SpaceX has stacked a Starship nosecone section to its full height for the first time in almost a year, featuring an upgraded design that could soon support an ambitious series of flight tests.
Back in August 2019, SpaceX first began stacking the nose section of Starship Mk1 the first full-scale prototype of any kind. It became clear a few months later that Starship Mk1 was more of a rough proof of concept than a full-fidelity test article, but it still became the first (and only, so far) Starship to reach its full ~50m (~160 ft) height. After serving as a centerpiece during CEO Elon Musks September 2019 Starship presentation, SpaceX removed the nose and attempted to test the Mk1 tank section itself, ultimately destroying the ship.
Now eight months distant from Mk1s demise, SpaceXs Starship R&D program has entered the prototype mass-production phase. Since January 2020, SpaceX has built five upgraded Starship tank sections (and tested three to destruction), built and tested four stout test tanks, and completed at least 4-5 new nosecone prototypes. For the first time since nosecone production began several months ago, one of the noses has finally been stacked to its full height atop five steel rings.
At the moment, SpaceX is hard at work preparing Starship SN5 for its first wet dress rehearsals (WDRs) with methane and oxygen propellant and either one or several Raptor engine static fire tests. If successful, SpaceX will quickly move to flight test preparations, readying SN5 for a nominal ~150m (~500 ft) hop, though the company is technically no longer restricted to that ceiling. For such a low-altitude test, aerodynamic features like a nosecone or flaps serve no functional purpose, meaning that SN5 is unlikely to ever receive those additions.
Roughly two miles west of the coastal launch and test site SN5 is stationed at, SpaceX has already more or less finished Starship SN6, although the newest ships fate is unclear. Pictured above on July 10th, the task of stacking an even newer ship (likely SN8) may already be underway. Last month, SpaceX tested a new test tank built out of a different steel alloy said by CEO Elon Musk to be theoretically superior. Two cryogenic pressure tests seemingly confirmed that suspicion, proving that 304L stainless steel fails more gracefully than 301 while still offering similar strength at the pressures Starships operate at. The SN7 test tank was built and tested around the same time as SpaceX was finishing up SN6, implying that the ship was almost certainly built out of 301 steel.
If 304L really is the way forward for future Starship prototypes, the next step will be building an entire ship out of the steel alloy and performing a full cryogenic proof test and wet dress rehearsal. Given that SN5 and SN6 are likely identical (or nearly so), SN6 may have been made redundant before the ship even left the factory floor.
This is all to say that its a bit of a mystery where the first upgraded nosecone will find itself in the coming weeks. Like SN6 or SN7, it could either be redundant on arrival, built as practice, or both. It could also be the first nosecone installed on a flightworthy Starship prototype. Its unlikely but not impossible that SN5 survives its static fires and first hops and is modified to support three Raptors and aerodynamic control surfaces, while SN8 and SN9 are more probable candidates for the first high-altitude, high-velocity test flight(s). SpaceX has at least 3-5 more Starship nosecones strewn about its Boca Chica factory, though, so odds are good that the first new nose section to reach full height wont be the first to take flight.
For now, Starship SN5 (sans nose) is scheduled to attempt its first wet dress rehearsal (WDR) no earlier than July 16th. If successful, a static fire could follow a few days after that and a hop test another few days later.
Check out Teslaratis newslettersfor prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceXs rocket launch and recovery processes.
See original here:
SpaceX stacks Starship nose section for the first time in months - Teslarati
- NASA's Guardian Angels: Pararescuemen and the SpaceX launch - SOFREP [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- SpaceX Vs Blue Origin: Who Wins The Space Race - Analytics India Magazine [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- SpaceX delays launch of latest batch of Starlink satellites, with two hitchhiking spacecraft - The Verge [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- SpaceX's next batch of Starlink satellites back on the launch pad - Spaceflight Now [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- SpaceX launch postponed due to bad weather - Gruntstuff [Last Updated On: July 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 16th, 2020]
- Astronauts to tackle another spacewalk on extended SpaceX mission - UPI News [Last Updated On: July 16th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 16th, 2020]
- Edinburgh scientists to blast asteroid-eating bacteria into orbit on a SpaceX rocket - Edinburgh Live [Last Updated On: July 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 17th, 2020]
- Need to Get Away? Heres Every Space Tourism Vacation You Can Book Right Now - Observer [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2020]
- Science News Roundup: SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts slated for August 2 return; Mexican cave artifacts show earlier arrival of humans in... [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Tesla is like a SpaceX rocket to stock investors, but the car makers bond holders are down to earth - MarketWatch [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- WATCH: SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Drone Ship 'Just Read the Instructions' Returns to Port Canaveral - SpaceCoastDaily.com [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2020]
- SpaceX Astronauts Preparing To Leave ISS To Return To Earth - International Business Times [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- Elon Musk says SpaceX will try launching a full-size Starship prototype 'later this week,' and the rocket may fly 150 meters high - MSN Money [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- Watch The SpaceX Crew Dragon's Return To Earth LIVE This Sunday On 'Space Launch Live: Splashdown' - Science Fiction [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- How Much Is SpaceX Worth and How Does It Make Money? - Barron's [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- Elon Musk's SpaceX is raising up to $1 billion at $44 billion valuation - CNBC [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- How SpaceX, social media and the 'worm' helped NASA become cool again - CNBC [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- SpaceX Starship factory and rocket prototypes weather Texas hurricane - Teslarati [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2020]
- SpaceX, NASA watch weather for historic astronaut splashdown on Sunday - Space.com [Last Updated On: July 30th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 30th, 2020]
- Taking on SpaceX, Amazon to invest $10 billion in satellite broadband plan - Economic Times [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- SpaceX Crew Dragon Departs, Carrying NASA Astronauts Toward Home - The New York Times [Last Updated On: August 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 2nd, 2020]
- r/SpaceX, the premier SpaceX discussion community [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- Whats on TV Sunday: Connected and the SpaceX Landing - The New York Times [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- SpaceX crew returned to Earth and other space news you missed - Winston-Salem Journal [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- 'I prayed for this one - Space.com [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- You Can't Buy SpaceX Stock Right Now, but Here's How You ... [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- SpaceX Launch Schedule [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- SpaceX's toasted Crew Dragon returns home after historic NASA astronaut splashdown - Space.com [Last Updated On: August 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 9th, 2020]
- Explained: What is SpaceXs SN5 Starship prototype that completed its first test flight? - The Indian Express [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- SpaceX launches and lands prototype of its Mars rocket Starship in key short flight test - CNBC [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Virgin Galactic Updates: Whats Happening With SpaceX Rival - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 14th, 2020]
- SpaceX Increases Latest Funding Round to $2 Billion - Bloomberg [Last Updated On: August 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 14th, 2020]
- SpaceX ramping up Starship prototype tests in Texas (and looking for a resort manager) - Space.com [Last Updated On: August 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 14th, 2020]
- SpaceX hopes to 'hop' another Starship prototype this weekend - CNET [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2020]
- Three launches this weekend? SpaceX to try back-to-back launches this Sunday - Florida Today [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2020]
- SpaceX & NASA To Explore Gold-Filled Asteroid: Where Do Investors Flee If The Main Safe Haven Becomes Worthless? - The Punch [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2020]
- Elon Musks SpaceX vs Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin: Which Space Project Will Dominate the Cosmos? - Robb Report [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2020]
- SpaceX Just Launched Its 100th Rocket In A Major Milestone For The Company - Forbes [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2020]
- What's Up in the Sky: Here's what to expect in 2021 - Akron Beacon Journal [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- SpaceX among Perry broadband project awards - pennlive.com [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- Lockheed Martin buys Aerojet Rocketdyne to better compete with Musk's SpaceX, Bezos' Blue Origin - CNBC [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- Watch every SpaceX launch from 2020 and say Auld Lang Syne with fire - CNET [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- Relive SpaceX's Starship SN8 test launch with this epic recap video - Space.com [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2020]
- SpaceX cargo mission to carry water bears, baby squids to space station - UPI News [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- Squid, cotton and 'water bears' among cargo headed to the International Space Station - WTSP.com [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- Close Up Photo Shows the SpaceX Resilience Capsule Still Tied to the ISS - autoevolution [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- Starlink snag forces users to build idiotic contraptions to access Elon Musks space internet - The Independent [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- SpaceX Rival OneWeb Plans Next-Gen Constellation Thats Better Than Starlink - Observer [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- What is that?! SpaceX's Starlink satellites explained - EarthSky [Last Updated On: May 29th, 2021] [Originally Added On: May 29th, 2021]
- Weekly Bytes | SpaceXs floating spaceport, Ransomware attack on Fujifilm, and more - The Hindu [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- SpaceX Dragon delivers solar arrays to the International Space Station - Electrek.co [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- USAF wants to deliver cargo around the world with reusable rockets - Aerospace Manufacturing [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- Is the Space Force about to acquire SpaceX Starships? | TheHill - The Hill [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- It's Launch Day! Here's what you need to know for today's SpaceX launch - Florida Today [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- See the citizen astronauts of Inspiration4 learn how to fly a SpaceX Dragon (photos) - Space.com [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- Everything You Need to Know About the Rise of SpaceX - Analytics Insight [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- The Pentagon wants to use private rockets like SpaceX's Starship to deliver cargo around the world - CNBC [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- SpaceX sends cargo to the space station, with the company on a record launch pace for 2021 - CNBC [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- Marc Benioff reveals investment in SpaceX, but says he'd need 'a couple of Ativans' to leave Earth - CNBC [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- Relativity Space raises $650 million from Fidelity and others to build 3D-printed SpaceX competitor - CNBC [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- SpaceX Converts Oil Rig Into a Launch Pad for Starship in ... [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- SpaceX Tests Experimental Starlink Terminal That Uses 2 ... [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- SpaceX Dragon docks at space station to deliver new solar ... [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- SpaceXs Starlink is in talks with several airlines for in-flight Wi-Fi - The Verge [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- Relativity Space raises $650 million for 3D-printed SpaceX ... [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2021]
- Ex-SpaceX engineers are working on portable nuclear reactors that can power over 1,000 homes - Business Insider India [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2021]
- Cathie Wood Piled Up Another $994K In This Company Linked With Elon Musk's SpaceX On Friday - Benzinga - Benzinga [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2021]
- Supporters and opponents of SpaceX launch site air their concerns - Ars Technica [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2021]
- Its not the heat, its the humidity that grounded Boeings Starliner - Ars Technica [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2021]
- Morgan Stanley says SpaceX's Starship may 'transform investor expectations' about space - CNBC [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2021] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2021]
- Updates: Watch as SpaceX launches a South Korean mission to the moon from Florida - Florida Today [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2022]
- SpaceX's Starlink has soared, but a course correction may be on the horizon - Fast Company [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2022]
- Musk Tries a New Way Out of Twitter - Bloomberg [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Elon Musk reveals hidden meaning behind the swooping 'X' in SpaceX - TweakTown [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, world's most powerful rocket, launches after three-year hiatus - CNN [Last Updated On: November 4th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 4th, 2022]
- Experts Excoriate NASA Report Claiming James Webb Wasn't Homophobic [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Elon Musk Locks Twitter Employees Out Office, Then Asks Them to Meet Him on the 10th Floor [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- So Many People Are Using a Diabetes Drug for Weight Loss That Actual Diabetics Are Having Trouble Getting It [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- NASA Tells Astronauts That Tweeting Isn't As Important as Staying Alive [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]
- Behind the Lawsuit Against Celebs Who Shilled FTX Before Its Spectacular Meltdown [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2022]