Beccab

Do we know if they are implementing some kind of automatization for the Raptor production? Admittedly I know very little of how engine construction is done, but seeing how much Tesla factories are automated i'd assume they want to make the assembly as automated as possible

Launch cadence is the main factor into this. Falcon 9 have been seen having a turnaround time of <30 days, while a falcon 9 first stage (according to reddit) takes 4-6 months to produce. Assuming they can make a starship+superheavy in a month and a half and not taking into account parallel construction, that's very far from the aspirational goal of relaunch in a day or even a more realistic goal of reducing the turnaround time to a week-ish. That, plus the constant growth of the fleet would help both Starlink launches and SpaceX's mars ambitions

The gemini capsule is normal from bdb, service module is extended by using a rescaled adaptor placed inside it, LM ascent engines for ascent stage, LM descent engines for descent stage, rescaled parts from NF Construction for the structure of the descent stage, gemini docking antenna from BDB and finally legs and tanks are restock

They didn't say they "want to reach" one every 48 hours though, they said they are close to that. Which would mean elon is completely lying, that wouldn't make any sense whatsoever. Plus, *internal* reports from months ago said they had already gone under a raptor per week, so it does not seem unlikely

https://m.imgur.com/pjtEneh Looks like the air force is trying to invest into starship point-to-point capability, making at least a test flight to an "austere site" in 2022. The name "starship" is not explicitly said, but "the current multi billion commercial investment to develop the largest rocket ever, and with full reusability [...] to deliver cargo anywhere on Earth in less than one hour, with a 100-ton capability" doesn't leave many doubts

Wait, so the inner Superheavy engines will have the same exact configuration as the Falcon 9 engine block? Curious

Direct Ascent Gemini Lander on its first manned mission, July 1967 Rest of the screenshots: Reference pic (stage on the bottom is for the trans lunar injection and part of the circularization, so it's not shown here):

Question, is it intended that only some parts can be tweakscaled while many can't? For example, the Gemini docking guidance antenna can be rescaled while none of the service modules or capsules can

With hot gas thrusters as RCS when those arrive l'd say it shouldn't be hard to do

Biggest crane (LR11350?) will receive more sections soon enough to complete the construction if I understand correctly

I believe the current estimate is basing just on BN3+SN20 and info from inside spacex, the number came from Nasaspaceflight

Current estimate is 7

Wasn't it confirmed that SpaceX will pay for half of the development of lunar starship? May be misremembering here

That BO post is so deceiving... "massive self funded investments" implying that it is in any way related to the NT HLS, when in reality their lander relies completely on NASA funding for all of its development (at least in the 6 billions that they asked nasa)

Imo, either use the KSP definition (periapsis outside of the karman line or it's suborbital) or take into account just velocity (if it has orbital velocity it counts as orbital). I'm more for the second personally

1.875m cupola and 1.875m lab, also from the dev version of SSPX. The rest of the parts there are from mainly all of Near Future, Restock and also Planetside, which fits amazingly with SSPX and NF Spacecraft

Right? That looked fantastic!

If this starlink flight goes well, this should be the 100th consecutive successful falcon 9 flight!

Did they remove the "standard" lander they used in the previous renders or is it one of the modules on the left?

I am personally confident that spacex can decide that better

Iirc right now it takes them about 1.5 weeks to build one section of the tower, which means that if a superheavy destroys the OLT it would take them 2 months and a half just to make the new sections, let alone mounting them and the integration/catching mechanism. They definitely want to avoid that

It also seems the final number of sections for the tower will need are 7, not 8, so 5 more to go (plus presumably the starship mating stuff itself)

Does the skirt even have space for 6 vacuum raptors given that they have a much bigger nozzle?

I know that the HLS contract to Spacex is now secured, but is the payment for it too? As in, can congress still say "take two landers but we won't give you more money, split what you already have"?

Minmar Temporary Research Station for my science save: Mission profile: