Skip Navigation
Remote View
spacex SpaceX @sh.itjust.works
threelonmusketeers @sh.itjust.works

Starship Development Thread #47

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.

​

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

TypeStart (UTC)End (UTC)Status
Primary2023-08-04 13:00:002023-08-05 01:00:00Possible
Alternative2023-08-06 13:00:002023-08-07 01:00:00Possible
Alternative2023-08-07 13:00:002023-08-08 01:00:00Possible

Up to date as of 2023-08-04

Vehicle Status

As of July 28th 2023

Follow Ring Watchers on Twitter and Discord for more.

ShipLocationStatusComment
S15Rocket GardenScrapped
S20Rocket GardenRetired
S24Gulf of MexicoDestroyedDestroyed on during Flight Test 1
S25Launch SiteTestingSpin Prime and Static Fire
S26Rocket GardenRestingNo fins or heat shield, plus other changes.
S27Rocket GardenScrappedCommon dome imploded
S28Rocket GardenPending Raptor installPreviously tested at Masseys
S29High Bay 1Under construction
S30Build SiteUnder construction
S31Build SiteParts under constructionAssorted parts spotted through S34.

 

BoosterLocationStatusComment
Pre-B7 & B8Scrapped or RetiredB4 is in the Rocket Garden, the rest are scrapped.
B7Gulf of MexicoDestroyedDestroyed April 20th in Flight Test 1
B9Mega bayPending raptor swap and hot-stage ring installStatic fire (August 5th)
B10MasseysTestingCryo testing
B11Rocket GardenResting
B12MegabayRaceways installed
B13Build SiteParts under construction
B14Build SiteParts under construction
B15Build SiteParts under construction

​

Resources

You're viewing a single thread.

557 comments
557 comments