SpaceX Starship page

FAQ

  1. When (first) orbital flight? First integrated flight test occurred April 20, 2023. “The vehicle cleared the pad and beach as Starship climbed to an apogee of ~39 km over the Gulf of Mexico – the highest of any Starship to-date. The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship.”
  2. Where can I find streams of the launch? SpaceX Full Livestream. NASASpaceFlight Channel. Lab Padre Channel. Everyday Astronaut Channel.
  3. What’s happening next? SpaceX has assessed damage to Stage 0 and is implementing fixes and changes including a water deluge/pad protection/“shower head” system. No major repairs to key structures appear to be necessary.
  4. When is the next flight test? Just after flight, Elon stated they “Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.” On April 29, he reiterated this estimate in a Twitter Spaces Q&A (summarized here), saying “I’m glad to report that the pad damage is actually quite small,” should “be repaired quickly,” and “From a pad standpoint, we are probably ready to launch in 6 to 8 weeks.” Requalifying the flight termination system (FTS) and the FAA post-incident review will likely require the longest time to complete. Musk reiterated the timeline on May 26, stating “Major launchpad upgrades should be complete in about a month, then another month of rocket testing on pad, then flight 2 of Starship.”
  5. Why no flame diverter/flame trench below the OLM? Musk tweeted on April 21: “3 months ago, we started building a massive water-cooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount. Wasn’t ready in time & we wrongly thought, based on static fire data, that Fondag would make it through 1 launch.” Regarding a trench, note that the Starship on the OLM sits 2.5x higher off the ground than the Saturn V sat above the base of its flame trench, and the OLM has 6 exits vs. 2 on the Saturn V trench.

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Quick Links

RAPTOR ROOST | LAB CAM | SAPPHIRE CAM | SENTINEL CAM | ROVER CAM | ROVER 2.0 CAM | PLEX CAM | NSF STARBASE

Starship Dev 46 | Starship Dev 45 | Starship Dev 44 | Starship Dev 43

Official Starship Update | r/SpaceX Update Thread

Status

Road Closures

No road closures currently scheduled

No transportation delays currently scheduled

Up to date as of 2023-07-10

Vehicle Status

As of June 13th 2023

Follow Ring Watchers on Twitter and Discord for more.

Ship Location Status Comment
Pre-S24 Scrapped or Retired SN15 and S20 are in the Rocket Garden, the rest are scrapped.
S24 In pieces in the ocean Destroyed April 20th: Destroyed when booster MECO and ship stage separation from booster failed three minutes and 59 seconds after successful launch, so FTS was activated. This was the second launch attempt.
S25 Launch Site Testing On Feb 23rd moved back to build site, then on the 25th taken to the Massey’s test site. March 21st: Cryo test. May 5th: Another cryo test. May 18th: Moved to the Launch Site and in the afternoon lifted onto Suborbital Test Stand B.
S26 Rocket Garden Resting No fins or heat shield, plus other changes. March 25th: Lifted onto the new higher stand in Rocket Garden. March 28th: First RVac installed (number 205). March 29th: RVac number 212 taken over to S26 and later in the day the third RVac (number 202) was taken over to S26 for installation. March 31st: First Raptor Center installed (note that S26 is the first Ship with electric Thrust Vector Control). April 1st: Two more Raptor Centers moved over to S26.
S27 Rocket Garden Completed but no Raptors yet Like S26, no fins or heat shield. April 24th: Moved to the Rocket Garden.
S28 High Bay 1 Under construction February 7th Assorted parts spotted. March 24th: Mid LOX barrel taken into High Bay 1. March 28th: Existing stack placed onto Mid LOX barrel. March 31st: Almost completed stack lifted off turntable. April 5th: Aft/Thrust section taken into High Bay 1. April 6th: the already stacked main body of the ship has been placed onto the thrust section, giving a fully stacked ship. April 25th: Lifted off the welding turntable, then the ‘squid’ detached - it was then connected up to a new type of lifting attachment which connects to the two lifting points below the forward flaps that are used by the chopsticks. May 25th: Installation of the first Aft Flap (interesting note: the Aft Flaps for S28 are from the scrapped S22).
S29 High Bay 1 Under construction April 28th: Nosecone and Payload Bay taken inside High Bay 1 (interesting note: the Forward Flaps are from the scrapped S22). May 1st: nosecone stacked onto payload bay (note that S29 is being stacked on the new welding turntable to the left of center inside High Bay 1, this means that LabPadre’s Sentinel Cam can’t see it and so NSF’s cam looking at the build site is the only one with a view when it’s on the turntable). May 4th: Sleeved Forward Dome moved into High Bay 1 and placed on the welding turntable. May 5th: Nosecone+Payload Bay stack placed onto Sleeved Forward Dome and welded. May 10th: Nosecone stack hooked up to new lifting rig instead of the ‘Squid’ (the new rig attaches to the Chopstick’s lifting points and the leeward Squid hooks). May 11th: Sleeved Common Dome moved into High Bay 1. May 16th: Nosecone stack placed onto Sleeved Common Dome and welded. May 18th: Mid LOX section moved inside High Bay 1. May 19th: Current stack placed onto Mid LOX section for welding. June 2nd: Aft/Thrust section moved into High Bay 1. June 6th: The already stacked main body of the ship has been placed onto the thrust section, giving a fully stacked ship.
S30+ Build Site Parts under construction Assorted parts spotted through S34.

 

Booster Location Status Comment
Pre-B7 & B8 Scrapped or Retired B4 is in the Rocket Garden, the rest are scrapped.
B7 In pieces in the ocean Destroyed April 20th: Destroyed when MECO and stage separation of ship from booster failed three minutes and 59 seconds after successful launch, so FTS was activated. This was the second launch attempt.
B9 High Bay 2 Raptor Install Cryo testing (methane and oxygen) on Dec. 21 and Dec. 29. Rollback on Jan. 10. On March 7th Raptors started to be taken into High Bay 2 for B9.
B10 Rocket Garden Resting 20-ring LOX tank inside High Bay 2 and Methane tank (with grid fins installed) in the ring yard. March 18th: Methane tank moved from the ring yard and into High Bay 2 for final stacking onto the LOX tank. March 22nd: Methane tank stacked onto LOX tank, resulting in a fully stacked booster. May 27th: Moved to the Rocket Garden. Note: even though it appears to be complete it currently has no Raptors.
B11 High Bay 2 Under construction March 24th: ‘A3’ barrel had the current 8-ring LOX tank stacked onto it. March 30th: ‘A4’ 4-ring LOX tank barrel taken inside High Bay 2 and stacked. April 2nd: ‘A5’ 4-ring barrel taken inside High Bay 2. April 4th: First methane tank 3-ring barrel parked outside High Bay 2 - this is probably F2. April 7th: downcomer installed in LOX tank (which is almost fully stacked except for the thrust section). April 28th: Aft section finally taken inside High Bay 2 to have the rest of the LOX tank welded to it (which will complete the LOX tank stack). May 11th: Methane tank Forward section and the next barrel down taken into High Bay 2 and stacked. May 18th: Methane tank stacked onto another 3 ring next barrel, making it 9 rings tall out of 13. May 20th: Methane tank section stacked onto the final barrel, meaning that the Methane tank is now fully stacked. May 23rd: Started to install the grid fins. June 3rd: Methane Tank stacked onto LOX Tank, meaning that B11 is now fully stacked. Once welded still more work to be done such as the remaining plumbing and wiring.
B12 High Bay 2 (LOX Tank) Under construction June 3rd: LOX tank commences construction: Common Dome (CX:4) and a 4-ring barrel (A2:4) taken inside High Bay 2 where CX:4 was stacked onto A2:4 on the right side welding turntable. June 7th: A 4-ring barrel (A3:4) was taken inside High Bay 2. June 8th: Barrel section A3:4 was lifted onto the welding turntable and the existing stack placed on it for welding. June 9th: The next 4-ring barrel (A4:4) was taken inside High Bay 2, later in the day the incomplete LOX tank stack was hooked up to it and placed on the welding turntable for stacking and welding. June 13th: The next 4-ring barrel (A5:4) was taken inside High Bay 2, later in the day the incomplete LOX tank stack was hooked up to it and placed on the welding turntable for stacking and welding. The next and final stacking for the LOX tank will be the aft/thrust section.
B13+ Build Site Parts under construction Assorted parts spotted through B17.

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Resources

  • LettuceTurnipTheBeet@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    Booster 9 has been moved to the rocket garden.

    https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1681282819014705152

    I wonder what that means for the next launch. Booster readiness seems like one of the top remaining items now, with the booster needing the hot stage ring for the ship to fit now. Will they do fit tests / static fires first? Or maybe prepare a different booster with the extra ring?

    One other approach could be that the extra ring “clips on” the existing staging hardware. Would mean that no changes to the booster are necessary, and if they later decide not to risk hot staging they could possibly do a traditional staging approach, leaving the ring attached to the ship instead? Sounds pretty crazy but you never know.

  • LettuceTurnipTheBeet@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    New comment from /u/santacfan on Reddit:

    Starbase Llive-

    1:15am- Scaffolding on the cryo pipe leg starting to get disassembled

    1:27am- Forklift brings rebar over to the left side pit

    1:30am- long reach excavator arrives right side of the OLM

    1:59am- Excavator starts digging on the back side of the OLM

    2:58am- Crane lifts rebar to the back side of the OLM

    4:17am- Forklift brings more rebar to the left side pit

    4:35am- B9 goes on a walk to the rocket garden

    4:43am- Crane lifts more rebar to the backside of the OLM

    7:37am- Long reach excavator leaves

    8:16am- fixing the silt fence around the left side of the OLM

    10:58am- Group of engineers/bosses surveying things

    11:32am- Forklift lifted 2 loads out of left side pit. Lift was blocking what they were though

    11:36am- Crane lifts load of straight rebar over to the left side pit

    11:50am- Lots of lifts going up and down to the top of the OLM all morning. Welders still working under the OLM. Excavators still digging over by the left side pit. Lift up at the LOX tank of S25.

    12:38pm- Lift goes up to the top left skate on the chopsticks. Hopefully with some really good grease

    1:04pm- Box lifted off the top of the OLM by the crane

    1:51pm- BQD hood is getting painted

    2:13pm- Scaffolding being removed that went to the door on the right side of the OLM

    3:29pm- Wire mesh mats lifted over to the pit on the left

    4:05pm- They made pretty quick work of the scaffolding on the right side

    4:16pm- Lift goes up to the left chopsticks stabilizer arm

    4:42pm- Forklift brings in a load of rebar and drops it off at the dirt berm leading up to the front edge of the pad.

    4:52pm- More rebar brought over

    7:57pm- Pad clear announcement (Can be heard better on Rover 2)

    8:05pm- They don’t appear to be removing all the equipment like yesterday

    8:12pm- B10 getting frosty at Massey’s. (Raptor Roost caught it one minute earlier at 8:11. Both tanks already had frost)

    8:32pm- Frost receding

    8:48pm- Something is rolling towards Starbase from Masseys

    8:50pm- Sheriff at the launch site entrance

    8:58pm- Big vent at the OTF. (Are we redoing the test from the other night but with a full closure just in case?)

    9:05pm- It’s the new puck shucker being moved from Masseys

    9:39pm- OLM and OLT venting

    9:43pm- FireX

    9:49pm- New water nozzles around the underside of the OLM?

    10:21pm- Depress vent from the OLT and OLM

    10:39pm- Workers to the pad. Road still closed

    11:03pm- Workers leaving the pad

    11:15pm- Venting picking up again

    11:20pm- Venting starts dying off

    11:50pm- Picking up again

    11:55pm- Dies off again (Just testing the valve over and over?)

    12:04am- Cars back to the pad

    12:09am- The cars aren’t keeping the venting from increasing again

    12:12am- Pope stack

    12:20am- Dies off again

    12:45am- Bunch of cars to the pad. Road open.

    (This gets synced)

  • LettuceTurnipTheBeet@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    New comment from /u/santacfan on Reddit:

    Starbase live-

    10:52pm- More rebar to the pit

    1:46am- Something was tested on the OLM

    2:34am- Yep more rebar. (Pretty quiet night except for work in the pit)

    3:08am- More rebar into the pit. Long reach excavator appears done with the concrete

    4:17am- Forklift brings a generator over to the pit area

    4:19- B9 rolls down Remidos to Hwy 4

    4:55am- Rebar work continues around the deluge pipe pit in the cryo leg area

    6:14am- Forklift brings in a new light tower and blinds view under the OLM

    6:29am- B9 starts rolling

    7:29am- B9 turns into the launch site

    7:42am- A giant rocket rolling in isn’t going to stop the rebar work

    7:45am- B9 arrives at the pad

    7:54am- Chopsticks start rising

    7:59am- Chopsticks open

    8:12am- Booster moves closer to lift area

    8:24am- Chopsticks lower into lift position

    8:31am- More rebar lifted over

    8:50am- B9 moves in between chopsticks

    9:06am- Basket lifted up to the top of the OLM

    9:30am- Basket lowered

    9:36am- Square Piece of equipment lifted off the top

    9:41am- Piece of equipment lifted out of the pit

    9:45am- More rebar lifted over

    10:18am- More rebar. They’re really pushing on it today

    10:29am- Yep another batch of rebar. The next concrete pour has to be coming soon

    10:56am- Crane moves to right side of the OLM and lifts a rebar cage structure. Moves it over by the new stairs. I’d assume just staging for later. Then crane moves back to left side.

    11:21am- Rebar

    11:23am- PA announcement- Overhead drone work

    (This gets synced)

  • LettuceTurnipTheBeet@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    New comment from /u/santacfan on Reddit:

    Starbase Llive-

    3:13am- Work starts back up

    4:31am- Crane picks up a light tower from in front of the OLM and swings it over to the pit on the left side

    5:08am- They are using the long reach excavators bucket to move concrete from a delivery truck to the gaps between the legs and the manifolds

    5:12am- Crane swings a load of long straight rebar over to the pit

    5:32am- Crane swings another load of rebar over to the pit

    6:49am- Final segment of the 4th level of the new mega bay is lifted

    7:45am- More rebar lifted over to the pit

    8:08am- Another load of rebar, looks like one more load sitting there waiting.

    8:23am- Workers carrying sticks of rebar over to the area between the cryo pit lid and the OLM. Other workers appear to be getting more of the gaps between the legs and manifolds ready for concrete

    9:23am- Load of rebar lifted to the pit

    9:38am- Pump truck goes up by the new cryo pit

    9:40am- Crane lifts a big ball of what looks like twisted metal out of the pit. Ghost of SN11?

    10:24am- Workers up at the SQD

    10:58am- More rebar lifted over

    11:04am- Yep you guessed it, more rebar

    11:31am- Even more rebar. (When we saw the wire mesh mats lifted over yesterday, I thought they were close to done. I was wrong)

    1:34pm- Rebar magically continues to appear out of no where. (Okay it was probably just a new delivery )

    1:36pm- Worker on top of the chopsticks looking at the rail

    2:23pm- Crane lifts black object over to the pit

    4:04pm- Pump truck folds up

    4:22pm- Crane lifts a load of supplies off of the top of the OLM

    4:35pm- Crane lifts another load off the top

    4:38pm- More rebar lifted over to the pit

    4:56pm- 3rd load off the top of the OLM. (Maybe the scaffolding out of the center? There are people climbing around on the scaffolding on the top but it doesn’t look like they are actually taking anything apart)

    6:10pm- Lift up looking at the cameras at the end of the stabilizer arms

    7:19pm- Second crane comes in and lifts what looks to be a new dog house and sits it off to the side. Looks longer like the one for the cryo leg.

    7:44pm- Second crane leaves. Doesn’t look like it’s going to install the new doghouse

    8:55pm- 2 people back up working on the SQD

    9:00pm- Gravel being dumped over by the pit on the left side. Just outside of the form work.

    9:10pm- Long reach excavator returns. Looks like it’s dumping concrete between the legs and manifolds again.

    9:25pm- Definitely doesn’t look like they are preparing for any testing tonight.

    9:45pm- I may have spoke to soon. Pad starting to clear out some. There are still people welding, grinding, and people over in the pit though

    10:14pm- More rebar lifted into the pit

    (This gets synced)

  • Decronym@lemmy.decronym.xyzBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I’ve seen in this thread:

    Fewer Letters More Letters
    COPV Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel
    FTS Flight Termination System
    LOX Liquid Oxygen
    OLM Orbital Launch Mount
    OTF Orbital Tank Farm
    QD Quick-Disconnect
    SPMT Self-Propelled Mobile Transporter
    Jargon Definition
    Raptor Methane-fueled rocket engine under development by SpaceX

    [Thread #3 for this sub, first seen 10th Jul 2023, 13:20] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]

  • pigeonberry@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Chris Bergin - NSF @NASASpaceflight 1:24 PM - Jul 17, 2023

    WOW! OLM Water Deluge System conducts its first full test! That was super impressive. No more rock tornados, I’d say!

    http://nsf.live/starbase

    I wonder whether the MP4 will attach here? … edit: Nope, it seems not. See https://imgur.com/a/CQwvvl0 . Audio, but don’t turn it up.

    Edit 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgTqqGaU-Bg is a closer view from Starship Gazer @StarshipGazer, but with some unrelated chopstick stuff at the end apparently.

    Edit 3: DRAT! I hang out in this thread, not the main group, and didn’t see that @llamacoffee had posted “[Chris Bergin - NSF] WOW! OLM Water Deluge System conducts its first full test! That was super impressive. No more rock tornados, I’d say!” here.

    • John_Hasler@lemmy.oneEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I think this test was done without the plates that close the top of the connection to the center section. If I’m correct the next test will look quite different.