SpaceX’s Super Heavy Booster 9 prototype has rolled out to the launch site in preparation for a repeat of its pre-launch static fire test. This follows roughly two weeks after its first static fire attempt that ended prematurely at only half the expected duration. Work continues in parallel at Starbase to organize Ship 25 for flight, which could occur in the subsequent week or two, pending regulatory approval.
Future vehicles for Starship flights deep into next 12 months are also in production. SpaceX can be within the midst of a significant upgrade to its Starship production factory that may change the long run look of the South Texas facility.
Booster 9, Ship 25, and launch site prepare for next Starship flight
Booster 9 is now back on the launch pad and prepared for a re-try of its pre-launch static fire test which was cut short during an attempt on Aug. 6. During this static fire attempt 4 of the booster’s 33 engines shut down prematurely, violating test commit criteria, prompting a test abort and shutdown of all 29 remaining engines.
It’s unclear yet what caused these engines to shut down prematurely, but indications point to potential issues with ground support equipment, the vehicle, or perhaps each. That is further evidenced by the several tests of the Raptor quick disconnect (QD) umbilicals on the orbital launch mount (OLM) at Starbase in the times after the test.
These umbilicals inject high-pressure helium to spin up the pumps on the outer 20 Raptor engines, all while also providing high-pressure gaseous methane and gaseous oxygen needed for the preburner torch igniters. If considered one of these were to fail, then the Raptor engine they’re attached to wouldn’t initiate properly and would likely shut down.
After Booster 9’s rollback to the Mega Bay, the vehicle has undergone further work to organize it for flight. This included the addition of its hot staging ring and the closeout of several of its systems. Much of this work consisted on minor additions for flight akin to adding aerocovers for the socket through which the launch tower stabilizer arms engage for booster lifts.
Intense nighttime waterworks show coming from SpaceX’s OLM water deluge test. @NASASpaceflight
Catch the recap at https://t.co/Fatc0NQj2M pic.twitter.com/c6iDY9AfLQ
— Sean Doherty (@SeanKD_Photos) August 19, 2023
Questions remained about whether the launch pad flame deflector system and the nearby concrete had held up Booster 9’s static fire test. SpaceX tested this flame deflector system on the pad on Aug. 18 indicating that the system was still functional and no major issues were discernible in the course of the test.
Staff were seen in the course of the days and weeks after the static fire test working on the concrete surrounding the flame deflector plate underneath the OLM, perhaps consequently of small issues with it in the course of the static fire. Despite this, aerial shots provided by NSF’s Jack Beyer show the concrete under the OLM is now in great condition and ought to be ready for Booster 9’s testing.
Booster 9’s rollout had been delayed over the previous couple of days resulting from various technical and weather-related issues. Originally scheduled for Saturday, the booster still sat inside the Mega Bay constructing for a number of more days for final checks. This rollout was then faced with the upcoming arrival of Tropical Storm Harold which hadn’t developed on the time but was predicted to hit South Texas by Aug. 22.
Storm over Starbase.https://t.co/e3xbqPnwZ5 pic.twitter.com/Tg0FWdekK2
— Chris Bergin – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) August 22, 2023
Despite the initial forecast, the storm eventually was proven to be less powerful than predicted. Its center also passed far enough north to permit favorable conditions for rollout in the course of the afternoon on Aug. 22. Booster 9 was quickly lifted into place on the OLM soon after rollout, probably pointing to SpaceX’s desire to re-test this vehicle as soon as possible.
Ship 25 continues to be prepared for flight on the Rocket Garden at the top of Remedios Avenue. Here teams are slowly installing all of the thermal protection system (TPS) tiles on the nose cone lift points of the ship and performing internal work on its payload bay section to organize the vehicle for flight.
A road closure for Wednesday is out there from 3PM CDT to 3AM CDT the subsequent day which should give the crews ample time to perhaps try a possible Spin Prime test of all of Booster 9’s engines. This might then followed by an all-engine Static Fire test a number of days later. Should all go right, Ship 25 could possibly be moved to the launch site soon after for combined stack tests and launch.
The goal launch date for Starship’s second flight has been recently in shift, no less due to the must repeat Booster 9’s static fire test. A couple of days after this static fire test, teams were tracking the top of August for launch but, as was expected, this has now shifted into September with latest Local Notice to Mariners pointing to a no sooner than Sept. 8 launch goal.
This launch goal can be pending sign-off from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on SpaceX’s mishap report for Starship’s first flight. As of writing, the FAA remains to be reviewing this report, and it’s inconceivable to guess when this review may end.
Starbase undergoes major production site changes, prepares for future flights
As SpaceX prepares for Starship’s second flight, the corporate can be preparing for subsequent flights with multiple vehicles in flow on the production site, upcoming launch site upgrades, and testing at Massey’s test site.
Ship 28, which is known to be flying as a part of Starship’s third flight, is currently undergoing engine installation at Remedios Avenue on the engine installation stand. As of writing, five of its six engines are actually installed and only missing one Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engine.
However, with Booster 10 now inside the Mega Bay teams are preparing the vehicle for engine and shielding installation. SpaceX is aiming to launch this pair of vehicles inside 4 weeks of Booster 9 and Ship 25’s flight, so work is well underway to organize them for his or her respective engine test campaigns before launch.
Ship 29, now repositioned within the High Bay, is receiving the remaining of its TPS tiles between its sections. If this vehicle follows the identical timeline as Ship 28, it could possibly be rolled out for cryogenic proof testing inside a month, a sign of SpaceX’s pace of production at Starbase.
This pace may soon kick into an excellent higher gear with the production site tents being dismantled and the Starfactory constructing expanding its footprint. Late last week, SpaceX crews began dismantling tents one and two on the production site with the latter seeing an entire removal by Aug. 18.
The production tents are coming down at Starbase. The Starfactory will expand instead.
Tent 2:https://t.co/e3xbqPnwZ5 pic.twitter.com/hiWZBeS8c2
— Chris Bergin – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) August 17, 2023
However, tent one has already seen internal material removed and torn down and a number of other major pieces of kit removed as well. Rings and barrel sections inside each of those tents now lay outside waiting for a spot to be stored and work to resume on these parts.
The brand new place for these sections may soon be the Starfactory constructing which has seen an important footprint expansion in the previous couple of weeks. Moreover, the initial a part of this constructing is being annexed to the newly-built expansion.
It is predicted that this extension will act first as a storage location after which move into full production once all of the tooling arrives. Said tooling is already beginning to arrive at Starbase with large wood crates seen transported to the Starlink processing constructing at the top of Boca Chica Village.
Starbase’s production site shouldn’t be the just one preparing for future flights. The orbital launch site is preparing for an upcoming upgrade to its ground support equipment and tank farm systems. This may include the addition of cryogenic storage tanks at the previous Starship landing pad in addition to increased pump and subcooling capability on the launch pad.
These upgrades will enable larger storage of consumables and potentially faster propellant load times for the whole Starship rocket. A reduced propellant load timeline could help reduce the general boil-off of propellants and a bigger reutilization of consumables in case of scrub and recycle.
Work is already underway for this with a brand new liquid oxygen pump having been installed within the last month and a brand new liquid methane subcooler delivered and installed on Aug. 22. Starbase’s orbital tank farm currently sports only 4 energetic liquid oxygen subcoolers, two energetic liquid methane subcoolers, and the newly installed liquid methane subcooler which shouldn’t be energetic yet.
These subcoolers lower the temperature of the liquid oxygen and liquid methane allowing the load of those fluids at a better density inside the rocket’s tanks. Faster propellant load timelines may enable Starship to receive and store propellants at colder temperatures and due to this fact higher densities, increasing the quantity of propellant onboard and its performance consequently.
While all of those changes are underway, testing of the new staging ring test article at Massey’s has wrapped up. The loading cap for the structural test stand was faraway from this test article between Aug. 21 and Aug. 22, indicating testing of it’s now complete.
This is probably going an excellent sign that each one structural qualification testing is now complete for this uniquely-built ring never used before on Starship. The longer term of this test article is unknown but a possible future use could possibly be in case of failure of Booster 9’s own hot staging ring so as to replicate the difficulty.
(Lead image: Booster 9 on the launch pad after rolling out with its hot staging ring installed. Credit: Jack Beyer for NSF)
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