Why is this necessary? Why did SpaceX ditch the legs? The advantages of catching Starship! Ship 30 rolls out for a static fire! Booster 13 undergoes cryo testing! Can SpaceX hit 144 launches in 2024? And Rocket Factory Augsburg is
getting close to launching RFA One! My name is Felix. Welcome to What About It!? Let’s dive right in! Starship Updates Can you feel it? That’s right,
you can smell Flight 4 in the air! Despite this, it looks like
the main focus is actually flight five! They want to catch that Booster!
Want to know why they don’t just use landing legs? I knew you would! Sit back and enjoy!
The modernization of the Gateway to Mars continues!
Over the past few days, the LR11000 crane known as Marvin has wandered throughout the Launch Site.
This left us wondering what Marvin's next task would be.
And let me tell you, the outcome was entirely unexpected.
The crane was lowered inside the orbital launch table, a move that confused many of us.
However, thanks to shots from our photographer - John - the purpose of this
unusual move became obvious, yep pretty obvious. Marvin was handling a small plate, which
fit perfectly into a hold-down clamp. It's very likely that this was
part of a verification process to ensure everything was correctly fitted.
Alternatively, it was a test to see if the clamp could handle the expected upward force.
Interestingly, only a single clamp was checked. One ping only!
"Mother of God." This test was likely linked to replacing
all 20 linkages, which limit the maximum extension of the Starship's hold-down arms.
Why did just one clamp undergo testing? It's possible they'll return to check the others
later, or it might remain one of those little Starbase mysteries. Only time will tell.
However, currently, the most attention is directed towards the chopsticks, which are being prepared
for a potential Super Heavy catch attempt! Looking at the external side of the arms,
you can see white spots all over them. Possibly for refurbishment reasons, SpaceX has
applied primer around the mounting points of the various conduits, which will likely be painted
black to match the rest of the Chopsticks. We've also witnessed several movement tests of
the arms, some with quite impressive acceleration. Unfortunately, the vibrations are still there…
Speeding up one such test revealed that it's not just the moved arm oscillating - the entire
Mechazilla carriage vibrates, transmitting these vibrations to the second arm.
That’s less than ideal when you need this level of precision.
So, can they solve this? Maybe! One possible solution could be PID tuning.
A Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller - or PID - is a feedback mechanism that monitors output
to detect errors and adjust inputs accordingly. For example, starting the movement at 100%
speed and gradually reducing it might produce fewer vibrations while achieving a similar result.
By tweaking the individual components of the PID, different combinations can be tested
to find the one that performs best. Another approach that has been suggested in
the comments by one of you involves using a technique known as input shaping.
This concept should be familiar to those who own 3D printers.
Essentially, this method involves recording how a system behaves under normal
operating conditions and then applying an algorithm to eliminate unwanted movements.
Let's explain this concept by showing Mechazilla’s arms moving the Super Heavy booster.
Imagine the chopsticks grabbing the booster and moving it sideways, resulting
in the arms completing 10 small swings from left to right in one second.
This translates to a frequency of 10 Hertz. You can then run this frequency through
an algorithm, which, in this case, is likely a zero vibration or ZV algorithm.
The algorithm processes this information and outputs a movement command split into two phases.
In the first phase, the chopsticks move to the right for one second, just
like they would without shaping. Immediately afterward, the system switches
to moving them to the left for one-tenth of a second, repeating the move in
the same interval as the vibrations. Without input shaping, the
arms would simply wobble. However, with input shaping, the arms want to move
to the right, while the hydraulics move them to the left, which cancels the movement altogether.
To give you an analogy, this process is similar to how active noise-canceling
technology works in wireless headphones. These headphones use microphones to detect
ambient noise and produce a sound wave that is the exact opposite of the detected noise.
When these opposing sound waves meet in your ear, they cancel each other out, resulting in no sound
at all, which is what we want - sweet silence. While input shaping is a possible solution,
it's not the only option available. Mechazilla could also use actuators to push
the arms in the opposite direction to dampen vibrations, but that would require extensive
hardware modifications. A problem with all these methods is that the counter-movement must be quick
and precise. I have no clue if it’s even possible to do this with such a large system as the
mechazilla arms at Starbase. What do you think? However, it looks like SpaceX already figured out
what to do to minimize vibrations a long time ago. If we look at the LC-39A Starship tower, we can
see that its arms are significantly shorter than those at Starbase - by about 10 meters or 33 feet.
This change is now starting to make more sense! Shorter arms will allow them to close them more
quickly and significantly reduce the wobble. The trade-off, however, is that
the precision required during the actual catch will become even more critical.
For this reason, we will likely see similar, shorter arms installed at
the second Starbase tower. What do you think? Are the vibrations a serious
concern? Let me know your opinion in the comments! Before we continue with the news,
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Surfshark, Surf with your own set of rules! Additionally, some of you have
questioned why SpaceX wants to catch the prototypes in the first place.
Wouldn’t simple landing legs be a better solution? Excellent question! It depends…
For the Ship, using landing legs makes sense. It will need them for Lunar and Martian
surfaces where there are no launch towers, and they would also be necessary
for military versions of Starship intended for delivering cargo to remote locations. However, the situation with the
Booster is a bit more complicated. Given its immense size and weight, the legs must
be highly robust, leading to several challenges. First, there's the issue of mass constraints
- Starship's design philosophy focuses on reducing mass, not adding it.
The landing gear includes the legs but also the necessary structural reinforcements
in the aft section where they're attached. Moreover, this could require additional engine
shielding, which SpaceX wants to eliminate in the V2 Starship.
Landing the Booster would also require a special landing zone. Then,
the Booster would have to be lifted by a crane, placed on a transport stand, and moved back.
Same for the ship, and they’d both land in short succession, so there would be
two landing zones for one launch. This doesn’t sound like rapid reusability…
Add to this the fact that landing legs will eventually break, and you’ve got yourself the
opposite of a system allowing quick reuse. Keeping the philosophy of rapid reuse and not
just reuse in mind, catching is the way to go. But there’s one more thing—a topic that often
surfaces in the comments is the concept of a dedicated catch-only tower! So, what about it?
Why risk damaging the main launch tower when a separate tower could be built
specifically for catching prototypes. After all, it would solve one big
problem. What if the prototypes crash into the launch infrastructure? We’re
talking long delays if that ever happens. A compelling argument can be made for such a tower
- however, it’s probably not the best solution. One significant issue is how
quickly it would become obsolete. After a few catches, such a
tower will no longer be needed. However, even without the launch table, building
one would take at least a few months and drive costs up by more than just some pocket change.
More importantly, securing the necessary permits for such a structure is a lengthy and
complex process, making it inefficient if intended for only a few uses.
Some might say that you could add launch capabilities later, but at this point, why
not just build a full-blown second launch tower? On the other hand, SpaceX has taken such
massive risks before, like betting that the concrete at the launch pad would withstand
the forces of the first launch - it didn’t. Similarly, the first catch attempt could reveal
that this wasn’t the best idea, resulting in the construction of a catch-only tower.
However, if the first catch successfully uses the existing tower, it would be a
monumental leap forward in the Starship program. That’s the problem with risk-taking.
You don’t know before you’ve done it. Believe it or not, SpaceX is already
preparing the vehicles for the mission, featuring the first catch attempt.
As mentioned in the last episode, the road at Starbase was scheduled to close on
April 29th for the potential rollout of Ship 30. However, even though they did roll the ship
out, which we’ll talk about in a minute, this closure was used for an entirely different
and essential purpose - testing the new tank farm. It looks like using a transportation
closure—instead of the typical testing one—allowed them to conduct necessary
checks while keeping the beach access open. Sneaky!
Following this, another road closure was announced for May 1st. At first, we saw more Ground
Support Equipment testing. A few hours later, however, activity ramped up
- the Ship lifter was transported to the launch site, Ship 30 was placed on a transport stand,
and eventually, it made its grand exit from the second Mega Bay, as captured by our photographers.
As expected, the prototype traveled down Highway 4 and entered the suborbital site,
where it was lifted onto test stand B. The Ship test campaigns are now so routine that
we can predict what will happen in the days ahead. The process typically starts with a spin
prime test, where Liquid Oxygen is cycled through the Raptor engines' turbopumps to
verify if everything is working correctly. Following this, we can expect the
first static fire a week or so later. This one involves igniting all six
Raptors for just a few seconds. If everything goes according to plan, the
next step might include a new element to the test campaign - an in-space burn simulation.
This test focuses on a single engine and utilizes fuel from the header tanks, not the main ones.
After these three tests, the prototype should return to the Build Site for finishing touches.
A possible change in this process would be to skip the spin prime test and
proceed directly to the static fire. This was previously done during
testing of Booster 10, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it done with the Ships.
Speaking of Boosters - let's talk about some incredible stuff happening at Massey's.
Here we find Booster 13, the Super Heavy designated not for the fourth, not the
fifth, but the sixth Starship launch! On April 26th, it underwent a
cryo test of its methane tank. The only remaining task before it could
return to the Production Site was the cryogenic test of the oxidizer tank, which
was successfully completed on April 29th. With these tests over, Booster 13
is now ready for engine installation and will soon return to the first Mega Bay.
It’s incredible to see these boosters go through their cryo testing so effortless. Reliability
has gone up so much since the first SN tests. What do you think is waiting for us during flight
six? Another catch attempt, or maybe a complete orbit? Place your bets in the comments!
Now, before I give you a complete rundown on SpaceX’s stunning Falcon 9 success in
April, we’ve looked into our channel metrics, and there are over 2 million returning
monthly viewers who have not subscribed yet. Help us improve the channel even further
by double-checking that you’ve hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss our updates!
While you're at it, give us a like and become a WAI supporter for exclusive SpaceX updates!
With it, you get access to daily Starbase photo galleries, including satellite,
aerial, and ground photos of SpaceX’s progress and countless other extras on top.
And no matter how much you decide to give, Everyone gets the same supporter content and
access! You decide what you want to give! And just as a reminder, on April
19th, we launched WAI Live! You may have seen snippets from these
cameras before, but now you can watch them 24/7! We have cameras at Starbase and Port
Canaveral. And not just that. We live stream heli flights and show pictures, launches, tests, and
interviews. It’s packed! Thanks for watching! Okay, back to the news, Falcon 9 did it all.
We often focus a lot on Starship here, but let's not forget that SpaceX has
another workhorse in its stable—Falcon 9! Covering every single Falcon 9 mission
in detail would be quite the challenge, so let’s be smart about it! Here’s a
complete roundup of what happened in April. First, preparing Falcons for launches has
become so streamlined that SpaceX achieved 12 launches in a month… and that's
for the second consecutive month! Most of these carried Starlink
- nine launches, to be precise. These missions added 204 V2 mini satellites to the
constellation, bringing the overall count to 6,300 satellites. At this point, most of what’s flying
around our planet is SpaceX-made and delivered. But it's not just Starlink
getting a ride on the Falcon 9. Early in April, we saw the first
Bandwagon mission from SpaceX. For those of you keeping an eye on the small
satellite market, you might be familiar with SpaceX's Small Sat rideshare program.
The goal of this program is to launch multiple smaller satellites in one go, often providing the
only affordable way to space for many startups. Previously, SpaceX only offered the Transporter
missions, bringing satellites to a Sun Synchronous Orbit - an inclination of about 99 degrees.
Bandwagon, on the other hand, is the company’s answer to the demand for rideshare missions at
medium inclinations—in this case, 45 degrees. Additionally, in April, SpaceX was able
to help out the European Space Agency! This time, Booster B1060 took over the
job of Ariane 6, which isn't flying yet, launching the two Galileo L-12 satellites.
These satellites are part of Europe's counterpart to GPS or Global
positioning system owned by the US. Unfortunately, because the target orbit for
these satellites was unusually high at over 23,000 kilometers or 14,300 miles, the
booster had to give them an extra push, ending its life in the ocean.
Rest in Pieces, B1060… On a brighter note, SpaceX is already working
towards certifying boosters for up to 40 flights! With all these missions in April, Falcon 9 has
now reached a total of 43 launches this year. This is an insane number, especially
considering that no other company… or country is even close to
matching this achievement. So, does this set SpaceX on track to meet
their ambitious goal of 144 flights this year? Well, it’s complicated…
If SpaceX were to maintain its current pace of 12 Falcon launches per month for the rest of the
year, they would fall just five missions short. However, their goal is to
increase the launch cadence to 13 flights a month before the end of 2024.
If they manage to ramp up to this rate by July, they could indeed hit the 144 launch target!
The only issue? July is in less than three months from now…
Another way of hitting the target would be to include Starship flights.
They could hit that number with four or five more launches this year, even
with "just" 12 per month, you know. Ultimately, whether or not they achieve this goal
doesn’t really matter since SpaceX also holds the current record for most launches in a year!
At this point, they’re just flexing on the industry!
You might think that around 140 launches per year is the limit -
surely there's no room for improvement, right? There’s always room for improvement!
I wouldn’t be surprised if, in 2025, SpaceX manages to hit 180 or even 200 launches!
How’s that possible? Well. Let’s take a look at pictures taken for us in
collaboration with our friends at SkyFi. What you're looking at on your screen now
is a segment of Vandenberg Space Force Base. Launch sites mostly take up this base's coastline.
Let me give you a better idea of what you’re looking at!
For example, you can see SLC-3E, which was previously
used by ULA for Atlas V launches and is now being modified for future Vulcan Centaur missions.
Right next to it are SLC-4E and LZ-4, which SpaceX utilizes for Falcon launches and landings.
However, if you shift your gaze slightly south, you'll find SLC-6.
This launch site was formerly used by ULA for Delta IV launches, but last year, something
significant changed. SpaceX took over the lease! They're currently modifying the site, with plans
to have it ready for Falcon 9 launches by 2025, and Falcon Heavy launches to follow a year later.
There are also rumors that a new autonomous drone barge is in production.
SpaceX already has three, but adding a fourth would significantly
enhance its launch flexibility. On top of the changes at Vandenberg Space Force
Base SpaceX also wants to take over SLC 37 at Cape Canaveral from ULA. Two new pads! As you can
see, despite the ongoing development of Starship, it's clear that the Falcon isn't going
anywhere… well… except for space. So many times that it will look surreal.
It's just a matter of time until it reaches 200 or 300 launches a year!
You can learn more about SkyFi at app.skyfi.com/explore.
Fantastic website! It’s incredible to see what can be done with satellite imagery! Thank
you, SkyFi! You guys rock so much! Worth a click! Lastly, let's turn our attention to Europe,
which might soon see the debut of a new orbital rocket! One made in Germany!
You know… I’m originally from there. If you’ve been watching What About It, you're probably familiar with Rocket Factory Augsburg.
They're developing a low-cost space capsule called Argo and their rocket - the RFA One.
At 30 meters or 98.5 feet tall, this rocket is designed to deliver up to 1,600 kilograms or
3,500 pounds to Low Earth Orbit, outperforming the likes of Firefly Alpha or Rocket Lab’s Electron.
All of that for about 3.2 million dollars! Not quite as cheap as a Bratwurst and a
beer, but dirt cheap for 1.6 tons to LEO! In 2021, RFA became the first European company
to develop and test a staged combustion engine. They've since moved on to building and testing
prototypes of the first and second stages. Recently, in early April, after
a suspicious period of silence, the team at RFA started integrating five Helix
engines into the first stage of their rocket. Could have named It Felix. It was then packed up and shipped
to Scotland’s SaxaVord Spaceport, which recently received a range license allowing
it to operate as an orbital launch site. It’s almost time!
Upon arrival, the first stage was moved to RFA’s launch pad.
It's now set to undergo a hot fire test campaign. After this, it will likely receive
an additional four engines, along with a second stage and the payload.
Currently, the launch of RFA One is scheduled for this summer, though there are
rumors that it might slip to Q4 of 2024. Nonetheless, this could be the year we
witness the debut of a rocket that will revolutionize the European launch market! Go RFA!
That’s it for today! Remember to smash that like button. Subscribe for more awesome content! It’s
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