Claims court punts SpaceX’s LSA bid protest to California court
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Submitted August 29, 2019 at 10:14PM by ScarletRugby
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SpaceX on Twitter - "Team in McGregor, Texas completed a static fire test today of the Falcon 9 booster that will launch Crew Dragon with @NASA astronauts @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug to the @space_station"
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1167234510796263425

Submitted August 30, 2019 at 02:37AM by jclishman
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Detailed diagram of the Raptor engine (ER26, gimbal)
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Submitted August 30, 2019 at 08:20PM by eliseimaslov
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<b>Starship Development Thread #5</b>
Overview<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECHxL2oXoAAUTMX.jpg"></a>SpaceX teams are building two <a href="/r/spacex/wiki/vehicles#wiki_starship">Starship</a> prototypes to follow on from the now retired Starhopper. The vehicles are being constructed at their Starship Assembly Site in Texas, and at their facilities in Cocoa, Florida. The teams at the two locations <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1128448308970541056">are competing</a> to build the first functional prototype, but are also <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1128449289498218496">required to share with each other</a> insights learned along the way. These vehicles will have <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1163889282936967168">aerodynamic control surfaces</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1131429223258677248">at least three engines</a> each. Between the two vehicles, both <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1166860032052539392">suborbital and orbital flights</a> are expected. Ring sections believed to be for a Super Heavy booster prototype are being built in Cocoa.A planned, dedicated <a href="https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48720.0">Starship launch platform at LC-39A</a>, may serve either or both of the Starship prototypes. Suborbital launches might also occur from the Starship Launch Site in Boca Chica. Flight tests could begin late 2019.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 <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1131433322276483072">three sea level Raptors and three vacuum Raptors</a>. Super Heavy will initially use around <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1131625229367693312">20 Raptors</a>, and is <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1152853620682924032">expected to have 35</a> to 37 in the final design.Previous Threads:<a href="https://redd.it/am4gxw/">Starhopper Thread</a> #1 (2019-02-01) A dramatic venting watertower<a href="https://redd.it/bi08h9/">Starhopper Thread</a> #2 (2019-04-27) Hops and hiccups - Starships never come alone<a href="https://redd.it/c61lqs/">Starhopper Thread</a> #3 (2019-06-27) RCS and SN6 - 20 meter hopping<a href="https://redd.it/ci70t4/">Starhopper Thread</a> #4 (2019-07-26) 150 meter hop and Mk.1 and Mk.2 protoype growth<a href="https://redd.it/cv8vi4/">Starhopper 150m Hop</a> (2019-08-27) Updates and discussionUpcoming<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1165378770116562944">Starhopper testing is complete</a>September 28th — <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1166860032052539392">Starship presentation by Elon</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1157820736582688773">Boca Chica</a> after Mk.1 is fully assembled&#8203;UpdatesOrbital Prototype Mk.1 (Boca Chica) — Construction and Updates2019-08-29<a href="/r/spacex/comments/ci70t4/starship_development_thread_4/eyhr73a/">Pipe added through lower tank</a> (<em>comments</em>), <a href="https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48895.msg1986317#msg1986317">Third concrete jig begun</a> (<em>NSF</em>)2019-08-27<a href="https://twitter.com/austinbarnard45/status/1166446196006825992">Centerpiece added to common bulkhead</a> (<em>Twitter</em>)2019-08-24<a href="https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47730.msg1983622#msg1983622">Nose cone top section moved to dedicated stand</a> (<em>NSF</em>), <a href="/r/spacex/comments/ci70t4/starship_development_thread_4/ey0fjac/">Forward flap marks</a> (<em>comments</em>)2019-08-23<a href="https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47730.msg1983167#msg1983167">Track(s) of horizontal brackets appear</a> (<em>NSF</em>)2019-08-21<a href="https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47730.msg19820…

@GregScott_photo: FINAL STARSHIP UPDATE: As of early this morn all people,at least visibly, are off property, gates are locked and Starship is inside but w/o doors. Not sure how much protection this will provide but seems to be final effort before Dorian
https://twitter.com/GregScott_photo/status/1167816327609933824/photo/1

Submitted August 31, 2019 at 07:23PM by CProphet
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Transparent ceramics for Starship TPS
The recent photos of the alleged Starship TPS tiles returned on the CRS-18 Dragon here got me thinking of the possibility of transparent ceramic tiles as a potential solution to Starship TPS. While the Twitter post claims the tiles are ceramic, I am more inclined to think they are reenforced carbon-carbon, similar to that used on the Shuttle Orbiter (but please correct me if Elon has confirmed ceramic somewhere). RCC or ceramic, they are clearly black.Referring back to this excellent post I was reminded that the polished steel of Starship resulted in huge thermal advantages due to its high emissivity. The use of black or otherwise opaque tiles for the TPS will totally eliminate this advantage.That said, I believe transparent ceramic tiles would be an excellent candidate TPS for several reasons:1) the obvious benefit of excellent visible and NIR transparency, allowing the emissivity/reflectivity advantages of stainless to 'shine through' the TPS-coated sections of the fuselage. 2) transparent ceramics can be welded to metals, including stainless steel using common industrial ultrafast laser processes. This could mitigate the problems of pin and clip based attachment of tiles, as is evident in the photos of the missing tile on the CRS-18 Dragon. Welding can occur both at the joints between adjacent tiles, but also through the tile itself for large or complex welds across the entire surface area that joins the tile to the steel.More speculative/aspirational reasonings include:1) transparent ceramics have a necessarily lower porosity, potentially leading to benefits in thermal conductivity relative to other ceramics. 2) allow for integration of cameras/spectrometers/other optical equipment under the tiles for live TPS diagnostics during flight 3) starship remains shinyThanks for your attention, and will be very interested to hear your thoughts and criticisms.

Submitted August 31, 2019 at 08:24PM by giant_red_gorilla
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A view of the experimental Starship heatshield tiles flown on CRS-18 Dragon. Photo: Pauline Acalin
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Submitted September 01, 2019 at 03:37PM by booOfBorg
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SpaceX begins hunt for Starship landing sites on Mars
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Submitted September 01, 2019 at 02:11PM by kaffmoo
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This morning, ESA's Aeolus Earth observation satellite fired its thrusters, moving it off a collision course with a SpaceX satellite in their #Starlink constellation
https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1168534065118679042

Submitted September 02, 2019 at 04:46PM by Mini_Elon
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SpaceX planning four more Falcon 9-launched Starlink missions this year, permits show
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Submitted September 02, 2019 at 11:51AM by CProphet
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r/SpaceX Discusses [September 2019, #60]
If you have a short question or spaceflight news...You may ask short, spaceflight-related questions and post news here, even if it is not about SpaceX. Be sure to check the FAQ and Wiki first to ensure you aren't submitting duplicate questions.If you have a long question...If your question is in-depth or an open-ended discussion, you can submit it to the subreddit as a post.If you'd like to discuss slightly relevant SpaceX content in greater detail...Please post to r/SpaceXLounge and create a thread there!This thread is not for...Questions answered in the FAQ. Browse there or use the search functionality first.Non-spaceflight related questions or news.You can read and browse past Discussion threads in the Wiki.

Submitted September 02, 2019 at 06:40PM by ElongatedMuskrat
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SpaceX Refused To Move A Starlink Satellite At Risk Of Collision With A European Satellite
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Submitted September 02, 2019 at 10:16PM by sissipaska
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Loren Grush: Statement from SpaceX on the ESA/Starlink potential collision on Monday
https://twitter.com/lorengrush/status/1168917747109191681?s=21

Submitted September 03, 2019 at 06:14PM by FutureMartian97
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SpaceX Monthly Recap | Starhopper 150m hop, AMOS-17, and more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuymdv0LivM&feature=youtu.be

Submitted September 04, 2019 at 09:35PM by jclishman
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ESA press release on Aeolus avoidance manoeuvre with Starlink 44
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Submitted September 04, 2019 at 02:55PM by redmercuryvendor
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Potential for Artificial Gravity on Starship
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Submitted September 05, 2019 at 06:26PM by esteldunedain
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New documents reveal SpaceX's plans for launching Mars-rocket prototypes from South Texas
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Submitted September 05, 2019 at 11:53PM by FutureMartian97
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@jeff_foust - ASAP Nield: fault tree nearly complete in investigation of Crew Dragon Static fire accident; also “tremendous amount” of work being done on COPVs and planning for load-and-go for crewed Dragon launches.
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1170019684990771201

Submitted September 06, 2019 at 09:53PM by CProphet
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SpaceX says more Starlink orbits will speed service, reduce launch needs - SpaceNews.com
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Submitted September 07, 2019 at 04:21PM by TheTaoThatIsSpoken
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<b>Community Starship Loads Model: Chapter 3 - LD0.1 Release!</b>
Hello again! I know I said last time I would wait until after Elon's next update, but I've been hard at work and I think we've got enough to cover for a major update. First of all, if you're behind and want a full re-cap, you can see my previous posts linked below. In short: I'm interested in studying Starship from a structural perspective. The first major project I'm doing in this realm is called a "Loads Model" which is basically a coarse Finite Element Model (FEM) with simplifications and optimizations made to the vehicle in an effort to balance complexity (bad) and accuracy (good). I'm doing this because I'm interested in it and I want to master the skill-set.Previous Posts: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/awy9t1/cslm_an_introduction_to_my_latest_project/">Chapter 1</a>, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/cgmvxi/community_starship_loads_model_chapter_2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x">Chapter 2</a>.1 Modeling and Geometry1.1 GeometryI previously showed the OML. Since then I've created some basic internal structure. There are currently 3 basic types of parts included:Skins - Fuselage, Canards, Fins, and Tail. Each one has at least 1 property to change thickness as desired.Bulkhead - Personally, I make a minor distinction between bulkheads and domes. Both are oriented normal to the fuselage longitudinal direction (X-axis). Bulkheads serve the primary purpose of providing transverse support (fuselage bending).Domes - Domes serve the primary purpose of capping a pressure vessel, and have significant out-of-plane load.All of these objects can be seen in Fig 1 below.&#8203;<a href="https://i.redd.it/jl89cl92j9l31.png">Fig 1. Model Geometry Definition</a>I'll give each part a brief description here.Starting at the back, we have what I'm calling the Thrust Plate bulkhead or the thrust structure. As we've seen on the <a href="https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47730.msg1979285#msg1979285">orbital prototypes</a>, this area is actually much more complex than a simple plate. So it will most likely need to be expanded in the near future. The base Thrust Plate is located at approximately X 48.28.Next up we have the Methane Dome or Lower Dome (I'm assuming Methane will be in the lower tank and LOX in the upper). The dome isn't perfectly spherical, and has an X radius of 3m, instead of 4.5m. The dome base (the largest section) is located at approximately X 44.45.Forward of the Lower dome we have the Common Dome. Same story here. Base is located at approximately X 35.50.Forward again, we have the LOX dome, or the Upper Dome. This dome is flipped from the previous two, but is otherwise the same. Base is located at approximately X 28.Next, is what I'm referring to as the Cargo Bulkhead. This represents the cutoff for "usable" space forward, and "working stuff" aft. X 24.14.Finally, we have the "Crane Bulkhead." This is located approximately where the crane and cargo doors will be (judging from the renders). X 13.21.Sidenote: In reality there will likely be additional rings periodically along the fuselage. This is especially the case at the leading and trailing edges of the canards/fins. I may try and add this in the future, after some more important updates. As we've seen in some of the prototype pictures, there are also a significant amount of stringers running axially along the fuselage to provide the appropriate stability and bending stiffness with thinner skins (read weight reduction). All in all, I expect the inside of most of the fuselage to look something <a href="https://cnet2.cbsistatic.com/img/mlBF8Lxs-Yw194YiovOvqM6aNeI=/936x527/2014/07/24/918d51c1-cb85-4974-8a43-6743189c2b81/fuselage-interior.jpg">like this</a>, but metallic.&#8203;1.2 MeshingNow that we've defined the geometry, I exported all of it, and "properly" meshed it for structural simulation. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the model. Approximately…

Introduction to the r/SpaceX Community Awards
Introduction to the r/SpaceX Community AwardsThis is just a small meta post to let you know that we have recently added some new Awards as part of Reddit's Community Awards. These are supplementary to the awards we are all used to (Gold, Silver and Platinum) and you might have already seen them in other subreddits. Individual subreddits can have a number of unique custom awards, each with their own icon, specific to the subreddit topic.We introduced the following awards:Award nameCost to the userCoins to the communityFantastic Fly Back500100Informative Grid Fins500100Interesting Approach1000200Norminal Legs1000200Perfect Touchdown!2000400We also have a mod only award, called "Mission Success", that costs 1800 coins and is basically equivalent to the standard Platinum. We plan to use this award to give back to the the community the coins that the subreddit earns via community awards.Last but not least, big thanks to u/zlsa for providing the awards icons, really appreciated!

Submitted September 08, 2019 at 05:03PM by ElongatedMuskrat
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