Next step, stick an engine on and see if that combo goes boom.
The live feed was pretty entertaining. The Boca Chica live streams have a pretty good following, and perhaps 1,500 people started watching Sunday morning and stayed all day. SN4 was tested to 4.9 bar (72 psi).
The third one burned down, fell over, and then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up!
Something else done in the last day or so was the hoisting of a completed nosecone and the joining of it to a stack of three barrel rings. There is a second stack of four barrel rings right next to this new assemblage in the same “high bay.” Joining both these subassemblies would yield the rest of the supra-tank section of a full-size Starship prototype.
I’m guessing this entire assemblage is most probably going to be part of SN5 which is, at least as of now, slated to do the first multi-kilometer “hop” tests including the testing of planned landing maneuvers. SN4 doesn’t need such a superstructure to do a low-speed 150-meter hop.
It will be interesting to observe the process, and sequence, of final assembly of SN5. Will its upper section with nosecone be mated to the tank and engine section before or after pressure testing? I’m betting on ‘before’ as that would be simpler, involving only one needed major move-op from assembly area to test stand. It would also provide additional loads on the tank-engine section during pressure tests closer to what a fully-tricked-out Starship imposes.
There is also the question of when, and where, all the movable aerodynamic surfaces and their associated fitments would be added. In principle, this could take place either in a high bay or at the test stand. I’m thinking it’ll be the high bay as it would be far safer, for both workers and the rest of the vehicle, not to try hanging big aero-surface components where wind can get at them. Having a vehicle completed, except for engine installation, also gives the most complete load situation prior to pressure tests.
Let us hope that the FAA doesn’t disrupt the current Boca Chica momentum by stringing out the licensing process.
“The company has yet to receive regulatory approval for this [hop] test, so it may not happen for several weeks.”
I weep for the future of commercial space transportation…
Next step, stick an engine on and see if that combo goes boom.
The live feed was pretty entertaining. The Boca Chica live streams have a pretty good following, and perhaps 1,500 people started watching Sunday morning and stayed all day. SN4 was tested to 4.9 bar (72 psi).
The third one burned down, fell over, and then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up!
Something else done in the last day or so was the hoisting of a completed nosecone and the joining of it to a stack of three barrel rings. There is a second stack of four barrel rings right next to this new assemblage in the same “high bay.” Joining both these subassemblies would yield the rest of the supra-tank section of a full-size Starship prototype.
I’m guessing this entire assemblage is most probably going to be part of SN5 which is, at least as of now, slated to do the first multi-kilometer “hop” tests including the testing of planned landing maneuvers. SN4 doesn’t need such a superstructure to do a low-speed 150-meter hop.
It will be interesting to observe the process, and sequence, of final assembly of SN5. Will its upper section with nosecone be mated to the tank and engine section before or after pressure testing? I’m betting on ‘before’ as that would be simpler, involving only one needed major move-op from assembly area to test stand. It would also provide additional loads on the tank-engine section during pressure tests closer to what a fully-tricked-out Starship imposes.
There is also the question of when, and where, all the movable aerodynamic surfaces and their associated fitments would be added. In principle, this could take place either in a high bay or at the test stand. I’m thinking it’ll be the high bay as it would be far safer, for both workers and the rest of the vehicle, not to try hanging big aero-surface components where wind can get at them. Having a vehicle completed, except for engine installation, also gives the most complete load situation prior to pressure tests.
Let us hope that the FAA doesn’t disrupt the current Boca Chica momentum by stringing out the licensing process.
“The company has yet to receive regulatory approval for this [hop] test, so it may not happen for several weeks.”
I weep for the future of commercial space transportation…