Space Quote: A Human-Made Sandstorm

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Crater at the Starship launchpad after the April 20th test. (LabPadre/YouTube)

“The debris is really just basically sand and rock, so it’s not toxic at all or anything…It’s just like a sandstorm, essentially. Basically a human-made sandstorm. But we don’t want to do that again.”

–Statement by SpaceX’s Elon Musk last Saturday regarding the April 20th launch of the Starship and the debris it scattered for miles around the launch site. Mr. Musk now says he should have waited until a “flame trench” water system had been installed to absorb the heat from the launch. Instead, the launch acted like a blowtorch on the concrete, destroying the pad and flinging debris as far as 6.5 miles from the launch site. Mr. Musk has many new ideas, such as reusable rockets, that make a lot of sense. But ignoring the knowledge gained from past missions, such as the need for a flame trench, was not very smart on his part.

Space Quote: Another Word for Explosion

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Starship before the “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” (SpaceX)

“As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation.”

-Statement by SpaceX following the self-destruct of the Starship rocket after it started to spin out of control. What a way to put a spin on a malfunction. I am sensing the rapid unscheduled disassembly of the English language.

Pic of the Week: Starship Explodes Mid-Air

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Starship explosion after launch on April 20, 2023. (Rueters)

This week’s image is from today’s launch of the SpaceX Starship. The rocket experienced engine troubles and exploded about four minutes following the launch after reaching a height of 25 miles. The goal of this mission was to reach at least 90 miles.

SpaceX had this to say about the launch:

At 8:33 a.m. CT, Starship successfully lifted off from the orbital launch pad for the first time. The vehicle cleared the pad and beach as Starship climbed to an apogee of ~39 km over the Gulf of Mexico – the highest of any Starship to-date. The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship. As is standard procedure, the pad and surrounding area was cleared well in advance of the test, and we expect the road and beach near the pad to remain closed until tomorrow.

With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and we learned a tremendous amount about the vehicle and ground systems today that will help us improve on future flights of Starship.

One More Try: Starship Set to Launch Tomorrow

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, where tomorrow’s Starship launch will take place. (SpaceX)

The launch of SpaceX’s Starship, delayed on Monday, could take place as early as tomorrow morning at 9:28 am ET.

Should everything go according to plan, you can watch tomorrow’s launch here.

I am just hoping that the delay was not another weed-related game to mark 4/20 in a unique way. The joke is getting old and costly for Mr. Musk.

Let’s just get the Starship in the air.

Delay in the Launch of the Starship

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The SpaceX Starship at the launch pad. (SpaceX)

Today was supposed to be the day SpaceX flight tested the Starship from its facility in Texas, but less than 10 minutes before the launch a problem with the Super Heavy booster put everything on hold.

The Starship is a key part of NASA’s Artemis III mission to place astronauts on the Moon, so the tests are crucial to move that project forward.

SpaceX will need to wait at least 48 hours before attempting another launch.

Credit: SpaceX