totm nov 2023 SpaceX Discussion Thread

[Beccab]

First grid fin on B5!

[Guest The Doodling Astronaut]

10 hours ago, Staticalliam7 said:

Lets hope the FAA approves of the flight. Fingers crossed 

Have faith my friend 

[Beccab]

Although we don't have a clear pic yet, all gridfins have now beein installed on B5!

Also for those interested, scheme of every port on the Booster QD section

Edit: also, I suggest watching the new 5 minutes video, it has a lot of well made renders about the chopstick structure

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Beccab

[zolotiyeruki]

On 10/11/2021 at 10:24 AM, Beccab said:

Why is it even like that? Altitude? Stability?

There's a joke that goes something like "at that kind of altitude, you wave at each air molecule as it passes by."  The air is so thin that you need larger aerodynamic surfaces in order to maintain stability.  At 50,000 feet, you have roughly 1/7 the air density you have  at sea level. At 80,000 feet, you've got less than 1/20th as much air hitting your flying surfaces.

[tater]

 

 

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

6 hours ago, Beccab said:

Edit: also, I suggest watching the new 5 minutes video, it has a lot of well made renders about the chopstick structure

 

The fact that someone can so quickly render and present this information is almost as cool as the fact that SX is building this crazy contraption 

Edited October 13, 2021 by JoeSchmuckatelli

[Beccab]

Not a lot to report here yet other than there is another SF notice for today (continuing the previous theory of a single Rvac+single SL raptor static fire first), but looks like I missed some info from the usual spacex insider about the future Boosters:
- B7 is already basically canned before starting ala SN 13-14 [B8 onwards seems like it will have the 33 engines puck];
-B6 likely to receive the same treatment, but that depends on B4 and B5 so production still continues as retainer
-Future of the Ship line depends heavily on how S20 and S21 flight goes, but in general if sufficient design, trial data and model confidence justifies a leap which affects ship parts substantially constructed and renders them obsolete, then that Ship number will be skipped.

[StrandedonEarth]

Whoops wasn’t paying close enough attention 

Edited October 14, 2021 by StrandedonEarth

[Beccab]

1 minute ago, StrandedonEarth said:

 

That's a fake account

[Beccab]

Crew is currently amidst closing hatches on S20 and the closure is still on. Chances are we could get that static fire tonight!

[magnemoe]

24 minutes ago, Beccab said:

Not a lot to report here yet other than there is another SF notice for today (continuing the previous theory of a single Rvac+single SL raptor static fire first), but looks like I missed some info from the usual spacex insider about the future Boosters:
- B7 is already basically canned before starting ala SN 13-14 [B8 onwards seems like it will have the 33 engines puck];
-B6 likely to receive the same treatment, but that depends on B4 and B5 so production still continues as retainer
-Future of the Ship line depends heavily on how S20 and S21 flight goes, but in general if sufficient design, trial data and model confidence justifies a leap which affects ship parts substantially constructed and renders them obsolete, then that Ship number will be skipped.

Looks like they have another major version change for SH, as you say 33 engine puck. still the rest of the body should be the same, now they could have moved from test to production here. 
We know SS will move the front fin to the rear but SS21 will have the old design. and they will still get good data from SS21, 
Now you could replace the front of SS21 but I guess its other changes. moving the bottom fins rear is one obvious one. 

[Lewie]

Highway is open

[Mitchz95]

747 launches in the next ten years? More likely than you think!

(Highly speculative of course, but the rationale seems solid to me.)

[Beccab]

Well, testing is testing at least 

[MKI]

8 hours ago, Beccab said:

Crew is currently amidst closing hatches on S20 and the closure is still on. Chances are we could get that static fire tonight!

Elon Musk moonlighting as real life Iron Man confirmed.

[Beccab]

Videos from inspiration 4 in space from Dr. Sian Proctor

 

 

[Beccab]

NSF livestream with scott manley about Lucy and Starship static fire/testing beginning in 15 minutes

[Dman979]

Hi all,

Some off-topic posts have been removed. This thread is for talking about SpaceX, so please don't digress into extraneous topics.

[Beccab]

 

[Snark]

Some rule-violating content has been removed, due to:

• trolling / flamebaiting
• personal remarks

Folks, please try to stay civil.  There's nothing wrong with expressing hearty disagreement, but it's possible to do so like an adult, without stooping to ridicule or name-calling.  Such tactics help no one, do not advance your argument, and make the forum less fun for everyone.

Also:  if you see someone posting what you believe to be inappropriate content, please just report the post so that the moderators can have a look, and do not otherwise engage.  Trying to hit back just results in a flame war that derails the thread, and everyone loses.

Thank you for your understanding.

[tater]

 

 

[Jack White]

Radiant, a California-based company founded by former SpaceX engineers, has received $ 1.2 million in investment to further develop and manufacture compact nuclear reactors. They are positioned to replace diesel generators. Deciding that the ideas intended for the development of Mars would be more useful for the population of the Earth, the company began to create a budget microreactor that could fit in a regular shipping container. The megawatt model will be capable of powering up to 1,000 homes and is expected to use helium for cooling instead of water. The main places of use are remote settlements, zones of natural or other disasters, and military bases. The reactor is said to be capable of providing power to the base for eight years before nuclear fuel runs out. This will not only avoid harmful emissions from conventional diesel generators - there will be no need for a regular supply of diesel fuel bases. Transportation of fuel will be needed, but only to provide transport with an internal combustion engine until all equipment switches to alternative power sources. According to Radiant, the company's fuel does not melt and can withstand higher temperatures than conventional reactor fuel cells. The use of helium significantly reduces the risks of corrosion, refrigerant boiling and contamination. The company says it has patented ideas related to refueling reactors and efficiently converting reactor heat. Radiant has joined a fairly large number of companies already developing compact nuclear reactors. Only a small number of them specialize in truly “micro-solutions”. However, no one has yet succeeded in creating a truly compact, inexpensive and long-lasting alternative to diesel generators.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

18 minutes ago, Jack White said:

The use of helium

Does Helium like to play fast and loose with its pipes like hydrogen - or is it considerably better behaved? 

[kerbiloid]

8 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Does Helium like to play fast and loose with its pipes like hydrogen - or is it considerably better behaved? 

Spoiler

Helium.

 

[magnemoe]

14 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

  Hide contents

Helium.

 

As I understand that was because liquid oxygen and the composite wrapped tanks inside the LOX tank.