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SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

bloomberg.com

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Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#81

Post by euroderf »

datameta wrote: post #66
thelittleone wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Starship didn't do re-entry though right? They lost signal, and what happened after that was not explained. It was at the target height and >24,000km/h when it lost signal. Some coverage suggested SECO happened, they they lost signal.

At the conclusion of the SpaceX stream they confirmed the automated launch abort system triggered with vehicle lost. But so much data gained!

I hope that future mission commanders will never ever let control forget that someone mistakenly kaboomed an upper stage.

Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#83

Post by robgibbons »

gregjor wrote: post #41

I’m old enough to remember the Apollo program. Not one Saturn V blew up on launch. I guess we had a different notion of “success” back then.

They also ditched every one of their boosters into the ocean. Not one Saturn V booster landed itself back on the launchpad. Different approaches warrant different metrics of success.

In SpaceX's case, they've done this exact process before with the Falcon to great success. In a few years, Starship launches will likely be a routine thing, as Falcon launches are now.

Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#84

Post by dylan604 »

grecy wrote: post #75
dylan604 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, second place is the first loser after all. The only thing left after bronze is participation trophies for all the athletes, because they all did try really hard.

You make it sound like you'd be disappointed to compete in the Olympics and not get a medal, rather than being immensely proud of your achievement at being in the ~top 10 in the entire world!

quite the opposite. i'm tired of the concept "there are no losers" and everyone deserves a reward. life is harsh, and teaching that at younger ages is better than soft selling the concept of losing so that it's a harsh slap in the face later in life.

Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#87

Post by pixl97 »

modeless wrote: post #6

I'm disappointed there won't be a test of the heat shield, but it's definitely a successful test. All engines lit and the new "hot staging" stage separation was seemingly successful, despite the explosions later on. Can't wait for the next one!

Scott Manley has a short up on booster engine relight issues after hot staging

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7LYw6gU65ac

Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#88

Post by Retric »

allenrb wrote: post #54

Worth noting, the first stage flight probably constitutes the most powerful machine ever successfully operated by humankind, no? (A fusion bomb generates more power for a minuscule period of time, but that sort of competes in a different class.)

Depends on what you consider a machine, the largest power grids are more powerful. Though those are arguably multiple devices acting together not a single device. Most powerful local machine that’s close to steady state is probably Three Gorges Dam at 22.5 GW.

Starship is like a top drag racer where it’s quickly damaging itself in normal operation, but it’s the most powerful local machine that can last for over a minute.

However, there’s a lot of pulsed devices that briefly get to much higher energy levels like artillery or experiments that charge capacitor banks for massive discharges like Z machine which briefly hits 300TW.

Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#89

Post by gavinray »

johnyzee wrote: post #39
mattsan wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The second big success was all 33 engines working reliably all the way up! There were so many nay-sayers saying if the soviets could build those amazing engines but couldn't solve their flameout problem on their N-1 rocket that Superheavy was never going to work

Looking at that full set of 33 engines burning almost brought a tear to my eye (and the controlled cutoff). That more than anything else tells me they've made it.

I don't understand what makes the functioning of all the engines so difficult (I know nothing about rockets).

How is it that you build something so expensive with so many development resources and expect parts to fail?

Re: SpaceX Loses Starship Spaceraft During Test Flight

#90

Post by pixl97 »

dylan604 wrote: post #84
grecy wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You make it sound like you'd be disappointed to compete in the Olympics and not get a medal, rather than being immensely proud of your achievement at being in the ~top 10 in the entire world!

quite the opposite. i'm tired of the concept "there are no losers" and everyone deserves a reward. life is harsh, and teaching that at younger ages is better than soft selling the concept of losing so that it's a harsh slap in the face later in life.

Then SpaceX already won and just needs to stick with the Falcon9/Heavy putting the rest of the space industry out of business.

If you teach people life is harsh, then typically they won't try new things. If you tell people life is easy and risk free, they may do something that gets them killed...

If you balance out both you get people that try new things with appropriate safety and risk tolerance.

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