- 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.
