totm nov 2023 SpaceX Discussion Thread

[Hannu2]

On 2/5/2025 at 6:20 PM, Exoscientist said:

5.)For these reasons, the FAA should require SpaceX to release any and all videos of the engine bays of both stages while the engines are firing, most specifically during restarts:

I still do not understand this demand. Do you think that publication is some kind of legal punishment for breaking the rules? Is there really such an option in US laws? I do not believe that.

If FAA finds something potentially dangerous it can demand fixing probelms or more investigations but it can not order any technical details to be public.  It is SpaceX's desicion if it publish something.

Quote

All this could have been avoided by following standard industry practice of doing full up(all engines), full mission length, and full power static testing of stages. They would already be flying expendable version now at the highest payload capacity of any rocket ever made at ca. 250 tons and with paying customers.

If that is the situation do not worry. I am sure that those better companies who obey industrial standards and practices will develop their own 250 t rockets very rapidly and sell them to customers already waiting eagerly with their fancy 250t satellites. Why do you care about one rogue company who do not understand their benefits? Did you invest your own money to SpaceX?

[Elthy]

4 hours ago, darthgently said:

Very nice.  Check out that crew transfer ladder setup at the bow of the smaller vessel.  Also, that landing barge moves quicker than I imagined

 

That video gives a good sense of scale, it always seems smaller in those landing videos.

[CatastrophicFailure]

3 minutes ago, Hannu2 said:

Is there really such an option in US laws?

There is not. 
 

The thing about all this is, the FAA has seen the footage. And likely from every prior flight too. They have digital reams and reams of data us spectators never ever will, and yet, somehow, they continue to (ahem) “allow” SpaceX to  continue as they’ve been doing, as if the FAA itself was somehow (mostly) satisfied SpaceX was actually acting in good faith towards the public interest. When they have been less than satisfied, they’ve been fairly clear on that, and have advised SpaceX on prudent measures to correct such, if such were even necessary. 

And the vast majority of this has been under a “hostile” regime, too. So I’m going to trust the people who actually have the data.