Starhopper aces test, sets up full-scale prototype flights this year
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Hot damn.
I really hope we can stop f'ing up the world's environment and political stability soon, because there is some really cool technological potential for the next few decades.
I really hope we can stop f'ing up the world's environment and political stability soon, because there is some really cool technological potential for the next few decades.
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KOOL Stuff!
But looking at those pics remind me of those 1950s space rocket movies. I was almost looking for the "controlling wires" attached to the "moving vehicle"! heh heh
But looking at those pics remind me of those 1950s space rocket movies. I was almost looking for the "controlling wires" attached to the "moving vehicle"! heh heh
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It's staggering to think that NASA has just spent damn near half of the entire development budget SpaceX had for the Falcon Heavy on . . .
A refurbishment of a test stand.
That's only going to be used once for this program.
A refurbishment of a test stand.
That's only going to be used once for this program.
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Very much looking forward to the suborbital flights. That would be when this starts getting seriously real! So far, so very good ... especially with regards to the raptor engines.
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I would say "maybe they're going to Green Run subsequent SLS cores," but that presumes that they'll ever build more than one...
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Much more exciting than I expected. This feels like human interplanetary space flight has been restarted after too many years of humans bound to LEO.
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This fact alone should embarrass the living hell out of those who continue to insist on buying votes with pork-barrel spending. I hope that there are some folks in some congressional committee reading these stories on Ars and gearing up to ask some very hard questions.
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Biggest question left unanswered by the video: Who sponsors that 2-mile stretch of highway?
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If we pool our $$$ and register as “Friends of Starship”, will they give us special passes to the area?
If so, I’m in...
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In engineering terms this flight isn’t that different from the earlier 20 meter hop. But seeing the rocket fly out of the smoke cloud and hover for tens of seconds in clear sight makes a huge difference in optics.
As a side note, I believe the Starhopper is now the largest and heaviest object ever to land under rocket power. Not that that means all that much, the next couple dozen largest objects were also built by SpaceX.
As a side note, I believe the Starhopper is now the largest and heaviest object ever to land under rocket power. Not that that means all that much, the next couple dozen largest objects were also built by SpaceX.
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Aren't they going to do the same thing SpaceX did? After they land their first booster they immediately tested the engines again on the stand?
/s
edit: As a side note, if someone was to fish out the engines from the ocean after the SLS flight, do they get to keep them? Those engines will have a history from Space Shuttle mission that gives them more value.
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Article":29cph5ni said:
How pathetic. Old Space is still playing with toy models while the core technology of Starship and BFR is demonstrated working and operational.
Face it Old Space, the gig is up and you've landed flat on your face in the mud (where greedy pigs belong)!
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The SLS booster stage will definitely land, it just won't be at the launch pad or in one piece after landing.
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What went flying off to the right, flipping end over end, around 1:08 in the video?
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I was going to go with Primary Buffer Panel, but yeah probably one of the COPVs. I have read some dissent on that though -- somebody is still counting four attached, so it might have been some other part no longer needed...
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A certain NewSpace CEO did find the F-1 engines used to launch Apollo 11 to the Moon and fish them out of the ocean. It sounds like he donated them to a museum, though.
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It will break up in the atmosphere, long before it hits the water.
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I really need to try and get a travel trailer purchased so I can take vacations to the Starship launches.
I've only been talking about it since around the time SpaceX was landing the first F9 core.
I've only been talking about it since around the time SpaceX was landing the first F9 core.
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"steps toward a vehicle with potentially revolutionary capabilities, including landing and taking off propulsively from distant worlds including the Moon and Mars. "
So if Starship actually works as hoped, and in space refueling becomes an operational reality, then where can versions of Starship actually theoretically land?
Earth
moon
Mars
Phobos
Demos
Ceres
Vesta
Mercury (the dark side?)
Is that about correct for what can actually be reached with this architecture? I know Jupiter area has to much radiation. Thoughts?
So if Starship actually works as hoped, and in space refueling becomes an operational reality, then where can versions of Starship actually theoretically land?
Earth
moon
Mars
Phobos
Demos
Ceres
Vesta
Mercury (the dark side?)
Is that about correct for what can actually be reached with this architecture? I know Jupiter area has to much radiation. Thoughts?
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Here is a question:
you can see in the video that the rocket is slowly rotating along its vertical axis.
How do you control that with a single engine (presumably along the same axis). Are there other small thrusters? (I could not see them).
Or it is not an issue?
Edit: slowing-> slowly.
Thanks for the replies. Now I see one small puff of the RCS thrusters.
you can see in the video that the rocket is slowly rotating along its vertical axis.
How do you control that with a single engine (presumably along the same axis). Are there other small thrusters? (I could not see them).
Or it is not an issue?
Edit: slowing-> slowly.
Thanks for the replies. Now I see one small puff of the RCS thrusters.
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greybeardengineer
Ars Praefectus
Once? Be an optimist! Maybe SLS will completely shit the bed during its green run and somehow not be cancelled. After 5 years of redesign and building a new test article they will need to do ANOTHER green run.
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It had RCS thrusters so considering no major corrections needed to be made with a flight like this I assume that's what it used
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greybeardengineer
Ars Praefectus
Yes there are small cold gas thrusters on the side. If you watch carefully you can see them fire, well puff actually, to start and null the rotation.
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Great day for SpaceX, was amazing to watch.
Rough day for SLS.
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/statu ... 9754913793
Rough day for SLS.
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/statu ... 9754913793
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Right, "the SLS would let us plan a trajectory that's 2.5 years shorter!" doesn't really help if it'll take at least 3 years longer to launch...
(Strictly speaking, the report says it'll take 2 years longer to launch, but I seriously doubt that the fourth launch of the SLS will take place in 2025...or at all, for that matter.)
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