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For an uninformed person like myself - what's the expectation for this launch? Is it expected to explode like the last two?
by conradgodfrey 3y ago
For an uninformed person like myself - what's the expectation for this launch? Is it expected to explode like the last two?
- TOMDM 3y agoThey are hoping to achieve a hard landing in the ocean. Given the progress shown between the first and second integrated test, odds are decent that they'll achieve it, however they are also trying for a number of firsts in orbit so who knows.
- pixl97 3y agoWell, yes, but the question is when. If everything goes right the booster will likely explode when it lands in the gulf . Starship itself will most likely explode on reentry somewhere over the Indian ocean. Now, I think the question is, will it explode before then, and of course that's why they do flight tests to find out.
- pixl97 3y agoReplying to myself. Booster made the boost back burn successfully and had a mostly controlled flight into the gulf. I say mostly because it looked like it had some instability and met the water somewhere close to 1000km/h if telemetry was right (or went unstable just before then). 10 minutes into flight starship is coasting in space for the next 30 minutes and should relight at around 40 minutes.
- elif 3y agothe instability was due to partial engine relight
- cwillu 3y agoIt looked to me like there was some major oscillations shortly before the engines relit though.
- pixl97 3y agoYea. If I had to make an uneducated guess I'm thinking one of two things. 1. Starship is leaky. Outgassing and/or leaky valves made attitude control difficult and used up ullage gasses quickly. 2. Thrust control/RCS has programming or physical issues. Saw a lot of ice breaking off places near deorbit, so if you had ice building up and redirecting gas the ship wouldn't perform as the computer expects.