19 ms·

Starship – SN8 – High-Altitude Flight Test

439 points by r0m4n0 6y ago

shireboy 6y ago
I watched this with my kids, and it really was surreal. My 11 yo said “it looks like something from Star Wars”. Exciting times for space. Hope we can keep this momentum
jonplackett 6y ago
I just posted a gif of the landing on reddit and people are convinced it's edited and fake because they switch the camera almost exactly on impact. I kinda see their point!
- Diederich 6y ago
  Link please?
  - nickik 6y ago
    On every single video about Space these idiots comment this garage. Don't waste your time with reading it.
    - jonplackett 6y ago
      I HATE it when people talk garage about SpaceX
- imladyboy 6y ago
  Just look up any of the other footage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M
  - jonplackett 6y ago
    Yeah, I mean I don't actually think it's fake. I just see why someone might think it was from the Official Live Stream™
- soneil 6y ago
  I think my brain was screaming that it was fake because rockets simply don’t do this. Absolutely mindbending to watch, I can totally understand if anyone’s gut reaction that if it looks unreal, it might just be unreal. (To be explicit; I don't believe it was faked. There was far too many people watching. But I can understand why the gut reaction may not agree.) But in all seriousness, I suspect they were prepared for it to hit the ground. Once it left the ground, that part was guaranteed.
  - jonplackett 6y ago
    The world these days, when you have to explain yourself so much to make sure you aren't accidentally lumped in with people who really are that crazy.
- agar 6y ago
  Maybe the scene was switched because two of the three cameras in that view had...just blown up?
dgritsko 6y ago
The bellyflop and subsequent RUD is one of the most spectacular things I think I've ever seen.
CarVac 6y ago
That was absolutely incredible. It looked like most of the flight went just as planned except for the engine relight at the end.
- enraged_camel 6y ago
  Yeah, a few seconds too late to re-ignite is what it looked like. Great test though!
  - endymi0n 6y ago
    Flame looked very green very late, looks like they might have burned through quite a lot of TEA-TEB trying to get that candle lighted but it didn't react as expected...
    - CarVac 6y ago
      The Raptor doesn't use TEA-TEB, it uses an augmented spark igniter.
      - Gwypaas 6y ago
        Maybe some metal in the engine burning, you could see some green streaks at the edge right at the relight. Engine rich combustion?
        CarVac 6y ago
        Yeah. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 The fuel flow must have dropped, leading to oxygen-rich, and then engine-rich combustion.
  - CarVac 6y ago
    From Everyday Astronaut's slow-mo replay, it looks like two engines both relit properly, and then one shut down (intentionally), and then the final engine throttled down and turned green.
modeless 6y ago
Looked perfect right until the end, appeared to lose an engine, hit the landing pad and exploded. Instant replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M&t=17585 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M&t=17585 Incredible test! The "bellyflop" maneuver was the main test objective I think, and it appeared to work. They need to figure out the causes of the engine failures now.
- _ph_ 6y ago
  Elon tweeted it wasn't an engine failure but the fuel pressure was too low.
  - rst 6y ago
    They were attempting to switch to a separate set of tanks, ultimately meant to sequester fuel used for landing. It was pressure in the landing-fuel tanks that was low after the switch.
lpellis 6y ago
That was epic, it felt like an eternity before engine shutdown, and then the freefall took just as long.
grishka 6y ago
It landed, just not in one piece.
djaychela 6y ago
I wasn't sure if the ascent looked OK - no idea if it was supposed to be running on two, then one engine. But that was a moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life. Amazing stuff, even with what obviously meant the complete demise of SN8. I'm sure they'll learn an immense amount from it, and it was amazing to see it nearly pull off the landing. Given the way that Falcon 9 early landing attempts went, it'll go the same way with Starship, and it'll be landing soon.
- enraged_camel 6y ago
  >>I wasn't sure if the ascent looked OK - no idea if it was supposed to be running on two, then one engine. I realized that this may have been done to slow down the acceleration to make sure it doesn't go past the 12 km limit. I may be wrong though.
  - endymi0n 6y ago
    I also wasn't entirely sure whether the engine shutoffs were fully intended... at least the sideways acceleration of the Raptors at shutoff looked scary.
    - Kye 6y ago
      We don't usually see rocket engines cut off in that much atmosphere, but it's probably normal.
    - apendleton 6y ago
      As engines shut off, the remaining ones that were still going had to rapidly re-center to keep the direction of thrust aligned with the center of mass of the vehicle, and the ones that had shut off had to move out of their way to make room.
  - codeulike 6y ago
    I think it was hovering for a while at the top of the ascent.
- grishka 6y ago
_Microft 6y ago
Crash landing not withstanding but as any other rocket launch provider or space-faring nation, I'd be scared shitless now. SpaceX is in a league by itself.
- trhway 6y ago
  >as any other rocket launch provider or space-faring nation, I'd be scared shitless now. Russian Space agency "Roskosmos" strikes back - it plans to produce alcohol, perfume, clothes, etc. under the trade mark "Poehali" ("let's go") - the word famously uttered by Gagarin when the rocket started to ascent. (in Russian) https://lenta.ru/news/2020/11/13/poehali/ https://lenta.ru/news/2020/11/13/poehali/ Also comes to mind the "Souz vs. Crew Dragon" tweet couple months back by a Russian cosmonaut which brought the Roskosmos CEO and the other top bureaucrats there into boiling publicly with rage https://twitter.com/Msuraev/status/1313945340039528448/photo/1 https://twitter.com/Msuraev/status/1313945340039528448/photo...
  - avmich 6y ago
    Russian space program is in a pretty low state these days. It will take significant changes in Russia to come back to space exploration comparable to peers.
    - trhway 6y ago
      >It will take significant changes in Russia to come back As Russian joke about road building and everything else that requires any concerted effort goes - "There are 2 possible alternatives, a realistic one and a fantasy one. The realistic one is when aliens come to Earth and accomplish it for us. The fantasy one is when we accomplish it ourselves." For example Russia has been for several years trying to build a new spaceport in the Far East. After the first years of tremendous corruption discovered and prosecuted, the total control, audit and surveillance there have been unparalleled, yet despite it there have already changed several waves of the top/mid management - they get assigned there, steal a lot, get arrested, and new people get assigned, ...
jstsch 6y ago
Fantastic, bullseye. What an event, beautiful! If it managed to slow down a tiny bit more it'd be still standing... Phenomenal.
ninjamayo 6y ago
By far the most amazing launch and rocket I've ever seen. This is history in the making!
- Nas808 6y ago
  The test flight of Falcon Heavy (when they sent the Tesla Roadster to space) is still the most memorable launch for me. Watching those 2 boosters land side-by-side simultaneously looked like magic.
  - Diederich 6y ago
    Yes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FZIwabctw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FZIwabctw
    - mrlala 6y ago
      Ok thanks for making me cry, haven't seen that since it was live. How has it been two years already.. damn.
  - ninjamayo 6y ago
    I rewatch that launch every time I am low and always makes me happy. But this feels different. It feels like it is the beginning of the space age.
    - chasd00 6y ago
      I do this too. I watch when I need inspiration and I watch when I start thinking I'm hotshit and need some humbling.
  - johncalvinyoung 6y ago
    Yes. The whole office broke what they were doing and watched that launch and landing together, on one of our big displays. A cheer went up when they landed, side by side--a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life. Goosebumps then, and goosebumps now. Felt like the most significant thing for manned space since maybe Apollo (well, definitely since early days of the Shuttle!)
mlindner 6y ago
That was amazing. History in the making.
grecy 6y ago
Oh my god. I was genuinely pumping my fists and screaming at my screen. THIS is the start of a new space age. I will remember this as long as I live. EDIT: ... and they just posted a new road closure. How many days before SN9 flies?
- sxarose 6y ago
  You know, we're hiring software engineers over here! :) If that was your (or anyone else's) reaction and you'd be interested in learning more about what we're doing and how you might fit it, I'd be happy to chat! I'm a manager for one of the software teams here - we're always looking for great engineers who care about the mission!
  - reducesuffering 6y ago
    Could you add your email to your profile? Is the location just in Hawthorne/LA?
    - sxarose 6y ago
      I just added it (thanks for pointing that out) but for anyone that wants to get in touch it is anthony.rose [at] spacex.com. Edit: and there are other locations too, including Redmond, WA.
      - ColinWright 6y ago
        Your email address is still not on your profile. Did you add it to the window only visible to the HN mods? Or have you removed it again? Regardless, as I type this, there are no contact details in your profile.
  - grecy 6y ago
    My god I would love to. Absolute dream. I am actually a Software Engineer, and even your reply gets me excited. I'm not American.
  - nynx 6y ago
fabian2k 6y ago
That was about as awesome as a failed attempt could be. I assume that there were real engine failures on ascent, but it still all seemed to work like it was supposed to until the landing. And the scariest part, the belly flop maneuver looked like it worked just as it should.
- aardvarkr 6y ago
  The first may have been unintentional on ascent but the second wasn’t. On the descent however both active engines failed due to fuel pressure, sadly, though it was awesome to watch.
huhnmonster 6y ago
At around 1:54:50, upon full landing thrust, the exhaust flames turn green. I know colored flames from chemistry classes, but I always assumed that was caused by certain salts. Rocket fuel, to my knowledge, does not contain any of those ingredients. Can someone explain what happened there? Was this planned?
- fabian2k 6y ago
  I really don't know enough about this, but this might be "engine-rich combustion". Which would also explain why the landing part didn't work.
  - luizfzs 6y ago
    "engine-rich combustion" has become my favorite expression
- Diederich 6y ago
  I think that was caused by the out engine trying to re-start itself using TEA-TEB. EDIT: Correction: Raptor doesn't use TEA-TEB.
- rajup 6y ago
  Most likely the chemical used to (re)start the engine, triethylborane (TEB) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triethylborane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triethylborane.
  - handol 6y ago
    I thought the raptor was going to use a spark plug.
  - NikolaeVarius 6y ago
    Which it does not use
- aazaa 6y ago
  Copper and boron, according to Wikipedia, will give green flame: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_fire But given the extreme conditions, a number of other factors could be at work.
ninjamayo 6y ago
From Elon: Successful ascent, switchover to header tanks & precise flap control to landing point!
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
boznz 6y ago
Roll on SN9 :-)
- Diederich 6y ago
  That's the main thing to remember: the main thrust of their iteration and innovation is to build the machine that makes the machine. To pump out Starships (and Raptors and Super Heavies) very rapidly, repeatably and cheaply.
- grecy 6y ago
  In a sense the RUD might make it easier - now they just sweep up the debris and test SN9. If it hadn't RUDed, they would have to somehow dispose of SN8.
  - comfydragon 6y ago
    I actually think SN9 is going to be at least launching from a different stand. Perhaps also landing on a different pad.
nsxwolf 6y ago
Honestly, I'd have been a little disappointed if it hadn't ended the way it did. SpaceX seems to be all about an iterative process of showing us cool new capabilities ending in awesome explosions.
- jonplackett 6y ago
  New company mantra to be had right there.
  - buu700 6y ago
    SpaceX's new mascot: https://youtu.be/jar1LTxxAeM?t=14 https://youtu.be/jar1LTxxAeM?t=14
- sq_ 6y ago
  Eventually we're gonna run out of funny three letter acronyms to describe the different explosion types. We've already got RUD for rapid unscheduled disassembly and SRD for scheduled rapid disassembly (Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort test).
guardiangod 6y ago
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 Successful ascent, switchover to header tanks & precise flap control to landing point! Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!! It seems that the Raptor engines didn't failed due to defects at the end of the landing. The fuel pressure from the header tank wasn't high enough and the engines became fuel starved. It is obvious in the video as the engine exhaust became bright green at the end, a sign that the engine was restarting by TEB. Edit: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779 Mars, here we come!! Indeed
- nikolay 6y ago
  A nice try to make an explosion sound like a success - reminds me of the Soviet times when the Party was never wrong!
  - jessriedel 6y ago
    It's a test flight. Musk gave only a 1/3 chance of mission success before the flight.
    - nikolay 6y ago
      Yes, but a 1/3 success chance doesn't not mean a 2/3 one of an explosion.
      - robotresearcher 6y ago
        After engine ignition, isn't it pretty much that success or massive explosion are the only outcomes?
        NikolaeVarius 6y ago
        Nah engines are able to turn off after ignition. Thats what the Raptor safety is. Usually the blow or moment is when it lifts off the tower with one notable exception that I know of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_1 Technically the Shuttle go or blow moment is when the SRBs are turned on. But yes, otherwise in the spirit, it will either blow up or be generally sucessful.
grecy 6y ago
Elon Tweets since the RUD 1: Successful ascent, switchover to header tanks & precise flap control to landing point! 2: Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!! 3: Mars, here we come!! 1 - https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 2 - https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 3- https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779
mulcahey 6y ago
More info about Starship https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/ https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/ > As early as Wednesday, December 9, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude suborbital flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8) from our site in Cameron County, Texas. The schedule is dynamic and likely to change, as is the case with all development testing. > This suborbital flight is designed to test a number of objectives, from how the vehicle’s three Raptor engines perform to the overall aerodynamic entry capabilities of the vehicle (including its body flaps) to how the vehicle manages propellant transition. SN8 will also attempt to perform a landing flip maneuver, which would be a first for a vehicle of this size. > With a test such as this, success is not measured by completion of specific objectives but rather how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship. > This past year alone, SpaceX has completed two low-altitude flight tests with Starship SN5 and SN6 and accumulated over 16,000 seconds of run time during 330 ground engine starts, including multiple Starship static fires and four flight tests of the reusable methalox full-flow staged combustion Raptor engine. Additionally, with production accelerating and fidelity increasing, SpaceX has built 10 Starship prototypes. SN9 is almost ready to move to the pad, which now has two active stands for rapid development testing. > SN8’s flight test is an exciting next step in the development of a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As we venture into new territory, we continue to appreciate all of the support and encouragement we have received. > There will be a live feed of the flight test available here that will start a few minutes prior to liftoff. Given the uncertainty of the schedule, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates as we move toward our first high-altitude flight test of Starship!
mlindner 6y ago
Timestamp for the flight: https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6480 https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6480
tus88 6y ago
That was awesome. I really thought it was going to blow when it started going sideways...then realized that was all part of the plan. Even the landing explosion was a fitting end to a first flight.
camilomaiden 6y ago
https://onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0cc1 https://onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0...
lovetocode 6y ago
I wish I was smart enough to understand anything being said here.
- ColinWright 6y ago
  It's not a question of being smart, it's a question of reading about these things, reading what people have previously said, thinking hard, asking questions, and getting engaged and involved. Some of this stuff is hard,and you're not expected to understand it without work. So don't just flip it off and say "I'm not smart enough" ... recognise that with work you can understand it, and if you choose not to put in the effort, that's your choice.
  - lovetocode 6y ago
    Thank you for this wonderful advice!
    - ColinWright 6y ago
      That's a great reaction ... I was hoping you'd take it as positive and encouraging, that's certainly how it's intended. There's a lot in this world that takes time to work on, and time to come up to speed with. If you have seventeen lifetimes then you can do a lot, but otherwise you need to make choices. There's a lot you can appreciate from the sidelines, and agree is amazing, without necessarily understanding it all. But other things you will want to get stuck into and get your hands dirty with, and it takes time and effort. Smart isn't where it's at ... persistence and resilience are the critical components, combined with a desire to make progress. Absolutely you can look at something and choose not to engage with it, but if you're interested,have a go! Be methodical, be persistent, read around, ask questions, and go for it. By the way ... I certainly don't know everything ... far from it ... very, very far from it, but if ever there's something you think I might be able to help with, just let me know. If I can't help, I'll say so. If I can, I'd be happy to do so.
      - lovetocode 6y ago
bane 6y ago
The thing that is most interesting to me is that this is a major R&D program being done literally out in the open. These prototypes are being put together basically in an open field or under a tent with SpaceX sharing loads of information on the technology, price targets, mission profiles and so on. And yet nobody is coming close to matching them. Even if another company decides to try to replicate what SpaceX is doing, they're now at least a decade behind. Nobody has the present institutional knowledge that they have.
- tuatoru 6y ago
  Expect Old Space (Boeing & co) to lobby for a law requiring SpaceX to share all their telemtry data in real time.
  - TheBill 6y ago
    They might try, but they'll still be focused on looting the .gov & first try success. SpaceX will still be 2-3 decades ahead of them.
- texasbigdata 6y ago
  What’s the Bezos one doing though? Aren’t they comparably close give or take a few years.
  - Denvercoder9 6y ago
    They haven't actually put anything in orbit yet. I'd say they're at least a decade behind.
  - dmd 6y ago
    Remind me again how many times Blue Origin has put anything in orbit?
  - wongarsu 6y ago
    I don't think anybody knows how far Blue Origin really is. They are much more secretive and seem to do a lot less testing. New Glenn is somewhat comparable to a Falcon 9 scaled up to the size of Starship and is supposed to happen in 2021, but I don't think there's any good indication how far they are along and whether they will be able to deliver. My gut says that if they don't test they can't deliver, and that Elon's rapid prototyping will keep SpaceX far in the lead for the foreseeable future. But only time will tell.
betwixthewires 6y ago
I laughed loudly at that ending. The explosion seems so comical. The test was great, it proved the concepts in principle do work in practice, and proved that the design fundamentally works. Launch, high altitude, belly flop and flip and burn landing. I'm excited to see the coming tests, design improvements, and to watch the thing land without blowing up.
- cma 6y ago
  To fundamentally work it needs to handle reentry speeds with that same geometry.
  - aardvarkr 6y ago
    Next one should have heat shields for them to try for a real re-entry attempt but the terminal velocity was surprisingly slow with that geometry so I’m not sure it’s really going to change much.
- sq_ 6y ago
  Kinda hoping that we get an updated "How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster" video [0] covering Starship development eventually... [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ
DarmokJalad1701 6y ago
That was an epic flight!
Geee 6y ago
That was incredible. Great job SpaceX!
lxe 6y ago
At around 1:49:46 (https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6586 https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6586) (T+1:34) one of the engines shuts off, and things seems to move a bunch. Some equipment covered in some kind of tarp really close to the engines ends up burning up. What is behind these loose coverings? Why are these things so close to the engines?
- nickik 6y ago
  They have tanks for nitrogen thrusters there and maybe some other things. These will eventually be removed and replaced with hot methane gas thrusters that are feed directly from the main fuel tank.
lambda_obrien 6y ago
When I saw the flaps bent at the seam, not twisting, I knew immediately that I've played too much KSP. It reminded me of a parachutist using their arms and legs to manage their decent.
lmilcin 6y ago
I know it might be a stupid idea, but would it be possible to have liquid propellant/oxidizer tanks perform double duty and serve as living space while underway? The fuel here is methane and oxygen, nothing problematic. I know the shell is very thin and only maintains integrity due to pressure but it would still have to be pressurized to 1 atm for the trip and wouldn't be subjected to forces once in space..
CobrastanJorji 6y ago
I remember Musk giving a big presentation showing off the model of this rocket when he announced the Mars plan, and I laughed because it was obviously a very rough, ugly aluminum grain silo that was vaguely rocket-shaped and not any sort of real rocket. Well...that thing looks exactly the same. Shows what I know.
- the_duke 6y ago
  To be fair to you, that prototype (called MK1) indeed was extremely shoddy and could never have survived today s flight. It probably only existed for the presentation and as a production pathfinder, and indeed failed shortly after during a simple pressurisation test. Their welding technique has come a long way since then! Here is a comparison shot: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/j7g07d/comparison_mk1_sn8/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/j7g07d/compar... Video of the failure: https://youtu.be/3nTSubYzQOM?t=14 https://youtu.be/3nTSubYzQOM?t=14
- mulcahey 6y ago
  They are using much bigger panels for raw material now, & have iterated on their welding process. Here is Mark 1: https://www.spacex.com/static/images/starship/STR_9.webp https://www.spacex.com/static/images/starship/STR_9.webp Here is Serial Number 8: https://www.spacex.com/static/images/crew-1/SN8.webp https://www.spacex.com/static/images/crew-1/SN8.webp
- intotheabyss 6y ago
  It's actually an ugly steel grain silo
tnli 6y ago
Bloody Hell, that was the best thing since the Falcon Heavy! Amazing, flying wheat silo!
sneak 6y ago
I think this counts as a rapid scheduled disassembly.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
irrational 6y ago
At one point it looked like one wall of the engine chamber caught on fire. Is that accurate?
- elihu 6y ago
  I wondered about that too. After watching a couple of times, I think what happened is that they used some sort of tarp or plastic to cover a bunch of things, and part of it caught fire and burned. So, it was probably unplanned, but if everything else in the vicinity of the engine is fireproof, probably not a big deal.
blackrock 6y ago
The Starship floated down like a feather. I counted about 30 seconds when it was still higher than the cloud it passed through. How many G’s is it pulling?
- elihu 6y ago
  With three raptor engines, probably not very many. Though if I remember right from the Starship user manual posted here a couple days ago, a launch could experience up to about six Gs (and about 2 Gs or so sideways or backwards). That would be with the super-heavy booster. I'm not sure if the landing and belly-flop maneuver were included in those figures.
  - blackrock 6y ago
    How will the flaps handle the heat from re-entry speeds? Especially from the Moon or Mars. Those crevices between the flaps, seems like great places for the atmospheric re-entry heat to punch through and destroy the Starship. I would assume that during the initial re-entrant speed, the flaps would be locked, to minimize errant heat from entering the inner mechanisms. Then after it’s bled off most of its speed, at the last few kilometers off the ground, would the flaps begin to actuate and adjust to the air speed of terminal velocity. I wonder if atmospheric re-entry is the bigger test, should they succeed with SN9.
    - grecy 6y ago
      They're working on heat tiles and how to attach them now - and I agree, somewhere around SN12 (my guess) we're going to start seeing tests of the heat tiles and more energetic reentries.
dang 6y ago
The story is also being discussed here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25366719 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25366719.
oska 6y ago
Good analysis of the flight from a knowledgeable commenter on r/spacex: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/ka34n6/elon_musk_fuel_header_tank_pressure_was_low/gf7yxem/ https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/ka34n6/elon_musk_fu... And an analysis video from Scott Manley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egHxiX40eJY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egHxiX40eJY
- dwd 6y ago
  Engine rich exhaust seems to be the current consensus. The footage SpaceX got with this launch, particularly that pad view Manley had of it falling directly towards the camera and then flipping was insane.
rkagerer 6y ago
KABOOM! <giant fireball, smoke, bits of rocket> "Incredible work team, nice work!" That cracked me up.
- JshWright 6y ago
  The point of the test was the ascent and "belly flop" descent, which all seemed to work very well. Landing was a secondary objective, and even there they seem to know exactly what went wrong (which means it was a very good test).
  - rkagerer 6y ago
    Yep, just the apparent juxtaposition make me feel exactly like I was watching one of my KSP simulations ;-). Must be a fun place to work.
rkagerer 6y ago
At about T+1:40, the three engine bells appeared to shake and diverge away from each other slightly, and one appeared to flame out, spewing flame around the compartment, with one side of the chamber (and maybe craft) catching fire. https://i.imgur.com/KER9nqc.png https://i.imgur.com/KER9nqc.png Is that what happened, or was it perfectly normal?
- rkagerer 6y ago
  Nevermind, found the answer and shared it here: https://space.stackexchange.com/a/49066/21328 https://space.stackexchange.com/a/49066/21328

439 points by r0m4n0 6y ago

I watched this with my kids, and it really was surreal. My 11 yo said “it looks like something from Star Wars”. Exciting times for space. Hope we can keep this momentum

jonplackett 6y ago

I just posted a gif of the landing on reddit and people are convinced it's edited and fake because they switch the camera almost exactly on impact. I kinda see their point!

Diederich 6y ago
Link please?
- nickik 6y ago
  On every single video about Space these idiots comment this garage. Don't waste your time with reading it.
  - jonplackett 6y ago
    I HATE it when people talk garage about SpaceX
imladyboy 6y ago
Just look up any of the other footage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M
- jonplackett 6y ago
  Yeah, I mean I don't actually think it's fake. I just see why someone might think it was from the Official Live Stream™
soneil 6y ago
I think my brain was screaming that it was fake because rockets simply don’t do this. Absolutely mindbending to watch, I can totally understand if anyone’s gut reaction that if it looks unreal, it might just be unreal. (To be explicit; I don't believe it was faked. There was far too many people watching. But I can understand why the gut reaction may not agree.) But in all seriousness, I suspect they were prepared for it to hit the ground. Once it left the ground, that part was guaranteed.
- jonplackett 6y ago
  The world these days, when you have to explain yourself so much to make sure you aren't accidentally lumped in with people who really are that crazy.
agar 6y ago
Maybe the scene was switched because two of the three cameras in that view had...just blown up?

dgritsko 6y ago

The bellyflop and subsequent RUD is one of the most spectacular things I think I've ever seen.

CarVac 6y ago

That was absolutely incredible. It looked like most of the flight went just as planned except for the engine relight at the end.

enraged_camel 6y ago
Yeah, a few seconds too late to re-ignite is what it looked like. Great test though!
- endymi0n 6y ago
  Flame looked very green very late, looks like they might have burned through quite a lot of TEA-TEB trying to get that candle lighted but it didn't react as expected...
  - CarVac 6y ago
    The Raptor doesn't use TEA-TEB, it uses an augmented spark igniter.
    - Gwypaas 6y ago
      Maybe some metal in the engine burning, you could see some green streaks at the edge right at the relight. Engine rich combustion?
      - CarVac 6y ago
        Yeah. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 The fuel flow must have dropped, leading to oxygen-rich, and then engine-rich combustion.
- CarVac 6y ago
  From Everyday Astronaut's slow-mo replay, it looks like two engines both relit properly, and then one shut down (intentionally), and then the final engine throttled down and turned green.

modeless 6y ago

Looked perfect right until the end, appeared to lose an engine, hit the landing pad and exploded. Instant replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M&t=17585 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBELXjq_X-M&t=17585 Incredible test! The "bellyflop" maneuver was the main test objective I think, and it appeared to work. They need to figure out the causes of the engine failures now.

_ph_ 6y ago
Elon tweeted it wasn't an engine failure but the fuel pressure was too low.
- rst 6y ago
  They were attempting to switch to a separate set of tanks, ultimately meant to sequester fuel used for landing. It was pressure in the landing-fuel tanks that was low after the switch.

lpellis 6y ago

That was epic, it felt like an eternity before engine shutdown, and then the freefall took just as long.

grishka 6y ago

It landed, just not in one piece.

djaychela 6y ago

I wasn't sure if the ascent looked OK - no idea if it was supposed to be running on two, then one engine. But that was a moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life. Amazing stuff, even with what obviously meant the complete demise of SN8. I'm sure they'll learn an immense amount from it, and it was amazing to see it nearly pull off the landing. Given the way that Falcon 9 early landing attempts went, it'll go the same way with Starship, and it'll be landing soon.

enraged_camel 6y ago
>>I wasn't sure if the ascent looked OK - no idea if it was supposed to be running on two, then one engine. I realized that this may have been done to slow down the acceleration to make sure it doesn't go past the 12 km limit. I may be wrong though.
- endymi0n 6y ago
  I also wasn't entirely sure whether the engine shutoffs were fully intended... at least the sideways acceleration of the Raptors at shutoff looked scary.
  - Kye 6y ago
    We don't usually see rocket engines cut off in that much atmosphere, but it's probably normal.
  - apendleton 6y ago
    As engines shut off, the remaining ones that were still going had to rapidly re-center to keep the direction of thrust aligned with the center of mass of the vehicle, and the ones that had shut off had to move out of their way to make room.
- codeulike 6y ago
  I think it was hovering for a while at the top of the ascent.
grishka 6y ago

_Microft 6y ago

Crash landing not withstanding but as any other rocket launch provider or space-faring nation, I'd be scared shitless now. SpaceX is in a league by itself.

trhway 6y ago
>as any other rocket launch provider or space-faring nation, I'd be scared shitless now. Russian Space agency "Roskosmos" strikes back - it plans to produce alcohol, perfume, clothes, etc. under the trade mark "Poehali" ("let's go") - the word famously uttered by Gagarin when the rocket started to ascent. (in Russian) https://lenta.ru/news/2020/11/13/poehali/ https://lenta.ru/news/2020/11/13/poehali/ Also comes to mind the "Souz vs. Crew Dragon" tweet couple months back by a Russian cosmonaut which brought the Roskosmos CEO and the other top bureaucrats there into boiling publicly with rage https://twitter.com/Msuraev/status/1313945340039528448/photo/1 https://twitter.com/Msuraev/status/1313945340039528448/photo...
- avmich 6y ago
  Russian space program is in a pretty low state these days. It will take significant changes in Russia to come back to space exploration comparable to peers.
  - trhway 6y ago
    >It will take significant changes in Russia to come back As Russian joke about road building and everything else that requires any concerted effort goes - "There are 2 possible alternatives, a realistic one and a fantasy one. The realistic one is when aliens come to Earth and accomplish it for us. The fantasy one is when we accomplish it ourselves." For example Russia has been for several years trying to build a new spaceport in the Far East. After the first years of tremendous corruption discovered and prosecuted, the total control, audit and surveillance there have been unparalleled, yet despite it there have already changed several waves of the top/mid management - they get assigned there, steal a lot, get arrested, and new people get assigned, ...

jstsch 6y ago

Fantastic, bullseye. What an event, beautiful! If it managed to slow down a tiny bit more it'd be still standing... Phenomenal.

ninjamayo 6y ago

By far the most amazing launch and rocket I've ever seen. This is history in the making!

Nas808 6y ago
The test flight of Falcon Heavy (when they sent the Tesla Roadster to space) is still the most memorable launch for me. Watching those 2 boosters land side-by-side simultaneously looked like magic.
- Diederich 6y ago
  Yes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FZIwabctw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FZIwabctw
  - mrlala 6y ago
    Ok thanks for making me cry, haven't seen that since it was live. How has it been two years already.. damn.
- ninjamayo 6y ago
  I rewatch that launch every time I am low and always makes me happy. But this feels different. It feels like it is the beginning of the space age.
  - chasd00 6y ago
    I do this too. I watch when I need inspiration and I watch when I start thinking I'm hotshit and need some humbling.
- johncalvinyoung 6y ago
  Yes. The whole office broke what they were doing and watched that launch and landing together, on one of our big displays. A cheer went up when they landed, side by side--a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life. Goosebumps then, and goosebumps now. Felt like the most significant thing for manned space since maybe Apollo (well, definitely since early days of the Shuttle!)

mlindner 6y ago

That was amazing. History in the making.

grecy 6y ago

Oh my god. I was genuinely pumping my fists and screaming at my screen. THIS is the start of a new space age. I will remember this as long as I live. EDIT: ... and they just posted a new road closure. How many days before SN9 flies?

sxarose 6y ago
You know, we're hiring software engineers over here! :) If that was your (or anyone else's) reaction and you'd be interested in learning more about what we're doing and how you might fit it, I'd be happy to chat! I'm a manager for one of the software teams here - we're always looking for great engineers who care about the mission!
- reducesuffering 6y ago
  Could you add your email to your profile? Is the location just in Hawthorne/LA?
  - sxarose 6y ago
    I just added it (thanks for pointing that out) but for anyone that wants to get in touch it is anthony.rose [at] spacex.com. Edit: and there are other locations too, including Redmond, WA.
    - ColinWright 6y ago
      Your email address is still not on your profile. Did you add it to the window only visible to the HN mods? Or have you removed it again? Regardless, as I type this, there are no contact details in your profile.
- grecy 6y ago
  My god I would love to. Absolute dream. I am actually a Software Engineer, and even your reply gets me excited. I'm not American.
- nynx 6y ago

fabian2k 6y ago

That was about as awesome as a failed attempt could be. I assume that there were real engine failures on ascent, but it still all seemed to work like it was supposed to until the landing. And the scariest part, the belly flop maneuver looked like it worked just as it should.

aardvarkr 6y ago
The first may have been unintentional on ascent but the second wasn’t. On the descent however both active engines failed due to fuel pressure, sadly, though it was awesome to watch.

huhnmonster 6y ago

At around 1:54:50, upon full landing thrust, the exhaust flames turn green. I know colored flames from chemistry classes, but I always assumed that was caused by certain salts. Rocket fuel, to my knowledge, does not contain any of those ingredients. Can someone explain what happened there? Was this planned?

fabian2k 6y ago
I really don't know enough about this, but this might be "engine-rich combustion". Which would also explain why the landing part didn't work.
- luizfzs 6y ago
  "engine-rich combustion" has become my favorite expression
Diederich 6y ago
I think that was caused by the out engine trying to re-start itself using TEA-TEB. EDIT: Correction: Raptor doesn't use TEA-TEB.
rajup 6y ago
Most likely the chemical used to (re)start the engine, triethylborane (TEB) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triethylborane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triethylborane.
- handol 6y ago
  I thought the raptor was going to use a spark plug.
- NikolaeVarius 6y ago
  Which it does not use
aazaa 6y ago
Copper and boron, according to Wikipedia, will give green flame: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_fire But given the extreme conditions, a number of other factors could be at work.

ninjamayo 6y ago

From Elon: Successful ascent, switchover to header tanks & precise flap control to landing point!

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

boznz 6y ago

Roll on SN9 :-)

Diederich 6y ago
That's the main thing to remember: the main thrust of their iteration and innovation is to build the machine that makes the machine. To pump out Starships (and Raptors and Super Heavies) very rapidly, repeatably and cheaply.
grecy 6y ago
In a sense the RUD might make it easier - now they just sweep up the debris and test SN9. If it hadn't RUDed, they would have to somehow dispose of SN8.
- comfydragon 6y ago
  I actually think SN9 is going to be at least launching from a different stand. Perhaps also landing on a different pad.

nsxwolf 6y ago

Honestly, I'd have been a little disappointed if it hadn't ended the way it did. SpaceX seems to be all about an iterative process of showing us cool new capabilities ending in awesome explosions.

jonplackett 6y ago
New company mantra to be had right there.
- buu700 6y ago
  SpaceX's new mascot: https://youtu.be/jar1LTxxAeM?t=14 https://youtu.be/jar1LTxxAeM?t=14
sq_ 6y ago
Eventually we're gonna run out of funny three letter acronyms to describe the different explosion types. We've already got RUD for rapid unscheduled disassembly and SRD for scheduled rapid disassembly (Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort test).

guardiangod 6y ago

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 Successful ascent, switchover to header tanks & precise flap control to landing point! Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!! It seems that the Raptor engines didn't failed due to defects at the end of the landing. The fuel pressure from the header tank wasn't high enough and the engines became fuel starved. It is obvious in the video as the engine exhaust became bright green at the end, a sign that the engine was restarting by TEB. Edit: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779 Mars, here we come!! Indeed

nikolay 6y ago
A nice try to make an explosion sound like a success - reminds me of the Soviet times when the Party was never wrong!
- jessriedel 6y ago
  It's a test flight. Musk gave only a 1/3 chance of mission success before the flight.
  - nikolay 6y ago
    Yes, but a 1/3 success chance doesn't not mean a 2/3 one of an explosion.
    - robotresearcher 6y ago
      After engine ignition, isn't it pretty much that success or massive explosion are the only outcomes?
      - NikolaeVarius 6y ago
        Nah engines are able to turn off after ignition. Thats what the Raptor safety is. Usually the blow or moment is when it lifts off the tower with one notable exception that I know of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_1 Technically the Shuttle go or blow moment is when the SRBs are turned on. But yes, otherwise in the spirit, it will either blow up or be generally sucessful.

grecy 6y ago

Elon Tweets since the RUD 1: Successful ascent, switchover to header tanks & precise flap control to landing point! 2: Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!! 3: Mars, here we come!! 1 - https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336808486022258688 2 - https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336809767574982658 3- https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1336810077555019779

mulcahey 6y ago

More info about Starship https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/ https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/ > As early as Wednesday, December 9, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude suborbital flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8) from our site in Cameron County, Texas. The schedule is dynamic and likely to change, as is the case with all development testing. > This suborbital flight is designed to test a number of objectives, from how the vehicle’s three Raptor engines perform to the overall aerodynamic entry capabilities of the vehicle (including its body flaps) to how the vehicle manages propellant transition. SN8 will also attempt to perform a landing flip maneuver, which would be a first for a vehicle of this size. > With a test such as this, success is not measured by completion of specific objectives but rather how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances development of Starship. > This past year alone, SpaceX has completed two low-altitude flight tests with Starship SN5 and SN6 and accumulated over 16,000 seconds of run time during 330 ground engine starts, including multiple Starship static fires and four flight tests of the reusable methalox full-flow staged combustion Raptor engine. Additionally, with production accelerating and fidelity increasing, SpaceX has built 10 Starship prototypes. SN9 is almost ready to move to the pad, which now has two active stands for rapid development testing. > SN8’s flight test is an exciting next step in the development of a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As we venture into new territory, we continue to appreciate all of the support and encouragement we have received. > There will be a live feed of the flight test available here that will start a few minutes prior to liftoff. Given the uncertainty of the schedule, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates as we move toward our first high-altitude flight test of Starship!

mlindner 6y ago

Timestamp for the flight: https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6480 https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6480

tus88 6y ago

That was awesome. I really thought it was going to blow when it started going sideways...then realized that was all part of the plan. Even the landing explosion was a fitting end to a first flight.

camilomaiden 6y ago

https://onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0cc1 https://onezero.medium.com/survival-of-the-richest-9ef6cddd0...

lovetocode 6y ago

I wish I was smart enough to understand anything being said here.

ColinWright 6y ago
It's not a question of being smart, it's a question of reading about these things, reading what people have previously said, thinking hard, asking questions, and getting engaged and involved. Some of this stuff is hard,and you're not expected to understand it without work. So don't just flip it off and say "I'm not smart enough" ... recognise that with work you can understand it, and if you choose not to put in the effort, that's your choice.
- lovetocode 6y ago
  Thank you for this wonderful advice!
  - ColinWright 6y ago
    That's a great reaction ... I was hoping you'd take it as positive and encouraging, that's certainly how it's intended. There's a lot in this world that takes time to work on, and time to come up to speed with. If you have seventeen lifetimes then you can do a lot, but otherwise you need to make choices. There's a lot you can appreciate from the sidelines, and agree is amazing, without necessarily understanding it all. But other things you will want to get stuck into and get your hands dirty with, and it takes time and effort. Smart isn't where it's at ... persistence and resilience are the critical components, combined with a desire to make progress. Absolutely you can look at something and choose not to engage with it, but if you're interested,have a go! Be methodical, be persistent, read around, ask questions, and go for it. By the way ... I certainly don't know everything ... far from it ... very, very far from it, but if ever there's something you think I might be able to help with, just let me know. If I can't help, I'll say so. If I can, I'd be happy to do so.
    - lovetocode 6y ago

bane 6y ago

The thing that is most interesting to me is that this is a major R&D program being done literally out in the open. These prototypes are being put together basically in an open field or under a tent with SpaceX sharing loads of information on the technology, price targets, mission profiles and so on. And yet nobody is coming close to matching them. Even if another company decides to try to replicate what SpaceX is doing, they're now at least a decade behind. Nobody has the present institutional knowledge that they have.

tuatoru 6y ago
Expect Old Space (Boeing & co) to lobby for a law requiring SpaceX to share all their telemtry data in real time.
- TheBill 6y ago
  They might try, but they'll still be focused on looting the .gov & first try success. SpaceX will still be 2-3 decades ahead of them.
texasbigdata 6y ago
What’s the Bezos one doing though? Aren’t they comparably close give or take a few years.
- Denvercoder9 6y ago
  They haven't actually put anything in orbit yet. I'd say they're at least a decade behind.
- dmd 6y ago
  Remind me again how many times Blue Origin has put anything in orbit?
- wongarsu 6y ago
  I don't think anybody knows how far Blue Origin really is. They are much more secretive and seem to do a lot less testing. New Glenn is somewhat comparable to a Falcon 9 scaled up to the size of Starship and is supposed to happen in 2021, but I don't think there's any good indication how far they are along and whether they will be able to deliver. My gut says that if they don't test they can't deliver, and that Elon's rapid prototyping will keep SpaceX far in the lead for the foreseeable future. But only time will tell.

betwixthewires 6y ago

I laughed loudly at that ending. The explosion seems so comical. The test was great, it proved the concepts in principle do work in practice, and proved that the design fundamentally works. Launch, high altitude, belly flop and flip and burn landing. I'm excited to see the coming tests, design improvements, and to watch the thing land without blowing up.

cma 6y ago
To fundamentally work it needs to handle reentry speeds with that same geometry.
- aardvarkr 6y ago
  Next one should have heat shields for them to try for a real re-entry attempt but the terminal velocity was surprisingly slow with that geometry so I’m not sure it’s really going to change much.
sq_ 6y ago
Kinda hoping that we get an updated "How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster" video [0] covering Starship development eventually... [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvim4rsNHkQ

DarmokJalad1701 6y ago

That was an epic flight!

Geee 6y ago

That was incredible. Great job SpaceX!

lxe 6y ago

At around 1:49:46 (https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6586 https://youtu.be/ap-BkkrRg-o?t=6586) (T+1:34) one of the engines shuts off, and things seems to move a bunch. Some equipment covered in some kind of tarp really close to the engines ends up burning up. What is behind these loose coverings? Why are these things so close to the engines?

nickik 6y ago
They have tanks for nitrogen thrusters there and maybe some other things. These will eventually be removed and replaced with hot methane gas thrusters that are feed directly from the main fuel tank.

lambda_obrien 6y ago

When I saw the flaps bent at the seam, not twisting, I knew immediately that I've played too much KSP. It reminded me of a parachutist using their arms and legs to manage their decent.

lmilcin 6y ago

I know it might be a stupid idea, but would it be possible to have liquid propellant/oxidizer tanks perform double duty and serve as living space while underway? The fuel here is methane and oxygen, nothing problematic. I know the shell is very thin and only maintains integrity due to pressure but it would still have to be pressurized to 1 atm for the trip and wouldn't be subjected to forces once in space..

CobrastanJorji 6y ago

I remember Musk giving a big presentation showing off the model of this rocket when he announced the Mars plan, and I laughed because it was obviously a very rough, ugly aluminum grain silo that was vaguely rocket-shaped and not any sort of real rocket. Well...that thing looks exactly the same. Shows what I know.

the_duke 6y ago
To be fair to you, that prototype (called MK1) indeed was extremely shoddy and could never have survived today s flight. It probably only existed for the presentation and as a production pathfinder, and indeed failed shortly after during a simple pressurisation test. Their welding technique has come a long way since then! Here is a comparison shot: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/j7g07d/comparison_mk1_sn8/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge/comments/j7g07d/compar... Video of the failure: https://youtu.be/3nTSubYzQOM?t=14 https://youtu.be/3nTSubYzQOM?t=14
mulcahey 6y ago
They are using much bigger panels for raw material now, & have iterated on their welding process. Here is Mark 1: https://www.spacex.com/static/images/starship/STR_9.webp https://www.spacex.com/static/images/starship/STR_9.webp Here is Serial Number 8: https://www.spacex.com/static/images/crew-1/SN8.webp https://www.spacex.com/static/images/crew-1/SN8.webp
intotheabyss 6y ago
It's actually an ugly steel grain silo

tnli 6y ago

Bloody Hell, that was the best thing since the Falcon Heavy! Amazing, flying wheat silo!

sneak 6y ago

I think this counts as a rapid scheduled disassembly.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

irrational 6y ago

At one point it looked like one wall of the engine chamber caught on fire. Is that accurate?

elihu 6y ago
I wondered about that too. After watching a couple of times, I think what happened is that they used some sort of tarp or plastic to cover a bunch of things, and part of it caught fire and burned. So, it was probably unplanned, but if everything else in the vicinity of the engine is fireproof, probably not a big deal.

blackrock 6y ago

The Starship floated down like a feather. I counted about 30 seconds when it was still higher than the cloud it passed through. How many G’s is it pulling?

elihu 6y ago
With three raptor engines, probably not very many. Though if I remember right from the Starship user manual posted here a couple days ago, a launch could experience up to about six Gs (and about 2 Gs or so sideways or backwards). That would be with the super-heavy booster. I'm not sure if the landing and belly-flop maneuver were included in those figures.
- blackrock 6y ago
  How will the flaps handle the heat from re-entry speeds? Especially from the Moon or Mars. Those crevices between the flaps, seems like great places for the atmospheric re-entry heat to punch through and destroy the Starship. I would assume that during the initial re-entrant speed, the flaps would be locked, to minimize errant heat from entering the inner mechanisms. Then after it’s bled off most of its speed, at the last few kilometers off the ground, would the flaps begin to actuate and adjust to the air speed of terminal velocity. I wonder if atmospheric re-entry is the bigger test, should they succeed with SN9.
  - grecy 6y ago
    They're working on heat tiles and how to attach them now - and I agree, somewhere around SN12 (my guess) we're going to start seeing tests of the heat tiles and more energetic reentries.

dang 6y ago

The story is also being discussed here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25366719 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25366719.

oska 6y ago

Good analysis of the flight from a knowledgeable commenter on r/spacex: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/ka34n6/elon_musk_fuel_header_tank_pressure_was_low/gf7yxem/ https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/ka34n6/elon_musk_fu... And an analysis video from Scott Manley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egHxiX40eJY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egHxiX40eJY

dwd 6y ago
Engine rich exhaust seems to be the current consensus. The footage SpaceX got with this launch, particularly that pad view Manley had of it falling directly towards the camera and then flipping was insane.

rkagerer 6y ago

KABOOM! <giant fireball, smoke, bits of rocket> "Incredible work team, nice work!" That cracked me up.

JshWright 6y ago
The point of the test was the ascent and "belly flop" descent, which all seemed to work very well. Landing was a secondary objective, and even there they seem to know exactly what went wrong (which means it was a very good test).
- rkagerer 6y ago
  Yep, just the apparent juxtaposition make me feel exactly like I was watching one of my KSP simulations ;-). Must be a fun place to work.

rkagerer 6y ago

At about T+1:40, the three engine bells appeared to shake and diverge away from each other slightly, and one appeared to flame out, spewing flame around the compartment, with one side of the chamber (and maybe craft) catching fire. https://i.imgur.com/KER9nqc.png https://i.imgur.com/KER9nqc.png Is that what happened, or was it perfectly normal?

rkagerer 6y ago
Nevermind, found the answer and shared it here: https://space.stackexchange.com/a/49066/21328 https://space.stackexchange.com/a/49066/21328