SpaceX (general discussion)

[Grey Havoc]

Florida's Space Coast On Track After Ian, Set For 3 Launches In 3 Days - Slashdot

NASA says the damage to their launch facilities in Florida following Hurricane Ian was minimal and work was already underway for a "rapid-fire succession of three launches in three days," reports Ars Technica. An anonymous reader shares an excerpt from the report: First up is a commercial...

science.slashdot.org

 

[FighterJock]

Florida's Space Coast On Track After Ian, Set For 3 Launches In 3 Days - Slashdot

NASA says the damage to their launch facilities in Florida following Hurricane Ian was minimal and work was already underway for a "rapid-fire succession of three launches in three days," reports Ars Technica. An anonymous reader shares an excerpt from the report: First up is a commercial...

science.slashdot.org

That is good news, SpaceX will be glad that no damage was done to the launch site and that they are planning to do three launches in three days.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, NASA Launch Crew, Including Russian Cosmonaut, to Space Station

The mission marks the sixth time SpaceX has flown astronauts to the station for the space agency since 2020 and comes after NASA has moved to deepen its relationship with the Elon Musk-led company.

www.wsj.com

 

[Michel Van]

From office of pointless statistics:

SpaceX launch 179 times the Falcon 9 with 143 suborbital landings and reuse.
Launch 30 Astronauts into Space (two private spaceflights)

Blue Origin orbital flights ZERO, 23 suborbital flights.
ULA Atlas V 99 launches, Delta IV 41 launches (terminated)
ArianeGroup Ariane 5 launch 114 times

Records that SpaceX has to brake
Proton rocket 427 launches (terminated)
under current launch numbers SpaceX will reach this in 2026...

 

[Michel Van]

Updates on KSC
Seems a third launch tower is build but were installed ?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdzgSLkfLJs

 

[icyplanetnhc (Steve)]

The Crew-5 Astronauts Dock to the Space Station

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina arrived at the International Space Station Thursday Oct. 6, as the SpaceX Dragon Endurance docked to the complex at 5:01 p.m. EDT while the...

blogs.nasa.gov

Also, Col. Nicole Mann is repping us Marines proud up there. Loving the red and gold badge.

 

[Flyaway]

The Space Force says the two side boosters on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket for the USSF-44 mission set for launch Oct. 28 will return to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for onshore landings.

The Falcon Heavy core stage won't be recovered.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577787716900597760

View: https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1577787716900597760

This launch is currently scheduled for the 28th October.

 

[Michel Van]

According this Info there will be a Starship Launch Pad 40 at the Cape
and they build the new launch tower...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579275114088120320

View: https://twitter.com/CarstensPete/status/1579275114088120320

 

[sferrin]

I wonder if they'll have it stacked before SLS leaves the ground.

 

[Forest Green]

I wonder if they'll have it stacked before SLS leaves the ground.

They'll have Aman-Ra Class Frigates built before SLS leaves the ground at this rate.

 

[Flyaway]

I wonder if they'll have it stacked before SLS leaves the ground.

Elon liked this tweet:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579658860620840961

View: https://twitter.com/tobyliiiiiiiiii/status/1579658860620840961

SpaceX is preparing to fully stack Starship again in the next 12 hours.

It'll most likely be stacked for a week before being unstacked again for testing.

After the next unstack, the next time you'll see a full Starship will be for orbital. I believe a November launch is likely!

 

[jeffb]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580014747516211202

View: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1580014747516211202?t=0u-C7GhQ3Riaw4u3L5BpIw&s=19


Damn they're getting good at this. Would be very interested to see what Elon's spent in total on SpaceX so far because this is how you do it, this is how you build cheap access to space.

 

[Flyaway]

This stack is not for launch, just testing, and after about a week Starship 24 and booster 7 will be de-stacked again.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580065366377525249

View: https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1580065366377525249

Starship 24 and Booster 7 fully stacked on the orbital launch pad at Starbase

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580018852775153664

View: https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1580018852775153664

Timelapse of Ship 24 being stacked onto Booster 7 for the first time.

nsf.live/starbase

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580229880918048778

View: https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1580229880918048778

SpaceX assembled a full stack of Starship and Super Heavy on Tuesday evening. I'm hearing they're working toward an orbital launch attempt during the second half of December. But such schedules best considered aspirational.

 

[Flyaway]

Pictures of the stack:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580350143445942272

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1580350143445942272

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580363060560044034

View: https://twitter.com/nicansuini/status/1580363060560044034

I had to find an even bigger puddle…

-@NASASpaceflight

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580415413329874945

View: https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1580415413329874945

The Ship Quick Disconnect has connected to Ship 24.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580430106384011264

View: https://twitter.com/13ericralph31/status/1580430106384011264

Aaaaand it was almost immediately retracted lol. Looks like it will once again take multiple tries!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580436085129166848

View: https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1580436085129166848

They then did a test of a full speed Quick Disconnect retraction, but all in all looking positive for whatever full-stack alignment issue being resolved. Still no road closures scheduled for the remainder of the week.

 

[Michel Van]

first hint on SpaceX EVA suit on Twitter and how they react...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580425237224570880

View: https://twitter.com/DeltaV1701/status/1580425237224570880

 

[siegecrossbow]

first hint on SpaceX EVA suit on Twitter and how they react...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580425237224570880

View: https://twitter.com/DeltaV1701/status/1580425237224570880

Flame thrower won’t work in a vacuum .

 

[Forest Green]

You would need to supply your own oxygen.

 

[Flyaway]

This mission will be expending a new core stage.

B1066 is a Falcon Heavy center core that will fly NET October 28th as part of the USSF-44 mission. It's new and it being expended will allow the second stage have enough performance to push that mission's payloads into GEO. Will look more or less like this..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1579444262940602368

View: https://twitter.com/Alexphysics13/status/1579444262940602368

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580636456371953669

View: https://twitter.com/gregscott_photo/status/1580636456371953669

Falcon Heavy launch date has changed. New date for launch is Oct 31st at 6:44am EDT from pad 39A at #NASA. #SpaceX

 

[robunos]

Flame thrower won’t work in a vacuum .

Chlorine Trifluoride . . .


cheers,
Robin

 

[Forest Green]

Flame thrower won’t work in a vacuum .

Chlorine Trifluoride . . .


cheers,
Robin

Nice, it sounds a little bit like Propyl Pentaborane as regards handling though.

 

[siegecrossbow]

Flame thrower won’t work in a vacuum .

Chlorine Trifluoride . . .


cheers,
Robin

Nice, it sounds a little bit like Propyl Pentaborane as regards handling though.

So much thought put into my facetious comment. I will keep on making them

 

[jeffb]

Nice.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580919303875964928

View: https://twitter.com/considercosmos/status/1580919303875964928?s=20&t=x0FzSitFRdNXcDl5ExqyyQ

 

[siegecrossbow]

Nice.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1580919303875964928

View: https://twitter.com/considercosmos/status/1580919303875964928?s=20&t=x0FzSitFRdNXcDl5ExqyyQ

This could literally be a tourist ad for South Padres.

 

[publiusr]

Now I hear automation has struck again-in the form of a SpaceX engineer struck down into a coma while his wife had to use a go-fund me page over medical bills. Elon needs to man-up, prepare to be slapped by the wife after hand delivering her a big check. Two in fact, in case she tears up the first one. That's how you show the world you're better than Boeing.

 

[Flyaway]

Starship 25 on the move.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1582900261403516928

View: https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1582900261403516928

Sunset rollout of Starship 25 at Starbase.

nsf.live/starbase

https://twitter.com/x/status/1582911749803892736

View: https://twitter.com/nicansuini/status/1582911749803892736

S25 rolls to the pad to join B8, S24 & B7!

-@NASASpaceflight

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1582899232906047489

View: https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1582899232906047489

First time Starbase has had two boosters and two ships at the same time!

nsf.live/starbase

 

[Flyaway]

TBH I am starting to wonder if any Starship stack will fly this year. In spite of rumours and speculation it really wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t have to wait until 2023 for this.

 

[Tuna]

At NSF, the current speculation is December to February. They are pushing hard to make an attempt this year, but given that they'll have to do a bunch of things that they haven't done yet before that, I think it's a fairly safe bet that it will be delayed until next year.

Gonna be weirdly close with the SLS, either one could be up first.

 

[Grey Havoc]

SpaceX Launches 54 Starlink More Satellites, Lands Rocket in 100th Mission From Florida Pad - Slashdot

SpaceX continues to expand its satellite-internet constellation with its 186th overall launch. From a report: SpaceX's 100th launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station featured a set of 54 Starlink satellites, which launched to orbit on Thursday (Oct. 20)...

science.slashdot.org

 

[Flyaway]

ESA has shifted the launch of a couple of its high profile science missions to Falcon 9 due to Soyuz going away.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583048671733878784

View: https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1583048671733878784?

 

[Flyaway]

It’s kind of also an unsaid condemnation of how late running Ariane 6 is.

 

[jeffb]

Wow...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1583466193783910400

View: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1583466193783910400?s=20&t=xzpcPEXHLqAJI5WuMaJsfw

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1582836919418818561

View: https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1582836919418818561

NASA names an all-Goddard team to study the @spacex @PolarisProgram pitch to reboost Hubble.

Hi Irene - thanks very much for following up on this. We can now share the confirmed list of NASA team members, though the team may request or bring in additional support as technical questions arise:

Barbara Grofic, program manager, Astrophysics Project Division, NASA Goddard (NASA lead)
Patrick L. Crouse, Hubble project manager, NASA Goddard
Brian J. Roberts, robotic technologist, Satellite Servicing Projects Division, NASA Goddard
Jennifer J. Wiseman, Hubble project scientist, NASA Goddard
David N. Haskins, Hubble mission operations manager, NASA Goddard
Jackie Townsend, program manager, Astrophysics Strategic Missions Program, NASA Goddard

NASA informed ESA about the study and will update them as it progresses. The team may request technical expertise from ESA as well.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1582848316173213697

View: https://twitter.com/free_space/status/1582848316173213697

Correction from@nasa PAO : Jackie Townsend’s updated title is Deputy Project Manager for the Roman Space Telescope,

 

[Flyaway]

Considering what they are hoping to achieve on this mission maybe we shouldn’t be that surprised if it encounters additional delays out of their control, along with general congestion at the launch complex.

Polaris Dawn crewed mission could suffer additional delays - SpaceNews

A billionaire-backed private astronaut mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon has slipped from late this year to March 2023 and could be further delayed.

spacenews.com

 

[Michel Van]

While Falcon 9 delivers and delivers and delivers

makes Falcon Heavy a static test fire for Soon to be launch date

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-E_mK1GuJQ

 

[Grey Havoc]

Via Slashdot:

SpaceX becomes NASA’s second-largest vendor, surpassing Boeing

NASA obligated $2.04 billion to SpaceX in fiscal year 2022.

arstechnica.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

From yesterday:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cUGwZdvIFU

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xedQhV7buxI

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dYrWYQigEo