The Space Show is back up
David Livingston has done yeoman work and gotten the Space Show website back on line, making it possible for him to resume his live streams and podcasts, with the first to be this Sunday, March 3, 2024.
My canceled appearance from earlier this week has now been rescheduled for Monday, March 5, 2024, at 7 pm (Pacific).
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.
David Livingston has done yeoman work and gotten the Space Show website back on line, making it possible for him to resume his live streams and podcasts, with the first to be this Sunday, March 3, 2024.
My canceled appearance from earlier this week has now been rescheduled for Monday, March 5, 2024, at 7 pm (Pacific).
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.
Just watched this deep dive into the engineering and construction of the hot ring, structural changes and upgrades.
They also cover the possible failures that happened on the second starship test run leading to the abort. The possible unintended consequences of the tilt of the grid fins to aid in turning the booster? (as we speculated before, a weakness causing mixing between the fuel and oxygen is the leading explanation of the point of failure)
An hour and 20 minutes but very informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIisBG3NV8Y
I was imagining what could cure the problem of damage from negative thrust to a sudden 3 gravity‘s when 10 tons of 02 propellant come slamming down on the bottom of the tank? (sloshing)
Ratcheting baffles that move down during fuel consumption can only work if the walls are smooth, I believe the best solution is if they make the header tank and descending supply line for methane, re-engineered into a smooth one piece tank inside of the oxygen tank running the length of the rocket!
Not only will baffles be doable, but the thickness/weight of the walls of inner tank could be reduced due to the oxygen pressure against the tank walls. As the oxygen is being consumed, it’s boil point it’s colder than methane which could lead to freezing of the methane… prevention methods like insulation to lessen the chance of icing or chunks of ice making it into the turbo pump may be necessary? It would be worth it for better control of unintended sloshing, less points of failure.
There is the added benefit of better control methods during refueling in weightlessness. (The tanker, without this modification, would require minimum directional gravity thrust to keep the fluid in the pump suction port without the clamps that locks the two vessels together from failing)
I still believe the current design is adequate if they put thrusters (as designed for lunar/Mars landing) just under the crew quarters of starship and use those during separation. This way they can eliminate the hot ring and it’s considerable weight. (they cover the weight in the above video)
Throttle back booster to one gimbaled motor with a quarter to a half G thrust, while starship side thrusters initiate separation at two gees giving some space before igniting main motors. Economical, safe and effective.
This is the future of all landing craft, until a better design comes along. (current design is for atmospheric use, future construction in/for vacuum will be better suited as landing platforms with elevated landing thrusters aimed away to prevent dust/rock kickback which damages the lander… and not requiring elevators to reach the surface)
Robert!
It sounds like you were a veritable Superman in helping Dr. Space through his hacker woes. His tribute to you on his web site is well deserved. Thanks for your efforts.
James