USA Space Programs & Discussions

[Rodeo]

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the stated goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars. The company manufactures the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, several rocket engines, Cargo Dragon and Crew Dragon spacecraft, and Starlink communications satellites.

The company's workhorse, Falcon 9

Payload to LEO : 22.8t
Payload to GEO: 8.3t
Total Launches: 199
Total Landings: 156
Engine: 9 x Merlin 1D+

Falcon Heavy

Payload to LEO: 63.8t
Payload to GEO: 26.7t
Total Launches: 5

Starship

Payload to LEO: 100t (In reusable configuration)
Status: In Testing
Engine: 39 x Raptor 2 (33 for first stage, 6 for second stage)

 

[Rodeo]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1620458032340807680

 

[Rodeo]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1644944993499357184

 

[Rodeo]

An hour ago, SpaceX released a new video showcasing their plan to facilitate travel to Mars and create the first human settlement on the red planet.

 

[Gary]

Another excellent animation on the OFT

 

[Rodeo]

Launch license issued!

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1646996041978507264

The launch will be spectacular(RUD or not). I highly recommend you to watch it, even if you're not into space stuff.

 

[Rodeo]

Starship is about to be launched

 

[Rodeo]

Starship started tumbling and went kaboom before the stage separation.

 

[Sanchez]

It was quite a spectacle and actually a mission completed as the goal was just for it to leave the pad.

 

[Agha Sher]

7 out of 33 engines failed early in the flight. Several others potentially operated below nominal.
Really a hard problem to have this many engines. The Soviets went through the same issue with their moon rocket.

 

[Rodeo]

It was quite a spectacle and actually a mission completed as the goal was just for it to leave the pad.

Yes. The tower is much more valuable than a single prototype. At this point, SpaceX is mass producing both the raptor engines and the stages. They will launch another prototype in a few months. I expect them to reach orbit this year even if the second launch wasn't a success.

 

[Nilgiri]

An amazing launch to behold at the very start especially.

That is by far the most power ever seen by human eyes realised as thrust.

An astonishing ~ 2 times the Saturn V.

What is even crazier is they have ramped up the (gross) mass fraction all the way to 36% in the 2nd stage (of total 1st stage mass).

(1300/3600 tons)

Saturn V achieved around 21% here.

( 480/2200 tons)

Essentially the 2nd stage is an unparalleled monster as well when it will get going downstream (after all current issues with first one + separation are sorted out).

 

[Rodeo]

Another milestone. A Falcon 9 booster was reused 16 times.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1678254865833930752

 

[Chocopie]

Wow, SpaceX is just in another sphere above all in commercial space technology.

 

[Rodeo]

Wow, SpaceX is just in another sphere above all in commercial space technology.

It's like they're not fettered with the laws of physics. It's been amazing to watch their progress. The reusability of Falcons, full flow closed-cycle raptor engines, stainless-steel Starship, bellyflop maneuver, chopsticks catch system and now out of the blue Musk says they will perform hot-staging with Starship

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1672631387201912832

 

[Gary]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1678276840740343808

 

[Rodeo]

Another milestone in rocket reusability has been achieved by SpaceX. A Falcon9 booster was launched and landed 17 times.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1704341614213156910

 

[Rodeo]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1724899815686029329

 

[Radonsider]

Even though Falcon series proved themselves, I still have MANY doubts about the future of the Starship.

There are countless tests it must past, complexity of the platform makes it even harder.

I just hope that we don't end up with chronic problems, problems with the Raptor engine -even though they are quite modern and powerful they still don't have a good track record, which is normal for an experimental engine- are probably the biggest problems for SpaceX to face, given that BN9 too suffered engine problems on the static fire test. I hope that people don't give up on Starship after 3rd or 4th unscheduled rapid disassembly.

We are now entering the space exploration era that was promised to us 20-30 years ago with Energia and Ares series

 

[Sanchez]

Even though Falcon series proved themselves, I still have MANY doubts about the future of the Starship.

There are countless tests it must past, complexity of the platform makes it even harder.

I just hope that we don't end up with chronic problems, problems with the Raptor engine -even though they are quite modern and powerful they still don't have a good track record, which is normal for an experimental engine- are probably the biggest problems for SpaceX to face, given that BN9 too suffered engine problems on the static fire test. I hope that people don't give up on Starship after 3rd or 4th unscheduled rapid disassembly.

We are now entering the space exploration era that was promised to us 20-30 years ago with Energia and Ares series

Some online think that the second test flight will be make or break. I disagree. A lot is hanging on the Starship. They will power through it and get at least 3-4 more.