Musk confirms goal of orbital Starship flight this year
Capitalism in space: Musk today confirmed the stories published earlier this week that SpaceX has a target goal of completing the first test orbital flight of Starship before the end of this year, possibly as early as July.
The only new news in the article is Musk’s confirmation. It does outline again the challenges SpaceX faces to meet this goal, recognizing that these dates are thus merely targets that almost certainly will not be met. It also recognizes that the targets tell us that development will continue to move forward swiftly, and that an orbital test flight is also likely not that far in the future.
Who wants to bet that a Starship/Super Heavy rocket reaches orbit before SLS? Right now the odds I’d say are about 50-50.
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Capitalism in space: Musk today confirmed the stories published earlier this week that SpaceX has a target goal of completing the first test orbital flight of Starship before the end of this year, possibly as early as July.
The only new news in the article is Musk’s confirmation. It does outline again the challenges SpaceX faces to meet this goal, recognizing that these dates are thus merely targets that almost certainly will not be met. It also recognizes that the targets tell us that development will continue to move forward swiftly, and that an orbital test flight is also likely not that far in the future.
Who wants to bet that a Starship/Super Heavy rocket reaches orbit before SLS? Right now the odds I’d say are about 50-50.
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.
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?”
Robert Browning
angry astronaut https://youtu.be/LQFlSODBwX0 is a very good youtube channel that covers starship and other space news.
Reaching orbit is easy compaired to re-entry and landing.
pz-
Yeah, that thinking always reminds me of the specifics of Kennedy’s challenge “and to safely return them”.
So what are the odds for either one coming back in “one piece”.
The Starship re-entry process is going to be a interesting real test.
I do have to say that I love this stuff. The pace is wonderful.
When soon will they be launching Long Range manned Flight to the Andromada Galaxy?
eddie-
good stuff.
From the article:
SpaceX has limited experience operating in space. Fortunately, Starlink is giving them additional experience, but their tests will teach them quite a bit about large structures in orbit. Starship is a pretty large structure for reentry, too. Transferring large amounts of propellants in orbit is also new, but NASA had been confident that it could be done, as it was one of the methods that they considered for Apollo. Keeping alive a large number of people will also be a new challenge.
We have been seeing a lot of stainless steel on Starship, even in the animations, but SpaceX will need to assess the thermal control in space. Will they be able to have exposed metal, like the Apollo service module, or will they need thermal materials, like many satellites?