Starship prototype #25 is rolled to launchpad for static fire engine tests
Click for original image.
SpaceX yesterday evening rolled its 25th prototype of its Starship spacecraft to its suborbital launchpad at Boca Chica, as shown on the image to the right, for a planned static fire engine test of its six Raptor engines.
If all goes well, the company hopes to stack this prototype on top of the ninth prototype of Superheavy and complete the second test orbital flight of the entire rocket as early as June 15, 2023, with a launch window as long as six months according to the company’s FCC communications license application.
The actual launch date however remains very uncertain, for several reasons. The FAA must issue a launch license, and it won’t do that until it is satisfied the investigation into the first launch failure is complete. That launch approval will also likely be delayed because of the lawsuit against that agency for issuing the previous launch license.
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 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
Click for original image.
SpaceX yesterday evening rolled its 25th prototype of its Starship spacecraft to its suborbital launchpad at Boca Chica, as shown on the image to the right, for a planned static fire engine test of its six Raptor engines.
If all goes well, the company hopes to stack this prototype on top of the ninth prototype of Superheavy and complete the second test orbital flight of the entire rocket as early as June 15, 2023, with a launch window as long as six months according to the company’s FCC communications license application.
The actual launch date however remains very uncertain, for several reasons. The FAA must issue a launch license, and it won’t do that until it is satisfied the investigation into the first launch failure is complete. That launch approval will also likely be delayed because of the lawsuit against that agency for issuing the previous launch license.
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 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
Next year maybe. The government will never let this happen any time soon. This is sad. I want to see this thing land on mars and take off and return to earth in my lifetime. I have given up hoping to see a man on mars. Maybe China?
The good thing about that area of Texas is that there are no endangered animals in the launch area that are not also in a far wider spread protected area. Half of that coast line is protected from hunting, fishing, new housing developments not counting all the protections from oil developments and production.
Texas itself also wants this space launch area. They want to compete directly with Florida.
And anyone with a home or property that is still in the area has figured out a few ways to start making their own cash from the launches.
No this is nothing more than a delaying action with no hope of actually winning and shutting down Space X. They hope that by delaying Space X that he will pull out and move to Florida.
But they do not understand exactly how much money Space X is saving in taxes alone by being in Texas.
By my guess Space X will have to lose a billion in the next few years for him to even start thinking about moving. And at the pace he is willing to spend a billion I even doubt that.
SpaceX will make it to mars the next time there is a Republican in the White House. Elon has made it pretty clear recently, that he is tired of the Democrats obstructing him in various ways and is betting on the other team.
I am assuming these still have Raptor 2 engines.
Last week I saw mentions of a 3rd gen Raptor, and I am curious what it entails.
Curious if the image is as appears: an interplanetary-class spacecraft rolling down a public road? Tax dollars not better spent.
Pretty slick photography
They hope that by delaying Space X that he will pull out and move to Florida.
And then be under NASA’s thumb, in perpetuity.
There must be a commissar over every worthwhile endeavor, to “make sure it is done properly”. /sarc
Hearing some nice things about white graphene:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=58883.0