SpaceX replacing two engines on Starship prototype #9
Capitalism in space: After the static fire engine tests earlier this week, SpaceX has decided to replace two of the Raptor engines in its ninth Starship prototype before moving on to its 50,000 foot test flight.
“Two of the engines need slight repairs, so will be switched out,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter early this morning (Jan. 15).
Musk did not give a target launch date for SN9. But he did say, in another tweet, that it’s “probably wise” to perform another static fire with the vehicle after the engine swap is complete. So a weekend launch for SN9 seems pretty unlikely.
Makes sense, but I must admit a bit of disappointment. I was really hoping that the next flight would occur on the same day NASA attempts its first static fire test of the core stage of SLS. The contrast would have been edifying.
Personally this delay is great for me, as I will be out in the country caving this entire weekend, and would have missed it if it had occurred during the weekend. I will miss the SLS static fire test, but that will be far less interesting (unless something goes wrong).
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In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
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Capitalism in space: After the static fire engine tests earlier this week, SpaceX has decided to replace two of the Raptor engines in its ninth Starship prototype before moving on to its 50,000 foot test flight.
“Two of the engines need slight repairs, so will be switched out,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter early this morning (Jan. 15).
Musk did not give a target launch date for SN9. But he did say, in another tweet, that it’s “probably wise” to perform another static fire with the vehicle after the engine swap is complete. So a weekend launch for SN9 seems pretty unlikely.
Makes sense, but I must admit a bit of disappointment. I was really hoping that the next flight would occur on the same day NASA attempts its first static fire test of the core stage of SLS. The contrast would have been edifying.
Personally this delay is great for me, as I will be out in the country caving this entire weekend, and would have missed it if it had occurred during the weekend. I will miss the SLS static fire test, but that will be far less interesting (unless something goes wrong).
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Well, the SLS test fire, scheduled to last 8 minutes, lasted a whole 1 minute and a few seconds before shutting down when they tried to test the TVC system. They are still talking like they are going to ship it to the Cape as is. As long as they don’t have to gimbal the engines, they should be “headed for success”.
Bunch of nuts! Maybe they will change their tune after “looking through the data”. They only said that about 50 times in the few minutes I watched it. They are calling it a “successful test” after only getting through 1/8th of the run and not being able to gimbal the engines at all.
Hey, Jim, just put really big fins on the rocket, that’ll do the trick. Who needs gimbals?
So if this was an actual mission then an abort would have initiated, and loss of mission. An abort at T+1 would be fun, aborting while those 2 SRBs are running full bore. Oh, and when they do the “Plugs Out Test” make sure no one is in the capsule.
From what i understand SpaceX is launching off of a flat pad.
They could put a deflector under the rocket to stop the impulses from coming back up into the engines.
Can’t afford a new keyboard right now, so I’m glad I didn’t have a mouthful of beverage when the NASA spokes-lady signed off with a brave “Go, Artemis!”
My first thought was “But not likely very far.”
As for launch thrust deflection, as long as we are talking three Raptors clustered close to the centerline, I wonder if a steel cone would do it? A V2 launch deflector on steroids.
“Wow, Dr. Bob!”(Muppet reference), you Really know how to taunt Murphy’s Law.
Seriously, I am a bit amazed. What critical hardware associated with the main engines could have failed? I find this a bit disconcerting because the Space Shuttle Main Engines are heritage hardware with only one issue (from a gold plug?).
P.S. I hope you share some of spelunking pictures when you get back.
Ray,
My understanding regarding Starship is that one of the main design features is to be unaffected by the unprepared surfaces on Mars and the Moon. SpaceX could make their life easier by putting in a deflector shield at the test launch facility, but then they would not be prepared to compensate for debris damage where there is no manual repair capability.
Michael, that is an interesting objective, one that I had not heard stated from Musk, but which makes perfect sense.
A key component to achieving that goal would seem to be the use of upper-body thrusters as on the Lunar Starship, which I have assumed would also be required for the Mars version.
So I have tended to regard the current Starships as immediate precursors to a LEO / Circumlunar / P2P version, which would only have to deal with well-prepared Earth surfaces. But a simple concrete pad, only coated with the standard flame trench coating, strikes me as a bit too lightly “well-prepared”.
Perhaps then first-generation Starships should either be operated on more traditional purpose-built launch / land surfaces, or adopt upper-hull thrusters from the beginning?