SpaceX Starship Updates – 150 meter hop date - May 27th 2020 Launch day preview
My name is Felix and I am your host for todays Episode of What about it!?
As always, there has been a lot going on in the space industry lately, so let’s take right off!
Starship Updates
SpaceX is preparing for something big in south Texas. Boca Chica is very close to witnessing a historic moment.
The first flight of a Starship in human history!
Last minute preparations are in full swing right now
and there’s a good reason for it. Quite a few things are still missing, before a first hop test can commence.
For example the landing pad.
Where in Charles Brothers aerial footage from a few days ago the second pad, built as a landing site for test launches, was
completely covered with all sorts of stuff,
it’s recently been cleaned out. So, we can put a check mark on this item. Safe landing spot? Done.
Next up we have the launch site.
This is, where Starship Serial Number 4 will take off from.
But until now, this has only been used for cryo tests and a few very short static fires.
So, it needs modification for that first launch. Vital parts like the fuel and data connections need to be covered.
What, if Serial Number 4 decides to make the flight a bit shorter. If it falls over onto the fuel lines,
That would be rather spectacular. So, the crew in Boca Chica got busy, installing a protector around the fuel lines.
This will at least fend off most of the damage in case of an RUD at the launch site.
So, we can put a checkmark on this item. Safe launch site? Check.
Next up we have another very important part of the launch.
Documentation. First of all, it will be very important for us
of course.
We’ll want to see that hop from as many angles as possible. In Slow mo, in false colour and if possible, with X-Ray vision.
Well, I can’t promise you the X-Ray vision,
but if we take a look at Starhopper,
it becomes clear, that SpaceX seems to have the same desire for documentation. After all, this is a test launch.
What good is a test, if you can’t exactly see, what’s happening. For SpaceX the footage of that hop will be extremely valuable.
Not only for promotional purpose, but much more importantly for analysis.
The more cameras are pointed at the Starship in flight,
the better. Most likely, drones will be in the air too, while the test is conducted. And work on Starhopper
has continued over the past few days. It now seems like, they might have even installed an upward facing camera on top of hoppy.
It’s hard to tell though, but it would make total sense. Starship Serial Number 4 will pass right over Starhopper.
So he can film under Starships skirt. That came out wrong. So, we can put a checkmark on this important item.
Documentation of the launch? Check. And
Raptor SN20 recently installed in Serial Number 4 underwent a preburner test on Sunday.
This basically is half a static fire. The preburners or turbo pumps are used to drive fuel and
oxidizer through the engine with incredible pressure. In case of a raptor engine
they’re creating a chamber pressure of around 300 bar. A first step before igniting
the engine is the so called preburner test.
This means, that the preburners are spun up for a test, but there’s no ignition in the combustion chamber.
So, a static fire should occur today.
What we can also put a checkmark on are RCS thrusters.
Remember the plumbing I talked about on the last episode, and how simple an RCS thruster actually is?
It seems, the updated plumbing already is the reaction control system.
SpaceX did first tests with it yesterday as well. This is no venting.
This is actual RCS firing. Cold gas thrusters are nothing more than controlled venting from the COPVs.
So, SN5 is capable of course correction.
The only thing missing now, is the static fire. And one last item on
the list is missing. The FAA approval. And here it is. The launch is scheduled for today. A NOTAM has been filed late last week and it states Safe
environment for Space Launch and reentry
operations. Even though Starship serial number 4s flight of course won’t go to space,
this is a solid indicator for SpaceX actually wanting to take off from Boca Chica. So, this is it.
I’ll definitely be streaming the event for you! We don’t want to miss this at all!
And off we go to the shipyard! There are a few interesting things happening here.
First of all, SpaceX seems to have gotten rid of the Starship traffic jam. While Serial Number 5 is still in the high bay,
it’s blocking valuable work space for Serial Number 6, which is still waiting in parts to be stacked.
SpaceX has more buildings suitable for stacking than the high bay though.
The good old wind breaker seems to have been chosen for work on Serial number 6 now. A first ring segment is
demonstratively sitting in it already and if this guess is right, stacking work will soon commence for serial number 6.
The differences between serial number 5 and 6 are very important too. Serial number 5 is supposed to
have a nose cone, while serial number 6 will hopefully
feature full bodywork including canard and aft fins for aerial control. In
theory, serial number 6 should be able to perform a belly flop maneuver.
Musk has already said though, that we should expect an RUD or rapidly
unscheduled disassembly, which basically means it’s likely, it will crash into the ground.
So, we might get a pretty spectacular test with serial number 6. And
there is new information on the new nose cone as well. Do you see these holes? Those are RCS thruster openings.
SpaceX is implementing the RCS thrusters into the nose cone of Serial Number 5. This is great news!
Serial Number 5 is far along. We might see the Serial Number 4 and 5 flights in short succession.
There is another opening in the new nose, best seen on Nomadds picture. It’s hard to say though, what that’s for. Could be venting for the
header tank. But that’s pure speculation right now. And
SpaceX is increasing the footprint again
Another building has appeared in just a few days.
The girder structure for walls and roof is already up and it’s a rather small building this time. Yet again though,
it is not a tent anymore.
It’s very much needed working space with solid walls and a roof.
Not long and it will be in use. The highbay has seen an upgrade too. A second wall lift is going up
right
now. These lifts enable SpaceX workers access to the Starship prototypes without the need for a scissor lift. The Boca Chica
infrastructure is already at a pretty good level by now. Huge improvements have been made over the past few months.
Last, but not least, let’s take another look at our stacking animation!
This, is, where we keep track of the current Prototypes manufacturing process, as it’s really hard to keep track with all the separate parts. As
promised on the last Episode,
we’re changing our focus from Serial Number 5 for now, as we now have room for Serial Number 6.
Not in the Highbay, but in the windbreaker! So, where are we at with Serial Number 6?
We’re surprisingly far already.
We have the engine skirt, which marks the foundation for Serial Number 6. Next up,
we have the oxygen tank skirt, which goes here.
We also have the already sleeved common dome, which makes up the middle of the tank section and it goes here.
Next up
we also already have the top dome with the appropriate ring segments sleeved around it, and it goes here.
We were also able to spot the Top dome skirt,
and it goes here. We also have a two ring segment, already sitting in the windbreaker,
which most likely is the segment directly under the SN6 nose cone and it goes here.
Last but not least, we have plenty of nose cones laying around.
It’s still not clear, which nose will go onto which Starship, but since we have them sitting around,
we’ll just put one on Starship serial number 6 and it of course goes here. That’s it.
Serial number 6 is only missing the thrust section and aerodynamic surfaces on the outside
and stacking work. Musk talked about subtle changes to the fins and aerodynamic covers,
so it will be interesting to see, what exactly he meant.
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Progress in Boca Chica Texas is fast as always. Starship Serial Number 4 sitting on the test stand closing in on the countdown.
Serial Number 5 almost stacked, Serial Number 6 coming along right behind it pretty fast too. My guess
is, that Boca Chica will see many launches in the near future.
May 27th 2020 launch day preview
We’re rapidly closing in on my one-year anniversary
and as a little celebration gift, NASA and SpaceX are launching a rocket for me!
That’s so incredibly nice of them! And it’s not any rocket either. It’s Demo Mission 2. It’s #Launch America.
It’s Bob and Doug going on a field trip to the ISS directly from Kennedy Space Centre.
It’s one of the most important launches of the decade.
Marking the end of a long drought when it comes to crewed flights from Kennedy Space Centre.
It’s one of those launches, that the whole world will be watching. It’s crew dragons first trip to the ISS with astronauts on board,
marking the first time in human history, that Astronauts travel to the ISS on board a privately designed and built spacecraft.
SpaceX is in the very last preparations right now. On May 12th,
John Winkopp spotted them doing off shore rescue training with a boiler plate spacecraft.
This is incredible footage. Not shown anywhere yet.
These are trainings for a possible in flight abort and for the recovery after Behnken and Hurley have returned from the ISS. And
SpaceX has recently moved the Crew dragon from a fueling facility at Capa Canaveral Space Force Station, to the
integration hangar next to Pad 39A, where it will now be joined with the booster.
The next upcoming events are a flight readiness review on May 21st, a static fire test on May
22nd, a full launch day dress rehearsal on May 23rd and a final launch readiness
review on May 25th. And since it’s such an extraordinarily important day, I have been planning something special for you.
This is it. The launch stream, you have all been waiting for.
Celebrate my one-year channel anniversary and one of the most epic launches of the year with me and TJ from I need more Space.
Be excited, as the countdown
progresses. Get some history lessons on why this launch is so special and meet some epic guests, joining us for the stream.
We have Emily Calandrelli joining us. Science communicator by profession and the host and producer of
Xploration Outer Space, a TV show for FOX, she’ll dive deep into the science behind the launch with us.
We have Amy Shira Teitel joining us. Book author, science writer, spaceflight historian, YouTuber and
podcaster she is the perfect
candidate to dive into the history of crewed flight with us and give us insights into what caused the
9 years of gap between the Shuttle launch
STS 135 and Demo Mission 2.
We have Joe Barnard, joining us.
Known on YouTube to be the go-to guy when it comes to the question of how to build your own
rocket, and be totally awesome in doing so, he’ll provide us with some insights into how rockets work!
While Bob and Doug are in their last preparations before their big launch and Nasa has even presented us with some awesome
pictures of what the rides to the pad will look like, TJ and I are neck deep in preparations for the stream right now.
Question answering, interviews,
simultaneous casting to both our channels and watching Demo Mission 2 unfold. You do not want to miss this!
So, mark the date on your calendars! Tell everyone, that you just won’t have time at all that day.
Contact your fellow space nerds.
Buy your favourite snacks and round up in front of your monitors, TV’s or even phones and get ready for a day to remember!
The day is May 27th and the launch time is
4:33 pm. EDT or
8:33 p.m. UTC or
6:33 a.m. the next day Australian eastern standard time for our Aussie space fans!
Our stream of course will start earlier than that,
so watch your notifications and if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to check the bell to actually receive the notification!
TJ and I are already super excited, and we hope to see all of you that night for the most awesome launch stream ever!
So, this wraps up todays Episode of What about it!? Are you going to watch the hop with me
tonight and are you as excited for Demo Mission 2 a I am? As always, tell me in the comments! And
here we are again, at the Patreon and YouTube member
shout out! The place, where I say
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To the community on my Discord and to everyone, willing to go above and beyond in supporting the channel.
These people make it happen. Twice a week. They’re the very reason, why you can watch all this and without them,
What about it!? Would be a very different show.
So, show your love for them in the comments and maybe even consider becoming one yourself!
And as always, there are new members on the team! Everyone, please give a warm
welcome to Frank Albe, Lutz Gross, Vincent Davis, Art Fritz Son, Reuben Gonzales, Joseph Watson,
John Martin, Marko Makuch and many others! You Rock!!!
Last but certainly not least, we’re at the team shout
out. This is, where I honour those, who make it all work. Those, who animate, moderate,
communicate and advocate. All the people, who put so much work into the production to actually be considered a production team member. From
researchers ti IT masterminds, What about it is not a one man show at all. Today,
my thanks go to Pete-MC from Australia for giving us the tools to actually utilize our resources.
Without you, we’d run in circles! You Rock!
