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SpaceX Starship just aced another explosive tank test and Elon Musk has the results [video]
SpaceX has successfully repaired a leak in a Starship prototype, filled the giant tank with an ultra-cold liquid, and pressurized it until it (spectacularly) popped — and Elon Musk has the preliminary results.
[...] Musk recently revealed that the new steel Starship and Super Heavy designs will require tanks pressures of at least 6 bar (90 psi) to survive the stresses of orbital flight.
[...] We’ll have to wait for dawn tomorrow to see the extent of the damage, but it appears that Test Tank #2’s demise was dramatically more violent than its predecessor — a largely expected side effect of performing the pressure test with a cryogenic liquid. In fact, just minutes after it appeared to fail, Elon Musk revealed that the second test tank had burst around 8.5 bar (~125 psi), soundly trouncing all records set by earlier tests and suggesting SpaceX is unequivocally ready to begin building the first orbital Starships. Critically, Musk had previously indicated that if Starship’s tanks could survive up to 8.5 bar, SpaceX would have the minimum safety margins it needs to deem Starship safe enough for astronauts.
SpaceX is ready to build the first Starship destined for space after latest tests
As Musk himself noted on Monday, he is now confident that SpaceX can immediately start building the first Starship destined for spaceflight and further revealed that two of that particular Starship’s three tank domes are already nearing completion.
Known as Starship SN01 (serial number 01), there’s a strong possibility that the massive spacecraft will never reach higher than a 20 km (12.5 mi) flight test SpaceX intends to perform. The company’s rapidly changing strategy may very well mean that SN01 – now ‘go’ for production – could also support suborbital spaceflight testing and maybe even the first orbital Starship launch, although orbital launches will require a Super Heavy booster. Elon Musk, for one, has already christened Starship SN01 an “orbital vehicle”.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday January 30 2020, @04:37PM (1 child)
While, this was a really cool video and test. It was more like watching a soda bottle burst. Kinda lack luster from an explosive standpoint. Still, very cool, that they met their goal and should be go for production.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday January 30 2020, @09:23PM
The main point here is that Starship development seems to have cleared a major hurdle and we could see launch tests soon.
The only thing I'm wondering about is whether reusability or launch pace will be affected by a need to cool the steel tanks to cryogenic temperatures before launch:
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(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 31 2020, @05:46AM (1 child)
I want to say something about this. Space is, without doubt, my top interest in life. But what can you say? I mean beyond pointless redundancies like 'awesome, can't wait to see what the future holds.'
At times I find myself frustrated that the media never provides meaningful coverage to things that actually matter. Today Obama is already becoming a historical figure. I don't mean that in a positive way. I mean that people know he was president and so he must've been important, but the exact specifics of what he did rapidly fade. And the reason is that 99.9% of it didn't matter. Today we're currently in an era, not dissimilar to the 60s, that will have profound impacts on our species not just decades but centuries and even millennia from now.
SpaceX may be the reason that humans become a multiplanetary species. And centuries from now, as we've colonized what may be dozens if not hundreds of planets and we look back - this time will be remembered in a way to how now everybody remembers your Isaac Newtons or even your Socrates'. People that set a stage and achieved accomplishments that would (and in some cases already have) lasted for thousands of years. Yet we spend 99% of media time on "news" that will be irrelevant in a matter of months, sometimes much less.
For instance I feel like if every single person on Earth could somehow be forced fed the video of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy [youtube.com] launch, the world would be so remarkably positively changed. I've shown it to countless folks, otherwise unaware of space - which most of everybody due to the state of the media, and the reaction is always the same: shock, exasperation. Most have to ask "is this real?" Yip, it's real and it's happening right now. Seriously still gives me goosebumps watching those babies come down. Just beautiful, and a glimpse of the future - which is now the present.
But I suppose it's this. Gossip, speculation, and of course politics keeps people clicking every single day and rambling to no end. For instance whether Trump gets impeached or acquitted will probably have exactly 0 impact on the future, yet whether SpaceX gets to Mars "would" have a profound impact on the future. The only reason I say "would" is that they have inspired countless others to follow in their footsteps such that the future is now relatively assured, even if they fail - but this is because of their actions, which continue to receive negligible coverage. Yet on that gossip you make a billion comments, to no real end of insight gleamed. Yet for things that matter, we're all oddly short of words - and that's not profitable for the media.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday February 01 2020, @09:08PM
Space policy is a corrupt mess, but SpaceX managed to get the funds it needed for survival early on. That happened just before the Obama administration [arstechnica.com] but SpaceX continued to be supported by Obama appointees Charles Bolden and Lori Garver. Trump appointee Bridenstine is also supportive of SpaceX and other private efforts. Now SpaceX has grown strong enough to bite into the aerospace establishment and is in little danger of being sidelined.
I think the evidence supports a trend towards more interest in space over the last couple of decades. We have more going on, very photogenic and inspirational missions like New Horizons, SpaceX gets tens of thousands of people to tune in to even their boring livestreams, and very active space communities around the Web. While the mass media focuses on transient stuff like the Kardashians and Kobe, SpaceX has done a pretty good job at packaging launches for wide appeal. Particularly the Falcon Heavy maiden launch.
The real battle is not for attention, but getting Starship and Starlink to work. Starlink ensures a consistent revenue stream in a launch provider industry with inconsistent demand. That would help to keep SpaceX alive and able to spend big on Mars or other projects. Starship will trounce every other rocket because full reusability is too much of a cost savings. Just the payload to LEO capabilty alone could revolutionize astronomy. With Starship, we can talk about assembly line production of 100-meter space telescopes, instead of crappy cost-plus contracts with huge overruns. Starship doesn't exactly need the public to advocate for it. Once it works, it can't be ignored.
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