News Changes to the SpaceX BFR rocket.

[diogom]

Wasn't expecting to see this posted:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1659599720761950208

I remember way back when this was first spotted from far away/above (water off), if it's the same setup, it was thought to be a slab of concrete.

 

[Urwumpe]

At least, it doesn't look too successful....

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Wasn't expecting to see this posted:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1659599720761950208

Interesting, but I'm really curious if the water flowed out of the plate while that firing was occurring.

This is also a 1 engine / 1 nozzle arrangement. The stagnation pressure of the 33 engine stage exhaust will be higher at the centerline of the rocket than at the periphery. This is a useful test for modeling calibration, but this isn't a demonstration that the entire pad system will work as intended.

 

[diogom]

Well, this is... something:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1672630597246926851

Vague for now, but there's been signs of this. For reference, a prototype ring spotted earlier with cutouts, hotstaging was among the speculated possibilities:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1663983371989467147

Ignoring the time estimates as usual, interesting to see what becomes of the current vehicles finished or close to finished: can they really be adapted, are they a scrap, or launch as is.

 

[GLS]

Looks like the N1 wasn't flawed, just ahead of its time.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Looks like the N1 wasn't flawed, just ahead of its time.

If it had a better control system and less tendency for exploding engines to frag their neighbors, it might have worked.

 

[jedidia]

Well, this is... something:

Indeed... especially considering that the first stage is supposed to be reusable. I have no idea how they see that working out.

 

[diogom]

That's quite the bidet:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681007026556502016

(if the Muskrat doesn't make that link visible, here)

Looks like the construction part is mostly finished then, save for some remaining rebar laying and concrete pours. This ended up comprising a several meter deep concrete foundation under the mount, with thicker piles and the 6 legs now tied directly into it with rebar (no more concrete ring thing). Total of three water inlets, concentrated on the southern side, two of which with a shared supply. For reference:



All quiet on the dubious hot staging front for now. In other news, the foundations are being poured for the new (horizontal) orbital tank farm at the old landing pad, but it's not looking like a requirement for the next flight given the pace and no tanks delivered.

 

[GLS]

Didn't impress me as much as this

 

[jedidia]

Well, at least they seem to be doing their homework now.

 

[GLS]

TLP Network via a NASA FOIA has acquired 2 of 5 videos recored by NASA WB-57 during the Starship IFT-1 flight. The other 3 cameras from NASA WB-57 have been classified.

1x speed, narrow-angle

0.5x speed, wide-angle

 

[diogom]

Full bidet today:

 

[GLS]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688270501683085312

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688294107721121792

https://twitter.com/x/status/1688957168073281536

4 down before T0... it seems this one will end up the same way as the first one...

 

[Thunder Chicken]

4 down before T0... it seems this one will end up the same way as the first one...

Hopefully its exhaust is less pad-rich than the last launch.

 

[Sunhillow]

Hopefully its exhaust is less pad-rich than the last launch.

Combined with engine-rich exhaust a really nasty thing

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Combined with engine-rich exhaust a really nasty thing

If they can avoid solid-vapor transition in all its forms that would be best.

I wonder how the Space Bidet held up to the latest millions-of-pounds power dump.

 

[jedidia]

Hopefully its exhaust is less pad-rich than the last launch.

Hmmm... If there's lithobraking, it stands to reason that there's an anolog for accelerating (acceleration and deceleration are the same thing in the end, after all). Can't come up with a good term right now, though...

 

[Linguofreak]

Hmmm... If there's lithobraking, it stands to reason that there's an anolog for accelerating (acceleration and deceleration are the same thing in the end, after all). Can't come up with a good term right now, though...

Hopping?

I don't think NASA's frog mech program is far enough along for that to be a viable solution.

"Frog Mech simulator" does sound like an awesome game, though.

 

[Urwumpe]

"Frog Mech simulator" does sound like an awesome game, though.

"Mechwarrior: Amphibious Warfare"?

 

[jedidia]

Hopping?

Hmmmm... I guess I didn't think this through!