RCgothic

The VAB is getting some new paint:

Based on closures this is the plan:

Cool slo-mo of Reaver engine startup.

SpaceX fleet performing the job of the coastguard:

Definitely another pressure test.

At this rate we're going to have to start seeing a lot of Raptor engines in quick succession. SN5 is what, 3 weeks behind? If that holds for SN6 and SN7 we'll need about 4 raptors a month. And then superheavy needs 31, although it probably won't fly with that many to begin with...

Or maybe they broke something on the Raptor and need to swap it out: Edit: NVM, #18 was the one installed in SN4 for the tests. Thought it was still at the factory after the photos of the 3 engines a few weeks back.

Maybe having done the engine tests the wanted to get done and with SN5 close behind they're going to see if they can increase the proof pressure. Last time they acheive the minimum for engine operation, but human flight needs more like 8bar.

By the way, I know we all applied Tory Bruno's cost formula to SLS the other day. Booster engines are 1/3 of rocket hardware. Appliedto SSSH 31 engines at ~$1m each comes to ~$90m to build, ~$180m all inclusive. Elon says fuel is ~1000th of flight cost. So ~$180k to fuel. Seems consistent with what I've heard previously.

A few Starlink updates on coverage: So that's whole UK coverage from day 1. Also some data-rate info:

It makes most of us sad Elon.

Ah. Must be a mobile browser thing, but no sigs are visible to me. I know where to go now! The other thread is pinned, so worth an update even so.

Road closures have been cancelled for tonight. I guess that means no testing.

Article on the RS25 contracts: Delivery is 4 engines a year. Cadence never better than 1 flight per year then.

Had to dig a little to find this thread on page 4. @Gargamel needs a link in the mission launch index thread?

A small New Shepherd update: Also:

Launcher One gets approval for testing in Guam:

It'd certainly be less expensive to lithobrake on a concrete pad than a drone ship. I think JRTI 1 was written off by CRS-6's hard landing. On a related note, the ASDS page on Wikipedia needs a knowledgeable person to go through and edit it. JRTI 2 is still assigned West coast, when it's now Atlantic. The history section also needs sorting. It talks about JRTI 1 and how it is retired, before the plans for ASOG. Then it talks about JRTI 2 and ICISLY being the active fleet. Then it talks about ASOG again. The bit about JRTI 2 being constructed partially from parts of JRTI 1 and therefore confusingly calling it both the first and third barge needs to die in a fire. Needs a good editer, basically.

Whole load of SpaceX Fleet updates: Work on JRTI continues: Some work also being done on OCISLY:

I mean, the lander doesn't need to be designed to carry extra fuel if FH US could complete the NRHO insertion after 3 days with an endurance upgrade. It's Kerolox, so no boil off?

Is F9US direct NRHO insertion completely out of the question? Would 3 days' endurance not be an easier stage upgrade than an EOR?

Not by itself it can't. And you could buy SIX FH partial reusable flights just for the cost of the *engines* (RS25, SRBs, RL10s) of SLS. Probably more than FIFTEEN FH flights for the cost of one SLS. There's also Arianne, Atlas, Vulcan, H-IIB, Proton and Soyuz, all with respectable throw to TLI. With some imaginative EOR and optionally international cooperation you can absolutely conduct a moon landing without SLS. And Orion's just a capsule with extended life support and a beefy heat shield. There are plenty of other capsules a few upgrades away from handling trans lunar flight. It wouldn't take four years. We're completely spoiled at the moment for new hardware being developed rapidly. I consider the myth that it takes forever to get anything certified in space tech completely busted. Turns out it's just Boeing that doesn't have its act together.

Flare stack's days are numbered:

They'll need to build more test stands at this rate!