3 ms·

The good news here is that the gimballing system that failed today was already obsolete. The booster that launched today (B7) was the last prototype that was b

The good news here is that the gimballing system that failed today was already obsolete. The booster that launched today (B7) was the last prototype that was built with hydraulic gimballing (B8 might of had it, but that booster was scrapped). Subsequent boosters starting with B9 were built with an electrically actuated gimballing system. So the HPUs that supported the old system aren't present on the newer prototypes.

dTal 4y ago
How is that good news? It means the data from this test is worthless.
- sbuttgereit 4y ago
  Perhaps the better news, then, is that there was much more to test than thrust vectoring. The structural integrity of a new rocket design under load, the challenges of a new engine design in flight, the ability to light a large number of engines in the correct sequence, etc. In fact, it is possible the least of what they need to sort out is thrust vectoring: SpaceX has a lot of experience using thrust vectoring in their current production rockets, they have repeatedly demonstrated solid vectoring control throughout the program in Boca Chica, incuding the flight of "Hoppy", the test articles SN5 &SN6, and Starship high altitude tests SN8, SN9, SN10, SN11, and SN15. While there were failures in those programs, the thrust vectoring really wasn't the issue. In reality, huge amounts of test data that doesn't depend on the thrust vectoring methodology was collected and remains valid from the test flight. And while there might be reasons we might consider SpaceX engineers sub-standard or that other factors compromise their judgement.... I'm sure they've considered what they can and can't learn from the test flight given that the some parts of B7 are obsolete... and still thought the exercise is worthwhile. I for one will trust their judgement on this point.

3 ms·

The good news here is that the gimballing system that failed today was already obsolete. The booster that launched today (B7) was the last prototype that was b

by sbuttgereit 4y ago

dTal 4y ago
How is that good news? It means the data from this test is worthless.
- sbuttgereit 4y ago
  Perhaps the better news, then, is that there was much more to test than thrust vectoring. The structural integrity of a new rocket design under load, the challenges of a new engine design in flight, the ability to light a large number of engines in the correct sequence, etc. In fact, it is possible the least of what they need to sort out is thrust vectoring: SpaceX has a lot of experience using thrust vectoring in their current production rockets, they have repeatedly demonstrated solid vectoring control throughout the program in Boca Chica, incuding the flight of "Hoppy", the test articles SN5 &SN6, and Starship high altitude tests SN8, SN9, SN10, SN11, and SN15. While there were failures in those programs, the thrust vectoring really wasn't the issue. In reality, huge amounts of test data that doesn't depend on the thrust vectoring methodology was collected and remains valid from the test flight. And while there might be reasons we might consider SpaceX engineers sub-standard or that other factors compromise their judgement.... I'm sure they've considered what they can and can't learn from the test flight given that the some parts of B7 are obsolete... and still thought the exercise is worthwhile. I for one will trust their judgement on this point.