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Launch SpaceX Starship Test Flights (Water Tower Takes Flight)

WesL

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SpaceX's "Water Tower" aka "Grain Silo" aka "BFR" (Big FALCON Rocket or "F word of your choice" ) Starship prototype is scheduled to make a high altitude test flight complete with landing today out at Boca Chica, Texas site. Expecting a launch sometime between 3:30pm and 4:30pm based on flight plans filed by NASA aircraft that will be monitoring the tests.

Live video at -


From SpaceX:
As early as Tuesday, December 8, the SpaceX team will make the first attempt of a high-altitude suborbital flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8) from our site in Cameron County, Texas. The schedule is dynamic and likely to change, as is the case with all development testing. Today’s window for the test opened at 7:00 a.m. CST and goes through 5:00 p.m. CST, and we also have opportunities available on Wednesday and Thursday. This suborbital flight is designed to test a number of objectives, from how the vehicle’s three Raptor engines perform, and the overall aerodynamic entry capabilities of the vehicle, including its body flaps, to how the vehicle manages propellant transition. SN8 will also attempt to perform a landing flip maneuver, which would be a first for a vehicle of this size. With a test such as this, success is not measured by completion of specific objectives but rather how much we can learn as a whole, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship.
 
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WesL

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They had a Raptor engine abort. Not sure when they will try again.
 

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They are trying again at 3 p.m. central today so in about 30 minutes. Time subject to change.
 

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Holding for the moment. Waiting for a new countdown clock. Apparently, there was a range violation so there wasn't a problem with the vehicle.

Edit: New target time 4:40 pm central time
 

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Really cool launch but I'll let you watch to see what happens at the end.
 

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Will you be watching the Falcon 9 launch tomorrow? What are your predictions? Will something interesting happen? Could there be any planned misfire?
 

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There are a lot of launches now ...
How much iron and plastic is already in orbit?
Of course, this gives us a huge amount of necessary and useful information. But have you ever wondered what will happen to all this later?
I think some of you have pondered this.
There are quite a few companies and startups that have been developing something that can pick up the debris or service satellites in orbit. For example, the Scottish company has already completed the final tests of the third stage orbital vehicle Skyrora. This third stage vehicle has capabilities way beyond just transporting its payload into orbit. It is a full mission-ready Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) that can perform a number of in-space missions once it has delivered its payload including the replacement of redundant satellites or even the removal of space debris.
 

StormStalker

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SN9 had engine trouble at the end trying to land and went up into a spectacular fireball.
 
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WesL

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I hate I missed it. I'm sure FAA is going to love that.

Adding the video -
 
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WesL

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It apparently damaged SN10 which was right there beside it but I don't think it was to serious.
I was wondering about that. That's a brave move to have it just waiting there.

However, one day they are going to stick that landing -

 

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They landed SN10 today but about 5 minutes or so after the landing it blew up!
 
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WesL

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WesL

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NOTAM issued by FAA over the weekend seems to suggest SpaceX SN11 will launch from Boca Chica, Texas sometime between March 16th - March 17th, 2021

1615817325118.png
 

WesL

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LOL Wondering if this going to cause a "Super Heavy" Boom. That thing is crazy huge!

 

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SN11 Blew up somewhere coming back down toward the ground. Probably trying to land. Fog obscured the camera views.
 
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