StrandedonEarth

I see it more as replacing the current Euro service module with a Starship-based SM, with refilling not requiring separation of Orion

An expendable Starship as a launch vehicle for Orion has the advantage of also being the space tug by simply meeting up with a depot and refilling, So not really expendable, just not landable.

Looks like more of a matte finish instead of polished. Possibly thermal reasons? I noticed on one of the clips of IFT5 returning, not only the engines were glowing yellow, and unsurprisingly the grid fins, but even the intertank section appeared to be glowing yellow, before fading to orange and red…

I’m pretty sure $10M is for just Starship, not the booster as well. So not an entire Moon rocket for just $10M And then there’s the cost of outfitting the ships. A cargo ship shouldn’t take much, but a manned ship? I reckon the price of a manned Starship should be at least double a cargo ship by the time it’s on the pad, and then there’s the price of the payloads in the cargo Ships.

The radial and normal ejections balance each other out, the prograde ejection only slows the bus a tiny bit. Net result is likely the bus going straight, without spinning/tumbling. But that’s just my WAG

You would think the launch tower computer comms would be hardwired in with armoured cables. But that’s one of the purposes of testing, is to find the weak points. Some weak points could and should be anticipated, but not all can.

Is that profitable as in operations, or it has turned a net profit over the initial investment into the system?

Working during liftoff, shift should end before final splash though…. Which means I’ll probably be driving at that time…

Could the Gateway modules under production construction function as the core of the next LEO station? Since Gateway won't be needed in its intended role once SLS is cancelled. And SLS will be cancelled; it's painfully obvious that it's an expensive and practically useless dead end, and prime contractor Boeing would do well to back away from all things space right now until it gets its house back in order (best done by having an engineer in charge instead of an accountant).

Perhaps they should be using elephants or grey whales for scale?

Of a sorts, through people’s posts and the resulting commentary. Some imgurians post fascinating stuff

FWIW, I did make a doom'n'gloom post on imgur (my other haunt) and got a reasonably prompt reply from Vanamonde, of the usual "they are aware and working on it" kind. Which I knew was all I could really expect. I must admit I was skeptical, considering how long it was down for. But I'm glad it's back up. Now if they could only slay the Bad Gateway....

It’s ALIiiiiiiive!

I can watch that second video all day...

The corollary is: If your stupid plan didn't work (spin-separation of stages?) then it was, in fact, stupid.