Starship Development Thread #41
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Starship Development Thread #42
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FAQ
- What's happening next? Shotwell: 33-engine B7 static firing expected Feb 8, 2023, followed by inspections, remediation of any issues, re-stacking, and potential second wet dress rehearsal (WDR).
- When orbital flight? Musk: February possible, March "highly likely." Full WDR milestone completed Jan 24. Orbital test timing depends upon successful completion of all testing and issuance of FAA launch license. Unclear if water deluge install is a prerequisite to flight.
- What will the next flight test do? The current plan seems to be a nearly-orbital flight with Ship (second stage) doing a controlled splashdown in the ocean. Booster (first stage) may do the same or attempt a return to launch site with catch. Likely includes some testing of Starlink deployment. This plan has been around a while.
- I'm out of the loop/What's happened in last 3 months? SN24 completed a 6-engine static fire on September 8th. B7 has completed multiple spin primes, a 7-engine static fire on September 19th, a 14-engine static fire on November 14, and an 11-engine long-duration static fire on November 29th. B7 and S24 stacked for first time in 6 months and a full WDR completed on Jan 23. Lots of work on Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) including sound suppression, extra flame protection, load testing, and a myriad of fixes.
- What booster/ship pair will fly first? B7 "is the plan" with S24, pending successful testing campaigns. Swapping to B9 and/or B25 appears less likely as B7/S24 continue to be tested and stacked.
- Will more suborbital testing take place? Highly unlikely, given the current preparations for orbital launch.
Quick Links
^(NERDLE CAM) ^| ^(LAB CAM) ^| ^(SAPPHIRE CAM) ^| ^(SENTINEL CAM) ^| ^(ROVER CAM) ^| ^(ROVER 2.0 CAM) ^| ^(PLEX CAM) ^| ^(NSF STARBASE)
Starship Dev 40 | Starship Dev 39 | Starship Dev 38 | Starship Thread List
Official Starship Update | r/SpaceX Update Thread
Status
Road Closures [](/#!!!!! THIS TABLE IS BOT GENERATED; DO NOT EDIT !!!!!)
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| Type | Start (UTC) | End (UTC) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative | 2023-02-09 14:00:00 | 2023-02-10 02:00:00 | Scheduled. Beach Closed |
| Alternative | 2023-02-10 14:00:00 | 2023-02-10 22:00:00 | Possible |
Up to date as of 2023-02-09
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Vehicle Status
As of February 6, 2023
NOTE: Volunteer "tank watcher" needed to regularly update this Vehicle Status section with additional details.
| Ship | Location | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-S24 | Scrapped or Retired | SN15, S20 and S22 are in the Rocket Garden, the rest are scrapped. | |
| S24 | Rocket Garden | Prep for Flight | Stacked on Jan 9, destacked Jan 25 after successful WDR. Crane hook removed and covering tiles installed to prepare for Orbital Flight Test 1 (OFT-1). |
| S25 | High Bay 1 | Raptor installation | Rolled back to build site on November 8th for Raptor installation and any other required work. Payload bay ("Pez Dispenser") welded shut. |
| S26 | High Bay 1 | Under construction | Nose in High Bay 1. |
| S27 | Mid Bay | Under construction | Tank section in Mid Bay on Nov 25. |
| S28 | Build Site | Parts under construction | Assorted parts spotted |
| S29 | Build Site | Parts under construction | Assorted parts spotted |
| Booster | Location | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-B7 & B8 | Scrapped or Retired | B4 is in the Rocket Garden, the rest are scrapped. | |
| B7 | Launch Site | On OLM | 14-engine static fire on November 14, and 11-engine SF on Nov 29. More testing to come, leading to orbital attempt. |
| B9 | Build Site | Raptor Install | Cryo testing (methane and oxygen) on Dec. 21 and Dec. 29. Rollback on Jan. 10. |
| B10 | High Bay 2 | Under construction | Fully stacked. |
| B11 | Build Site | Parts under construction | Assorted parts spotted. |
If this page needs a correction please consider pitching in. Update this thread via this wiki page. If you would like to make an update but don't see an edit button on the wiki page, message the mods via modmail or contact u/strawwalker.
Resources
- LabPadre Channel | NASASpaceFlight.com Channel
- NSF: Booster 7 + Ship X (likely 24) Updates Thread | Most Recent
- NSF: Boca Chica Production Updates Thread | Most recent
- NSF: Elon Starship tweet compilation | Most Recent
- SpaceX: Website Starship page | Starship Users Guide (2020, PDF)
- FAA: SpaceX Starship Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site
- FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions NOTAM list
- FCC: Starship Orbital Demo detailed Exhibit - 0748-EX-ST-2021 application June 20 through December 20
- NASA: Starship Reentry Observation (Technical Report)
- Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures (May not be available outside US)
- Production Progress Infographics by @_brendan_lewis
- Raptor 2 Tracker by @SpaceRhin0
- Acronym definitions by Decronym
- Everyday Astronaut: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- Everyday Astronaut: 2022 Elon Musk Interviews, Starbase/Ship Updates | Launch Tower | Merlin Engine | Raptor Engine
r/SpaceX Discuss Thread for discussion of subjects other than Starship development.
Rules
We will attempt to keep this self-post current with links and major updates, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss Starship development, ask Starship-specific questions, and track the progress of the production and test campaigns. Starship Development Threads are not party threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.
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Posted Jan 9, 2023, 3:34 AM UTC · edited