BFR Developments

[C C]

https://twitter.com/spacesudoer/status/1...6125778173

I'm increasingly starting to feel that the challenges of colonizing Mars aren't much different from those of colonizing the Moon -- and actually greater due to the distance. ("NASA paying four companies to learn how to make fuel on the Moon")

Elon is probably still entertaining the idea that the Red Planet can be terraformed. But I don't see that being realistically possible until fully self-replicating machines are developed, and multiply by billions or trillions on its surface, as cooperative instruments of environmental transformation. And by then it will probably be superfluous whether Mars can be made like Earth. The machines will already be adapted to surviving in its current status, and human colonists a rather purposeless addition or ornamental slash luxury element.

[Yazata]

This morning B-11, the Orbital Flight Test 4 booster, was erected atop the Orbital Launch Mount for expected static fire tests Friday (tomorrow).

A 33-engine static fire is a sight to see! Very Forceful!

(SpaceX photos)

[Image: GKV9PYebcAArgk1?format=jpg&name=large]

[Image: GKV2iB2bcAAaZ6O?format=jpg&name=4096x4096]

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I'm increasingly starting to feel that the challenges of colonizing Mars aren't much different from those of colonizing the Moon -- and actually greater due to the distance.

I expect that a large science-fiction style self-sustaining Mars colony is a long ways off, a century or more. But it will never happen if we don't start.

What we will be more likely to see in coming decades are small Antarctica style bases and research outposts on Mars. These will remain dependent for many years on Earth resupply for many items they can't make there.

Elon wants to do it and he's the only one on Earth actually preparing the necessary hardware. I don't think that NASA will have the political support or funding to do anything as ambitious as that, so I see them joining SpaceX in some kind of joint effort. If that works out, I expect to see Europe and many other places wanting to be partners too.

China won't let the US/SpaceX have Mars to themselves, so I foresee a Chinese Mars effort, perhaps with Russia as a partner.

Terraforming Mars might be theoretically possible, but it's many centuries away if it happens at all.

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RGV's latest flyover update came out today

This is the hard-stuff for serious nerds

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/TXsmb_aK0p0

[Yazata]

The Static Fire just happened. It looked clean and smooth too, as these things start to approach routine.

https://twitter.com/VickiCocks15/status/...7616819633

This one is kind of amazing - sound so loud that it refracts light and you can see it!

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776412650836251053

[Yazata]

On April 7 Elon gave another one of his updates/pep-talks to his Starbase troops. It turned out to be an information bonanza, with views inside the new factory and details about new Starship variants.

The whole 45 minute presentation is here

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776671077382705485

Version 2 will stretch both the booster and the ship slightly and will feature grid fin modifications and changes to the hot-staging ring to make it resemble the Russian hot staging ring designs. The ship will still just have 3 Rvac vacuum raptors though.

Version 3 will feature 6 Rvacs and will be dramatically stretched.

Elon says that he thinks they have 90% chance of succeeding with a booster tower catch this year, though he says a ship tower catch will take longer and will probably come next year. They plan to do a ship-to-ship propellant transfer experiment next year, which will require two ships in orbit at once. OFT-4 should come in May and will aim at surviving reentry and a controlled landing in the Pacific or Indian ocean.

Booster catch animation from the presentation featuring lots of thrust vectoring.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776669517860786631

(Images from SpaceX)

[Image: GKgNQr7XUAAHKMF?format=jpg&name=large]

Inside the new factory:

[Image: GKgGBuDX0AAAdDX?format=jpg&name=large]

Raptor engine improvements:

[Image: GKgGBuBWsAAMpbT?format=jpg&name=large]

The Mars mission architecture

[Image: GKgGBurXoAAO9Qn?format=jpg&name=large]

A little photoshop by Mauricio illustrating what the V.3 Starship will look like on the pad.

[Image: GKhYYn5WYAAin_Y?format=jpg&name=4096x4096]

ns

[Yazata]

Video by @nickhenning3d illustrating every milestone at starbase from Hoppy in 2019 ("watertowers can fly!!") till the present, when fully-stacked starships fly to orbit.

And I've watched all of them! That must make me a certifiable space-nut!

https://twitter.com/nickhenning3d/status...4686768467

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/hw4f21xw4bo