totm nov 2023 SpaceX Discussion Thread

[RCgothic]

Liftoff! Max-Q!

[Pthigrivi]

Boooo no for catch

[RCgothic]

No-go for catch. Aiming for splashdown.

[zolotiyeruki]

Was any reason given for the no-go on the catch?

[RCgothic]

Quite a nice fireball on splashdown. Nominal insertion for Starship though. Relight test in approx 25mins.

Just now, zolotiyeruki said:

Was any reason given for the no-go on the catch?

Not yet that I've heard.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

Booster is drifting.  Wind.  FTS might be triggered at some point 

[Nuke]

wondering if the interior is pressurized and if we just found a new way to freeze dry bananas.

[Ultimate Steve]

Possible reason for catch abort:

 

[AckSed]

Nice views of the inside regardless.

[Nuke]

banana is swaying! shake your banana.

[Ultimate Steve]

Good relight it looks like.

[darthgently]

6 hours ago, Ultimate Steve said:

I don't think that multiple passes would significantly reduce fuel usage unless I'm missing something. It depends on if you would ever hit terminal velocity during Mars descent. If no, then coming in from a lower trajectory would allow you to slightly reduce Mars landing burn fuel requirements. If yes then there is no difference unless for some reason you can't brake into Mars orbit via aero alone, which, should be possible unless you're absolutely screaming into the system on an accelerated transfer.

Current thinking is that direct aero to landing won’t work for crewed without capture burn, iirc.  G forces I think?

[AckSed]

Ship landed, didn't blow up but was not the happiest. Distinct heating and actual wrinkles in the steel visible from the rear-pointing camera. Probably why it broke on hitting the water.

That we could actually see it happen thanks to the daylight landing is a great thing.

[PakledHostage]

I love rocketry. In what other industry can you end a test with two hulks of burning wreckage floating in the ocean and regard the test as successful?

Edited 3 hours ago by PakledHostage

[AckSed]

Demolition.

But yeah, the re-entry was a nail-biter. Happy they pulled off the relight.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

Just now, AckSed said:

Demolition

Well played, sir 

[Ultimate Steve]

Successful landing!

The results of the past three flights have been very good omens for the survivability of the ship once they put people on board. Not so good omens for the goal of a rapidly reusable heat shield, but hopefully that's something V2 will address.

They put this ship through a very aggressive re-entry, with a decent chunk of the tiles missing, and other tiles testing various other things, and she made it through with less visible damage than the previous two flights.

Lots of wonderful camera views!

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

So...  Comment. 

One of my kids who I got all excited about this in class looked it up in the news and asked 'why isn't anyone reporting on this - why isn't it front page news?'.  Gave the usual reply.  Politics.  Celebrity gossip, etc. 

 

But I now perceive more.  SX is succeeding in making it feel routine.  

 

Case in point - remember the sheer number and speed of posts for SN15? 

[Flying dutchman]

It would be awesome if they put some kind of barge out there for a future launch. It can land om the skirt i think. It won't be pretty but they'll at least have a post reentry starship to examine.

[AckSed]

They said that this was an older heatshield without the ablative layer, too.

And what about that rear view of the engines? Fascinating, and proof that the tail is the less extreme area for heating. Even if that bright trail was a little worrying.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

... and we are fans.  

Kinda like Apollo or Shuttle.  Can't keep interest for long when Dr Oz is in the newz

[darthgently]

That was by far, without doubt, the most complicated and roundabout recipe for Banana Flambeau I have ever seen.  I hope it tastes good

[AckSed]

Here's an accelerated look at Ship's re-entry. You can see the wrinkle in the steel form:

 

[magnemoe]

1 hour ago, zolotiyeruki said:

Was any reason given for the no-go on the catch?

Very windy there, Ellie in space had problems holding on to her hat. 
Now for falcon 9 no landing  conditions is an scrub reason unless customer pay extra, but I guess they don't plan on reusing this first stage anyway and focus is second stage reentry, 

[darthgently]

23 minutes ago, AckSed said:

Here's an accelerated look at Ship's re-entry. You can see the wrinkle in the steel form:

 

Consider how quickly we’ve adapted to ZERO plasma blackout.  
 

We KSP’ers are accustomed to having access to the craft in all phases of flight, lol

 Seriously though, Starlink rules for reentry comms

Edited 2 hours ago by darthgently