SpaceX Starship Update From Starbase
Interesting how Twitter / news media seem to wonder what the whole @ElonMusk #Starship update thing was all about tonight when the largest, most powerful rocket ever built has been assembled for the first time in the background. Elon even pointed at it several times. Just sayin' pic.twitter.com/JEsZH0PpCt
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) February 11, 2022
10 Feb 11:00 pm EST
11 Feb 1:00 am EST
I could see a Space X national competition to have students across the country depict or describe the future of space flight and human civilization as Musk creates a new industry. Gee, I wonder what might be a suitable prize? Maybe college scholarships or passage on an early flight to the Moon.
I agree folks are acting underwhelmed by the update cause the booster engine count increase and raptor 2 production info have all been out on youtube and twitter for a bit. but the elephant in the room they were all ignoring is that giant real rocket on the launch pad behind him. the lack of new info on starship just means the design is coming together and no major shifts other than maybe side refilling instead of tail to tail
The rocket was stacked before… aero covers have been added, as well as insulating covers for the engines, so in that sense it’s more complete, but not much in the way of visible changes. Still not clear if this pair will actually be used for the first suborbital launch (I know Elon has said fairly recently it would)
To my mind, the more significant news was stacking the rocket with the tower “chopsticks”. It was also good to see the side by side comparison of Raptor and Raptor 2.
I was hoping for more details on progress with the lunar HLS version… things like schedule, details of their approach for landing on the lunar surface, leg configuration, crew/cargo layout in ship.
Additional design details for their Mars transport would have been of interest… solar panel layout, how they will keep propellants from boiling off entirely, radiation protection, life support systems, landing legs, etc. I know this is not their focus right now, and they have more immediate problems to deal with, but…
It was reassuring that Cape Canaveral and two floating platforms may also be operational by the end of the year. I do hope for a Starship launch in March.