this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2024
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Starship Development Thread November 2024 (self.spacex)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) by threelonmusketeers to c/spacex
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SpaceX Starship page

Portions of this thread copied from a Starship Dev thread on r/SpaceX.

FAQ

  1. When next launch? (IFT-6) SpaceX announce November 18th as the NET date for flight 6, and post info on mission objectives and changes since flight 5.
  2. When previous launch? (IFT-5)? Booster 12 and Ship 30 launched on 2024-10-13.
  3. What was the result? Booster caught by chopsticks, ship makes an on-target splashdown.

Quick Links

Nerdle Cam | Lab Cam | Sapphire Cam | Sentinel Cam | Rover Cam | Rover 2.0 Cam | Rocket Ranch Cam | Plex Cam | NSF Starbase Live

Starship Dev October | IFT-5 launch thread | Starship Dev 57 | Starship Dev 56 | IFT-4 launch thread | Starship Dev 55

Official SpaceX Starship Update Video (2024-04-06)

Road closures

Cameron County website - @bocaroad Mastodon bot

*As of 2024-11-09

  • 2-hour road delays are posted for Nov 1st (01:00 to 04:00) and 2nd (00:00 and 03:00) for transport from Massey’s to factory. (Presumably S33 rollback)
  • 1-hour road delays are posted for Nov 11th (19:00 to 22:00) and 12th (10:00 to 13:00) for transport from factory to pad, likely B13 rollout.
  • 1-hour road delays are posted for Nov 13th (00:00 to 03:00 or 12:00 to 15:00) and 14th (00:00 to 03:00) for transport from factory to pad, either backups for B13 rollout or for S31 rollout.

Vehicle Status

*As of 2024-11-09

Follow Ring Watchers on Twitter and Discord for more.

Ship Location Status Comment
S20 Rocket Garden Pending scrapping?
S26 Rocket Garden Pending scrapping? Static fire Oct. 20. No fins or heat shield, multiple mysterious changes. Completed 3 cryo tests, latest on Oct 10. Rolls to Massey's May 8th, cryo test May 24th, static fired Jun 3rd, rolls to rocket garden Jun 12th. Moves to Megabay 2 Aug 13th, raptors removed Aug 14th.
S30 Indian Ocean Successful splashdown 2x cryo: Jan 3rd and Jan 5th. Engines installed ~Apr 9th. Static fired May 8th. Heatshield replacement completed by Jul 20. Static fired Jul 26th. Raptor replacement Aug 3rd. Spin prime Aug 6th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched Oct 13th, with on-target splashdown in Indian Ocean.
S31 Launch site Pending FTS install. Cryo tested May 12th, suffers small electrical fire. Underwent repairs in the Highbay, rolls back to Massey's Jul 1. Cryo tested Jul 2nd and 3rd. Engines installed by Jul 26th. Rolls to Massey's Sep 6th. Partial (aborted) cryo test Sep 8th. Static fired Sep 18th.
S32 Rocket Garden Pending scrapping? Fully stacked, fore flaps installed but not aft flaps
S33 Megabay 2 Pending engine install First V2 Starship. Nosecone spotted Jul 14th. Forward section spotted Jul 27th. Stacking completed Aug 23. Cryo tested Oct 29th (partial), 30th (full), and 31st (full). Raptor installation begins Nov 9th.
S34 Starfactory Stacking Methane header tank spotted Aug 14th. Nosecone stacked on payload bay Sep 20th.
S35 Starfactory Parts spotted Parts spotted Sep 20th.
Booster Location Status Comment
B12 Megabay 1 Post-flight inspection Cryo x2, Static fire Jul 15th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched as IFT-5 on Oct 13, returned to launch site for successful chopstick catch. Moved to Megabay 1 Oct 15th.
B13 Launch site Resting Cryo tests Apr 26th (methane tank) and Apr 29th (LOX tank). Static fired Oct 24th.
B14 Megabay 1 Cryo testing Stacked Apr 26th, Cryo tested Oct 4th and 5th.
B14.1 Sanchez Resting Multiple catch simulation "slap tests" performed on Jun 26th and 27th.
B15 Build Site Assembly Potential aft end, common dome section, aft tank section, and forward dome spotted.
B16 Build Site Assembly Parts spotted
B17 Build Site Assembly Parts spotted

Resources

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[–] threelonmusketeers 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Starbase activities (2024-11-06):

  • Nov 5th cryo delivery tally.
  • Pad B: CC8800-1 crane disassembly continues. Two more truckloads of parts depart. (ViX, NSF 1, NSF 2, NSF 3, Gisler 1, Gisler 2, Gisler 3)
  • RGV Aerial post a recent flyover photo of the launch site.
  • Some sort of box/cover is lifted into place at the tank farm. (clwphoto1)
  • Construction on passageway between Starfactory and offices continues. Window installation in progress. (Gisler)
  • Build site: The A4:4 LOX section for B16 moves from Starfactory to Megabay 1. (ViX)
  • Sanchez: Construction continues on launch mount B. All four corner sections are in place. (ViX 1, ViX 2)
  • The pez load has shrunk. (ViX)

IFT-6:

  • FAA NOTAMN is posted for Nov 18th through 26th. (LabPadre)

  • SpaceX announce November 18th as the NET date for flight 6, and post info on mission objectives and changes since flight 5. Highlights:

    Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch. Mission designers also updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster’s launch and return.

    An additional objective for this flight will be attempting an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine, further demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn prior to orbital missions.

    The flight test will assess new secondary thermal protection materials and will have entire sections of heat shield tiles removed on either side of the ship in locations being studied for catch-enabling hardware on future vehicles. The ship also will intentionally fly at a higher angle of attack in the final phase of descent, purposefully stressing the limits of flap control to gain data on future landing profiles. Finally, adjusting the flight’s launch window to the late afternoon at Starbase will enable the ship to reenter over the Indian Ocean in daylight, providing better conditions for visual observations.