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Starship / Super Heavy

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Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#81

Post by noveltyaccount »

fnord77 wrote: post #77
mabbo wrote: post #9

> The fully integrated Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle will be approximately 400 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter. For reference, the Saturn V rocket from the Apollo program was 363 feet tall. It was 33 ft wide at the first stage, while Starship is 30 ft wide all the way to the top. It's just massive. And it's fully reusable. What a game changer.

considering this is over 50 years after Saturn V, I don't feel this is such a huge feat.

Yeah in some ways the Saturn program is the more amazing. Technology finally caught up to the amazing accomplishment of the Saturn rocket program, if that makes sense.

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#82

Post by aaronblohowiak »

sfblah wrote: post #62
electriclove wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think many others also have 'essentially unlimited resources' but it is the execution and quick iteration that is unique to both Tesla and SpaceX.

I don’t think you’re right about many others having unlimited resources. This situation is a novelty in the post-cold-war era. Admittedly in the Cold War military projects probably did have unlimited resources.

Do you think sls development is less than what spacex is spending on starship?

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#83

Post by electriclove »

fnord77 wrote: post #77
mabbo wrote: post #9

> The fully integrated Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle will be approximately 400 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter. For reference, the Saturn V rocket from the Apollo program was 363 feet tall. It was 33 ft wide at the first stage, while Starship is 30 ft wide all the way to the top. It's just massive. And it's fully reusable. What a game changer.

considering this is over 50 years after Saturn V, I don't feel this is such a huge feat.

It shouldn't be (given the 50 years) but NO ONE else has done anything close to it.

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#84

Post by SteveNuts »

thelittleone wrote: post #34
someperson wrote: post #18

An interesting thing here is SpaceX are building TWO launchpads. Which will definitely help prevent delays if an when there is an AMOS-6 [1] or Orb-3 [2] type explosion that destroys the launchpad. It may also help for rapidly testing orbital refueling in 2022, though the plan is to do orbital refueling with 1 launch pad, 1 Super Heavy and 2 Starships (1 standard, 1 refueler) with 1 hour turnaround times between laun…

They could also do two launches within a single launch window.

Didn't they do this in that movie armageddon? Hopefully space-x doesn't know something we don't.

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#86

Post by ramraj07 »

ubertoop wrote: post #72
divbzero wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This factoid [1] may soon need an update. [1]: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-r... "Largest rocket"

Nice use of "factoid". Most people use this world incorrectly.

Reminds me of Norm's use of the word when reciting a joke about Danny Devito (and Norm's a stickler for proper usage of words)

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#87

Post by electriclove »

noveltyaccount wrote: post #81
fnord77 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

considering this is over 50 years after Saturn V, I don't feel this is such a huge feat.

Yeah in some ways the Saturn program is the more amazing. Technology finally caught up to the amazing accomplishment of the Saturn rocket program, if that makes sense.

The Apollo program was indeed amazing. Government bureaucracy and mediocrity is responsible for 50 years of regression. What SpaceX is doing with Starship is also amazing on so many levels (Raptor engine, reusable, goal of Mars, etc).

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#88

Post by astrowilliam »

fnord77 wrote: post #77
mabbo wrote: post #9

> The fully integrated Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle will be approximately 400 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter. For reference, the Saturn V rocket from the Apollo program was 363 feet tall. It was 33 ft wide at the first stage, while Starship is 30 ft wide all the way to the top. It's just massive. And it's fully reusable. What a game changer.

considering this is over 50 years after Saturn V, I don't feel this is such a huge feat.

A MASSIVE 30 story building that can land vertically isn't a huge feat?

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#89

Post by [deleted] »

doomlaser wrote: post #49
zlsa wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've already done it[0], and it was a complete success until a propellant pressure issue resulted in lower than needed thrust, and a hard impact on the pad. [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qwLHlVjRyw

It oriented almost perfectly. I'm truly amazed at what SpaceX has accomplished so far. Just need to stick that landing a few dozen more times. It's quite a reorientation.

[deleted]

Re: Starship / Super Heavy

#90

Post by Gustomaximus »

flenserboy wrote: post #64
suyash wrote: post #45

Next level space age begins, sooner we will be on Mars.

While it will be fun to see humans on Mars, the really interesting stuff is further out. Where large lifters like this will really shine is in allowing automated mining factories to be sent to various space rocks in order to allow further, larger projects to be built in place. Musk has been piggybacking technologies to fund future projects — I don't see Mars as an endpoint for his vision, and Mars will be a cash sink…

> Mars will be a cash sink instead of a cash generator for some time to come

The wildcard for profit here is government. No doubt China and possibly Russia, EU and India will want to race for position when the see America claiming stake here.

I could see huge government funds from US and even allied countries coming through to support the development and get the fast claims.

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