Space Flight Updates - Russia pullingout of ISS?

Turk182

Founding Member
Just don't care anymore
Jun 14, 2014
1,290
663
Founding Member
One engine just didn't have the power to kick it straight and slow it down.

sn9-3.png
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
That's a great shot.
Sounds like it was a case of the engine not firing - not a fuel tank pressurization problem as on SN8. As many times as they pre-fire those engines that's a bit of a surprise. They've expected 3-4 RUDs so this is all part of the plan.

SpaceX has SN10 on the pad ready to go - it still needs engines AFAIK. And then SN11 in the hanger. And they have parts for SN12 and 14 but I think they were hoping to not need them. SN13 is being skipped I think.
SN15 starts block 2, if you will, and will have changes based on what they've learned so far. Plus maybe even full heat shield as it may get a chance to do a suborbital reentry.
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
I just read that SpaceX plans to launch two F9's on the same day, Thursday next week.
Another first for space travel.
 

deuce

Founding Member
"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
Lifetime Member
Jun 11, 2014
6,891
6,162
Founding Member

deuce

Founding Member
"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
Lifetime Member
Jun 11, 2014
6,891
6,162
Founding Member
One engine just didn't have the power to kick it straight and slow it down.

29931

Needed more time or altitude....
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
They want as little fuel as possible. Plus the Starship's* engines can't be throttled down low enough to hoover. If they fire too soon they run the risk of going up. So it has to be timed just right. As long as the engines relight it's all good.

But relighting after the "Elon Maneuver" is probably the hardest thing SpaceX has attempted. No one else has ever attempted it. Rocket's count on the fuel being in the bottom of the tank so that it can be sucked out. In space it's floating around the tank so they use ullage motors to give the ship some forward acceleration to force the full to the bottom of the tank.
They don't have that luxury. Going from horizontal to flipping they have to somehow get fuel to the engines. They use smaller "header tanks" that are kept full until the landing burn. Once the engine is lit the header tank starts to empty and the fuel has room to roam. Once they're vertical and the rocket is slowing fuel is forced to the bottom. The problem is during transition. And it led to the SN8 failure. So they added a temporary fix by pressurizing the tank with Helium**. It sounds like the SN9 engine simply failed to light. They are still prototype engines but they have built at least 50 of them and fired each a few times. But I guess they need more work to be 100% reliable.

*The Starship Booster will have enough weight that it will be able to hoover which is why they think they can catch it.
** SpaceX will not use Helium in the final version. They don't want to carry it and you can't make it on Mars. Instead they are doing something called autogenous pressurization - they'll use exhaust gas. Which didn't work for SN8 so they still have to solve that problem.
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
Got my dates wrong. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 early this morning and will launch another early tomorrow morning. So about 28 hours apart. Unprecedented as far as I know.
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
ssss.png
Build Status.
SN9 went boom
SN7.2 is a test tank. Currently they are using 4mm steel but need to go to 3mm to save weight.
SN10 is on the pad getting engines. Should static fire next week and fly the following.
SN11 just needs it's nosecone stacked.
SN12,13,14 have been cancelled.
SN15 Has unknown changes. Likely upgraded landing legs and heat tiles. Maybe 3mm steel. SN15+ will go orbital.

BN1 Super Heavy booster. All the sections are there. So we should see a stacked booster very soon.
 

deuce

Founding Member
"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
Lifetime Member
Jun 11, 2014
6,891
6,162
Founding Member
SpaceX put on hold! Power outages in Texas stop everything, even StarShip!
 

Turk182

Founding Member
Just don't care anymore
Jun 14, 2014
1,290
663
Founding Member
Static Fire - Success!

Looked like a good, clean burn.

Picture from Lab Padre!

sf_2-23.png
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
Soo. All was not perfect. It landed kinda hard and afterwards there looked to be a fire as well as the rocket had some lean. After a several minutes it blew up on the pad. But hey, that's progress.
 
Last edited:

deuce

Founding Member
"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
Lifetime Member
Jun 11, 2014
6,891
6,162
Founding Member
Great video....... I've watched in over and over........ Even the RUD is ok with me, it's easier to pick up smaller parts.

Go SpaceX!
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
Not sure what went wrong but the landing legs failed. Looks like only half of them locked in place. Definitely would have been a softer landing with all the legs. SN15 should have redesigned legs.
If I had to guess it came down too hard and ruptured a tank.
 
Last edited:

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
New $5M bomb (SN11) getting hoisted on to launch stand.
SN12-14 have been abandoned. New and improved SN15 is under construction.
sn11.JPG
 

ThreatMatrix

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Aug 28, 2014
16,540
26,088
Launch next week at the earliest I'd say.

Previously on Texas Tank Watchers:
SN8 - attempted landing via "autogenous pressurization" and by lighting two engines then landing on one. But it went boom because the pressurization failed.
SN9 - They switched to helium pressurization but rocket went boom when one of the engines failed to light on descent.
SN10 - They decided to light all three engines for redundancy and then turn off the other two. However the single engine did not provide as much thrust as was needed thus a hard touchdown.
SN11 - they once again will light all three but this time keep two running all the way to the ground.

The raptor engines can not easily be throttled down low so they run the risk of having too much thrust resulting in the rocket going back up. So Starship lands by doing a suicide slam as opposed to hovering. Hovering uses up a lot of fuel which they try to avoid.
Interestingly SuperHeavy will hover when landing, it will need to if it is being caught.

The further along they get the more complicated it is. And probably why no one who knows better has tried it.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.