BFR Developments

[Yazata]

Flight 11 has been pushed back a week, until October 13, 2025

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[Yazata]

SpaceX Flight 10 recap Hype Video (it's an extraordinarily good two minute edit):

"Open the pod bay door, Hal!"

This video is the definition of Intense!

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

[Yazata]

Still from the extraordinary SpaceX video, taken by a camera atop the booster in space, showing the hot stage ring (the interstage between the first and second stage) receding into the distance (no MR, it's not a UFO) and the Earth far below. (The video is packed with scenes like this.)

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[Yazata]

Goals of Flight 11:

Goals of Starship Flight 11:

— Test new booster landing burn configuration

This is in preparation for the version.3 landings. They propose to light up different engines for the landing burn.

— Gather data for next-gen booster dynamics

Again, in preparation for the version.3's. Angle of attack, aerodynamic qualities etc.

— Stress-test Starship heatshield

Continuing the ongoing heat shield development tests

— Deploy 8 Starlink simulators

— Attempt in-space Raptor engine relight

— Practice banking maneuvers and subsonic guidance for future RTLS

This is the biggie for the ship. They propose to expand the ship's ability to maneuver towards precise landing sites as it falls after reentry, where it will simulate positioning itself precisely as if for a tower catch.

[Syne]

I'm eager to see more pad landings and/or tower catches. The splash downs seem such a step backwards.

[Yazata]

Here's RGV Aerial Photography's (a great community of Starbase enthusiasts) 100th update video (since 2023)!

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Co1-2AZnPx8

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I'm eager to see more pad landings and/or tower catches. The splash downs seem such a step backwards.

I am too.

I'm looking forward to them catching both the booster and the ship after it's circled the Earth one or more times. That should happen next year after they roll out the v.3 ships and boosters and probably after they've test flown them once or twice.

For flight 11 they are still testing changes to the heat shield tiles, exploring both the booster's and ship's aerodynamic qualities and various edge-cases such as engine-outs during landing approach. And they are still perfecting the landing algorithms.

It's not as exciting as catches, but it's all basic test-flight stuff similar to what is done with new aircraft types.

[Yazata]

Flight 11 is still on for Monday October 13.

Meanwhile, dozens of Tesla Cybertrucks have been delivered to Starbase, presumably to replace the motley collection of gas-powered pickups in use there now.

The angular steel Cybertrucks will fit right into the futuristic Starbase aesthetic.

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And it's not just Starbase, Cybertrucks have been arriving at the Starlink plant at Bastrop as well.

Rumor is that SpaceX might have ordered as many as 1,000 Cybertrucks, company wide.

Bastrop Cybertrucks:

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[Yazata]

Cybertrucks have appeared at McGregor and at Roberts Road as well as Starbase and Bastrop.

Here they are at work today, blocking the road for B15.2's rollout to the pad for this booster's second flight to space on Flight 11.

(SpaceX photo)

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Here is 15.2 being lifted onto Orbital Launch Mount-1 ahead of Flight 11. This is the last time this will happen, since OLM-1 will be demolished after this Monday's launch. From that point forward, launches of the dramatically new Version.3 ships and boosters will be conducted on Pad-2 while Pad-1 is reconstructed to Pad-2 standard.

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[Yazata]

Felix's latest update video

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xcbNOUc4rvo

[Yazata]

Ship 38 rolled out to Pad 1 today where it was stacked atop Booster 15.2 (the .2 indicates that this is 15's second spaceflight).

Some of the space-nuts have started calling 38 "freckles" because of the tiles inexplicably scattered on the back side of the rear flaps.

(SpaceX photo)

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(Photo by Joe Tegtmeyer)

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Starship, Saturn V and the Space Shuttle, to scale

(Image by Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley)

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