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SpaceX Discussion Thread


Skylon

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NASA statement on the FONSI and R2 throttling tests at McGregor. Also, summary someone else made of the mitigations:
  
Air quality:   
- Periodic water spraying to control particulates and fugitive dust   
- Minimal idling of engines   
- water soil that is to distributed   
- low volatility coatings   
- compliance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)   
  
Noise:   
- Announce upcoming launch and landing operations   
- Overall impact of sonic booms not significant, however notices help reduce adverse human reactions and are therefore needed   
- responsible for any structural damage caused by sonic booms   
- SpaceX is required to carry insurance in the amount of the "Maximum Probable Loss" (Determined on a launch by launch basis) up to $500,000,000 per launch   
  
Visual effects:   
- minimize lighting to what is needed for save operations (including measures like shielding and directional lighting)   
- avoid visibility from the beach   
- extra careful during sea turtle nesting season (including worker briefings on the topic)   
- monitor launch site lighting by qualified biologists   
  
Cultural resources:   
- Multiple measures to describe the history and significance of historic properties and cultural heritage   
- minimize noise from traffic   
- need to restore historic property should it get damaged or destroyed   
  
Department of Transportation Act, Section 4(f)   
- Set of rules/mitigation for clean-up of SN11 (and future incidents)   
  - TLDR; retrieve all debris, restore land/nature   
  - Multi-step restoration plan with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department solely at he expense of SpaceX   
  - test restoration followed by actual restoration if found successful   
- Notify ahead of planned access restrictions (1-2 weeks in advance, 48h as plans finalize)   
 - Road closures   
 - Not possible on...   
… most public holidays   
… on weekends if the Friday or Monday is one of them   
  - Only five weekend closures per year (with every scheduled one counting if not cancelled more than 24h in advance)   
- Collaborate with USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) on multiple topics including environmental education objectives and wildlife observation   
  
Multiple measures to prevent the introduction of non-native species as well as preventing the discharge of industrial waste water.

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Busy weekend coming up.

Starlink launch Friday morning 10:50 am EDT from 39A.

SARah 1 launch Saturday morning 10:00 am EDT from Vandenberg.

Globalstar FM15 launch Sunday morning 12:30 am EDT from SLC-40

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Regarding Boca Chica, this FONSI notice means that they can do dev work there while they ramp up for FL, I think since they only get 5 orbital, and 5 suborbital launches per year. Unless they go all-in for the oil rig platforms, they will need to start making vehicles in FL after a couple years—basically as soon as they get to the point that testing refilling is a thing.

5 orbital launches will get them through initial testing, including EDL, tower catch, etc. Suborbital testing is not a thing, so maybe they can use that to ferry vehicles to platforms—suborbital hops to FL will not be a thing ever, I think, the hazard areas look pretty ugly to me for that (flying a suborbital experimental rocket over Tampa, lol).

Maybe in the background they now find out what hoops to jump through to get a higher cadence out of TX—a full EIS workup at the very least for the desired cadence. Such work usually takes a couple years I think, so I would expect they would start that immediately.

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47 minutes ago, tater said:

Suborbital testing is not a thing

There is one case that hasn't been used yet (hypersonic suborbital tests), but we'll only see those if there's too many issues with the heat shield and they run out of launches imo. I think there's something in the EA about standalone superheavy tests as well, but I doubt we'll see that

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4 minutes ago, Beccab said:

There is one case that hasn't been used yet (hypersonic suborbital tests), but we'll only see those if there's too many issues with the heat shield and they run out of launches imo. I think there's something in the EA about standalone superheavy tests as well, but I doubt we'll see that

Seems unlikely honestly—though hops to platforms might well be a thing.

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1 SS/SH a month after July...

So theoretically if they are allowed 5 launches per calendar year they can front load as many as possible before 2023.

Edited by tater
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5 minutes ago, StrandedonEarth said:

Is that in aspirational time again? I think Murphy and his grim of gremlins will be having a word with him…

100%. I'd say August-ish is reasonable for launch or at least a full stack, provided the static fire campaign goes decently

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