SpaceX hoping to te...
 

MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch

SpaceX hoping to test fire all 33 engines on Booster today!!

16 Posts
12 Users
5 Reactions
58 Views
Posts: 14064
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Should be amazing to see - is this the largest amount of rocket power ever unleashed?  Think so.

Apparently a successful test firing will entail not blowing up the launch pad which has cost in the region of $1B!!


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 4:25 pm
 nuke
Posts: 5781
Full Member
 

Thanks for posting.... definitely worth a watch


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 4:53 pm
Posts: 45719
Free Member
 

Like the worlds biggest fart then? I love some science....


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 4:54 pm
Posts: 1523
Free Member
 

If they get this machine to work and land it’ll be amazing. What a rocket!


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 5:38 pm
Posts: 65997
Full Member
 

I thought this was another mockup like the hopper etc but I just realised that it's the booster that's officially, theoretically, possibly going to carry the orbital test flight. It just looks like a bin, is all.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 5:39 pm
Posts: 2214
Free Member
 

What time?


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 6:05 pm
Posts: 17861
Full Member
 

That is a really tedious channel. They clearly have no idea what is going on and are just guessing. But, given there's no official stream from SpaceX I suppose that's all we have.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 6:07 pm
bigdaddy reacted
Posts: 20367
Full Member
 

What time?

Hours off yet, they've not even loaded the propellant.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 6:30 pm
Posts: 3045
Full Member
 

Le Fridman had Tim Dodd on his podcast this week, a five hour marathon.

Rocket science,  turns out it's pretty tricky.   The scale of what they're doing is pretty mind boggling.

It's not something I'm into,  and didn't expect to find it so interesting,  but the whole thing is fascinating.

Impressive also how routine the launches and landing of existing rockets has become.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 7:05 pm
Posts: 65997
Full Member
 

It's like golf, except hopefully with a big whoosh/boom at the end. Especially compared to launches this one's lacking info, they don't have the usual countdowns etc and because nothing's flying they don't need the same clearances etc. Basically if you tune in hours before the test, you're going to watch hours of pre-test


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 7:13 pm
Posts: 14064
Free Member
Topic starter
 

They still need certain clearances.... Road closures, possibly airspace also.

There's a lot of guesswork involved re the timings as they don't publish them.

The guys at NSF have created a timeline based on certain things happening so can usually nail it down to a 30 minute window if so goes according to plan.

Big buildup for two seconds of action.... A bit like sex really!


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 7:21 pm
 Kuco
Posts: 7207
Full Member
 

31 engines fired. 1 out before start and 1 cut out join firing.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 9:21 pm
 nuke
Posts: 5781
Full Member
 

Promising first test then. With so many engines, anyone know if there's any redundancy? I'd assume they'd need all firing correctly for a full launch


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 9:48 pm
 Kuco
Posts: 7207
Full Member
 

They did say in the commentary 31 would be enough to put it into orbit and they did fire it for the full duration that was planned.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 9:51 pm
nuke reacted
Posts: 14064
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Yep I think they have a little margin for error and can afford to lose an engine or two.  I know F9 has launched previously and lost an engine without any orbit issues.


 
Posted : 09/02/2023 10:59 pm
 P20
Posts: 4183
Full Member
 

The highlights

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64590147


 
Posted : 10/02/2023 8:40 am
Posts: 5763
Free Member
 

that is a big cloud of dust!  I'm excited to see more than a two second burst, raptor plus booster to orbit is going to be INCREDIBLE!!!!!!

very excited. 🚀🚀🚀🚀


 
Posted : 10/02/2023 8:33 pm