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EA's Robocam not only revealed the immediate area outside the site was free of debris with some standing water, all the cameras set up were still standing.

Edit: Got a shot of an angled solar panel with light-to-moderate dust deposition. I call this a win.

Edited by AckSed
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The single launch has destroyed the number of engines equal to 8 Proton failures (250 tf * 30 / (6 * 160 tf)).

They call it success.

6 minutes ago, Royalswissarmyknife said:

The heatshield tiles that fell off make me wonder how many can fall off before you start to have major issues during reentry?

A snowflake shrapnel.

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52 minutes ago, Royalswissarmyknife said:

The heatshield tiles that fell off make me wonder how many can fall off before you start to have major issues during reentry?

I would think just one? After that it's just 4mm of stainless separating plasma from propellant. I could be wrong about that and the stainless can take more than I realize. After all there are still gaps in the heat shield between the tiles to allow for expansion. Last I heard they were planning on SS28 for the next run so they're still trying to get data on the reentry system.

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44 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

The single launch has destroyed the number of engines equal to 8 Proton failures (250 tf * 30 / (6 * 160 tf)).

They call it success.

The same number of destroyed engines as 8 Proton flights, regardless of failure or success.

And yes, this was a testing and development flight. That runs the risks of losing the hardware somewhat earlier than the best-case scenario (which in this case would also involve losing the hardware), but at least something new is learned and  steps are taken to build a new, functional rocket design.

You know, development. Functional space agencies do that sometimes.

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Stupid question time. 

If Slosh is a factor can't they partition the tanks?  Seems like some kind of inflatable valve or something that closes off the top (or top half) of the tanks after some significant period of burn / propellant use would restrict fuel to the lower end of the tanks near the engines during the flip. 

From watching the flip - it looks like centrifugal force should keep much of the fuel engine-ward, but after the maneuver?  Clearly they've resolved any issue with F9 - but Booster is a different beast. 

Anyone know what they did with F9? 

8 minutes ago, tater said:

Boca Chica beach is now open.

Quick - bum rush the beach and find Tiles! 

EBay here we come! 

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18 minutes ago, Pthigrivi said:

I would think just one? After that it's just 4mm of stainless separating plasma from propellant. I could be wrong about that and the stainless can take more than I realize. After all there are still gaps in the heat shield between the tiles to allow for expansion. Last I heard they were planning on SS28 for the next run so they're still trying to get data on the reentry system.

Think the ones on the main body has an thermal blanket below the tiles, this also works as heat protection, the glued one in the nose does not but the nose is not pressurized so an burn trough might not be catastrophic. 

Any news about the renetry? 

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28 minutes ago, StrandedonEarth said:

One would think that they would have anti-slosh baffles in the bottom of the tanks…

Yeah - but I'm talking about a system to close down baffles after fuel has been expended.  To keep the fuel where it should be.  Mind you - I know nothing about liquid rocket fuel and the problems of tank pressurization - and had never even considered slosh until @sevenperforce mentioned it.  

So my lay image is that once the flip happens and centrifugal forces are keeping the fuel together, that any slosh taking fuel past the baffles = fuel staying past the baffles.  (Assumes that engine cutoff = coasting / freefall)  So without a way to cut off baffles, what you effectively get is puddles of fuel between baffles - all separated by gasses.  Relighting the engines should pull all the fuel back towards the engines, of course, but doesn't that mean a problem with bubbles/gas in the intakes?

Shrug.  Don't know - just spitballing.

Edited by JoeSchmuckatelli
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Spoiler

The failed 7 engines in the first flight had prevented the first stage from the overheat explosion, but made it too underpowered.

 

Spoiler

The second stage had left the Physics Range, got off-rails, and was uncreated by the garbage collector.

 

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25 minutes ago, magnemoe said:

Think the ones on the main body has an thermal blanket below the tiles, this also works as heat protection, the glued one in the nose does not but the nose is not pressurized so an burn trough might not be catastrophic. 

Any news about the renetry? 

Starship had FTS activated Around T+ 8 Minutes. So the ship was destroyed long before reentry.

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