SpaceX test-fires Starship megarocket and Super Heavy booster ahead of next launch (video, photos)

[Admin]

SpaceX fired up its next Starship and booster for an engine test before the rocket's upcoming launch to space.

SpaceX test-fires Starship megarocket and Super Heavy booster ahead of next launch (video, photos) : Read more

 

[David Hollenshead]

The next unintended sudden dismantling of Mr. Musk's Starship will happen soon. Keep in mind that any progress that SpaceX makes is by keeping Mr. Musk distracted so he can't interfere in their work.
I'm amused that they chose to call it the Starship when it has managed to make orbit...
The Soviet N1 rocket was a similar attempt and it failed in spectacular & deadly ways. I suspect that Mr. Musk's rocket will also continue to fail because its flight control has to manage too many engines for it to be reliable. Having between 33 on the Booster stage and 6 on the "Starship" stage, it will be too unreliable for the flight control system.
So don't expect it to make if beyond low Earth orbit even though Musk likes to release photos of it approaching Saturn and beyond. Keep in mind that Mr. Musk is a Confidence Man who can't program, design cars, let alone design a Space Craft that will go to Saturn...

 

[Philly]

The next unintended sudden dismantling of Mr. Musk's Starship will happen soon. Keep in mind that any progress that SpaceX makes is by keeping Mr. Musk distracted so he can't interfere in their work.
I'm amused that they chose to call it the Starship when it has managed to make orbit...
The Soviet N1 rocket was a similar attempt and it failed in spectacular & deadly ways. I suspect that Mr. Musk's rocket will also continue to fail because its flight control has to manage too many engines for it to be reliable. Having between 33 on the Booster stage and 6 on the "Starship" stage, it will be too unreliable for the flight control system.
So don't expect it to make if beyond low Earth orbit even though Musk likes to release photos of it approaching Saturn and beyond. Keep in mind that Mr. Musk is a Confidence Man who can't program, design cars, let alone design a Space Craft that will go to Saturn...

Your comment is completely void of any facts.

Sure Musk is a very weird dude. No disagreement from me about that but facts are facts, if we eliminate personalities.

The issue on Flight 7 was with the 2nd stage NOT the 1st Stage. The 1st stage with the 33 engines has worked flawlessly since the very 1st flight when a few engines failed but they were early proto-types. By my accounting there have been 6 flights since that 1st flight of the 1st stage and all the 33 engines have performed rather well. No serious problems and they caught to booster in their landing system.

You also might want to look up the Falcon Heavy rocket which uses 27 engines. That seems to work just fine. The N-1 was a design from the mid-60's that was seriously underfunded, they didn't get a chance to even test fire all the engines before the test flights. What that has to do with the Super Heavy booster, I just don't know.

There was a fuel leak on the 2nd stage during flight 7, but it was a new version of that 2nd stage in it's 1st test flight. Before that the 2nd stage had some issues but mainly with it's heat shielding. Expected considering it is all brand new and they are experimenting with different configurations now, so that is why any company runs actual tests.

What are you even talking about with Starship to Saturn? They are in the early testing stages of the entire launch system. A Falcon Heavy is scheduled to launch in 2028 a mission to Saturn called Dragonfly. You might want to check you calendar and note the year we are in. Maybe I over slept a few years but I believe one of us is seriously confused. If you're placing a bet that it will fail, you're free to wager however you want but let's at least wait until it launches. Also note SX is not building the probe but NASA is just using the FH as the rocket to launch it.

 

[Philly]

I am not sure Musk understand what a dangerous mine field it is to play in politics. T is a very dangerous person to count on as a friend. Just look at his 1st administration and how many people he turned on, who were the best of the best and now he hates.

He has also become public enemy #1 on the left so if the T relationship sours (which it most likely will at some time). He is going to find himself all alone. Someone else is going to be singing the Blues but it won't be sad.

As a big SX fan I just wish he would get out from under this political trap and exit while he still can. Best to just say right now, I showed them where I think there are areas that should be fixed, but I have no real power to do so. Not it is up to the Trump team to make it happen, good luck.

He would of only been involved for about 1 month and he slipped out of the trap. The damage would be limited and people forget. Rockets and cars when you make changes don't call their congress person if it doesn't work out for them.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

I don't want to get into the politics here, but I am concerned that Musk's situation could become his downfall, and am wondering how SpaceX would survive that.

I don't think that Musk is really doing the day-to-day business or engineering that is making SpaceX so successful. But, I think he is the controller of the money and is able to set the priorities for the company. If he becomes disabled in any way, such that his heirs can fight among themselves about control of the money or the company, that might be very destructive to the company.

So, I am glad to see other companies striving to compete, and to adopt things like reusability pioneered by SpaceX. We may need those companies sooner than we currently imagine.

I do hope that SpaceX achieves its in-space refueling capabilities before anything happens that might damage the company. I think that capability is going to be the key to the missions like long-term lunar habitats, as well as other major efforts beyond LEO.