From that ^^^ video, we see what appear to be blast deflectors being installed on the top edge of the tank farm berm.
Quote from: alugobi on 12/01/2022 05:00 pmFrom that ^^^ video, we see what appear to be blast deflectors being installed on the top edge of the tank farm berm.There's another peek at it in the latest video, but not much. Photographers! Are you allergic to the berm construction? Anyway, it looks like they're going to pour an upright wall extension on the top of the berm. Can't tell if that's tied rebar or fencing.
Quote from: alugobi on 12/03/2022 04:21 pmQuote from: alugobi on 12/01/2022 05:00 pmFrom that ^^^ video, we see what appear to be blast deflectors being installed on the top edge of the tank farm berm.There's another peek at it in the latest video, but not much. Photographers! Are you allergic to the berm construction? Anyway, it looks like they're going to pour an upright wall extension on the top of the berm. Can't tell if that's tied rebar or fencing.Quoting myself to continue. Just watched the RGV weekly video, and they have a good photo. Here's a screenshot. It's tied rebar. They're building a pretty hefty deflector wall. Don't know if it will go all the way across the berm, but on this side they're trying to protect the banks of He tanks behind the berm.
The Orbital Launch Pad upgrades are underway, Booster 7 was rolled back to the Mega Bay, and work on Ship 25 continues in the High Bay.Video and Pictures from Nic (@NicAnsuini) and Starbase LiveEdited by Sawyer (@thenasaman).All content copyright to NSF. Not to be used elsewhere without explicit permission from NSF.Click "Join" for access to early fast turnaround clips, exclusive discord access with the NSF team, etc - to support the channel.Rolling Updates and Discussion: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/ind...Articles: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/?s=St...NSF Store: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/shop/L2 Boca Chica (more clips and photos) from BC's very early days to today.https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/ind...(Join L2 and support NSF here: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)0:00 Booster 24 Outside at Starbase0:16 Chopsticks Lowered and Opened0:44 Booster 7 Rolled Off Launch Pad2:46 Booster 7 Moved to Mega Bay3:13 Work on Test Article Near Rocket Garden3:28 Teams Working on Orbital Launch Mount4:21 Workers Also Seen Near Quick Disconnect4:36 Height Added to Berm at the Orbital Launch Site5:07 Large Section Moved Onto OLM5:26 Scaffolding Removal Around Ship 246:20 Ship 25 in the High Bay6:35 Work on Ship 25 Inside High Bay7:05 Nosecones Inside Tent 37:20 Front: Ship 28 Nosecone, Rear: Ship 29 Nosecone7:35 Trash Cleanup Along Dunes
Quote from: alugobi on 12/03/2022 07:27 pmQuote from: alugobi on 12/03/2022 04:21 pmQuote from: alugobi on 12/01/2022 05:00 pmFrom that ^^^ video, we see what appear to be blast deflectors being installed on the top edge of the tank farm berm.There's another peek at it in the latest video, but not much. Photographers! Are you allergic to the berm construction? Anyway, it looks like they're going to pour an upright wall extension on the top of the berm. Can't tell if that's tied rebar or fencing.Quoting myself to continue. Just watched the RGV weekly video, and they have a good photo. Here's a screenshot. It's tied rebar. They're building a pretty hefty deflector wall. Don't know if it will go all the way across the berm, but on this side they're trying to protect the banks of He tanks behind the berm.Wouldn't it have been easier to build the tower and the launch table 300 to 500 meters further to avoid all these protections with respect to the plumbing (and tanks) of the GSE? The proximity of these elements has always seemed very dangerous to me.
Quote from: OldSpaceFan on 12/06/2022 07:24 amQuote from: alugobi on 12/03/2022 07:27 pmQuote from: alugobi on 12/03/2022 04:21 pmQuote from: alugobi on 12/01/2022 05:00 pmFrom that ^^^ video, we see what appear to be blast deflectors being installed on the top edge of the tank farm berm.There's another peek at it in the latest video, but not much. Photographers! Are you allergic to the berm construction? Anyway, it looks like they're going to pour an upright wall extension on the top of the berm. Can't tell if that's tied rebar or fencing.Quoting myself to continue. Just watched the RGV weekly video, and they have a good photo. Here's a screenshot. It's tied rebar. They're building a pretty hefty deflector wall. Don't know if it will go all the way across the berm, but on this side they're trying to protect the banks of He tanks behind the berm.Wouldn't it have been easier to build the tower and the launch table 300 to 500 meters further to avoid all these protections with respect to the plumbing (and tanks) of the GSE? The proximity of these elements has always seemed very dangerous to me.-Given the location & environmental restrictions there's a limit to how far they can sprawl out the site.-Since they initially planned for 2 towers & sets of GSE, they were probably trying to keep each Launch mount compact-Shorter runs for the cryro propellant lines means less thermal issues.-The high thrust-to-weight ratio of the booster means under launch conditions the stack will clear the pad pretty quickly. The static fires & testing actually expose the GSE to more heat & pressure than a normal launch should
On the Stage 0 churn at BC, I've always found it to be unsurprising, given the long term objective of being able to have Starships (but not Boosters) land at, and perhaps take off again from, relatively austere off-world sites.So in addition to "best part is no part",there might also have been a bias for doing without:- a Grand Canyon class flame trench,- a tsunami-class deluge system, and- Maginot Line-class GSE protection.
- Maginot Line-class GSE protection.
Quote from: Bob Niland on 12/06/2022 06:23 pmOn the Stage 0 churn at BC, I've always found it to be unsurprising, given the long term objective of being able to have Starships (but not Boosters) land at, and perhaps take off again from, relatively austere off-world sites.So in addition to "best part is no part",there might also have been a bias for doing without:- a Grand Canyon class flame trench,- a tsunami-class deluge system, and- Maginot Line-class GSE protection.Yes, 110%.Turns out the physics never required a flame trench for all the history of rocketry, because flow redirection can be done using the characteristics of the flow itself impinging on a perpendicular surface, which is a senior level college problem in fluid dynamics classes in mech. engineering and physics. Odd, that that it took a company that is an expert in CFD to finally utilize the effect.
Further, CFD as a viable, affordable day-to-day tool has only existed within the last generation or so. Most rocketry in the history of the world predates it by quite a number of years.
Lots of work on and underneath the Orbital Launch Mount today. Plumbing work, shielding and tearing up concrete. 12/6/22starshipgazer.compatreon.com/StarshipGazer
Quote from: Bob Niland on 12/06/2022 06:23 pmOn the Stage 0 churn at BC, I've always found it to be unsurprising, given the long term objective of being able to have Starships (but not Boosters) land at, and perhaps take off again from, relatively austere off-world sites.So in addition to "best part is no part",there might also have been a bias for doing without:- a Grand Canyon class flame trench,- a tsunami-class deluge system, and- Maginot Line-class GSE protection.Yes, 110%.Turns out the physics never required a flame trench for all the history of rocketry, because flow redirection can be done using the characteristics of the flow itself impinging on a perpendicular surface, which is a senior level college problem in fluid dynamics classes in mech. engineering and physics. Odd, that that it took a company that is an expert in CFD to finally utilize the effect.A bonus part about "best part is no part" is the trench and deluge system would have had a pretty significant environmental impact, the trench being below water table line and dumping of huge amounts of fresh water into a semi-saline environment. I think the non-Maginot-line class GSE optimism has to await an actual launch to see if it works