Quote from: Tangilinear Interjar on 09/22/2022 03:42 pmSo there are two water circuits and a cold/liquid nitrogen circuit.It seems like one of the water circuits connects with the nitrogen circuit, possibly making a kind of snow maker.I can understand using nitrogen to displace oxygen for fire suppression, adding some water will help a little but mostly it helps cool stuff. But if this is a fire suppression system what is on fire in there that needs to be put out? Excluding methane, there's not a lot of stuff that should burn under the rocket, there's probably a lot more burny stuff bolted to the sides but we are not seeing any fire suppression there. If it's out of control methane burning you have a really big problem that I doubt that fire suppression system could handle.So it doesn't make sense to me that this is just for putting out a fire. BUT it does seem like it could absorb a lot of heat energy, maybe it's a cooling system for static fires and launch? They don't think they need a deluge system for sound suppression or flame diverter because they designed the rocket to be robust etc. But all that heat is going to be too much for the structure and equipment down below and nearby. So maybe this is just a big air-conditioner! 🤔Here are pictures of the blast damage from the 7 engine static fire. Before, and after. So with zero deluge 7 engines causes some amount of damage.
So there are two water circuits and a cold/liquid nitrogen circuit.It seems like one of the water circuits connects with the nitrogen circuit, possibly making a kind of snow maker.I can understand using nitrogen to displace oxygen for fire suppression, adding some water will help a little but mostly it helps cool stuff. But if this is a fire suppression system what is on fire in there that needs to be put out? Excluding methane, there's not a lot of stuff that should burn under the rocket, there's probably a lot more burny stuff bolted to the sides but we are not seeing any fire suppression there. If it's out of control methane burning you have a really big problem that I doubt that fire suppression system could handle.So it doesn't make sense to me that this is just for putting out a fire. BUT it does seem like it could absorb a lot of heat energy, maybe it's a cooling system for static fires and launch? They don't think they need a deluge system for sound suppression or flame diverter because they designed the rocket to be robust etc. But all that heat is going to be too much for the structure and equipment down below and nearby. So maybe this is just a big air-conditioner! 🤔
(1/2) If you have been wondering why there have been 30+ workers on the Orbital Launch Mount with Sparks flying everywhere 24/7 over the last few days. The reason is because they are installing additional blast shielding to protect the interior of the structure.🎥: @LabPadre
(2/2) Hey #StarshipAddicts, here is a preview of @RyanHansenSpace's animation showing one of the OLM upgrades currently in progress. These large plates prevent explosions from entering the table through the side of the hold down arms.This upgrade is a top priority. #B8CanWait
Starbase Sunset: Rocket work and liquid oxygen deliveries... 🚀 #Starbase #SpaceX #BocaChica #RGV
Booster 9 and the Orbital Launch Mount Upgrades | SpaceX Boca Chica28 Sept 2022Booster 9 has been stacked on its engine section, with the notable lack of HPU covers, and the Orbital Launch Mount continues to be upgraded to support Starship's orbital test flight.Video and Pictures from Nic (@NicAnsuini), Nomadd, and Starbase Live. Edited by Justin (@OGNovuh).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 - Cryogenic Pump Removed0:30 - Liquid Nitrogen Tanker at the Orbital Tank Farm0:44 - Crews Work on the Orbital Launch Mount3:10 - Booster Quick Disconnect3:25 - The Ship Quick Disconnect Arm4:01 - The Chopsticks4:48 - The Sun and Moon Rise Over the Orbital Launch Site4:55 - Upgrades Continue on the Orbital Launch Mount6:28 - The Orbital Launch Site6:43 - Ship 24 on Suborbital Pad B7:29 - Ship 26’s Nosecone Moved to the High Bay7:43 - New Nosecone Emerges From Tent 38:08 - Booster 9 in the Mega Bay
#Starbase after the recent grass fires showing signs of regrowth. This was brown, dead brush just a couple weeks ago.#Starship #SpaceX 📸 Me for WAI Media @FelixSchlang
OLM aerial view
Special Report: SpaceX Tests New DETONATION Suppression System for the Orbital Launch Mount!CSI StarBase
Quote from: catdlr on 10/01/2022 10:58 pmSpecial Report: SpaceX Tests New DETONATION Suppression System for the Orbital Launch Mount!CSI StarBasePretty good. Worth the watch. His analysis of the changes they made to the water and nitrogen lines under and around the launch mount is quite informative. He's also made sense out of why they're doing it differently in Florida. Where they have more water and a catch basin.
How far are they along on the orbital launch mount upgrades?
Thanks to this image by @Harry__Stranger I can now retract my previous statement about the #WaterDeluge manifold going around the top of the #OrbitalLaunchMount at Pad39a. It now appears that it will be buried underground! Thoughts?
This has to be like the 5th or 6th time in just a week or two that SpaceX has removed one of the Starship OLS tank farm's methane pumps! Hard to say what, but something about the LCH4 farm and pump system is deeply flawed and has been for months 😟Via: youtube.com/watch?v=nbBeoR…
Even more strangely, shortly before SpaceX once again fully removed one of LCH4 pumps, a new pump was delivered to the OLS, unpackaged, removed from the truck, and then put on a different truck and moved from the OLS to the factory??Also via @LabPadre
This endless removal and replacement of OLS LCH4 pumps has been going on for as long as B7 testing, and probably longer. I struggle to see how SpaceX will be able to complete a proper full-stack Starship wet dress rehearsal, 33-engine static fire, or launch
until one of the LCH4 farm's 3-4 pumps no longer need to be replaced after handling just ~100-200 tons of methane over several hours. To safely fill an entire Starship, it'll need to be able to quickly, reliably fill/drain ~1000 tons of LCH4 in a few hours (and maybe faster)
Hard to say what, but something about the LCH4 farm and pump system is deeply flawed and has been for months
When they first installed the launch mount, at some point Musk said that it was way over-built. Yet they've been adding thousands of pounds of shielding and plating to it over the last few weeks, and more piping and tubing and electrical. That stray methane explosion in July really got their attention, and appears to have really led to a redesign in place for a lot of it. They really, really don't want rocket exhaust or other explosion coming up through the center.Who knows what this has meant for the crew building the one in Florida. It should outwardly look similar, because it has to fit the same rocket footprint. I hope we'll get to see what the innards look like. Maybe Tim Dodd will get a tour.Even so, as armored as it is, I'm not overly confident that it's going to be able to be rapidly reused.
Enough to boil 127t of room temperature water. Or melt 445t of steel.
