Spot the Space Station

[day_trippr]

I would say, however, that there is a lot of work to do before this system is truly viable. Can't have primary flight controls burning like that, for instance

I expect many more test flights before anything remotely practical is done with it (probably a crapton of Starlink deployment flights) which should provide plenty of entertaining (and even dramatic) video!

 

[day_trippr]

Gotta love the Onion

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I would say, however, that there is a lot of work to do before this system is truly viable. Can't have primary flight controls burning like that, for instance

I expect many more test flights before anything remotely practical is done with it (probably a crapton of Starlink deployment flights) which should provide plenty of entertaining (and even dramatic) video!

Definitely a ways to go, but look how better flight four was compared to three. Several leaps were made with this launch and many to improve upon but a great base to work from.

It'll still be an experimental platform for at least a year yet. SpaceX is able to push the envelope with good results. Yes, still a ways out before it's a reliable space ship.

 

[day_trippr]

I appreciate iterative design - and "fly it and see what happens" seat of the pants stuff (often just for public consumption) - and found this launch to be highly interesting from many aspects. Obviously there were improvements over prior launches, but just as clearly there's a long row to hoe before you see a booster land on a pad still intact and a Starship is captured by "chopsticks" to hang by the very same fins that got fried...

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I appreciate iterative design - and "fly it and see what happens" seat of the pants stuff (often just for public consumption) - and found this launch to be highly interesting from many aspects. Obviously there were improvements over prior launches, but just as clearly there's a long row to hoe before you see a booster land on a pad still intact and a Starship is captured by "chopsticks" to hang by the very same fins that got fried...

I'm very sceptical on how they are going to achieve landing back at the pad and catching it. I can't fathom how they are going to do that. Getting it positioned just right seems impossible.

 

[day_trippr]

I am totally shocked at how little damage that this starboard flap shows considering what the in-flight video was showing during re-entry

 

[Konadog]

Considering the size of those things, I'm amazed that they weren't ripped off during re-entry after they started to fail. It was pretty cool to see them operating during the melt down.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I am totally shocked at how little damage that this starboard flap shows considering what the in-flight video was showing during re-entry




View attachment 850294

Is that an after shot of the flap?

 

[day_trippr]

Yes, supposedly, the same flap that looked like it was being destroyed.
Can't see the other surface, though, or the hinge line...

Cheers!

 

[Pkrd]

I'm very sceptical on how they are going to achieve landing back at the pad and catching it. I can't fathom how they are going to do that. Getting it positioned just right seems impossible.

I can’t find stats on the landing precision for falcon boosters but they seem to be good enough for chopstick catching from videos I’ve seen.

 

[Konadog]

That has to be a before picture. At T+57:40 you start to see tiles fly by, and at T+58:00 on it's mass destruction of the lower hinge area. I don't see any tiles missing in that picture.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

That has to be a before picture. At T+57:40 you start to see tiles fly by, and at T+58:00 on it's mass destruction of the lower hinge area. I don't see any tiles missing in that picture.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, parts were shredding off that flap during decent. Still incredible it functioned but the heat was less as it was coming down.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I can’t find stats on the landing precision for falcon boosters but they seem to be good enough for chopstick catching from videos I’ve seen. View attachment 850306

I agree that the Falcon 9 has great landing capabilities but it has landing legs coming down on a pad/drone ship.

The starship booster needs to be caught between the chopsticks, a much more difficult maneuver. I'm confused if the booster chopsticks catch it at the flaps, the grid fins or those pins in the sides?

 

[day_trippr]

Come to think of it, that picture has to be a "before" as they didn't have an opportunity to get an "after"...

It looks like there are small features just below the booster's grid fins that will catch on the chopsticks. Here's a pretty cool animation...

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Come to think of it, that picture has to be a "before" as they didn't have an opportunity to get an "after"...

It looks like there are small features just below the booster's grid fins that will catch on the chopsticks. Here's a pretty cool animation...

I have noticed those post/pin pieces on the booster but thought they served a different purpose. Still it doesn't seem an easy catch, the booster has to orient itself so those posts line up at the top of the chop stuck arm rails. Not impossible considering all the control it goes through.

I wonder what mechanism the ship has? I'm going have to look closer.

Thanks for the video!

 

[day_trippr]

"Got Scale?"

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Great view of Booster 11 landing softly in the Gulf of Mexico. Spectacular!

 

[day_trippr]

First time I saw that video I nearly screamed "Why did they cut the first angle shot before the nozzles hit the water FFS!"

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

First time I saw that video I nearly screamed "Why did they cut the first angle shot before the nozzles hit the water FFS!"

I felt the same way, they could have showed more to it. It's a little sad since they showed so much but not everything. I'm impressed though SpaceX shared that. I figured they had some way of capturing the water landing. I'm waiting to see what they have for the ship landing.

 

[day_trippr]

The rest of that video has to be out there!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I did some more searching, nothing yet. Soon more will trickle out after they're reviewed.

 

[Pkrd]

Booster touchdown was in the expected spot, hence drone and surface footage.
Starship was off course a little due to Burny McFlappy having a bad day.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Booster touchdown was in the expected spot, hence drone and surface footage.
Starship was off course a little due to Burny McFlappy having a bad day.

Poor Burny . . . .

 

[day_trippr]

Something completely different! A new star will be born.

‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ explosion will bring a new star to the night sky​

​

 

[day_trippr]

Starliner is a helium sieve

https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-starliner-stuck-space-station-141534116.html

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Starliner is a helium sieve

https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-starliner-stuck-space-station-141534116.html

I read that this morning. I hope it doesn't cause issues getting home safely when they can leave. As much as I bash Boeing this is a very sad development for them and the safety of the crew. Not a good feeling.

 

[Konadog]

Last nights SpaceX launch view from Long Beach. That's the moon, not the sun.

 

[day_trippr]

So NASA wants to bring the leaking Starliner home on the 26th now.

At this point I think NASA should not bring the two astronauts back on Starliner. Too much bad juju going on.
Plus, the return is intended to demonstrate "dry landing" - which raises the question why that wasn't validated without a crew on board?

https://www.iflscience.com/starline...rompts-speculation-of-space-malfunction-74771

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

It was a bad situation before they even left earth and it certainly hasn't improved. I hope the FAA and NASA are investigating all this and future launches are grounded until the Starliner program can work out these problems. It's getting ridiculous that Boeing is given a pass with their lack of safety.

 

[day_trippr]

It gets worse: Starliner return is delayed indefinitely...

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/...eturn-of-starliner-to-review-propulsion-data/