Sorry for the newbie rocket question: Blast off happens around 33:00 in that video. The rocket appears to be vertically still (does not move) for the first 4 to 4.5 seconds. Is it held in place, or are not enough engines burning (yet) to induce take-off?
Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
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Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#852If twitter is x, does that mean spacex is space twitter? Twitter was rebranded after elon bought it.
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#853Question I can't find the answer to anywhere: considering that SpaceX already had other ways of re-using boosters, why are they doing this?
Is it to explore more options? Or because it's faster to re-use the booster if it's already in place? Were the other approaches not satisfactory, perhaps? Or no longer applicable due to size?
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#854Sorry for the newbie rocket question: Blast off happens around 33:00 in that video. The rocket appears to be vertically still (does not move) for the first 4 to 4.5 seconds. Is it held in place, or are not enough engines burning (yet) to induce take-off?
While I cannot say if it moves immediately, it definitely moves within 2 seconds. It does not appear to move because it is so massive at more than 100 meters.
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#855Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well that may still continue to happen. The wonderful and competent state of California is literally trying to block SpaceX launches over Musk’s constitutionally protected political speech: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/10/california-reject-m... I cannot remember a more explicit case of authoritarian government abuse in a developed nation in recent memory, and it’s especially infuriating given SpaceX and Musk…
It is a state commission composed of political appointees. It's unlikely it has the jurisdiction over Vandenberg to ban any activities, except when such activities violate state environmental laws. Even then, the federal government might be able to override them. It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Ideally, the commission will withdraw its objections and allow the launches; SpaceX obviously chose this s…
Vandenberg does not provide redundancy. It accesses completely different orbital inclinations. You cannot launch east from there but you can launch south. The opposite is true in Florida.
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#856Question I can't find the answer to anywhere: considering that SpaceX already had other ways of re-using boosters, why are they doing this? Is it to explore more options? Or because it's faster to re-use the booster if it's already in place? Were the other approaches not satisfactory, perhaps? Or no longer applicable due to size?
First because the rocket is lighter without landing legs. Second because they're aiming for rapid reusability, they want to tower to catch the rocket, lower it to the launch mount, and get another Starship stacked on it.
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#857Question I can't find the answer to anywhere: considering that SpaceX already had other ways of re-using boosters, why are they doing this? Is it to explore more options? Or because it's faster to re-use the booster if it's already in place? Were the other approaches not satisfactory, perhaps? Or no longer applicable due to size?
mass that's on the tower that was moved to the rocket is no longer on the rocket, which means the rocket can carry more fuel/payload. hence the tower catching the rocket instead of the rocket having heavy landing gear.
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#858Pretty impressive. The engineering team at SpaceX is really something. Some thoughts; The 'chopsticks catch' was amazing to watch. Seems like it adds a lot of risk and clearly the booster needs additional fire suppression systems :-) perhaps the tower could mount something that sprays the booster like the barges have for the F9 boosters. The heatshield held out for a much longer time, the asymmetric heating on the fl…
I'm wondering if they'll be using the vertical equivalent of arresting gear on aircraft carriers[0]. See when fighter jets land on aircraft carriers? There's a cable that decelerates them. That, but for vertical landing. The way these chopsticks are set forces the booster into a dangerous, snake like maneuver (a SnakeX maneuver) at the last second from a vertical setting, to get into the chopsticks. This maneuver is…
This is a solution for a problem that's already solved, that is, booster maneuverability and accuracy. But they've just demonstrated that the booster is accurate and controlled enough to land on the chopsticks, and they have over a decade of experience in making rockets land accurately in a specific zone.
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#859Pretty impressive. The engineering team at SpaceX is really something. Some thoughts; The 'chopsticks catch' was amazing to watch. Seems like it adds a lot of risk and clearly the booster needs additional fire suppression systems :-) perhaps the tower could mount something that sprays the booster like the barges have for the F9 boosters. The heatshield held out for a much longer time, the asymmetric heating on the fl…
>The 'chopsticks catch' was amazing to watch. Seems like it adds a lot of risk and clearly the booster needs additional fire suppression systems :-) perhaps the tower could mount something that sprays the booster like the barges have for the F9 boosters. There's no reason to reinvent the airport firetruck.
Why would you use a firetruck if you could also run a hose up the tower and get it right where it's needed?
Re: Starship Flight 5: Launch and booster catch [video]
#860Pretty impressive. The engineering team at SpaceX is really something. Some thoughts; The 'chopsticks catch' was amazing to watch. Seems like it adds a lot of risk and clearly the booster needs additional fire suppression systems :-) perhaps the tower could mount something that sprays the booster like the barges have for the F9 boosters. The heatshield held out for a much longer time, the asymmetric heating on the fl…
What’s the advantage of catching the booster over landing it in the ground? Catching it seems like an extra complication.
The reflected sound of the engines is enough to destroy the engines, ironically. That's also why the launch mount is so high. You'd need truly enormous legs, which wouldn't work for weight.