Starship News

IXLR8 · Oct 9, 2024

And the confusion for Launch 5 continues.
- FAA publishes Notice to Airman of Starship 5 launch between Oct 12-18
- FAA publishes Notice to Mariners of Starship 5 launch between Oct 13-19
- FAA reiterates they will not issue Starship 5 launch license until late November
- SpaceX makes a comment that NASA could approve the launch and bypass the FAA

Activity at the launch site suggests that SpaceX is working to get Starship 5 ready to launch sometime next week.

Now is everything clear as mud as to what is going on??

EddieWalker · Oct 10, 2024

Bureaucracy is going to get those people killed that are waiting on being rescued.

IXLR8 · Oct 10, 2024

Hmmmm, a little more mud!!
SpaceX has announced that they are shooting for the launch of Starship 5 on Oct 13th at 0700 CT.... Pending FAA approval.
Reports are that NASA has approved the Oct 13th launch date but it is unclear if SpaceX will accept NASA's approval or if they are going to wait for the FAA approval. There was a comment that NASA is pressuring the FAA to approve the Oct 13 launch date. There was also a comment that after SpaceX announced the launch date, the FAA was asked about the end of November launch approval date and the FAA was "no comment".
SpaceX is ready for flight 5, Federal bureaucracy not so much.

IXLR8 · Oct 12, 2024

Just saw a posting that the FAA has approved Starship 5 launch.
Present launch window is Sunday morning, 13-Oct, 08:00-08:30 EDT.

sd455dan · Oct 13, 2024

It may be not happen, but sure looks like if it is at all possible SpaceX will launch Starship in less than 7 hours.

Live feed from NSF a YT channel ( NASA Space Flight).

They have a predicted count down clock in the left top corner of the live feed.

Set my alarm, Also read another group has filed suit against SpaceX over the water discharge, not sure if a Court ordered stay will stop the launch or if the FAA actually has given approval either.

Clear as Mud.

IXLR8 · Oct 13, 2024

Successful launch at 08:30 EDT, AND successful catch of the booster back at the tower!!!

ponytug · Oct 13, 2024

I thought that the videos of catch are pretty amazing. I expected to see some flex in the tower, and didn't see any.

That's certainly a win for SpaceX.

All the best,

Peter

sd455dan · Oct 13, 2024

ponytug said:
I thought that the videos of catch are pretty amazing. I expected to see some flex in the tower, and didn't see any.

That's certainly a win for SpaceX.

All the best,

Peter

Hopefully the FAA will give SpaceX breathing room.

Can't wait to see the first reuse of engines and booster as well.

Still need work on Starship itself and find cause of the RUD's when they water land and fix the root cause, so the entire starship program can move forward.

It is telling that SpaceX is building ships faster than the FAA seems to be able to approve a flight... The next Starship is already built and hopefully we will see another launch before the end of November.

SpaceX is imo our defacto commercial counter to China's quickly advancing space program.

IXLR8 · Oct 13, 2024

ponytug said:
I thought that the videos of catch are pretty amazing. I expected to see some flex in the tower, and didn't see any.

That's certainly a win for SpaceX.

All the best,

Peter

I saw video's of testing the arms with water bags, lots of flex with the bags filled. I forgot how many tons the full bags provided for the test. I was expecting to see the same flex with the booster catch. Like you, I was looking for, and saw no flex, in the arms or the tower.
All in all I find the ability to return a rocket booster to it's launch site and catch it mid-air to be absolutely amazing!! Especially knowing that the booster has to be in the exact correct rotational alignment so that the two landing pads on the booster line up with the catch arms.