SpaceX Starship : Texas Prototype(s) Thread 22 : Discussion

[matthewkantar]

From RGV Aerial Photography's latest sky shots: WELDEEEERZ!! Fall in for duty.

[sferrin]

"What kind of welder do you need?"
"Yes, all of them."   

[meekGee]

https://twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1417892737668505601

It's starting to look more like the booster catch mechanism.
What do you think?

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear Owe's CAD station turn on...

[grndkntrl]

https://twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1417892737668505601

It's starting to look more like the booster catch mechanism.
What do you think?

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear Owe's CAD station turn on...

Haha!

Yes. I'm 99.9999999% sure it is.

Looking at the way the black branched pipe sections have been laid out on the ground, they match the horizontal cross section shape/profile of the tower.

I'd say this is the frame for the carriages which rides the 3 pairs of vertical linear rails.

The boxy sections are probably either the carriages themselves (minus the bogies or equivalent to interface to the linear rails, which doesn't appear to have been delivered yet as far as I can tell from looking at various RGV aerials & NSF footage) and/or parts of the structure for attaching the arms to the carriage frame.

To move the whole thing up & down the tower, the cable(s) from the drawworks will go up the back of the tower, through a pulley system on the top level, then down the front via the big overhang, attach to more pulleys on the frame and then loop back up the tower, through another pulley system at the top, then down the other back face to the uptake/spooling(?) drum/reel adjacent to the drawworks.

The arms will be mounted onto the frame and either be movable around the frame, or at least able to articulate in some manner to allow fine control of the position needed to get them into place for lifting & catching operations.

[wannamoonbase]

It's about to crazy up in here.  I look forward to the renders and animations showing the assembly of these parts and pieces.

I still can't imagine catching 100+ tons in mid air, but I know it's just math and throwing steel at the problem.

[beelsebob]

Owe’s latest video (thanks Owe, they’re stunning as always!) makes me wonder if we’re looking at a part designed to sit above the orbital launch table.  Perhaps the hydraulic assembly in the table is only to extend supports for the ship.  Meanwhile, this is a ring of hold down clamps.

I’m not sure this completely makes sense, as it doesn’t explain the bars on the bottom that look like they’re intended to anchor this thing into concrete.

[eriblo]

twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1417655353752399874

It appears that the aft flap width for Starship 20 are approximately ~30% smaller than previous.
What do you think?
Red= previous version
Blue= Starship 20

https://twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1417657751870836740

Not perspective, the green colored one is approximately the same as the red colored one, but not the blue.

It is worth noting that the fin angle and outer edge length appear to be unchanged - the difference in width is associated with a corresponding length difference at the hinge side. It should therefore be simple to judge if there has been any changes as soon as we see the mounting points on S20.

[Spaceman_From_Italy]

twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1417655353752399874

It appears that the aft flap width for Starship 20 are approximately ~30% smaller than previous.
What do you think?
Red= previous version
Blue= Starship 20

https://twitter.com/rgvaerialphotos/status/1417657751870836740

Not perspective, the green colored one is approximately the same as the red colored one, but not the blue.

What would the "previous version" be for? I would imagine that to be for S20 and the supposedly smaller new flaps for S21

[beelsebob]

We haven't seen any heat tiles on any of the larger ones, so that strongly suggests the smaller ones are for S20.

[Spaceman_From_Italy]

We haven't seen any heat tiles on any of the larger ones, so that strongly suggests the smaller ones are for S20.

They are fully wrapped, and on the top one, where the wrapping is torn, we can see tiles

[aip]

It's about to crazy up in here.  I look forward to the renders and animations showing the assembly of these parts and pieces.

I still can't imagine catching 100+ tons in mid air, but I know it's just math and throwing steel at the problem.

I feel like we're at maximum confusion: most of the pieces are in plain view, and this forum are full of theories but no confirmation as of yet about how they all fit together.

The next week or two should see all the parts starting to come together, and I'll be sitting here with my popcorn.

[vaporcobra]

Uh why are they sleeving S21 aft dome with a booster aft section

Photo credit: Mary

Just noticed the same thing, extremely odd! They've already been tack welded together so it's incredibly unlikely that it's just a mistake, which leaves no clear explanations. Without significant changes, the only places this could be installed are the mystery booster structural test stand or B3's custom Pad A mount. That makes me think that this is part of some kind of Frankenstein'd test tank meant to qualify those new six-Raptor Starship thrust domes.

[Keldor]

"What kind of welder do you need?"
"Yes, all of them." 

A Random Contractor, Elsewhere inTexas:

"What do you mean there isn't a single welder available for rent in all of southern Texas?!  Ugh, it's COVID again, isn't it?"

[daavery]

Owe’s latest video (thanks Owe, they’re stunning as always!) makes me wonder if we’re looking at a part designed to sit above the orbital launch table.  Perhaps the hydraulic assembly in the table is only to extend supports for the ship.  Meanwhile, this is a ring of hold down clamps.

I’m not sure this completely makes sense, as it doesn’t explain the bars on the bottom that look like they’re intended to anchor this thing into concrete.

https://twitter.com/Thomaseo01/status/1414819137424027649

nothing to do with OLM or table ( the ring of supports at the top of the legs is 9M in dia.

[daavery]

and now they are installing 20 HUGE hydraulic cylinders that can pull with up to 1Mlbs each at rated working pressure of 5000psi

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/assets/52398.0/2047718.jpg

[CamiloPasin]

Uh why are they sleeving S21 aft dome with a booster aft section

Photo credit: Mary

Just noticed the same thing, extremely odd! They've already been tack welded together so it's incredibly unlikely that it's just a mistake, which leaves no clear explanations. Without significant changes, the only places this could be installed are the mystery booster structural test stand or B3's custom Pad A mount. That makes me think that this is part of some kind of Frankenstein'd test tank meant to qualify those new six-Raptor Starship thrust domes.

It's the "Starshooster™"

[joncz]

and now they are installing 20 HUGE hydraulic cylinders that can pull with up to 1Mlbs each at rated working pressure of 5000psi

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/assets/52398.0/2047718.jpg

Elon Musk likes the Virgin Orbit approach and this is his version of air-launching SH and SS?

[wannamoonbase]

and now they are installing 20 HUGE hydraulic cylinders that can pull with up to 1Mlbs each at rated working pressure of 5000psi

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/assets/52398.0/2047718.jpg

Maybe when B3 is done with static fires they will torment it with this rig?

Makes sense to start with B3 if B4 is suppose to be the flight article.

[AstroDave]

  Anybody up for a swim? Just noticed that the BN2.1 test article has a sizable amount of standing water between the upper dome and top ring. The screenshot is from the 13 July RGV flyover, so there must be a lot more water that has accumulated there from storms this past week.

  Looked at same flyover footage to see if B3 is having same issue on test stand. It looks like there are holes in the side that allow most precipitation to drain off. I'm doubtful that these are drainage holes, but they seem to be preventing the top of B3 from becoming a tall bird bath.

[beelsebob]

Owe’s latest video (thanks Owe, they’re stunning as always!) makes me wonder if we’re looking at a part designed to sit above the orbital launch table.  Perhaps the hydraulic assembly in the table is only to extend supports for the ship.  Meanwhile, this is a ring of hold down clamps.

I’m not sure this completely makes sense, as it doesn’t explain the bars on the bottom that look like they’re intended to anchor this thing into concrete.

https://twitter.com/Thomaseo01/status/1414819137424027649

nothing to do with OLM or table ( the ring of supports at the top of the legs is 9M in dia.

Yes, I'm aware of this theory, and it's a good one. It's not known though - continued speculation on possibilities is still valid.