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15 minutes ago, magnemoe said:

Will they do an first stage 33 engine static burn? Or go directly for launch if all engines fires and is nominal? 
Think splashdown or try to catch first superheavy is also a bit up in the air. 
As they have an another first stage I suspect they splash. 

I would expect that they would want to demonstrate that they have adequate control, and that the vehicle behaves as expected before they attempt a catch.   I doubt they want to risk damage to the launch tower and other ground infrastructure if something doesn't work as expected.  

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29 minutes ago, magnemoe said:

Will they do an first stage 33 engine static burn? Or go directly for launch if all engines fires and is nominal? 

This is probably a WDR. I think they plan on a 33 engine static fire before the actual launch. This permission is not for launch, otherwise the altitude would say "to space."

 

29 minutes ago, magnemoe said:

Think splashdown or try to catch first superheavy is also a bit up in the air. 
As they have an another first stage I suspect they splash. 

This has never been "in the air." There is a 0% chance they try and catch the first flight. It was never even suggested, and the FAA would not allow it.

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12 minutes ago, tater said:

This has never been "in the air." There is a 0% chance they try and catch the first flight. It was never even suggested, and the FAA would not allow it.

Well, there goes my vain hope that off Hawaii there would be a couple of 'throwaway barges' set out as a target and SX would try to stick the landing (knowing either way the ship is likely to sink).

Still - it would be cool to see how good they are at hitting a target on the first throw!

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4 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Well, there goes my vain hope that off Hawaii there would be a couple of 'throwaway barges' set out as a target and SX would try to stick the landing (knowing either way the ship is likely to sink).

Still - it would be cool to see how good they are at hitting a target on the first throw!

"Catch" means using the launch tower.

S24 doesn't have legs, so even a barge landing is out.

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33 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Well, there goes my vain hope that off Hawaii there would be a couple of 'throwaway barges' set out as a target and SX would try to stick the landing (knowing either way the ship is likely to sink).

Still - it would be cool to see how good they are at hitting a target on the first throw!

US has an number of atolls used for testing ICBM, inert payloads but the hypersonic impact is obvious. 
US military is also pretty interested in Starship working out,  as its an magnitude boost in performance even if you can never land an second stage. 
With reuse you can even use it as an strategic bomber. 
Now recovering it would be hard unless you set up something for this but just landing would be very useful for inspecting. 
 

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2 hours ago, tater said:

"Catch" means using the launch tower.

Fine.  Remind the resident Neanderthal that he's not been paying close enough attention to SX's actual plans for catching the durned thing - rather than merely propulsively landing it.  I mean - ostensibly I should have known that - but IRL, its so frigging out there as a concept for me that 'land' makes sense where 'catch' still sounds bonkers!

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57 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Fine.  Remind the resident Neanderthal that he's not been paying close enough attention to SX's actual plans for catching the durned thing - rather than merely propulsively landing it.  I mean - ostensibly I should have known that - but IRL, its so frigging out there as a concept for me that 'land' makes sense where 'catch' still sounds bonkers!

That was aimed at the initial comment I was replying to not really to you. The "Think splashdown or try to catch first superheavy is also a bit up in the air. " bit. Sorry for any confusion, was not meant to be snarky.

I know what you mean about the barge, and I bet they try that at some point for SS—cause there's no way to tower catch it without passing over land in bad ways I think, so even if they want to use the tower for SS at some point... they need offshore towers to even test it I would think. It'll have to be legs for a while.

Edited by tater
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2 hours ago, tater said:

That was aimed... not really to you

I have tough skin  -- that was my snark at me! 

I can't imagine them NOT trying a sea-borne 'get the landing procedures down' first attempt (with a target) before risking the whole place... but given the three attempts that AFAIK all hit the pad; I'm not counting them out either.

What I actually expect is that they'll try to get SS to hover and maybe transit a bit before ditching.

Edited by JoeSchmuckatelli
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33 minutes ago, tater said:

The geometry of booster catches at least has boost back over water, orbital reentry will be west to east (or sw to ne, nw to se).

Honestly - I cannot wait to see this.  Hoping they get it down as well as Falcon9; because it will be both absolutely nuts, and a testament to human ingenuity!

I'd watch every landing (well, at least for a while - they do want to make it as 'boring' as possible)

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11 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Honestly - I cannot wait to see this.  Hoping they get it down as well as Falcon9; because it will be both absolutely nuts, and a testament to human ingenuity!

I'd watch every landing (well, at least for a while - they do want to make it as 'boring' as possible)

Yeah, it's gonna be spectacular... even the first few holes punched in the ground. Seems like they will have to have legs on SS for a while, and likely do drone ship landings just from reentry profile requirements to keep it over water.

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2 hours ago, tater said:

and likely do drone ship landings just from reentry profile requirements to keep it over water.

Either that or get one of those old drilling rigs they purchased as while ago fitted out with a landing pad and a crane.  (I'm assuming there is somewhere suitable in the gulf to locate the drilling rigs that puts the dangerous parts of re-entry offshore).

Edited by AVaughan
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13 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

What I actually expect is that they'll try to get SS to hover and maybe transit a bit before ditching.

That is what I was thinking.

It would be awesome if they got the first booster to just hover in place at tower catch-height over the water for like 20-30 seconds until it runs out of fuel. 

Ideally this would be caught in high-def.  This would be a very strong argument for allowing a tower catch attempt with the second launch...

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7 minutes ago, Terwin said:

That is what I was thinking.

It would be awesome if they got the first booster to just hover in place at tower catch-height over the water for like 20-30 seconds until it runs out of fuel. 

Ideally this would be caught in high-def.  This would be a very strong argument for allowing a tower catch attempt with the second launch...

That would make perfect sense to me, having accurate measurement of it movement you could almost simulate an catch. How well can you control sideway movements and a slow decent. 

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14 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

What I actually expect is that they'll try to get SS to hover and maybe transit a bit before ditching.

I think a nominal landing at a point in space is definitely a goal—even if that point in space is open ocean ;)

If a tower catch is on the table for SS at some point, then whatever hover it needs would presumably be there as well.

37 minutes ago, Terwin said:

It would be awesome if they got the first booster to just hover in place at tower catch-height over the water for like 20-30 seconds until it runs out of fuel. 

Not sure what the hover capability actually is, but yeah, that would be a great demonstration.

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