Replay in 4K: Star Hopper completes its first ever "hover test!!"
https://youtu.be/f86uSlYYDzE

Submitted July 26, 2019 at 08:51AM by TMahlman
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<b>Starship Development Thread #4</b>
Starship Development Thread #4<a href="https://i.imgur.com/CepJDEB.jpg"></a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/c61lqs/starship_development_thread_3/#siteTable_t3_c61lqs">JUMP TO COMMENTS</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDkP5NWUhfHXZNhcGr2G2pQ/live">SPADRE WEBCAM</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwMITSkc1Fms6PoJoh1OUQ/live">LABPADRE WEBCAM</a>The Starhopper is a low fidelity prototype of SpaceX's next generation space vehicle, <a href="/r/spacex/wiki/vehicles#wiki_starship">Starship</a>. Representing the lower third of a Starship, the hopper has relatively small propellant tanks, and mounts for up to three engines. Initial construction took place at SpaceX's Starship Assembly site in Boca Chica, Texas and ongoing Starhopper development and testing are taking place at their privately owned Starship Launch Pad and Starship Landing Pad just down the road. The testing campaign, which began at the end of March 2019, could last many months and involve many separate engine and flight tests before this first test vehicle is retired.Competing builds of higher fidelity "Orbital Prototypes" are currently under construction at SpaceX's Starship Assembly site in Texas and at the Coastal Steel facilities in Cocoa, Florida. These vehicles will eventually carry the testing campaign further, likely testing systems such as thermal protection and aerodynamics. Much about the Orbital Prototype testing program is unknown, such as what types of testing and flight profiles they will perform, and how closely they will represent the final Starship design. Both orbital prototypes are expected to make suborbital flights, the Cocoa prototype from a dedicated Starship launch platform at LC-39A.Starship, and its test vehicles, are powered by SpaceX's Raptor, a full flow staged combustion cycle methane/oxygen rocket engine. Sub-scale Raptor test firing began in 2016, and full-scale test firing began early 2019 at McGregor, Texas, where it is ongoing. Eventually, Starship will have three sea level Raptors and three vacuum Raptors. Super Heavy (not yet under construction) will initially use around 20 Raptors, and is expected to have 35 to 37 in the final design.Previous Threads:<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/am4gxw/starship_hopper_campaign_thread/">Starhopper Thread</a> #1 A Dramatic Venting Watertower<a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/bi08h9/starship_hopper_campaign_thread_2/">Starhopper Thread</a> #2 hops and hiccups - Starships never come alone<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/c61lqs/starship_development_thread_3/">Starhopper Thread</a> #3 RCS and SN6 - 20M HoppingUpcomingHWY4/Boca Chica Beach Closures:Testing Opportunity, <a href="https://i.imgur.com/iFfiL2Y.jpg">Press Release</a> (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2370562586343666&set=a.254389964627616&type=3&theater">on Facebook</a>)2019-07-29, 2PM - 11PM CDT (19:00 - 04:00 UTC) — Primary2019-07-30, 2PM - 11PM CDT (19:00 - 04:00 UTC) — Alternate/ContinuationTBD — Starship Presentation by Elon (<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1153183373109542913">after hover</a>)NET August — <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1154604015822311424">200 meter hop</a>&#8203;UpdatesStarhopper and Raptor — Testing and Updates2019-07-25<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zM-eeFOazY">First Untethered Hop (20 m up and over)</a> <<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/c61lqs/starship_development_thread_3/">MORE INFO</a>>2019-07-24<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqUSRBJPYUE">Hop attempt aborted after ignition</a> (YouTube), 2nd attempt scrubbed <<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/c61lqs/starship_development_thread_3/eutqr5f/">MORE INFO</a>>2019-07-22<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O1AFN9iSi4">Road closed for testing, RCS tests</a> (YouTube)2019-07-16<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=43&v=UVmMp4JFoeI">Static…

4K slow motion of StarHopper’s hop with clean audio
https://youtu.be/3ZTybL6Dzz4

Submitted July 26, 2019 at 09:26PM by everydayastronaut
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SpaceX's launch of an experimental rocket ship set fire to about 100 acres of wildlife refuge in south Texas
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Submitted July 27, 2019 at 10:11AM by thomastaitai
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Updated @SpaceX Starlink orbital height plot. Three more sats now removed from the constellation. 50 of the 60 satellites are in the operational orbit.
https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1155150353119293443

Submitted July 27, 2019 at 09:42PM by annerajb
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I synchronized as many shots of the CRS-18 landing into one grid view. The result: a pretty cool view of the landing.
https://ift.tt/310gbRP

Submitted July 27, 2019 at 04:21PM by MaximumPollution
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Chris B @nasaspaceflight CAPTURE: CRS-18 Dragon has been grappled by the SSRMS.
https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1155103673565024256

Submitted July 27, 2019 at 03:55PM by CProphet
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Satellite images of the wildfire ignited by Starhopper; infrared with hotspots and true color after/prior the event - data acquired from Sentinel Hub
https://ift.tt/2SI6iFD

Submitted July 28, 2019 at 12:31AM by peskyjack
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Elon Musk on Twitter: "Now that Hopper has flown, Starship update probably in two weeks or so."
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1155415096387969024?s=19

Submitted July 28, 2019 at 11:50AM by roncapat
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Gorgeous pic of the Falcon 9 on CRS-18 breaking the sound-barrier
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1155414118574067713?s=09

Submitted July 28, 2019 at 03:41PM by kaffarell
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Amos-17 Launch Campaign Thread
Amos-17 Launch Campaign ThreadLiftoff currently scheduled for:3rd August 2019Static fire scheduled for:TBDVehicle component locations:First stage: at the Cape// Second stage: at the Cape // Sat: at the CapePayload:Amos-17Payload mass:? KgDestination orbit:GTOVehicle:Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5Core:(B1047.3)Flights of this core:(2)Launch site:LC-39A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FloridaLanding:ExpendableMission success criteria:Successful separation & deployment of the Amos-17 Satellite to GTO.Links & Resources:We may keep this self-post occasionally updated with links and relevant news articles, but for the most part, we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather and more as we progress towards launch. Sometime after the static fire is complete, the launch thread will be posted. Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

Submitted July 29, 2019 at 02:01PM by ElongatedMuskrat
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Passed this beauty on I-10 east today & became curious about the challenges of transporting these things at desert temperatures (100 degrees today)
https://ift.tt/2ZpcsNu

Submitted July 29, 2019 at 11:42PM by juicyjay95
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NASA Announces Industry Partnerships to Advance Moon, Mars Technology
https://ift.tt/3172vnY

Submitted July 30, 2019 at 09:32PM by ethan829
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StarHopper 200m hop is NET August 12
https://twitter.com/BocaChicaGal/status/1156328446018105345

Submitted July 31, 2019 at 12:49AM by theZcuber
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Land clearing has begun for the SpaceX Operations Complex at Kennedy Space Center
https://ift.tt/2MtryxQ

Submitted July 30, 2019 at 07:23PM by Nehkara
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<b>Starship Plan Coming Together</b>
SpaceX have overcome many daunting technical hurdles in the past 17 years since their inception, culminating in mastery of reusable boosters. However, that is only the beginning of the big plan to bring about space colonization using their colossus rocket, which they call the Starship launch system. Given the world spanning importance of this work, it should be interesting to explore how they intend to overcome the remaining technical challenges, including the timeline to meet these ambitious goals. <strong>2020 - Second Stage Reuse</strong><a href="https://youtu.be/yzbFqLOjP4E?t=1513">“Most likely it [Starship hopper tests] will happen at our Brownsville location…by hopper tests I mean it will go up several miles and come down, the ship is capable of single stage to orbit if we fully load the tanks, so we’ll do flights of increasing complexity. We will want to test the heat shield material, fly out, turn around, accelerate back real hard and come in hot, to test the heat shield. We want to have a highly reusable heatshield that’s capable of absorbing the heat from interplanetary entry velocities”</a>So first up, they have chosen to tackle possibly the toughest challenge, i.e. recovery and reuse of their Starship upper stage. This has already begun with Starhopper test flights, which are designed to practise take-off and landing, at Boca Chica Beach Texas. All being well, they should progress to test flights with their orbital Starship prototype, again likely at their development facility in Boca Chica. By early next year, they intend to drive the Starship prototype hard through the atmosphere, reaching ever increasing velocities, to simulate orbital re-entry conditions and prove their new heatshield material. Again, all being well, they should progress to a full stack test launch by year’s end, enabling them to continue re-entry tests from full orbital velocities. <strong>2021 - Orbital Refuelling</strong><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-announces-us-industry-partnerships-to-advance-moon-mars-technology">SpaceX will work with Glenn and Marshall to advance technology needed to transfer propellant in orbit, an important step in the development of the company’s Starship space vehicle.</a>Another big one: transfer of cryogenic propellant in micro-gravity. Originally, it seemed slightly extravagant of SpaceX to build two Starship prototypes in different locations but it seems that's the fastest way to perform orbital refuelling test flights. First the target Starship will launch to orbit, typically from the Cape, then a second Starship tanker will launch from Boca Chica to rendezvous with the target vehicle. If they relied solely on one launch site it could take months to refurbish the launch site and reusable booster, before being able to perform the follow-up tanker launch. Whereas using two sites, they could potentially launch both test vehicles the same day, trimming months off development time for the orbital refuelling test. In addition, this parallel launch strategy should greatly reduce any propellant boil-off, making it more likely to recover both vehicles, again saving the time needed to fabricate any replacements. <strong>2021 - Surface habitats/In Situ Propellant Production</strong><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/590wi9/i_am_elon_musk_ask_me_anything_about_becoming_a/d94t2bv/?context=3">“Initially, [we’ll use] glass panes with carbon fiber frames to build geodesic domes on the surface [of Mars], plus a lot of miner/tunnelling droids. With the latter, you can build out a huge amount of pressurized space for industrial operations and leave the glass domes for green living space.”</a>Hopefully by 2021 SpaceX will have completed their architectural design for pressurized domes, which couldn’t class as easy – but frankly doesn't approach rocket science. Likely too, Boring Company will have produced high speed boring equipment by this time, which SpaceX can…

NASA agrees to work with SpaceX on orbital refueling technology
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Submitted July 31, 2019 at 03:28PM by kd7uiy
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So, Musk is pushing for nuclear rockets now?
https://ift.tt/2yCNqPb

Submitted July 31, 2019 at 09:54AM by Northstar1989
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Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete and team is assessing data—targeting August 3 for launch of AMOS-17 from Pad 40 in Florida
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1156741958229905409

Submitted August 01, 2019 at 03:49AM by CAM-Gerlach
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Falcon Heavy Drag Coefficient
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Submitted August 01, 2019 at 04:20AM by GronScott
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Boca Chica Fly Over - LabPadre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlAmYJwR3wY

Submitted August 01, 2019 at 02:39AM by FutureMartian97
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