SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship updates

[DocM]

Soon...

 

[spy beef]

Holy crap that was nice! I can't believe that it landed upright!

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Liftoff!

Touchdown!!

 

Looks like one leg isn't fully extended, but Qapla'!!

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Upcoming changes

 

SN-08 gets a nose cone, fins, and v1.1 legs (60% larger)

 

SN-?? gets v2 legs for landing in unprepared surfaces.

 

Hop-land-hop back.

 

Envelope expansion.

[BetaguyGZT]

That was SO cool!

 

And I concur, changes are afoot. MANY changes ... I bet the new 2.0 landing legs are gonna be beefy. My guess is SN-10 gets those along with "full dress" and the three engine test. Internally I expect the plumbing will most likely see changes by then too (re-routes/improved design flow as they get things sorted out when space will be at a premium later on).

Always a moving target, SpaceX.

[ks8877]

SpaceX Starship SN5 150m Hop 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

Summary of Musk tweets;

 

@Elon Musk

V1.1 legs will be ~60% longer. V2.0 legs will be much wider & taller — like Falcon, but capable of landing on unimproved surfaces & auto-leveling.
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What's next, Elon? 20km hop?

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We’ll do several short hops to smooth out launch process, then go high altitude with body flaps
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when will you do a hop and a relight? i.e. - land and take off again?

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Soon
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Today marks the beginning of a new era, even though this is a small step. We are a giant leap closer to mars than we were yesterday, the future of interplanetary travel is upon us. MARS HERE WE COME!

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Mars is looking real

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Here comes SN-08 (right). SN-06 to the left.

 

https://twitter.com/news_starship/status/1291106071352877057

 

 

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The test stand looks like it's in pretty good condition, and they're preparing to move SN-05...somewhere. Back to the test stand, or to the build area? Dunno.

 

With SN-08 parts present and stacking an SN-05 reflight isn't out of the question - see what she can take.

 

 

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Super Heavy booster; High Bay build...

 

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So, SN-05 and SN-06 will perform as a tag team...

 

 

 

 

 

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Musical Starships

 

SN-05 is back at the shipyard for refurb/upgrades, and there's another road closure this afternoon - presumably for SN-06's trip to the pad.

 

 

 

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SN-06 on the pad for proof tests before a static fire and hop.

 

 

Shiny!

 

[IsItPluggedIn]

Whats with the plumbing on the side, iI thought it was supposed to be clean to survive re-entry.

 

[DocM]

There will be external hardware covered by the drag fin chines.  Chines are longitudinal  fairings along the sides of an airframe. 

 

Examples of this hardware are the Tesla-built motors and pumps for the drag fin hydraulics, lines from the liquid oxygen header tank in the nose, wiring, etc.

[DocM]

Enter SN-09

 

 

 

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225 tf = 504,000 lbf, a beast

 

And they plan to go higher...

 

 

 

[BetaguyGZT]

We knew they would.  

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The big hexagon foundation is getting 2.5 meter steel-cased concrete columns at each apex, and those have ginormous fittings under them. I smell either a Super Heavy pad or the pad access tower & crane.