BFR Developments

**Yazata** · Nov 12, 2023 03:49 AM

Starbase if Jeff Bezos created it:

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**Yazata** · Nov 14, 2023 05:11 AM

Elon says, "Was just informed that approval to launch should happen in time for a Friday launch."

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1724271004044644800

FAA warning to air traffic control about SpaceX Starship flight 2 from Boca Chica

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp

Cameron county has announced road closures and road blocks for rocket launch

https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/order-cl...r-19-2023/

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**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Nov 14, 2023 07:58 PM by Yazata.)

Still no launch license, but the FAA has posted a notam announcing a temporary flight restriction:

https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_3_0924.html

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**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Nov 15, 2023 08:06 PM by Yazata.)

The Fish and Wildlife Service has completed their 100 page (!) evaluation of the Starbase water deluge and have concluded that it will have no significant impact on endangered species.

The FAA has been waiting on the FWS to conclude their investigation, but it's unclear how quickly they can get a launch license prepared. SpaceX is still aiming for Friday, with Saturday and Sunday as backup days. (Additional temporary flight restrictions for Saturday have just come out.)

Some interesting information-nuggets. The FWS had to evaluate based on how often the deluge is likely to be used. And they say that SpaceX anticipates up to ten launches a year from Starbase. Each will involve preliminary static fires that will use the deluge.

https://www.faa.gov/media/72766

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**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Nov 16, 2023 06:28 AM by Yazata.)

Unconfirmed reports all over the internet that the FAA license has just been issued!

Unfortunately, the whole FAA website seems to have crashed, so the link to it doesn't work. There's so much worldwide interest in this that perhaps everyone wanting to see the license at once was like a DDOS attack on the server.

OK, here it is:

https://www.faa.gov/media/69476

https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1724899056315777260

"The FAA has given license authorization for the second launch of the
@SpaceX Starship Super Heavy vehicle. The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements."

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**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Nov 16, 2023 06:32 AM by Yazata.)

Launch window Friday morning opens at 7 AM CST (8 AM EST, 5 AM PST)

**Yazata** · Nov 16, 2023 07:47 PM

Starting to look like tomorrow might get scrubbed. Ship stand has been returned to the launch site and they appear to be preparing to destack the ship and then remove the hot-staging-ring to access the electrical and mechanical stuff underneath. Apparently they were running through pre-flight checkouts and some of the booster electronics or something was misbehaving.

While nothing has been announced yet, Saturday might be best hope for launch at this point.

**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Nov 17, 2023 06:09 AM by Yazata.)

Update

Word from Elon is bad grid fin actuator that has to be replaced -

Launch scrubbed for Friday and pushed back to Saturday

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1725231694645461403

Edit

Apparently the motors that move all four gridfins are being removed and replaced. I don't know why. This morning the gridfins were photographed moving normally during preflight checkouts. My guess is that one wasn't responding properly in some way we couldn't see and the other three were replaced as a precaution because they might be prey to the same fault.

**Yazata** · Nov 17, 2023 07:03 AM

Boca Chica Village is to be completely evacuated by 10 PM Friday night.

**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Nov 18, 2023 03:37 AM by Yazata.)

According to Elon, countdown is still on track for a 7AM CST launch tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile Jared Isaacman just buzzed Starbase in his Mig-29.

https://twitter.com/LabPadre/status/1725664271013482946

Where to watch?

SpaceX will have a stream here

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/...p-flight-2

LabPadre's live stream in cooperation with Spaceflight Now.

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

NASASpaceflight.com stream

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/uOI35G7cP7o

Tim Dodd will have a stream too. I'll post it when I get the URL.

Here's Jared Isaacman buzzing Starbase (Photo by Andrew McCarthy) It appears to be Jared's Mig-29 accompanied by two of his Alphajets.

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