YazataMay 27, 2022 03:28 AM (This post was last modified: May 27, 2022 04:11 AM by Yazata.)
Here's Episode 2 of Tim Dodd's latest Starbase tour, led by tour guide Elon Musk!
This one features a trip up the incredible Tower where faced with the view Elon gets philosophical about his motivations and the effect on humanity that he hopes to have.
The most fascinating thing about these tours isn't just the hardware that we get to see (which is science fiction made real) but the opportunity to observe Elon's extraordinary mind in action.
"At SpaceX, we specialize in turning things from impossible, to late". - Elon
Discussing catching the world's largest and heaviest flying object with giant robot arms, Elon says,
"Success is one of the possible outcomes."
You start to get a feeling for how much Elon is rolling the dice with all of this, and that he's very aware of it.
Even Elon says, It's hard to believe this is real!
YazataMay 29, 2022 09:07 PM (This post was last modified: May 29, 2022 09:09 PM by Yazata.)
Here's Lab's latest weekly update video. It includes a summary of what happened last week at Starbase, featuring the rollout of Ship 24.
The most interesting part is aerial photos of what's happening at Cape Canaveral.
We see foundation work for the new Starship factory and Megabay vertical assembly building at Roberts Road, next to the existing recently expanded "HangerX" facility where Falcon boosters and Dragon capsules are refurbished. Roberts road also features construction of multiple tower segments and cryogenic fluid piping, destined for the new Starship launch pad at 39A.
Over at Pad 39A, we see the first legs of a Starship launch platform sprouting, plus lots of rebar as concrete work on the base of the new tower progresses.
Then the video shifts to Blue Origin at Cape Canaveral, showing their launch pad and factory.
YazataJun 7, 2022 06:43 AM (This post was last modified: Jun 7, 2022 07:05 AM by Yazata.)
Those who watch the Starbase streams all-day every-day, will have noticed a big crowd of hundreds of young enthusiastic SpaceX workers gathered outside the new Mega Bay. Music could be heard, but it was difficult to see what had their rapt attention since the view was blocked (probably intentionally) by Starship ring and barrel segments.
Turns out it was Elon, firing up his troops with an all-hands-on-deck meeting.
They include the Starship "Pez Dispenser" spitting out the new V.2 Starlinks (7 meters long, only Starship is big enough to carry them!) From the very first orbital flight attempt, Starlinks will be carried. Ship 24, currently undergoing cryo-testing, has the Starlink ejector slot (sealed by a door in flight).
Architect's drawing of the Starfactory building which is currently under construction at Starbase in Boca Chica. It which will replace the three Giant Tents. Tesla Cybertruck in the foreground. (They say that somebody at SpaceX knows somebody at Tesla...)
And an artists conception of what the Florida Starship Gigafactory at Roberts Road at Cape Canaveral will look like. The building on the left is the recently expanded 'HangerX' which services previously flown Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters and Dragon capsules. The illustration only shows one high bay but it's expected that there will be two of these rocket assembly buildings (and they will be larger than shown here, wider and higher). And the truly huge building to its right is the Giga Factory. Foundation work for both the first bay and the factory building are ongoing. Lots of rebar is in and they have started pouring cement.
Today the FAA issued their long awaited (and long delayed) Preliminary Environmental Assessment for Boca Chica. All in all, it's good news.
It's what's known as a "mitigated Fonsi" (where 'fonsi' means "finding of no significant impact", and mitigated means no significant impact as long as required steps are taken). There are some 75 required mitigations but a quick skim suggests that they are minor and easily accomplished. All in all they seem reasonable, if a little anal.
(Jun 13, 2022 08:20 PM)Yazata Wrote: Today the FAA issued their long awaited (and long delayed) Preliminary Environmental Assessment for Boca Chica. All in all, it's good news.
It's what's known as a "mitigated Fonsi" (where 'fonsi' means "finding of no significant impact", and mitigated means no significant impact as long as required steps are taken). There are some 75 required mitigations but a quick skim suggests that they are minor and easily accomplished. All in all they seem reasonable, if a little anal.
Ship 24 is the ship that's penciled in to attempt the first orbital Starship flight. As can be seen from the photo below, it still needs some finishing touches. Engines are being installed and the tiles need some work around the circumferential lines where the barrel segments were welded. Tile work is also needed around the crane lift points on the nose which are there for testing but have to be gone for flight. And one of the forward fin shoulders still needs a little work. All that's underway now. When it's complete, expect it to move to the launch site for static fires and then be stacked.
The booster penciled in for the first orbital flight is Booster 7 in the Mega Bay. It's recently had its 33 engines installed and is receiving other finishing touches. Then to the launch area for some static fires that should be spectacular, then stacking and flight preps.
Photo by Elon of Ship 24 in the High Bay. Man on the boom-lift for scale.
YazataJun 24, 2022 09:45 PM (This post was last modified: Jun 24, 2022 10:02 PM by Yazata.)
It's been a long time, but action is returning to Starbase after about a year waiting for the FAA. (A year is a decade in Elon-time.) Time to buckle-up.
Booster B7 was rolled out to the launch area yesterday morning and placed onto its Orbital Launch Mount by the loving arms of the OLIT Chopsticks last night.
And a short while ago, the Coast Guard issued this:
Speculation is that they are going to be starting static fires of the 33 Raptor 2 engines on the booster.
While the first orbital launch is certainly going to be the big event, the static fires should be something to see as well.
May 27, 2022 03:28 AM
(This post was last modified: May 27, 2022 04:11 AM by Yazata.)
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