How SpaceX will do a BIG Starship upgrade for the next flight!

Video Statistics and Information

Video
Captions Word Cloud
Reddit Comments
Captions
- Fire. (upbeat ambient music) Why does SpaceX need so much concrete? Did the Starship 25 static fire go well? How many people will fly aboard SpaceShipTwo and how can you simulate our martian habitat here on earth? My name is Felix, welcome to What About It, let's dive right in. Starship updates. Welcome back to Boca Chica, the place where space flight is changing quicker than anywhere else right now. As always, teams at SpaceX are working around the clock to make sure that another Starship can launch as fast as possible, the orbital launch mound is starting to look great. Starship 25 finally reached an important milestone and SpaceX is not stopping there, a lot to unpack today, let's do this. Kicking off at the launch site as it is our tradition on this StarBase journey there's been some serious metal shifting happening underneath the orbital launch table or OLM. Just last episode, we played the numbers game with Elon's estimate to guess the number of concrete trucks needed to fill this bad boy up. We thought this would at least take at least some time. Well, wouldn't you know, it before we could even get that episode out to you? Things went off in a big way on the night of June 26th, suddenly it's concrete city trucks roll in, pumps get set up at the tables foundation at blistering speeds and the concrete starts to flow. And those trucks just kept on coming, unloading their cargo into the waiting hole every few minutes, it was outright crazy to see it. If you recall, I calculated that about 125 trucks should do the trick. Well, we weren't too far off the mark. Guys at CSI StarBase counted that exactly 132 trucks were called into duty aligning pretty neatly with Elon's ballpark figure of 1000 cubic meters needed for the new base, thank you CSI StarBase. Now we're left in the dark on the concrete specifics but given its volume, we're probably looking at a few weeks for it to set and cure properly, but don't be fooled into thinking that during this time the crew can work on it. SpaceX is extremely good at having no delays in the workflow, just a day after the big pour cameras already spotted the addition of an intriguing metal frame. If you remember our previous speculation, I suggest that these could be the embed plates destined to be set in concrete, providing mounting points for the water cooled steel plate. Well, it seems our little theory was spot on. In a fascinating turn though it appears we're not quite done with the concrete party yet, ground shots reveal exposed rebar. This may be a hint of another series of concrete pouring in the future, I'll keep an eye out for the next RDV flyover to confirm this. Thank you RDV aerial photography, this is invaluable. Panning up, the launch deck is still a hive of activity with scaffolding decorating the structure and movements visible around the clock. Since the shielding on the booster quick disconnect arm was reinstalled we're getting closer and closer to those first booster tests since the inaugural flight, the recent unveiling of the Starships hot staging finally reveals why the ship's quick disconnect plate got removed from the orbital launch integration tower or OLIT Given that hot staging requires extra hardware on top of the booster, we can expect the whole stack to stretch an additional two to three meters. Moving the entire ship arm up would be a hell of a task if it's even possible at all, given the already established electrical and hydraulic connections, I'm leaning more towards the idea that the quick disconnect plate itself might get a height extension upgrade, allowing it to reach the ship without modifications to the tower itself, what do you think? Let me know in the comments below. We also learned from Elon Musk himself that during the actual hot staging of a Starship, only three of the boosters engines will run at 50% thrust each. Tony Bela made a very accurate looking artwork depicting the process, notice how the booster is only running three engines at separation. This is done so that the Starship can build the acceleration needed to escape the booster, let's zoom out a bit to give you a better overview. Take a look at the orbital tank farm nestled beside Highway four. This is SpaceX's dedicated storage facility for all the essential commodities required for Starship testing and launching such as liquid, nitrogen, oxygen and methane. In the last few weeks we've witnessed a total revamp of the area, the one stented tank shells have been straightened out with additional supports welded and a fresh coat of paint, the GSE shells look much better, much better. Crews at SpaceX are also busy expanding the tank farm itself, if you recall Elon Musk made an announcement after the launch about the addition of more horizontal bullet tanks. They are not only just easier to protect but they can also be easily replaced once a slab of concrete uses one as a landing spot if you know what I mean. Aerial shots from Mauricio unveil a significant amount of reinforcement work adjacent to the current tanks. Said it right again, it might seem like overkill for a few extra tanks, but then again SpaceX's strategy leans towards future proofing everything through a robust design. Now let's circle back to the star of the show Ship 25. After weeks of anticipation, we finally got front row seats to the much awaited test. On June 26th, just after 3:00 PM Texas time, the local sheriffs blocked off the road section near the launch complex. Shortly afterwards, all staff vacate at the launch site for safety reasons and the suborbital farm revved into action. We had initially braised for another spin prime test but the release of an over-pressure notice to Boca Chica residents just two hours before the action came as a pleasant surprise. From what I know this notice is a must for any test involving engine ignition, it serves to alert residents that they will hear a siren 10 minutes before ignition. It also serves as a warning to leave their homes as an anomaly at StarBase can potentially lead to some window shattering. Having a Starship as a neighbor can have unforeseen consequences. Luckily, Boca Chica Village has a sparse population, so there is no need for mass evacuations. For us and for you, the most important part is that the issuance of such a notice is a positive sign hinting at a possible static fire. Then the fueling began filling up the oxygen and methane tanks, a process that's hard to miss thanks to the frost formation on the ship's exterior. Soon after the siren spun up and just a few minutes later it happened, all six engines of Ship 25 roared to life. Feast your eyes on these magnificent shots, kudos to our Y-cam operator chief who managed to set up multiple remote cameras for this momentous event capturing these breathtaking shots. Recently, SpaceX has been spoiling us with more and more test confirmations and stunning footage. This time it was no different as they've shared an outstanding drone shot of the whole test. Let's take a look together, you can first spot the firing of the three Raptor sea-level engines followed by the three Raptor vacuums joining in, causing a noticeable transformation in the plume, truly exciting stuff. Reflecting on how much things have evolved is nothing short of remarkable, a quick spin prime and then straight to the six engine static fire all without any aborts or scrubs. Only two years ago, SpaceX could not have pulled off a static fire without replacing an engine or two, here we are well done SpaceX. All future closures issued by Cameron County were called off suggesting that the mission was accomplished. It remains to be seen what lies ahead, but personally I think that Ship 25 will now patiently await booster nine and the OLM while Ship 26 will get its chance to spin up some raptors. Now let's move three kilometers of 1.85 freedom miles up the road to the cradle of Starship production, the built site. Here what should instantly grab your attention is the High Bay, both Starship 29 and 28 are yet to make their exit, but to be fair given the recent influx of prototypes in the rocket garden finding an unavailable spot would be a challenge by now. Moreover, there still work and progress. Did you know that Ship 28 has had its two air flaps installed marking the completion of this prototype's main outta construction? However, its payload door remains missing in the pictures so the mystery continues what kind of changes SpaceX might have in store for it. Both prototypes still lack a significant number of heat tiles, but that's a step usually undertaken last when they are prepared for relocation, turn your gaze to the left and you'll spot the second mega bay. A place still cloaked in secret but edging closer to completion each day. As I anticipated, the trenching operations have had minimal impact on the building's progression. The first section of the third level was transported to the built site using SPMT transporters on June 23rd closely followed by the second segment. A day later, both were already installed. Then on June 25th, the third section arrived and the final part of this level was delivered three days later. These sections are yet to be installed but chances are by the time you're watching this, they are already mounted. Despite two Starship updates a week, things at StarBase tend to get outdated in not days but just hours. Noticeable progress can also be spotted at the Star Factory, the future of Starship production, although the production tents haven't been dismantled as we hope, the expansion continues towards Highway four with more roof sections being assembled and the ground being prepared for more foundations. Now, have you wondered about a location we haven't touched upon in a while? If you guessed Florida's Roberts Road, then you are spot on. There's a reason we've had this long hiatus from visiting the site, but given the numerous comments asking about it it's time we check it out once more. Essentially, activities at both LC-39A and the Roberts Road facility have paused, the third Starship Tower and the additional pair of Mecca Villas chopsticks remain in the original locations, a part of the QD arm for the second tower also hasn't moved. However, we now have some insight into the reason. With SpaceX commencing tests on the new tallest Starship design featuring the hot staging ring they've likely decided to hold off until the final full stack height is confirmed. For those keen observers, you may have noticed the absence of parts for the Florida Mega Bay. These are the very components currently being used for the construction of the second mega bay at StarBase. Florida's StarFactory while looking complete won't fabricate ships nor boosters for quite some time, there are whispers that SpaceX instead utilize this building for Falcon nine payload operations, but we don't have any official confirmation. That's not to say there's a complete standstill in activities, on closure inspection of SpaceX's live streams from Slick 40, you can see something new, foundations are being laid adjacent to the pad. It has been known for quite a while that this pad would also be able to launch crew at some point, which would necessitate a tower equipped with a crew access arm in the same way pad 39A has it. We've been on the outlook for signs of such a tower's construction for some time and it appears the moment we've been waiting for has finally arrived. The tower has been spotted, thanks to pictures taken by Twitter user F346, we can see that another tower section is being assembled at Roberts Road. While at first glance it may resemble another Starship Tower in reality, it doesn't match its size at all. This means that it's very likely the first pre-fabricated section of a Falcon nine crew tower. We'll need another flyover to confirm this, but it seems like expansion of activities at Slick 40 could commence soon. Meanwhile, LC-39A hasn't witnessed much activity aside from crazy amounts of Falcon nine launches of course. Here too SpaceX is presumably playing the waiting game, keen to assess the performance of the water cold steel plate at StarBase before deciding to install a similar yet simplified pad in Florida. I can't wait until we finally see the first Starship at LC-39A, it may not come quick, but once it does it's going to be a spectacle, what do you think? When will we see the first Florida Starship this year in 2024? Will it be transferred by a barge from StarBase or perhaps built from scratch at Roberts Road? Please let me know in the comments, I love reading your thoughts and sometimes they even make it into an episode and while you're at a checkout that like button subscribe, share this video with your friends and consider becoming a AWAI supporter. For just a dollar per month. You get access to a daily StarBase photo gallery from our Y-cam operator chief that's over 100 photos every single day and really countless other extras on top. Regardless of how much you decide to give everyone gets the same supporter content and access, we love you all equally the same. A link to our Patreon page can be found in the description, thanks to the thousands of supporters who already support us guys you seriously rock. A little team related thing as well, we'll be sending the entire team on a short vacation for the first week of July. It's Independence Day here in the US and they've been working hard, so there won't be a release from July 4th to the 11th, the entire team wishes you a happy fourth and a great time with whatever you are planning to do. We'll be back on the 11th, but hey, wait we're not done with this episode yet. Did you know that we're soon going to have another space telescope and that it all has to do with dark energy? No, well, isn't that awesome? Euclid, a near infrared telescope designed to delve deeper into the enigmas of dark energy and dark matter by measuring the universe's acceleration, it will achieve this by looking at galaxy's redshift. Now, you might be wondering, what is a redshift? Does it have anything to do with the color red? When we observe light from distant galaxies it often appears more reddish than anticipated, this occurs because the universe is expanding and this expansion stretches the light waves traveling through it. An elongation of the light waves shifts them towards the red end of the spectrum, since longer light waves present themselves as red to our eyes, this phenomenon is called redshift, it's as if the light from these galaxies is being shifted into red as they recede from us. By measuring this shift Euclid is expected to reveal the relationship between dark energy and the accelerating universe. This remarkable space instrument will further aid physicists and astronomers in understanding our cosmos in fundamental ways. Although the telescope was designed and assembled by the European Space Agency, it will be launched from the United States utilizing a Falcon nine rocket. Who would've thought this launch is slated for July 1st and its target orbit is quite unique. Euclid will be positioned at the renowned Lagrange two point, the home of the James Webb space telescope. Oh wait, are you wondering what a Lagrange point is? Well, Lagrange points are locations in space where the gravitational pull of a two body system like earth and moon or earth and sun counterbalances the centrifugal force experienced by a smaller body such as a satellite. In any two body system, there are five such points. Designated L1 to L5, L2 specifically can be found beyond the second more distant large body. L2 is predominantly used for space observatories, as an object at this point lies just outside the Earth's shadow, it can keep the sun and the earth behind it while maintaining a clear vantage point of outer space. This allows for uninterrupted observation of the night sky free from the sun's light or earth is shadows interference, definitely a mission worth checking out. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @FelixSchlang to not miss out on any updates, yet that's not the only exciting launch coming this week. In late May, Virgin Galactic successfully carried out a certification mission named Unity 25. During this mission, the company's employees embarked on Spaceship two and experienced a 14 minute voyage to the verge of space and back. This time, the FAA found no discrepancies in their flight plan signaling that Richard Branson's company is clear to initiate the next phase, commercial space flight. Galactic 01 scheduled for July 29th aims to fly the first paying passengers to the edge of space. Man, I would love to be on that flight. The crew comprises two season pilots, three Italian Air Force members and one Virgin Galactic employee, Colin Bennett whose responsibility is to ensure astronauts safety. This slide, however, isn't merely for amusement, it carries 13 payloads dedicated to conducting research in areas such as biomedicine and thermal fluid dynamics, as well as experimenting aimed at enhancing the space flight experience itself. Provided this flight proceeds without any hiccups the subsequent mission dubbed Galactic two should take place in August. Now, if you have a spare $450,000 lying around you can buy yourself a ticket for such a flight, easy, right? However, there might be a bit of a wait as Virgin Galactic has already sold around 800 tickets that are yet to be realized. Well, for some must cheap suborbital flight suffices to fulfill their dreams, others gaze much further into the future. The perfect example of dreaming further is the crew of CHAPEA one, who recently embarked on a year-long Mars analog mission. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of an analog mission it's a type of mission designed to prep participants for future space missions all while remaining earthbound. These missions typically revolve around specially designed habitats that replicate the constraints found on specific celestial bodies. In simple English, they are trying to copy Mars on earth. This is why on June 26th, four individuals stepped into a 3D printed 158 meters or 1700 square foot module named Mars Dune Alpha, epic name by the way. Situated in Houston, Texas. This habitat, as the name implies is a simulation of a martian base, for the ensuing 378 days the crew who had to meet the same qualifications as actual astronauts will confront challenges such as resource scarcity, isolation, equipment malfunctions and simulated space walks. Of course, the health of the crew is under constant surveillance, ensuring immediate intervention if something goes wrong, a luxury that won't be available on Mars, safety mode is still on. These types of missions are essential as they allow NASA to prepare for the real deal. It is always preferable to eliminate as many variables as possible here on Earth, so we don't encounter unexpected problems on Mars, what do you think? Could you endure being shut off from the outside world for an entire year faced with difficult tasks and problems? Share your thoughts in the comments. That's it for today, remember to smash the like button and subscribe for more awesome content. Check out our epic shirts and your favorite space nerd store, a link is in the description and if you want to get even smarter about space and Rockets, watch this video next to continue your journey. Thank you very much for watching and I'll see you again in the next episode. Potentially, it is potentially a problem when I read this script (indistinct) having for in straightened out, I'm sorry.
Info
Channel: What about it!?
Views: 296,843
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: spacex, starship, spacex starship, elon musk, elon musk spacex, spacex rocket launch, starship launch, starship rocket, starship rocket launch, boca chica, starship live, raptor engine, starship explosion, spacex launch, spacex starship update, spacex starship test, felix schlang, spacex news, WAI, spacex super heavy, starship orbital launch, starship test flight, starship flight test spacex, Starship Flight 2, starship flame diverter, starship flame trench, starship spacex
Id: 6jq3VIHyEn0
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 20min 21sec (1221 seconds)
Published: Fri Jun 30 2023
Related Videos
Note
Please note that this website is currently a work in progress! Lots of interesting data and statistics to come.