SpaceX (general discussion)

[Deino]

Another sneak peek at how my SN8 is going, a few more tweaks to the nosecone then I’m onto the step-by-step infographic showing how this puppy’s going to fly... & land. Will upload a day or two before launch. Also working on a poster of Crew-1. SpaceX & NASA saved 2020 for me. pic.twitter.com/iiq7M0gr1n

— Tony Bela - InfographicTony (@InfographicTony) October 21, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/InfographicTony/status/1318944093918015491

 

[Flyaway]

Data from 3 engine Starship static fire this morning looks good. Proceeding with nosecone mate.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1318677645358518272

Starship SN8 nosecone is still waiting for a ride to the launch site. 🤩🚀@NASASpaceflight https://t.co/9sTD7p0vVz pic.twitter.com/bEqYAm4D1M

— Mary (@BocaChicaGal) October 21, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/bocachicagal/status/1318989608408023040

 

[Flyaway]

SpaceX Could Top Lockheed, Boeing As Most Valuable Aerospace/Defense Firm

SpaceX's valuation could exceed the market caps of the top aerospace and defense stocks, according to Wall Street, even overtaking Lockheed and Boeing.

www.investors.com

 

[Hanse]

SpaceX Could Top Lockheed, Boeing As Most Valuable Aerospace/Defense Firm

SpaceX's valuation could exceed the market caps of the top aerospace and defense stocks, according to Wall Street, even overtaking Lockheed and Boeing.

www.investors.com

Wait until Starlink and Starship are operational. To quote another member, "Elon is one Persian cat away from being a supervillian".

 

[flanker]

Not a persian cat, but close enough...

 

[Dragon029]

Starship SN8 has had its forward section stacked, making this the first time we've had a full Starship vehicle stacked since the Starship Mk1 was mocked up for the September 2019 presentation:

I personally predict that the 15km flight will happen in the first week of November, though a lot can happen between now and then. SN8 has also had one of its three Raptor engines removed, with its replacement on-site but yet to be installed.

We're also still expecting a presentation sometime soon, possibly before the 15km flight; as part of that, SpaceX has painted one of the prototype nosecones and it's expected that SN5 will be turned into a Lunar Starship variant mock-up:

 

[Flyaway]

Starship nosecone, high bay & tiki bar pic.twitter.com/9qXYxMMIUj

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1319008891817132032

 

[Flyaway]

The nose cone is looking great! It’s still using cold gas thrusters for now right? Any updates on the hot gas RCS? On what version might we see those get installed?

— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) October 21, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/erdayastronaut/status/1319009559822860289

The nose cone is looking great! It’s still using cold gas thrusters for now right? Any updates on the hot gas RCS? On what version might we see those get installed?

Cold gas for now, hot later

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1319057472045264896

Cold gas for now, hot later

 

[Flyaway]

NASA Artemis Moon lander anyone?🚀🌙 pic.twitter.com/ORhSMLq12v

— Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) October 22, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/austinbarnard45/status/1319318065872556035

There will be a 360 deg glass Star Bar (name tbd) at top of high bay

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1319396588293222400

There will be a 360 deg glass Star Bar (name tbd) at top of high bay

 

[Flyaway]

The dawn of the space age is upon us🚀 pic.twitter.com/BfAVRzbwdL

— Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) October 23, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/austinbarnard45/status/1319630355951996929

 

[merriman]

And by simply painting a discarded nose-cone white, SpaceX takes the lead over the SLS effort. Film at Eleven.

 

[Hanse]

And by simply painting a discarded nose-cone white, SpaceX takes the lead over the SLS effort. Film at Eleven.

Paint sure hides a lot.

 

[fredymac]

The Spacex lunar lander is depicted with a white finish in the CGI's. May be marketing or may be thermal management.

 

[Hanse]

Wonder what you'd need to have windows that big.

 

[TomcatViP]

@fredymac :Thermal

 

[merriman]

Wonder what you'd need to have windows that big.

Mr. Scott's transparent Aluminum. Today a real thing, not fantasy.

 

[Deino]

SpaceX Starship SN8 from an aerial 🤩#spacex #BocaChica 🛩️📷🚀
When do you think we might see it's maiden flight, first week of November? @elonmusk https://t.co/WBrLbKExB7 (10/23, 2200ft msl) pic.twitter.com/IJb9RBIfFn

— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) October 23, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/RGVaerialphotos/status/1319779389404577798

While the focus is on Starship SN8, enjoying her first day as a full stack Friday, SN9 and SN10 are undergoing preparations inside the Mid Bay as future Starships.

Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Nic Gautschi (@NGautschi).

➡️https://t.co/hLYZ4NbY43 pic.twitter.com/tmVLdYFaVF

— NSF - NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) October 24, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1319841852338720769

 

[Flyaway]

About 3% of Starlinks Have Failed So Far

A new analysis indicates that 3% of Starlink satellites have failed since they were launched to orbit, which could mean an increased risk of collisions down the road.

www.universetoday.com

 

[Michel Van]

Last Starling launch was a celebration for SpaceX

It's the 100th launch since Falcon 1 on march 24, 2006 !
For moment they flow 5 Falcon 1, 95 Falcon 9 (and 3 as Falcon Heavy)
with 56 successful landings and 2 failure.
Not bad

 

[topspeed3]

Those are made of finnish steel !

 

[Flyaway]

SpaceX Starship: The Continued Evolution of the Big Falcon Rocket - NASASpaceFlight.com

Since 2012, SpaceX has been working on a reusable rocket family, now called Starship, that…

www.nasaspaceflight.com

 

[Flyaway]

Last Starling launch was a celebration for SpaceX

It's the 100th launch since Falcon 1 on march 24, 2006 !
For moment they flow 5 Falcon 1, 95 Falcon 9 (and 3 as Falcon Heavy)
with 56 successful landings and 2 failure.
Not bad

100 successful flights:

View: https://youtu.be/Q_s_7iTydYU

 

[TomcatViP]

It's really a disavowal for the subsedized rocket industry and over regulation in general (SpaceX could never have been in the administrative context of the pseudo soviet EU).

 

[Flyaway]

Elon Musk increases his personal
Wealth. He’s now the world’s fourth richest person.

Elon Musk cruises to $11.8 billion haul from his moonshot award

Musk collected the fourth tranche of his moonshot award this month, bringing his aggregate haul to $11.8 billion

eu.detroitnews.com

 

[Flyaway]

Info via NSF but the NROL-108 launch on
NextSpaceflight says the booster will be B1059.5. Meaning B1059 is the first time a booster does three RTLS (also all RTLS's this year were B1059) and also the first time an external customer uses a fifth flight booster:

Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-108 (USA-312 & USA-313)

A Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket launched with NROL-108 (USA-312 & USA-313) from LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA on Saturday Dec 19, 2020 at 14:00 UTC.

nextspaceflight.com

 

[Michel Van]

Little bit off topic

But 10 years ago Elon Musk buy the NUMMI plant, abandon by GM & Toyota
he started there the TESLA production with 1000 employees
today work 10000 employees in that factory...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1321116658384150530

View: https://twitter.com/flcnhvy/status/1321116658384150530

 

[Flyaway]

Seeker video about Sentinel-6A to be launched by Space X:

View: https://youtu.be/X5P-CDVTT_8

 

[Flyaway]

The Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich launch scheduled for Nov. 10 has been delayed until the end of the month. It's not clear if this will have implications for the Crew-1 mission currently scheduled for November 14.

— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) October 30, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1322252732917600256

The Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich launch scheduled for Nov. 10 has been delayed until the end of the month. It's not clear if this will have implications for the Crew-1 mission currently scheduled for November 14.

 

[Michel Van]

A tug from from Altamira, Mexico pull this
into Turning Basin directly opposite of SpaceX to the south 4.5 miles.
and this is not a oil rig

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_XV-Won27s

 

[Flyaway]

Curious if there's been any sub scale little RC planes or anything tested to make sure that control scheme actually works!? 🤔

— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) October 31, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/erdayastronaut/status/1322670940988313603

Curious if there's been any sub scale little RC planes or anything tested to make sure that control scheme actually works!?

We’ve tested a sub-scale version in a wind tunnel with active aero closing the loop for stability, so it will probably work at scale, but reality tends to bite you on the ass

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1322720587173777409

We’ve tested a sub-scale version in a wind tunnel with active aero closing the loop for stability, so it will probably work at scale, but reality tends to bite you on the ass

 

[Flyaway]

Hey @elonmusk will SpaceX livestream the 15km hop. The excitement for this flight is unlike anything ive ever seen. Understandably its a test, but it would be a great way to help get more people excited about the program! More people have seen the 150m hop than the ITS animation! pic.twitter.com/c9L0mIZpC3

— Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) November 1, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/austinbarnard45/status/1322950417114894339

Hey @elonmusk will SpaceX livestream the 15km hop. The excitement for this flight is unlike anything ive ever seen. Understandably its a test, but it would be a great way to help get more people excited about the program! More people have seen the 150m hop than the ITS animation!

Sure, although it might be quite a short livestream! Lot can go wrong, but we’ll provide video, warts & all. You will see every frame that we do.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1323006223298551812

Sure, although it might be quite a short livestream! Lot can go wrong, but we’ll provide video, warts & all. You will see every frame that we do.

 

[Deino]

Starship SN8
(10/29/2020, 2300ft msl)
Launch site is starting to look like a skate park!
#spacex #bocachica 🚀🛹 pic.twitter.com/1YaMcMbT8A

— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) November 3, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/RGVaerialphotos/status/1323462263752241154

 

[Flyaway]

Update: We now are targeting Saturday, Nov. 21, for the launch of the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean-monitoring satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/73x8wlYjXh

— Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) November 3, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772868526698496

Work is now progressing to implement the engine change and all engine hardware replacements will finish next week. Things are still on track for the Nov. 14 launch of the agency’s Crew-1 mission to the @Space_Station. https://t.co/UiqBxuIYME 3/3

— Kathy Lueders (@KathyLueders) November 3, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/KathyLueders/status/1323772983635140609

 

[TomcatViP]

Doesn't changing the engine on a refurbished booster add an extra layer of risk?
It's not like those things are yet sort of plug'n play.

 

[merriman]

Doesn't changing the engine on a refurbished booster add an extra layer of risk?
It's not like those things are yet sort of plug'n play.

Simplicity has its virtues: the Merlin is not the plumber's nightmare of other engines in its class; a simple gas generator cycle, pintle injector, hypergolic start, etc. makes for a plug'n play engine package indeed. They make these things like popcorn.

 

[Hanse]

Doesn't changing the engine on a refurbished booster add an extra layer of risk?
It's not like those things are yet sort of plug'n play.

As opposed to leaving it as-is? Or should they just throw the whole booster in the dumpster anytime something goes out of spec?

 

[TomcatViP]

Lol.. not my say.

 

[Flyaway]

NASA and @SpaceX are targeting Nov. 21, at 12:17 p.m. ET | 9:17 a.m. PT for the launch of the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean-monitoring satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket from @30thSpaceWing 🌊

"Sea" the latest #SeeingTheSeas updates here: https://t.co/xn17v3jwJn pic.twitter.com/48fPa4f7uL

— NASA's Launch Services Program (@NASA_LSP) November 4, 2020

View: https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1324058103445217280

 

[Flyaway]

Due to the scrub by ULA Space X is now a go on the range for today. So as they say go Space X & go GPS III SV04.

 

[Hobbes]

View attachment 642170

Interesting that Starman has survived that long out in space and is now made its closest approach with Mars, any idea as to when Starman will next approach the Earth?

It's just an inert object. All it has to do to 'survive' is not crash into anything...