Musk: Starship will likely attempt a chopstick landing on the eighth test launch
UPDATE: The original post below is incorrect. I misread Musk’s tweet, not realizing he was refering exclusively to Starship when he wrote “ship.” He and his company now routinely use “ship” to refer to Starship and “booster” for Superheavy.
The real story behind this tweet is that SpaceX is working to attempt a chopstick catch of both Superheavy and Starship on the eighth test flight, after the as-yet unscheduled seventh flight. This means the eighth flight of Starship will be a full orbital flight, will use its Raptor engines to do a de-orbit burn to bring it back to Boca Chica, and that the company expects to have two launchpad towers ready to make the two catches.
Won’t that be an exciting event?
Original incorrect post:
———————————–
According to a tweet by Elon Musk on November 19, 2024, SpaceX will not attempt a chopstick landing of Superheavy on the seventh test orbital launch of Starship/Superheavy.
We will do one more ocean landing of the ship. If that goes well, then SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower.
According to an update on the SpaceX website, the decision to abort the chopstick landing during this week’s sixth test flight was made because of issues at the launch tower:
Following a nominal ascent and stage separation, the booster successfully transitioned to its boostback burn to begin the return to launch site. During this phase, automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered an abort of the catch attempt. The booster then executed a pre-planned divert maneuver, performing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
At this moment SpaceX has not provided any additional information on what those issues at the tower were, and might never do so since this is proprietary information. Nonetheless, it could be that more work is necessary to make sure the tower is healthy after launch, which is why they won’t attempt a chopstick landing next time.
As for when that seventh test flight will occur, we as yet have no word. The timing is going to depend on many factors, including the need for upgrades, the final flight plan decision, any changes then required to SpaceX’s FAA launch license, and finally the impact the new Trump administration will have on that red tape.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
UPDATE: The original post below is incorrect. I misread Musk’s tweet, not realizing he was refering exclusively to Starship when he wrote “ship.” He and his company now routinely use “ship” to refer to Starship and “booster” for Superheavy.
The real story behind this tweet is that SpaceX is working to attempt a chopstick catch of both Superheavy and Starship on the eighth test flight, after the as-yet unscheduled seventh flight. This means the eighth flight of Starship will be a full orbital flight, will use its Raptor engines to do a de-orbit burn to bring it back to Boca Chica, and that the company expects to have two launchpad towers ready to make the two catches.
Won’t that be an exciting event?
Original incorrect post:
———————————–
According to a tweet by Elon Musk on November 19, 2024, SpaceX will not attempt a chopstick landing of Superheavy on the seventh test orbital launch of Starship/Superheavy.
We will do one more ocean landing of the ship. If that goes well, then SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower.
According to an update on the SpaceX website, the decision to abort the chopstick landing during this week’s sixth test flight was made because of issues at the launch tower:
Following a nominal ascent and stage separation, the booster successfully transitioned to its boostback burn to begin the return to launch site. During this phase, automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered an abort of the catch attempt. The booster then executed a pre-planned divert maneuver, performing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
At this moment SpaceX has not provided any additional information on what those issues at the tower were, and might never do so since this is proprietary information. Nonetheless, it could be that more work is necessary to make sure the tower is healthy after launch, which is why they won’t attempt a chopstick landing next time.
As for when that seventh test flight will occur, we as yet have no word. The timing is going to depend on many factors, including the need for upgrades, the final flight plan decision, any changes then required to SpaceX’s FAA launch license, and finally the impact the new Trump administration will have on that red tape.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Could the booster be diverted to the 2nd orbital launch tower?
Anyway, sounds like Elon is acknowledging that the booster catch is no where as important as ship test flights. Sure, all the flight 5 drama served the dual purpose of disempowering the FAA and exciting the public with the spectacular catch visual. But the FAA did authorize Starship test flights back in the summer, after flight 4.
They won’t attempt a SS catch for OFT7. but they will attempt to catch the SH booster that flew nominally. They lost comms on the tower so aborted the catch attempt. Don’t be surprised if they skip or modify the tower avoidance maneuver to protect the tower and chopsticks on the next launch.
The tweet specifically says “ocean landing of the ship”. This does not seem to imply that a booster catch is out.
Am I missing something?
Side note: Landing Ship in the Indian Ocean once more gives the second tower time for completion and checkouts. Flight 8 could see both booster and ship return to launch pad, side by side. Excitement guaranteed!
I agree with Trent Castanaveras. I think you misread the tweet, Bob. Musk is referring to catching Starship, not the booster, on the next flight.
I agree with Trent, nothing in Musk’s tweet precludes catching both. I dont think starship has the crossrange to do a once around and back to boca chica, so it will have to be in orbit for some time until it aligns back to boca. How much time is needed to safe the booster, get the crew & transport stand out there, move it away, and prep for another catch? A day?
Or if both towers are ready as Trent suggests, could catch on both.
All: In rereading the tweet, I agree with my readers. I misread Musk’s words. He and his company now routinely use “ship” to refer to Starship and “booster” for Superheavy.
I will correct this post.
If Flight 8 goes into orbit look for the MSM reporting: “After seven failures Musk’s big rocket finally makes orbit”
I agree with Mad Bob. If Starship does not have the crossrange capability to do a once around and back to Boca Chica (which may be a future goal to facilitate rapid reuse), then it will have to be in orbit for a day or so. If the booster can be removed from the launch mount fast enough, then the second tower need not be ready for a catch for the eighth flight.
Although having one on each tower would make for one hell of a photograph.
That it would.
I am hearing that transpiration cooling is back on the table.
A couple of papers of note–
“Metal-wool heat shields for space shuttle”
NTRS 19740011469.pdf
–and a similar paper:
https://doi.org/10.2514/1.A34908
Here, 304 stainless is itself used as a heat shield.
For the bones of Starship, Elon may wish to contact Mr. Nuytten of the Nuytco ExoSuit 2000.
He was given permission to use American submarine steel noted for its toughness–which may be useful.
Autoclaves have been useful here–but has anyone used re-entry heating itself to cook a material in flight between two liners?
Grow a single crystal liner–heat during re-entry–then remove outer and inner layers for a one-piece heat shield.
Also of note—there is a low-energy way to convert CO2 to methane
https://phys.org/news/2024-11-plasma-derived-atomic-hydrogen-advances.html
Jeff Wright: It is called a cow.
Mr. Z.,
Hilarious.
Think Like a Physicist
Assume a Spherical Cow!
https://youtu.be/J-jN1b5V1XI
(9:48)
“Aerodynamics of a Cow”
Real Time Rendering with 1m/s wind speed.
https://youtu.be/VyxMZ2vS3dI
(0:10)