Screenshot from LabPadre's stream after storm had intensified showing ponding in the low areas on both sides of the road to the launch area. (We take things like roads for granted, but somebody was thinking ahead when they constructed this one.) The launch area is on slightly higher ground (a few meters) so it is probably out of danger. The area to the right of the launch area, between it and the Rio Grande and the Mexican border maybe a mile away, is all marshland (a bird refuge) and it's all currently under water.
YazataJul 26, 2020 03:46 PM (This post was last modified: Jul 26, 2020 09:45 PM by Yazata.)
Road closures for Sunday July 26 have been cancelled, but paradoxically the Sheriff's roadblock is up. Speculation is that the road may have flooded at some point. (Edit: LabPadre has verified that the road closure is due to flooding.)
Launch and build sites both look fine. No visible damage. Power on, all seemingly good.
Word is that they will attempt the static fire tomorrow when weather is expected to have improved, then the hop-flight should occur mid to late week. Potential problem is that weather is predicted to be unsettled all week with thunderstorms. So... time will tell. (Elon being on-scene does suggest that they are going to push to getting it done.)
Edit: Here's Mary's drive-by after-action report on the state of the Boca Chica spaceship plant after the hurricane has passed. Lots of puddles, soggy, but no visible damage.
LabPadre thinks that SN5 was slightly pressurized with GN2 (gaseous nitrogen) to give the cylinder additional rigidity during the storm. It was also clamped down to the test stand with the same fixtures that hold it down during static fires. The road to the launch site seems to be open again since cars have been spotted on it.
YazataJul 27, 2020 05:31 AM (This post was last modified: Jul 28, 2020 04:07 AM by Yazata.)
Boca Chica's annoying neighbors are planning another loud party. Sheriff's "overpressure"/explosion warning notices have gone out to residents.
This morning 11:30 AM local, the road still isn't closed and the parking lot at the launch site is full. Lots of vehicle traffic on the road. 8 1/2 hours left in the 8 AM - 8 PM testing window though, so hard to say what's going to happen.
Edit 11:51 local -- Sheriff's cars at the roadblock site but roadblock not up. Multiple cars leaving launch site, but several arriving. People on top of SN5 with tall man-lift. (They've been up there all morning.)
Edit 6:20 PM local -- Hard roadblock with wooden barriers has been up and pad has been clear for some time. But nothing else of interest has happened. Waiting for lots of vapor venting from tank farm and for warning sirens. Those things still haven't happened.
Edit again... -- SpaceX vehicles eventually returned to the pad as 8 pm (the end of the test window) rolled around and all the roadside-rocket-scientists assumed that today was a scrub. But Elon replied...
I was just out at the launch pad. Connector damaged in the storm, but fixed now. Might be able to fire tonight or at least get to the next issue.
But right at the end Zeus the robot dog made an eagerly awaited appearance, looking at SN5 with a bright light on his head. At about 1:19:45 at the end of the video.
YazataJul 30, 2020 03:02 PM (This post was last modified: Jul 31, 2020 02:38 AM by Yazata.)
And after Perseverance launched successfully this morning, the road is closed in Boca Chica and the pad is cleared. Looks like the delayed static fire is finally on after a couple of days of technicians frantically fiddling with the thing. (Looked like the hydraulic pump for the thrust vector controls etc. wasn't working properly.)
Edit: They seemed to be moving towards the static fire, then a small boat pulled up on a post-hurricane 'lake' next to the pad and anchored there. So the engine fire was aborted until a police or SpaceX security boat could run the small boat off. Unclear whether they are recycling the attempt to later in the day. Vehicles have returned to the pad.
Edit 2: They are taking another shot. Pad is clear. Venting from tank farm and vehicle. Warning sirens howling!
Edit 3: Static fire just happened. Looked good. No explosions or fireballs.
Elon's tweeting:
"Starship SN5 just completed full duration static fire. 150m hop soon."
New temporary flight restrictions up to 26,000 feet issued for Sunday Aug 2 and Monday Aug 3. That might be when they try to fly this thing. (I expect that Elon wants to successfully fly it before the August anniversary of Hoppy's hop last year.)
Here's Mary's video, edited with and without the sound delay (her camera position is about a mile away), in 1/2 speed and in 1/4 speed slow mo.
Unlike SN4's detonation that obliterated both itself and its test-stand, SN5's successful static fire's only casualty was a step-ladder that couldn't stand the excitement.
YazataAug 1, 2020 02:51 AM (This post was last modified: Aug 1, 2020 06:09 AM by Yazata.)
Elon wasn't kidding when he said "hop soon". As reported above, the FAA has issued increased altitude temporary flight restrictions for Sunday and Monday, and Cameron County has announced road closures for Sunday with Monday as back-up day. Reason given for the closure is "SN5 hop".
So Sunday promises to be a pretty exciting SpaceX astronautics day. Not only will SN5 be flying and hopefully landing in one piece, it's also when NASA will be bringing back Bob and Doug in their Crew Dragon for their splash-down.
YazataAug 2, 2020 05:53 PM (This post was last modified: Aug 2, 2020 07:12 PM by Yazata.)
Sunday 11:51 AM CDT - Pad is mostly but not entirely clear after a couple of dozen cars and trucks left in a big parade. Still six cars at the pad (somebody on LabPadre counted). The sheriff's roadblock is up.
12:34 CDT - Still two or three cars at the pad. Speculation that they may be waiting until DM-2 returns.
1:11 PM CDT - Still two or three cars at pad, but the roadblock has been taken down.
YazataAug 3, 2020 04:53 AM (This post was last modified: Aug 3, 2020 04:54 AM by Yazata.)
Well, the long anticipated SN5 hop flight didn't happen today. My guess is that they didn't want it to conflict with Bob and Doug's excellent return from orbit. Elon was at Mission Control in Hawthorne with Gwynne for the DM-2 reentry and this evening Elon flew to Houston (isn't it great to have a private jet? Myself, I wouldn't know...) to meet with Bob and Doug. My guess is that he will then fly from Houston to Brownsville/Padre Island airport to be in Boca Chica for the hop. (Starship is Elon's baby.)
So... the hop may take place tomorrow or Tuesday. All the road closures and temporary flight restrictions are in place for both days. There wasn't a lot of activity at the pad today, apart from a LOX/liquid methane tanker delivery, so I'm guessing that it's all waiting on Elon.
Edit 5: Chris B. wrote, "Right now we don't know if they are scrubbed for the day or recycling. There is time in the window.
Elon replied "Scrubbed for the day. A Raptor turbopump spin start valve didn't open, triggering an automatic abort. We'll figure out why & retry tomorrow."
YazataAug 4, 2020 04:49 PM (This post was last modified: Aug 4, 2020 09:07 PM by Yazata.)
Tuesday August 4 -- They are off to an early start again today. Pad is clear and the road is closed.
Edit: Siren has sounded and drone is up.
Edit 2: Looks like another abort. Unknown whether they will recycle.
Huge geyser of vapor from the flare stack
Edit 3: More boat news, although without a Trump flag nobody is likely to care, except me. First, a small boat was sighted near the launch pad not long after the abort. Maybe it was there before but unseen on the streams. And now a Coast Guard aircraft is circling the launch site. The FAA has declared a no-fly zone over the launch area with SpaceX the authority in charge, so presumably SpaceX requested the USCG surveilance flights.
Jul 26, 2020 01:20 AM
(This post was last modified: Jul 26, 2020 02:55 AM by Yazata.)
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