Quote from: LouScheffer on 09/11/2022 05:06 pm It's amazing they can do this at all, much less under tight mass constraints. That's great engineering.Amazing video! I do remember Elon mentioning that the 304L steel might not be that bad at cryo.
It's amazing they can do this at all, much less under tight mass constraints. That's great engineering.
Has anything like the can crusher ever been used before in rocket development?
https://twitter.com/tomcostellonbc/status/1574757459226394624?s=20&t=6JMGal78snwsi7tzRDIYkQhttps://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1572563987258290177?s=20&t=4lpAWfctd1Gn-2Z4U6-ObgThe race is not over, it goes on!
I haven't been up to date on SS in a little while, but have they got the licenses ready to go for an orbital attempt yet?
Quote from: flexbuffchest on 09/28/2022 05:27 pmI haven't been up to date on SS in a little while, but have they got the licenses ready to go for an orbital attempt yet?Only two licenses are needed: FCC and FAA.The PEA was approved, so the actual FAA launch license is routine and we won't see it until shortly (a week?) before launch, just like at KSC. The FCC temporary license is also routine and won't see it until just before launch, also just like at KSC.
Does the absence of steel engine cowlings and addition of reflective material suggest non-metallic splinter jackets on Booster 7’s Raptors? Aramid fiber ballistic armor?
It suggests to me that they needed access to the engines and steel covers would be in the way. The methane used during spin prime is routed from new connectors on the side facing out, where the shields would be, using hoses that connect to pipes that vent it all by the base of the tower. It could also suggest they still have a lot of work to do on B7.
I'm flummoxed by what the utility of the flexible "protective" material is.
Quote from: RamsesBic on 10/10/2022 06:59 pmIt suggests to me that they needed access to the engines and steel covers would be in the way. The methane used during spin prime is routed from new connectors on the side facing out, where the shields would be, using hoses that connect to pipes that vent it all by the base of the tower. It could also suggest they still have a lot of work to do on B7.Why would the new covers be reflective if they are for gas management?
The 3 interstage clamps that connect Starship and Superheavy together are a critical piece in the Starship full stack, but there isn’t much documentation of how they work and how they have changed through the generations of vehicles. Let’s change that. (1/14)
Two designs of these clamps have been used on Starship to date, with test article B2.1 being the first to have them. Notice how they have a much wider lip. This style was used until S21 and B6. (2/14)
The old style is important to note because this was the only time where we got to see the actuation mechanism in action. A hydraulic actuator would simply be able to push and pull on it to lock and unlock, with a large spring pressing on it while locked. (3/14)
On S22 and B7, a new clamp design was implemented that uses a much more hook-shaped clamp. This is the side and front profile of this new design. (4/14)
While there was a lot of speculation about how these clamps retracted, we never really had a chance to see this happen until noticed this during S24’s realignment on top of B7. (5/14)
The new clamps retract a lot further back than the old design, making sure they properly clear the Starship. This video shows a test of these clamps in real-time. (6/14)
Here is a visualization of the unlocking and locking motion with these clamps, showing the rotation back. (7/14)
Using our knowledge of how the old style was actuated, this is a speculative design of the new style's system. We are yet to see the inside, but this is our best guess. (8/14)
It's also important to note that this has likely shifted away from a hydraulic-powered system on B9+, due to the lack of Hydraulic Power Units. So it's possible that this system is now using an electric linear actuator or some alternative system. (9/14)
You will also notice these wedge-shaped pieces surrounding the clamps, which likely make sure the clamps are properly aligned with the slots in the Ship and may provide some protection. (10/14)
The ship sits on a rim that goes around the entire perimeter of the interstage, and this rim has 2 notches surrounding each clamp. These notches ensure that the Ship will stay in the perfect position for the clamps to extend and lock. (11/14)
The test stands also had their clamps replaced, with the design kept mostly the same, but the clamp piece only tilts back like the older clamps. The green part is the clamp, and the yellow parts act the same as the wedge-shaped pieces on the Booster. (12/14)
These clamps are all that make up the stage separation system, with no extra hardware like what is present on Falcon 9. If you want to learn more about Starship’s staging, check out this timestamped video from (13/14)
This critical system allows Starship and Superheavy to separate after MECO, and it’s pretty cool how it has evolved prior to the first flight of the integrated stack. Hopefully, this answers any questions about these clamps, but comments are always welcome as per usual! (14/14)
Thanks for the consolidated update, I was starting to think everyone snuck off to a new engineering thread and didn't tell me.One question I have is what will be providing separation force. I know that on F9 there's a linear actuator of some kind (hydraulic?) that sticks into the MVac engine and (very carefully) pushes against the injector plate itself. Any indication that SS/SH will use a similar system? I have a hard time imagining they'll try to align multiple plungers into multiple engines, but what else could they push off of? The rim of the barrel section? If so I'd expect to see some kind of pusher inline or nearby to the interstage locking mechanism. How about in the center of the three SL raptors? Seems very risky, as any misalignment (easy to imagine with a bunch of propellant sloshing around a mostly-empty SH) means you're dinging an engine. What else is there to push off of? Will they just let the RCS of the booster and ship separate the two? Hard to do after MECO, if they're still using the ullage pressure to provide thrust (not-quite-cold gas thrusters), but pretty easy if they're using COPV N2 or something. I'm not up to date on the RCS system, but those were the two near-term options I heard floating around (as opposed to hot-gas). Any other ideas?
