Comments on: Stacked Starship and Superheavy complete first full wet dress rehearsal countdown https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/ Sat, 28 Jan 2023 18:04:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Jeff Wright https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393909 Sat, 28 Jan 2023 18:04:24 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393909 Mr. Z “As always, I hope my pessimism about the corruption of our government is wrong.”

Something you can take to the bank—each SLS core your see–WILL fly–not just be the latest addition to the rocket garden like Starship 24

https://twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1618662902516576256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618662902516576256%7Ctwgr%5Ee85df06c6bb5d283573d849a9cae3bb34826b506%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.secretprojects.co.uk%2Fthreads%2Fspacex-general-discussion.13774%2Fpage-138

Artemis III on the way
https://twitter.com/NASA_SLS/status/1614321465263886337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1614321465263886337%7Ctwgr%5E87a50d321d358bda0d18975ca86ec187bc7a631f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.secretprojects.co.uk%2Fthreads%2Fnasa-space-launch-system-sls.13729%2Fpage-23

Marshall is no longer re-building—we’re reloading.

So you go right ahead with the libertarian colored glasses—let Elon build his toys and park them.

SLS has flown—and WILL fly again.

Starship is just a totem.

Worship the stainless steel calf at your own hazard.

I am a member of the one TRUE church of the heavy lift.

]]> By: David Eastman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393704 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 19:52:17 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393704 Damage to the pad has been an obvious issue since some of the early test fires. SpaceX has since put in an enormous amount of work on deluge systems, deflectors, steel blast barriers, etc. Presumably they believe they have it handled, or at least mostly so. Also remember that the Raptor is a deep throttling engine. The static fire will almost certainly not hold full thrust on all engines for long, if at all.

]]> By: Ray Van Dune https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393661 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 03:00:45 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393661 I worry about the 33-engine static fire. At a thrust / weight ratio of 1.5, the real full stack will clear the tower in about 8 seconds or less, according to the scratching on the back of my envelope.

Optimistically, pad-damaging thrust levels should decline before that, say after 5 seconds, SWAG.

If held hard down on the launch ring for for a minimally-relevent 5 seconds or so, Superheavy could do a lot of damage, not the least to itself!

]]> By: Richard M https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393660 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 02:22:40 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393660 I saw something, tho I cannot find it now, stating SS would be unstacked from SH before the static fire.

They just did it this afternoon!

]]> By: Trent Castanaveras https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393659 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 02:22:03 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393659 sippin_bourbon: Indeed.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1618426581428621317?s=20&t=J8yMoXs741E-cfVE1Vb17A

]]> By: sippin_bourbon https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393643 Thu, 26 Jan 2023 00:09:58 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393643 I saw something, tho I cannot find it now, stating SS would be unstacked from SH before the static fire.
I am assuming that is to protect it, just in case of “foom, boom, and bang”.

But I also heard that they will need a lot of restraints for all 33 engines.

]]> By: Richard M https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393633 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:21:58 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393633 Hi Diane,

I think what you’re thinking of is the Orbital Launch Mount’s detonation suppression system. It’s not actually a water deluge system – nowhere near enough water volume or pressure.

The deluge system they appear to be gearing up for seems to be something very similar to what they have recently installed on the LC-39A OLM, which is installed underground around the OLM, and entails very large water tank systems.

]]> By: Robert Zimmerman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393624 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 21:15:06 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393624 In reply to Andi.

Andi: Ah, the endless conflict between “who” and “whom.” :) Fixed. Thank you.

]]> By: Diane E Wilson https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393614 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 20:19:54 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393614 There was a water deluge at the end of the WDR. Whether it is the final version, and whether it is capable of handling the full 33-engine static fire, is unknown.

]]> By: James Street https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393612 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 20:11:58 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393612 Elon Musk never released the promised Twitter “Fauci Files” a couple weeks ago. Maybe he’s negotiating a deal.

]]> By: Andi https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393609 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 20:09:32 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393609 Very minor edit in last sentence: “whom it now sees…”

]]> By: Robert Zimmerman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393607 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:40:39 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393607 In reply to Richard M.

As always, I hope my pessimism about the corruption of our government is wrong. However, in my life I have found such pessimism routinely confirmed, so we must keep that in mind.

And yes, by becoming customers instead of builders, agencies like NASA, the Space Force, and the NRO have become dependent of private companies like SpaceX. It will thus be in their interest to push the Biden administration to approve the launch license.

]]> By: Richard M https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393602 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:16:18 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393602 Hello Robert,

David makes a good point here: “The real push for the launch license won’t even start until after the static fire.” SpaceX can’t file the application until they have all the data from a full static fire. This could be an additional reason for moving as quickly as possible on a static fire (assuming all the hardware is otherwise ready).

But I have heard the same rumor: they really do seem to want to do the static fire on an accelerated schedule, possibly within the week. If this is true, then the deluge system may be be installed after the static fire, but before the launch attempt.

How much will the FAA hold things up? As I have said before, the one thing SpaceX has going in its favor is that it actually has some bureaucracies on its side, finally. NASA, the USSF, and NRO all have keen interest in making use of Starship; NASA’s human spaceflight program is basically staked on it. One wonders what pressure they can bring to bear.

]]> By: David Eastman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393601 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 17:50:34 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393601 Yesterday after the WDR the rumor was that the 33 engine static fire was about two weeks out for additional work on the pad, but this morning that same source is saying “nope, plans change, not that far out.” So possibly next week. The real push for the launch license won’t even start until after the static fire, then we’ll see if the FAA is going to do their job in a timely fashion, drag their feet, or be actively hostile.

Launch attempt in Q1 23 no longer seems likely, I believe SpaceX is still hoping for March but expecting April.

]]> By: Robert Zimmerman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393598 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:51:23 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393598 In reply to Richard M.

Richard M: I suspect they will have that spare time as they wait for the FAA to approve the launch license.

]]> By: Richard M https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/stacked-starship-and-superheavy-complete-first-full-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown/#comment-1393596 Wed, 25 Jan 2023 16:40:12 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=91995#comment-1393596 Interestingly, there’s now considerable evidence that SpaceX is planning to install a full water deluge system at the Starbase orbital pad (See the new videos from NSF and Zack Golden); what remains unclear is whether they will do so *before* the 33 engine static fire, or after.

If it’s before, that might push the test fire back a couple weeks. But then, it is posible they need that time for other preparations anyway?

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