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The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

arstechnica.com

121–130 of 187 posts

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#122
post #114
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The slowdown of testing is not a change in their methodology. It was because they succeeded in all suborbital testing. The orbital testing has been held up by bureaucracy, heat tile iterations, and launch tower refinement. The costs of test articles are pennies on the dollar compared to the launch value of these vehicles once operational. By now they have 2.5 stacks ready, and surely have enough raptor engines saved…

That’s a very charitable interpretation. Testing slowed because of flaws in the Raptor which required a complete redesign. We’ll see if their chaotic development process produces something safe and reliable.

I hadn't heard that Raptor 2 was a complete redesign as a results of flaws discovered (I hadn't heard anything at all about why they made Raptor 2). Do you have a link where I can read more about this?

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#123

Here are the TFRs. Two on the 17th and 18th from 6am to 9am MDT. The yellow section. About 15 miles long and averages 7 miles wide. https://ibb.co/H41P6Md

If we don't launch the 17th then the 18th is likely a scrub because of the forecast on that day. Depending on how long rain sticks around it could be another day or two for an attempt.

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Drive don't fly. Rent van or large jeep. Sleep in it.

Only under 400 mi after that it is cheaper to fly & rent. Current gas prices it's probably 350.

Inflatable mattresses are available at Walmart for like $10 :)

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#125
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if you could head over to Matamoros and give a fisherman $50 to take you out on the water. The launch tower is maybe 500yds from the beach.

Probably a bad idea. Rocket launches tend to have exclusion zones for sea traffic and they will scrub the launch if some boat wanders into the area, and speaking as someone who likes to watch rocket launches on stream, I’m confident in saying that lots of people will be mad at you for doing this. Edit: Oh, you said Matamoros, which is in Mexico and presumably out of the FAA's jurisdiction. Everyday Astronaut seems to…

[deleted]

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#126
post #47
post #18

i was at south padre island for the first starship landing. even though it blew up a minute or two after it landed, i consider it the first landing. i had seen pretty much every major launch from spacex on their livestreams but i was still taken aback at seeing starship. its as odd as watching a skyscraper slowly levitate upward into the sky. and to see it standing after the dust settled was unreal. and after it was…

I wonder if you could head over to Matamoros and give a fisherman $50 to take you out on the water. The launch tower is maybe 500yds from the beach.

Matamoros is INSANELY dangerous. It is impossible to overstate that.

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#127
post #70

It's been interesting to see SpaceX shift from hardware-rich to a more traditional process the last year. I suspect a lot of it is due to the sheer cost of what they are doing, but a lot of it is PR management as well... Plus it's obvious that the US government is doing everything in their power to have Musk on as short of a leash as possible.

> Plus it's obvious that the US government is doing everything in their power to have Musk on as short of a leash as possible. What do you mean by this?

Some people are confused and think the government is against Musk in some way like the public is. The government quite likes SpaceX.

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#128
post #113
post #18

i was at south padre island for the first starship landing. even though it blew up a minute or two after it landed, i consider it the first landing. i had seen pretty much every major launch from spacex on their livestreams but i was still taken aback at seeing starship. its as odd as watching a skyscraper slowly levitate upward into the sky. and to see it standing after the dust settled was unreal. and after it was…

ive made a reservation with another user. show up at the lighthouse inn on south padre island the night of the 16th for a raging party and to save money on a room

Now this is what the internet is all about.

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a marine exclusion zone: https://twitter.com/VisitBocaChica/status/164693832218955776...

This reads a lot more optional than a NOTAM. I'm not saying it's a good idea, but, i think if you're sufficiently motivated you can still go inside the exclusion zone.

Boats in the exclusion zone can and have caused launches to scrub. I can't speak as to whether you will face legal consequences, but there may not be a launch to watch if you violate the safety perimeter.

Re: The FAA has granted SpaceX permission to launch its Starship rocket

#130
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a marine exclusion zone: https://twitter.com/VisitBocaChica/status/164693832218955776...

Looks like you can get like half a mile north or south (based off some crude eyeballing) & be out of the easterly-directed exclusion zone. I have no clue how that compares to where people can be on land to watch, how far up rt 4 people are allowed. It seems like it might be a good option. Also the launch should pivot & head out more your-a-way too, which could be cool.

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/16470015572111605...

The green areas are the closest you can get by boat. Which is basically just as close as viewing from South Padre Island. You might have a slightly less obstructed or crowded view from a boat versus parking and standing with everyone else on South Padre.

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