Category Archives: Boca Chica Texas

Second high-altitude flight from private space facility on U.S./Mexico border

by: Sandra Sanchez

A SpaceX SN9 prototype rocket explodes upon landing at the South Texas facility near Boca Chica Beach, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2020. (Screenshot)

(EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated with a statement from the FAA on the explosion.)

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) After days of delays in trying to get FAA approval, SpaceX on Tuesday afternoon launched its SN9 prototype rocket from its South Texas facility but the rocket exploded upon landing near Boca Chica Beach, Texas.

The rocket flew for several minutes after launching 2:25 p.m. CT, and reached a high altitude of 10 kilometers into the South Texas sky, but had a failed landing after what is called a flip and burn in which the rocket tries to reorient to face upward.

Debris could be seen flying off the gleaming rocket as it tried to get its nose up for landing on the same launch pad it took off from at Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Seconds later, the rocket hit the pad and exploded into a fireball.

SpaceX also had a failed landing when it tried to launch its SN8 in December.

This was only the second high-altitude test flight conducted from this remote flight facility near the U.S./Mexico border.

SpaceX had wanted to launch the vehicle last Friday but the Federal Aviation Administration restricted activities at the launch site due to safety concerns. Those concerns were resolved late Monday, FAA officials told Border Report on Tuesday. The oversight agency also updated its launch licenses to include the SN9 prototype, a rocket that is being developed by the private spacecraft company in the hopes of one day carrying humans to Mars.

After the explosion on Tuesday, the FAA issued the following statement: The FAAs top priority in regulating commercial space transportation is ensuring that operations are safe, even if there is an anomaly. The FAA will oversee the investigation of todays landing mishap involving the SpaceX Starship SN9 prototype in Boca Chica, Texas. Although this was an uncrewed test flight, the investigation will identify the root cause of todays mishap and possible opportunities to further enhance safety as the program develops.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at Ssanchez@borderreport.com.

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SpaceX test rocket crashes on landing pad in South Texas - Border Report

The Federal Aviation Administration is overseeing an investigation into the crash of SpaceX's prototype Starship SN9 rocket this week.

The rocket, a prototype of the ship Elon Musk's company hopes will one day carry people to Mars, was undergoing a high-altitude test flight Tuesday.

The shiny stainless-steel rocket reached an altitude of 6.2 miles as planned, but it failed to right itself as it descended and instead slammed into the ground and exploded.

It was the second crash of a Starship prototype in less than three months. The first crash on Dec. 11 also prompted an investigation by the FAA, according to The Verge.

(WATCH: SpaceX Launches a Record 143 Satellites on one Falcon 9 Rocket)

CNN was first to report the latest investigation by the FAA, which regulates and licenses commercial space operations in the U.S.

"The FAA's top priority in regulating commercial space transportation is ensuring that operations are safe, even if there is an anomaly," an agency spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. "The FAA will oversee the investigation of today's landing mishap involving the SpaceX Starship SN9 prototype in Boca Chica, Texas. Although this was an uncrewed test flight, the investigation will identify the root cause of today's mishap and possible opportunities to further enhance safety as the program develops."

Tuesday's launch had actually been delayed by the FAA. SpaceX wanted to launch the SN9 (Serial Number 9) prototype on Jan. 28.

According to The Verge, SpaceX violated the terms of its FAA test license with the launch of the SN8 prototype on Dec. 11.

Reuters reported that SpaceX sought a waiver to exceed the maximum public risk allowed by federal safety regulations. The FAA denied the request, Reuters reported, but SpaceX proceeded with the test, which ended when the rocket exploded while trying to land.

After the SN9 launch was delayed, Musk tweeted, Unlike its aircraft division, which is fine, the FAA space division has a fundamentally broken regulatory structure. Their rules are meant for a handful of expendable launches per year from a few government facilities. Under those rules, humanity will never get to Mars.

In a statement Tuesday, an FAA spokesperson said, "The FAA required SpaceX to conduct an investigation of the incident, including a comprehensive review of the company's safety culture, operational decision-making and process discipline. All testing that could affect public safety at the Boca Chica launch site was suspended until the investigation was completed and the FAA approved the company's corrective actions."

That cleared the way for Tuesday's launch of the SN9 prototype.

The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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FAA Investigates Explosive Landing of SpaceX's Mars Starship Prototype | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com - The...

A SpaceX prototype is seen on Nov. 30, 2020, ready to launch from the companys private facility near Boca Chica Beach, Texas. (Border Report File Photo/Sandra Sanchez)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) SpaceXs second full test flight of its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship ended in another fiery crash landing Tuesday.

Elon Musks company launched its latest Starship prototype from the southeastern tip of Texas, two months after the previous test ended in an equally explosive belly flop.

The full-scale stainless steel rocket reached its intended altitude of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), slightly lower than the last one. Everything seemed to be going well as the 160-foot (50-meter) Starship flipped on its side and began its descent. But it did not manage to straighten itself back up in time for a landing and slammed into the ground.

Weve just got to work on that landing a little bit, said SpaceX launch commentator John Insprucker. Reminder this is a test flight.

The next Starship stood nearby at the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, during Tuesdays test, which lasted 6 1/2 minutes.

Musk is developing Starship to carry people to Mars, perhaps in as little as several years. Its the upper stage of his intended moon- and Mars-ships, meant to launch atop a mega rocket called Super Heavy that is still being developed.

SpaceX tried to launch Starship last week, but failed to get the necessary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, prompting a Twitter outburst from Musk.

SpaceX did not comply with safety regulations for the Dec. 9 flight, an FAA spokesperson said Tuesday, and needed to take corrective action before proceeding with launch operations. Tuesdays flight met all safety criteria, according to the FAA.

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SpaceXs 2nd Starship test flight ends with another kaboom - NEWS10 ABC

SPACEX: Well be back with another Starship in the near future

BOCA CHICA, TEXAS SpaceXs Starship SN9 rocket successfully lifted off Tuesday afternoon in Boca Chica, Texas. However, it wasnt a total success when the rocket crash landed after it tumbled out of the sky and became engulfed in flames before disintegrating on the surface.

We had again another great flight up to the 10-kilometer apogee, we demonstrated the ability to transition the engines to the landing propellant tanksweve just gotta work on that landing a little bit, SpaceX engineer John Insprucker said during a 15-minute live stream of the launch.

And a reminder, this is a test flight second time we have flown Starship in this configuration. Weve got a lot of data.

Initially, the SN9 was powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee approximately 10 km in altitude. SN9 then performed a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.

The Starship prototype was suppose to descend under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle.

SpaceX says all four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starships attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. SN9s Raptor engines would reignite as the vehicle attempts a landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down on the landing pad adjacent to the launch mount.

Well be back with another Starship in the near future, said Insprucker.

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WATCH: SpaceX Starship Test Flight in Texas Lifts Off with Success, Crash Lands on Pad - SpaceCoastDaily.com

Rocket engine startup Firehawk Aerospace is moving to Dallas to grow its 3-D printed rocket engine and fuel concept and join the space race as Texas becomes a growing hub in the commercial rocket world.

Firehawk is looking for space for its primary research facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after getting $1.2 million in investment funding from local startup fund Harlow Capital Management and CEO Colby Harlow.

The company is moving from Floridas Space Coast, where Kennedy Space Center has long been a magnet for commercial space research.

But that is quickly shifting as companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and Firefly are growing in the Lone Star State and the new generation of multibillionaire space magnates look for a future beyond the government confines of NASA.

Just this week, the focus of the space exploration world once again focused on Texas and Boca Chica beach as SpaceX tested its Starship concept with a test launch to 10 kilometers that ended in a spectacular explosion as the rocketship tried to land. And last month, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos rocket company, Blue Origin, declared its 14th rocket launch in West Texas a wholly successful mission that moves human flight one step closer.

We want to tap into everything thats going on here in Texas and really provide Dallas with a new kind of company, Firehawk Aerospace CEO Will Edwards said.

Firehawk uses 3-D printing technology to make a hybrid-style rocket engine, which it says is simpler, cheaper and more stable than traditional solid-fuel-style rockets. The company says its fuels can be loaded earlier onto rockets and can be stored for months or years at a time.

The kind of explosions that SpaceX has demonstrated during its research phases wouldnt be possible with a Firehawk-style rocket engine, Edwards said.

Firehawk is still in its early stages, but the company considers its technology to be promising. It has conducted tests with 200 pounds and 500 pounds of thrust and is working on an engine with 5,000 pounds of thrust. Thats small compared with the 1.2 million pounds of thrust used to launch the space shuttle or the 1.9 million pounds on SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket. But Firehawk says the technology can be easily scaled up.

Weve been able to eliminate some of the historical shortcomings of hybrid rockets, company founder and chief scientist Ron Jones said. Our fuel is much denser than liquid fuels and our engines are less expensive to develop.

The engines could also have potential military applications. Thats another reason North Texas is an attractive landing spot for Firehawk with Lockheed Martin operating a major rocket and missile technology and manufacturing center in Grand Prairie and Raytheon Technologies space and airborne systems business based in McKinney.

We have some prospective clients and they vary between defense-type operations and commercial space flight, Jones said. What weve discovered is that they are not in Florida.

Florida does have a robust space industry, but companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin primarily have manufacturing facilities there to keep their big rockets close to the launch center at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX is headquartered near Los Angeles International Airport in Hawthorne, Calif., and Blue Origins base is in Kent, Wash., near Seattle.

Of course, space rocket companies come in all shapes and sizes. SpaceXs Falcon 9 rockets are among the biggest ever developed, but Firefly, which is based outside of Austin in Cedar Park, is developing rockets for small- and medium-size payloads. Its larger engines have about 40,000 pounds of thrust and are combined to achieve the kind of power needed to get into space.

Firehawks rockets could be put into use on smaller engines in as little as 15 months, Edwards said.

One big key factor, Jones said, is that the rockets and the printing technology can be easily modified, allowing rockets to be designed and built in just a few months for custom applications.

Firehawk is working on moving operations to Dallas and looking at opening another facility in Oklahoma, hoping to take advantage of that states aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

The company plans on doing research, design and manufacturing of rockets.

We intend to draw aerospace engineering graduates, so we think that Dallas is one of the best places to locate, Edwards said.

The company is considering spaces in the Plano-Richardson area, he said. Its in the process of moving its small research team from Florida and hiring about 20 more researchers and developers in North Texas.

Harlow, who runs Harlow Capital Management, said his firm put the $1.2 million into Firehawk because the company demonstrated its product has high growth potential.

Space has been very popular in the last couple of years with a lot of big name investors, from Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos, Harlow said. Because the engine technology can be so uniformly shared across the industry, it can be modified to work with any company.

See the rest here:

Firehawk Aerospace wants to 3-D print rocket engines and is moving to Dallas to join the space race - The Dallas Morning News

Cars

Published on January 30th, 2021 | by Jennifer Sensiba

January 30th, 2021 by Jennifer Sensiba

In a previous article, I started to explore what one could do in a vehicle with 1000 miles of range, such as the upcoming Aptera. I started by looking at one of the kings of rural trips: the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. That was a piece of cake. Then, I looked at crossing Texas. Once again, piece of cake. At that point, I started having problems with A Better Routeplanner, but the issues have since been resolved.

To review, I take other vehicles in the app and turn them into an Aptera by changing the efficiency and charger types to match approximately what the manufacturer predicts.

Lets take a look at some more long trips! Lets do the longest trip across Texas, from Texline to Boca Chica.

The 919 mile trip was a cinch. The 1000 mile EV wouldnt be able to go across in one go, because highway driving at Texas speeds mixed with elevation changes eats the range down faster than ideal conditions. With one stop for just a few minutes, that trip wouldnt be an issue at all. One could easily go see a SpaceX launch if they lived at the furthest part of Texas.

Crossing the US is a cinch, too. New York to L.A. looks like this:

Without speeding, the car would beat the current EV Cannonball record by sheer efficiency. If you made regular use of the Apteras 110 MPH top speed, ABRP says this would be theoretically possible in just a hair over 33 hours, which would beat the record by over 11 hours.

So, whether you go slow or fast, going across the country would be a relative breeze compared to current EVs. Efficiency rocks!

Theres basically nothing in the Continental US that this cars simulations dont seem to be able to handle with ease. Lets try Forks, Washington to Key West, Florida:

Theres one leg of this trip that the software recommends keeping the speed to 75 MPH for, but theres not a problem taking the trip. 3,676 miles will be no problem in the Aptera when it comes out later this year.

Now, lets give the thing a bigger challenge. On default settings it wasnt able to go from Anchorage, Alaska to Key West. However, by adding a stop at the Tok RV Village & Cabins for a night, the trip became possible.

Youd need to bring your own EVSE with a J1772 or Tesla plug (depending on what the final Aptera has) that can be powered by an NEMA 14-50 to do this, but the trip is very much possible. Also, if youre going to do this, be sure to give the place a call and make sure theyll let you charge on an RV post and stay in a cabin. And plan a backup site somewhere.

Better yet, look at my article on taking rural EV trips. Youll probably want to get an amateur radio license, a radio, and bring along cold weather gear just in case you get stuck out there. I also wouldnt dare to attempt such a trip in the winter. Basically, take this trip at your own risk.

5772 miles, even in places with iffy infrastructure, is quite an accomplishment for our simulated Aptera EV.

Since were virtually pushing the limits here, lets look at what it would take to run the whole Pan-Am Highway!

If you charge overnight in Chihuahua, Mexico and Guatemala City, the car wouldnt have any problems going all the way to Yaviza, Panama. Assuming you arent robbed and left for dead on the side of the road somewhere on that route, of course. The ABRP map shows slow sections on the screenshot, but by manually putting in DC fast chargers it doesnt know about, it really wouldnt require any slowdowns.

I was getting too many waypoints going, and had to settle for this, but if you planned this in several segments, going from Anchorage to Yaviza wouldnt be an issue, really.

To continue the trip down into South America, youd need to either hope the off-road package can get you through some of the toughest terrain and bogs in the Americas, and hope that the many drug runners, revolutionaries, and other dangerous people dont decide you are a good target. Or, you could take a ferry. I dont know anything about the ferry service to get you into Colombia, but it does exist. Its not a trip Ill be taking, but feel free to look that part up yourself.

Heres what it looks like once the ferry or extreme luck gets you through to Columbia:

ABRP doesnt seem to know where most stations are in South America. Plugshare does show enough stations for an Aptera to make it down the coast as far as Chile on DC fast charging. After that, it would be a bigger challenge:

Theres one hotel further down in Chile that would allow you to make it down to the bottom of South America if you drove carefully. Youd have to use ABRP to manually input each segment of the trip in South America, so its possible to make it down that far. If you did more intelligence gathering, you might find places that would let you use a wall plug that far south, but it appears to be possible. Some long stops with solar charging might even help with this.

In sum, a 13,230 mile drive is possible in an Aptera if youre adventurous enough and plan the right overnight stops for charging. The whole Pan-Am Highway is possible, it seems.

In a future article, Im going to look into some other global routes outside of the Americas. Id definitely appreciate any ideas you might have on some trips to simulate. Could the Aptera make it from South Africa to Norway? What about London to Beijing? It would be a lot harder to simulate, because the ABRP software doesnt seem to know of many chargers in many developing countries that have a surprisingly good DCFC infrastructure, but using a combination of manual entry of points in ABRP and Plugshare data would probably do the job.

What routes would you like to see our virtual Aptera do?

If youre going to preorder an Aptera, and you feel like weve given you good information about Aptera,feel free to use our referral linkto make your preorder. Youll save $30, and we will get an Aptera of our own for detailed testing.

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Tags: alaska, Aptera, Florida, Los Angeles, New York, Pan Am Highway

Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.Follow her on Twitter for her latest articles and other random things: https://twitter.com/JenniferSensibaDo you think I've been helpful in your understanding of Tesla, clean energy, etc? Feel free to use my Tesla referral code to get yourself (and me) some small perks and discounts on their cars and solar products. https://www.tesla.com/referral/jennifer90562

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Where Can You Go In An EV With 1000 Miles Of Range, Like The Aptera? (Part 2) - CleanTechnica

The Department of Defense may send active-duty troops to help operate the federally funded community vaccination centers set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The New York Times reported.

FEMA is set to build about 100 of the facilities nationwide, including in sports stadiums and school gyms, by the end of President Joe Biden's first month in office. The sites are part of the administration's attempts to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

Read more: Here's what you need to know about Joe Biden's plan to get to 100 million vaccines in 100 days

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Discussions on how the military can help are ongoing, but CNN reported up to 10,000 troops, which could include active duty and National Guard forces, could be sent to the vaccine sites.

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The Pentagon may send thousands of troops to help run COVID-19 vaccination sites that FEMA is setting up natio - Business Insider India

During a static fire, the rocket's engines are fired for a few seconds with the rocket still tethered to the ground.

The test gives SpaceX the opportunity to measure pressures, temperatures and fuel flow before the real deal, typically a few days later.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday: "Today at SpaceX is about practising Starship engine starts. Ship is held down by massive pins while engines are fired. Two starts completed, about to try a third."

After a third test was completed, Mr Musk added: "All three static fires completed and no RUDs!"

Hopes are now high SpaceX could launch the SN9 at the start of next week as new no flight restrictions have been issued for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued three new note to airmen (NOTAMs) for January 18, January 19 and January 20.

The company will still need to complete a Launch Readiness Review or LRR before SN9 is given the okay to launch.

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SpaceX Starship launch: What time is the launch of the Starship SN9 in Boca Chica? - Daily Express

The engine test was initially expected to take place on Tuesday but was scrubbed, likely due to intense winds.

One SpaceX fan tweeted: "Second static fire test has not happened, it must first before launch.

"First SN9 test was cut short for unknown reasons. We can only speculate as to why the second test has not taken place.

"Dont forget this rocket fell over in its bay. Did it suffer damage?"

Another person said: "They are still on track for an SN9 launch at the end of this week.

"SN10 still needs it's aft flaps but focus will solely be on getting SN9 off the ground and hopefully back on the ground with no fiery bits."

With the test now out of the way, SpaceX will conduct a Launch Readiness Review (LRR).

Follow Express.co.uk for the latest updates on Starship's launch date.

See the rest here:

SpaceX Starship launch LIVE stream: How to watch online SN9 on its first major test flight - Daily Express

This is just the nose of Starship SN8.

SpaceX continues working toward another high-altitude test flight of its next-generation spaceflight system.

The latest prototype of Elon Musk's Starship, which is identified by the serial number SN9, underwent a series of three static test fires on Wednesday, Jan. 13. The tests are part of a series of checks leading up to a launch that could come as soon as Friday but appears more likely to take place next week.

Airspace restrictions are in place around Boca Chica, Texas, for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However the local road closures that typically accompany a launch haven't been announced for those days. In the past, SpaceX has reportedly agreed not to perform launches on weekends to limit the disruption to the local community. There are road closures scheduled for next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which suggests to me that next week is a better bet to see SN9 actually get off the ground.

The earliest potential flight date has been pushed back several times now since the start of the year.

From the lab to your inbox. Get the latest science stories from CNET every week.

SpaceX has been testing and iterating its Starship design over the past two years, beginning with a series of low-altitude "hops." The first successful flight of significant altitude came last month when SN8 reached approximately the same altitude where commercial jets do much of their cruising.

The milestone was then followed by a fall back to Earth and a new landing maneuver that seemed to succeed in orienting the rocket, but alas SN8 came in too fast and met a spectacular and explosive end.

SpaceX SN8 flew high and landed hard.

We could get lucky and see the sequel to the ordeal of SN8 on Friday, but scrubs and delays have been part of the routine in Starship's development process. Heck, I I've already updated this post several times. It seems equally likely we may have to wait until later in the month.

Whenever SN9 flies, we'll be sure to carry the video here. Stay tuned.

Link:

SpaceX Starship SN9 test-fires ahead of next high-altitude flight - CNET