Starship - Test Flight ( 4:45pm CST)

[Willfully Horn 8017]

The aerial maneuverability of that cylinder was quite remarkable. 
 

The experiment seemed to have fuel escaping, and nonproductive ignition of escaped fuel, at a couple of points, to my amateur eyes. Most noticeably as it started its descent, with small flame clouds around the tail. 

[Dahobbs 17534]

2 hours ago, Captainant said:

The green flame is from their hypergolic igniter system for the engine, you see it with the falcon 9 landings as well. 

Negative, doesn't apply to Starship and the Rapter engines. Most likely coming from surrounding copper due to oxydizer rich mix of fuel caused by the low pressure im the fuel tank. 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Dahobbs

[burntorangebongos 10710]

Green flame so likely copper is correct.

[Captainant 27667]

5 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

Negative, doesn't apply to Starship and the Rapter engines. Most likely coming from surrounding copper due to oxydizer rich mix of fuel caused by the low pressure im the fuel tank. 

nice catch - I didn't realize that the Raptors use a different ignition system. Spacenerd youtube is pretty sure the green was indeed copper from "engine rich exhaust"

[RamjetFDO 10575]

Lego just released a model of Starship on the landing pad.

[Dahobbs 17534]

21 minutes ago, RamjetFDO said:

Lego just released a model of Starship on the landing pad.

Amazing detail by Lego. Reasonably priced at a mere $100, I'm sure. 

[jeevsie 3734]

[RPM 26320]

Looks like they accomplished 3 out of 4 mission objectives and gained tons of data. A crash doesn't equate a failure.

[Gatorubet 30238]

Is that a green flame?  What’s the fuel?

[washparkhorn 9939]

Apparently the green glow at the end was caused by an intentional shutdown of one engine - which should swing away so the other engines can maneuver. The green was copper burning when two of the engines collided during final seconds of the flight. (engines have a copper component). 

Here is summary of last weeks events:

 

[Wally Fairway 5549]

Test launch is at T-13:30

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-test

[Wally Fairway 5549]

Launch for today scrubbed, continuing the countdown as a dress rehearsal. The countdown will stop a T-0:10

Maybe tomorrow

[UnivTex34 1763]

11 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

Launch for today scrubbed, continuing the countdown as a dress rehearsal. The countdown will stop a T-0:10

Maybe tomorrow

48 hours minimum to recycle the fueling. Wednesday or Thursday.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Looks like it will be at least 48 hours before they can try again. 

[1978horn 892]

Musk is going to have them launch on 4/20 isn't he.....

[Newdoc 3440]

1 hour ago, Wally Fairway said:

Launch for today scrubbed, continuing the countdown as a dress rehearsal. The countdown will stop a T-0:10

Maybe tomorrow

[Captainant 27667]

2 hours ago, 1978horn said:

Musk is going to have them launch on 4/20 isn't he.....

[Wally Fairway 5549]

23 hours ago, 1978horn said:

Musk is going to have them launch on 4/20 isn't he.....

nailed it (likely the plan all along)

 

[atomheartbevo 89665]

I may have to get this for my kid this summer

 

[Fastbreak 3985]

I’d rather punch my dick than give a dime to Musk.

[Captainant 27667]

4 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

I may have to get this for my kid this summer

 

bruh for $150??? You're getting bilked for a plastic model and decal kit

[atomheartbevo 89665]

1 hour ago, Captainant said:

bruh for $150??? You're getting bilked for a plastic model and decal kit

It's $95 at Estes, and you can get it for $75 or so looking around, and it comes with everything, including the controller.

It's a little bigger than some rockets, but he's already got some experience with them.

He's obsessed with space and space travel.  We already have an old Apollo rocket as well.

[Captainant 27667]

Just now, atomheartbevo said:

It's $95 at Estes, and you can get it for $75 or so looking around, and it comes with everything, including the controller.

It's a little bigger than some rockets, but he's already got some experience with them.

He's obsessed with space and space travel.  We already have an old Apollo rocket as well.

That rules. I grew up building Estes kits and then moving up into high powered rocketry in highschool. Get your kids building and putting together parts themselves as much as you can as early as you can! My first "realistic" build was a Titan II in Gemini livery, complete with polycarb fins that you couldn't see so it looked like the real deal - I think it flew with a "D" motor.

[Updawg 2266]

That’s a good idea. Used to make those as a kid as well. I should get one for my kid to launch

[Captainant 27667]

T-minus 30ish minutes to the opening of the launch attempt window today

 

[1978horn 892]

Everything is looking good.  Hoping for a great show!  T-Minus minutes ~7 min

[UnivTex34 1763]

Holding

[hornbri 1398]

We have take off

[Brian Fantana 6687]

3-4 engines didn't light, 1 burned out. Not a huge surprise, they've never lit all those engines at once before. Plenty of margin for error there with no payload.

Something is going wrong

Edited April 20, 2023 by Brian Fantana

[MonkeyDoughnut 10235]

Success I guess?

[Brian Fantana 6687]

And boom

[UnivTex34 1763]

Did it separate before it went boom?

[Upgrayedd 5812]

Was that supposed to happen?  Looked squirrelly.

[Brian Fantana 6687]

Just now, MonkeyDoughnut said:

Success I guess?

Yeah. Huge success, actually. First flight on an unbelievably ambitious platform, I'm impressed.

[UnivTex34 1763]

Just now, Upgrayedd said:

Was that supposed to happen?  Looked squirrelly.

 

Just now, Brian Fantana said:

Yeah. Huge success, actually. First flight on an unbelievably ambitious platform, I'm impressed.

Anything above clearing the tower was a success. The rest was just gravy. 

[1978horn 892]

1 minute ago, UnivTex34 said:

Did it separate before it went boom?

I don't think it did.  Someone said it was the flight termination system.

[Brian Fantana 6687]

Just now, Upgrayedd said:

Was that supposed to happen?  Looked squirrelly.

It did not separate and was not supposed to tumble like that. And obviously it wasn't supposed to blow up lol

[Kwix 2186]

That was pretty fucking awesome seeing it clear the tower.  Great shot of all the engines during flight, looked like 6 were out.

[Brian Fantana 6687]

 

Sorry, to clarify, it actually WAS supposed to blow up. I meant obviously they would have loved to have not used the FTS.

[1978horn 892]

Space X just said Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly

[utee94 15823]

I love seeing the difference in attitude in the control room between a SpaceX launch and a NASA launch.  Plus all the blue jeans and baseball caps.

 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10235]

Was incredible first 4-5 seconds of engine firing and no movement. Could just feel the tension and immense power happening during that period.

[Texas Jeff 1945]

Outstanding.  Stuff flying off as it went up.  In case you missed it:

 

[TheStoicPaisano 9922]

 

[Wally Fairway 5549]

a good launch, just more work to do at +2.45 ish and then boom (rapid unscheduled disassembly at 3:58 - but damn that launch was awesome

[texasdago 7573]

I guess that's cool but it doesn't give me any Elongation like it does others.

[Brian Fantana 6687]

2 minutes ago, texasdago said:

I guess that's cool but it doesn't give me any Elongation like it does others.

As it shouldn't

7 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

Outstanding.  Stuff flying off as it went up.  In case you missed it:

 

That stuff is probably insulation panels that are made to fall away like that.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10235]

Anybody know the technical side of how todays RUD actually happens? Assuming they decide somewhere there is an issue, blow it up... what then happens?  I just thinking there is a team dedicated to that system and obviously want it to work when needed but certainly not otherwise.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

So is there somebody in mission control just sitting whose sole job is to push a button to blow the whole thing up when things go wrong? I assume it's automated, but they have to have a human backup.

[UnivTex34 1763]