I actually feel a little sorry for Tory, who is legitmately from everything I've heard, a good guy. I don't know him, but I've met people who've reported directly to him, and to a man they like him... which is kinda rare for a CEO. But he's getting hammered... and deservedly so... on X right now)

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GLORIOUS!

Que?

ETA: Found it. (reddit SpaceXMasterrace)

Very soon the fifth launch of the starship!!
A little reminder of the last launch, SpaceX video: so much emotion! pic.twitter.com/wBzsw7jpHM

— Déborah (@dvorahfr) August 10, 2024

About 3 weeks

Elon Musk  (@elonmusk) August 10, 2024

Take it easy on the guy.  He is just used to looking at the new engines arriving in the shop...

He's just happy to have ANY engines arriving in the shop.
He may be grumpy that he doesn't have a real payload arriving in there either.

That's a lot of spagett!

That is 10 years of BE-4 development.

And 10 years of Raptor development...  The Raptor 2 was rolled out in Jan. 2022 I believe.  That in itself is so simple looking vs. any other rocket engine.  Very impressive to get from V2 to V3 in about 2 years.  Not to mention the Raptor is the only FFSC (full-flow staged combustion) engine to ever make it beyond a test stand and onto a launch vehicle.

What I've gleened from the Youtube vids, is the big upside to the R3 is the lack of heatshield and everything that goes with that.

It saves literally tons of weight on the vehicle.

I can't tell you how stoked I am watching what Elon is doing.

It's incredible.

(And if they catch the Booster on Flight 5...holy shit man).

Yeah, I'm going to make sure I catch the Flight 5 livestream.

CNBC’s story on Starship’s launch operations in South Texas is factually inaccurate.

Starship’s water-cooled flame deflector system is critical equipment for SpaceX’s launch operations. It ensures flight safety and protects the launch site and surrounding area.

Also known as…

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) August 12, 2024

CNBC’s story on Starship’s launch operations in South Texas is factually inaccurate.

Starship’s water-cooled flame deflector system is critical equipment for SpaceX’s launch operations. It ensures flight safety and protects the launch site and surrounding area.

Also known as the deluge system, it applies clean, potable (drinking) water to the engine exhaust during static fire tests and launches to absorb the heat and vibration from the rocket engines firing. Similar equipment has long been used at launch sites across the United States – such as Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Stations in Florida, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California – and across the globe.

SpaceX worked with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) throughout the build and test of the water deluge system at Starbase to identify a permit approach. TCEQ personnel were onsite at Starbase to observe the initial tests of the system in July 2023, and TCEQ’s website shows that SpaceX is covered by the Texas Multi-Sector General Permit.

When the EPA issued their Administrative Order in March 2024, it was done without an understanding of basic facts of the deluge system’s operation or acknowledgement that we were operating under the Texas Multi-Sector General Permit.

After we explained our operation to the EPA, they revised their position and allowed us to continue operating, but required us to obtain an Individual Permit from TCEQ, which will also allow us to expand deluge operations to the second pad. We’ve been diligently working on the permit with TCEQ, which was submitted on July 1st, 2024. TCEQ is expected to issue the draft Individual Permit and Agreed Compliance Order this week.

Throughout our ongoing coordination with both TCEQ and the EPA, we have explicitly asked if operation of the deluge system needed to stop and we were informed that operations could continue.

TCEQ and the EPA have allowed continued operations because the deluge system has always complied with common conditions set by an Individual Permit, and causes no harm to the environment. Specifically:

- We only use potable (drinking) water in the system’s operation. At no time during the operation of the deluge system is the potable water used in an industrial process, nor is the water exposed to industrial processes before or during operation of the system.

- The launch pad area is power-washed prior to activating the deluge system, with the power-washed water collected and hauled off.

- The vast majority of the water used in each operation is vaporized by the rocket’s engines.

- We send samples of the soil, air, and water around the pad to an independent, accredited laboratory after every use of the deluge system, which have consistently shown negligible traces of any contaminants. Importantly, while CNBC's story claims there are “very large exceedances of the mercury” as part of the wastewater discharged at the site, all samples to-date have in fact shown either no detectable levels of mercury whatsoever or found in very few cases levels significantly below the limit the EPA maintains for drinking water.

- Retention ponds capture excess water and are specially lined to prevent any mixing with local groundwater. Any water captured in these ponds, including water from rainfall events, is pumped out and hauled off.

- Finally, some water does leave the area of the pad, mostly from water released prior to ignition and after engine shutdown or launch. To give you an idea of how much: a single use of the deluge system results in potable water equivalent to a rainfall of 0.004 inches across the area outside the pad which currently averages around 27 inches of rain per year.

With Starship, we’re revolutionizing humanity’s ability to access space with a fully reusable rocket that plays an integral role in multiple national priorities, including returning humans to the surface of the Moon. SpaceX and its thousands of employees work tirelessly to ensure the United States remains the world’s leader in space, and we remain committed to working with our local and federal partners to be good stewards of the environment.

here's CNDC's article

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/12/spacex-repeatedly-polluted-waters-in-texas-tceq-epa-found.html

Good for them immediately rebutting the story.

Between this and the letter the EU sent Elon today (how DARE he have a livestream with TRUMP!)...

...he's got some leftist panties in a bunch.

I'll stop it there to avoid going off topic, but man, if you're not far left these days, look out, they're coming for you.

Several hours ago I asked the FAA why they canceled the public meetings. I just asked again and explictly asked it's bc of the CNBC story.
Their reply is: "The FAA is seeking additional information from SpaceX before rescheduling the public meetings."

Marcia Smith  (@SpcPlcyOnline) August 12, 2024

Damn.  That's starting to look like a mature product where they've simplified it.  On the outside at least.  

It blinded me with science engineering!

The man is working against all odds.

It is truly disheartening the crap the government heaps his way.

In another era, he'd be considered a national treasure.

I think the harder the problem, the more determined he becomes. The left will shatter themselves against the immovable object that is Musk.

Ever since this project began I've had premonitions about an army of idiots attacking the Boca Chica site and burning it to the ground. Perhaps out of greed, more likely just sour grapes.

Musk would rebuild of course. Probably next to Cape Canaveral and what he would build would probably be heavily fortified and scary. If he had not declared war before then he would after that. It sure does come across that he wants to get to Mars before this country turns into Venezuela part dos.

Just a guess.  Natural gas can contain mercury. Since NG is used to produce methane for Starship, I suppose the exhaust from firing could also contain mercury remnants.  Though it seems low probability since rocket fuel is usually high spec stuff.

CNBC sucks

Elon Musk  (@elonmusk) August 13, 2024

CNBC updated its story yesterday with additional factually inaccurate information.

While there may be a typo in one table of the initial TCEQ's public version of the permit application, the rest of the application and the lab reports clearly states that levels of Mercury found…

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) August 13, 2024

CNBC updated its story yesterday with additional factually inaccurate information.

While there may be a typo in one table of the initial TCEQ's public version of the permit application, the rest of the application and the lab reports clearly states that levels of Mercury found in non-stormwater discharge associated with the water deluge system are well below state and federal water quality criteria (of no higher than 2.1 micrograms per liter for acute aquatic toxicity), and are, in most instances, non-detectable.

The initial application was updated within 30 days to correct the typo and TCEQ is updating the application to reflect the correction.

This what I imagine when I see articles like this

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At least they updated the story in a timely manner instead of letting it stew.  But holy shit basic research really isnt a thing with these assholes is it?

Why would it be? They have an agenda to serve. Can't let a little thing like facts get in the way of a story.

they're ID'ing them now

His LNG is industry grade. I've burnt loads that didn't make delivery window.

header tank

A little earlier today the landing rails on the chopsticks underwent further testing. pic.twitter.com/TbbrcfIG3R

LabPadre Space  (@LabPadre) August 14, 2024

Those crazy SOBs are gonna try and do it.

I will absolutely lose my effin' mind if they catch the booster.

When they do an IRL successful booster catch it's going to be a moment where reality itself changes significantly. Something that big able to shove hundreds of tons of payload into space. Day, after day, after day...

It's not outside the realm of possibility that it could throw up a constellation of sattelites that could reduce the amount of light hitting this planet from the sun.