15 votes

SpaceX successfully flies, nearly lands Starship SN8 prototype vehicle after 12.5km suborbital test flight

Posted by spit-evil-olive-tips
Tags: spaceflight.suborbital, rocketry, spacex.starship, spacecraft, usa.tx.boca chica, rocket launches, flights.test, landing.propulsive, author.eric berger, source.ars technica, short read
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/starship-will-again-attempt-a-high-altitude-flight-on-wednesday/

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Title
Starship will again attempt a high-altitude flight on Wednesday
Authors
Eric Berger
Published
Dec 9 2020
Word count
359 words

9 comments

  1. [5]
    unknown user
    Link
    That was a surprisingly successful failure.

    That was a surprisingly successful failure.

    8 votes
    1. [4]
      blitz
      Link Parent
      Do you think the engines were supposed to go out one by one like that? And on restart only two of them lit. I wonder if engine reliability was the limiting factor today. Can’t wait for the Scott...

      Do you think the engines were supposed to go out one by one like that? And on restart only two of them lit. I wonder if engine reliability was the limiting factor today.

      Can’t wait for the Scott Manley video where he guesses what went wrong, and then the following press release in which he is shown to have been mostly right!

      1 vote
      1. [3]
        spit-evil-olive-tips
        Link Parent
        Engines cutting out on ascent was intentional. As each one goes out, you can see it points a bit off to the side and becomes stationary, as the remaining engines continue to swivel about on...

        Engines cutting out on ascent was intentional. As each one goes out, you can see it points a bit off to the side and becomes stationary, as the remaining engines continue to swivel about on gimbals. I imagine they got some very useful data on spacecraft performance with only 1 or 2 engines.

        According to Musk in that tweet thread, "Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn" and that caused the RUD.

        1 vote
        1. unknown user
          Link Parent
          Even better: gimballing the engines prior to engine shutoff helps mitigate the stresses of the derivatives of acceleration on the vehicle. Their engineering department is probably one of the best...

          Even better: gimballing the engines prior to engine shutoff helps mitigate the stresses of the derivatives of acceleration on the vehicle. Their engineering department is probably one of the best in the world at this point in terms of applied spacecraft knowledge.

          3 votes
        2. blitz
          Link Parent
          And some “engine-rich exhaust” :)

          And some “engine-rich exhaust” :)

          1 vote
  2. [2]
    spit-evil-olive-tips
    (edited )
    Link
    Direct link to the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap-BkkrRg-o Edit: Launch is at 1:48:00 into the video. Not-entirely-successful landing is at 1:54:40. Edit 2: some amateur-shot video...

    Direct link to the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap-BkkrRg-o

    Edit: Launch is at 1:48:00 into the video. Not-entirely-successful landing is at 1:54:40.

    Edit 2: some amateur-shot video from the public viewing area.

    3 votes
    1. unknown user
      Link Parent
      Delayed from yesterday, and given this is a test program, very likely could be delayed again today! But, if it does go off today, the current liftoff time is scheduled for 1640 CT / 2240 UTC...

      Delayed from yesterday, and given this is a test program, very likely could be delayed again today! But, if it does go off today, the current liftoff time is scheduled for 1640 CT / 2240 UTC (about an hour from now).

      3 votes
  4. zlsa
    Link
    Some photos I took during the launch (socially distanced and wearing a mask at Isla Blanca Park, TX.)

    Some photos I took during the launch (socially distanced and wearing a mask at Isla Blanca Park, TX.)

    2 votes