Quote from: DanClemmensen on 10/15/2025 01:38 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:32 pmQuote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 01:17 pmQuote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:15 pmQuote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 11:44 amThere are also 2 interesting hexagonal-pyramid shaped tiles visible between the top of the nose vent thingy and the top of the forward flaps.Odd indeed.Remember the reason for hex tiles was to prevent gaps from being collinear, to disrupt plasma flow?With something like this, even the single gaps are kinda protected.Of installed throughout, they'll make such a hypothetical ship look very... distinct.Many questions:What effect will it have on the ship's aerodynamics? Will it be like a golf ball? How about forces acting on the tiles?Or are these just covers of some sort.My guess would be covers, but for what?...I was going to wait for additional shots of the other side and then the aft section to be delivered in a few weeks to give an opinion, but I'll put my two 2-cents now: LIDAR for fuel take rendezvous.LIDAR would require them to be transparent in the laser frequency being used. Maybe RADAR instead?I go either way, I know Elon hates Lidar, so radar emitter and receiver (pairs) would make sense.
Quote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:32 pmQuote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 01:17 pmQuote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:15 pmQuote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 11:44 amThere are also 2 interesting hexagonal-pyramid shaped tiles visible between the top of the nose vent thingy and the top of the forward flaps.Odd indeed.Remember the reason for hex tiles was to prevent gaps from being collinear, to disrupt plasma flow?With something like this, even the single gaps are kinda protected.Of installed throughout, they'll make such a hypothetical ship look very... distinct.Many questions:What effect will it have on the ship's aerodynamics? Will it be like a golf ball? How about forces acting on the tiles?Or are these just covers of some sort.My guess would be covers, but for what?...I was going to wait for additional shots of the other side and then the aft section to be delivered in a few weeks to give an opinion, but I'll put my two 2-cents now: LIDAR for fuel take rendezvous.LIDAR would require them to be transparent in the laser frequency being used. Maybe RADAR instead?
Quote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 01:17 pmQuote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:15 pmQuote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 11:44 amThere are also 2 interesting hexagonal-pyramid shaped tiles visible between the top of the nose vent thingy and the top of the forward flaps.Odd indeed.Remember the reason for hex tiles was to prevent gaps from being collinear, to disrupt plasma flow?With something like this, even the single gaps are kinda protected.Of installed throughout, they'll make such a hypothetical ship look very... distinct.Many questions:What effect will it have on the ship's aerodynamics? Will it be like a golf ball? How about forces acting on the tiles?Or are these just covers of some sort.My guess would be covers, but for what?...I was going to wait for additional shots of the other side and then the aft section to be delivered in a few weeks to give an opinion, but I'll put my two 2-cents now: LIDAR for fuel take rendezvous.
Quote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:15 pmQuote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 11:44 amThere are also 2 interesting hexagonal-pyramid shaped tiles visible between the top of the nose vent thingy and the top of the forward flaps.Odd indeed.Remember the reason for hex tiles was to prevent gaps from being collinear, to disrupt plasma flow?With something like this, even the single gaps are kinda protected.Of installed throughout, they'll make such a hypothetical ship look very... distinct.Many questions:What effect will it have on the ship's aerodynamics? Will it be like a golf ball? How about forces acting on the tiles?Or are these just covers of some sort.My guess would be covers, but for what?...
Quote from: SpaceLizard on 10/15/2025 11:44 amThere are also 2 interesting hexagonal-pyramid shaped tiles visible between the top of the nose vent thingy and the top of the forward flaps.Odd indeed.Remember the reason for hex tiles was to prevent gaps from being collinear, to disrupt plasma flow?With something like this, even the single gaps are kinda protected.Of installed throughout, they'll make such a hypothetical ship look very... distinct.Many questions:What effect will it have on the ship's aerodynamics? Will it be like a golf ball? How about forces acting on the tiles?Or are these just covers of some sort.
There are also 2 interesting hexagonal-pyramid shaped tiles visible between the top of the nose vent thingy and the top of the forward flaps.
Starbase Surfer@cnunezimagesStarship 39. Flight 12 Hardware - October 12, 2025
Quote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI go either way, I know Elon hates Lidar, so radar emitter and receiver (pairs) would make sense.He hates it as a solution for mass produced autonomous cars, I don't think he's got it in for the technology.But maybe you're right and hence the pairing.
I go either way, I know Elon hates Lidar, so radar emitter and receiver (pairs) would make sense.
Quote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:45 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI go either way, I know Elon hates Lidar, so radar emitter and receiver (pairs) would make sense.He hates it as a solution for mass produced autonomous cars, I don't think he's got it in for the technology.But maybe you're right and hence the pairing.Elon "hates" any extra active sensor system. "The best part is no part". He believes that cameras and image processing suffice for everything. As an extreme example, a software update deliberately disabled the sonar parking sensors on my 2020 Model Y in favor of just using the cameras. That car got rear-ended and totaled (not due to sensors) and the replacement 2023 Model Y does not have the sonar sensors at all. If we want to use Teslas as a guide, we should expect RPOD to use cameras only. From a sensor perspective, RPOD is a whole lot simpler than FSD.
Quote from: DanClemmensen on 10/16/2025 01:32 pmQuote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:45 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI go either way, I know Elon hates Lidar, so radar emitter and receiver (pairs) would make sense.He hates it as a solution for mass produced autonomous cars, I don't think he's got it in for the technology.But maybe you're right and hence the pairing.Elon "hates" any extra active sensor system. "The best part is no part". He believes that cameras and image processing suffice for everything. As an extreme example, a software update deliberately disabled the sonar parking sensors on my 2020 Model Y in favor of just using the cameras. That car got rear-ended and totaled (not due to sensors) and the replacement 2023 Model Y does not have the sonar sensors at all. If we want to use Teslas as a guide, we should expect RPOD to use cameras only. From a sensor perspective, RPOD is a whole lot simpler than FSD.I agree cameras are better than Lidar but only if they can do he job.There are also solid state range-sensing optical sensors, but I also agree radar is probably better than all, and will go through an opaque tile.As for Teslas, don't get me started...
Quote from: meekGee on 10/16/2025 05:08 pmQuote from: DanClemmensen on 10/16/2025 01:32 pmQuote from: meekGee on 10/15/2025 01:45 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI go either way, I know Elon hates Lidar, so radar emitter and receiver (pairs) would make sense.He hates it as a solution for mass produced autonomous cars, I don't think he's got it in for the technology.But maybe you're right and hence the pairing.Elon "hates" any extra active sensor system. "The best part is no part". He believes that cameras and image processing suffice for everything. As an extreme example, a software update deliberately disabled the sonar parking sensors on my 2020 Model Y in favor of just using the cameras. That car got rear-ended and totaled (not due to sensors) and the replacement 2023 Model Y does not have the sonar sensors at all. If we want to use Teslas as a guide, we should expect RPOD to use cameras only. From a sensor perspective, RPOD is a whole lot simpler than FSD.I agree cameras are better than Lidar but only if they can do he job.There are also solid state range-sensing optical sensors, but I also agree radar is probably better than all, and will go through an opaque tile.As for Teslas, don't get me started... Hey, I did not say I agreed with Elon on this. I just explained his position. I'm fairly sure cameras would work well for RPOD, but soem sort of active ranging scheme would be helpful, especially beyond about 1000 meters. I'm not sure why this needs those two funny pyramids on the windward side.
I'm holding hope that these are tests for an all-bumpy cover scheme, just because it will look cool...
Quote from: meekGee on 10/16/2025 06:15 pmI'm holding hope that these are tests for an all-bumpy cover scheme, just because it will look cool...Maybe they'll do a golf ball style dimpled starship? (half joking, but who knows).
NSF - NASASpaceflight.com@NASASpaceflight·Ship 39 is now inside Mega Bay 2, preparing for Flight 12, the debut of the next-generation Starship that will launch from Pad 2 at Starbase.
Jack Beyer@thejackbeyerShip 39’s nosecone was lifted inside mega bay 2 this evening. With the rise of the gigabay, this might be the last time we see this sort of operation. Final views of the first version 3 Starship. End of the beginning. @NASASpaceflight
StarbaseTracking@TrackingTheSB·Ship 39's Forward Dome barrel has rolled out of Starfactory!
StarbaseTracking@TrackingTheSB·Following the double lift lines being connected, Ship 39's N:3 (Nosecone and Payload bay) with the FX:4 (Forward Dome) connected to the bottom was lifted to the turn table where they will be welded together.
MattZ@wvmattz·SpaceX kept the Mega Bay 2 door open tonight, which allowed us to see Ship 39 being lifted and rotated; the nosecone/payload bay and forward section were later connected as well! Neat!
I know Elon hates Lidar
it might be the docking adapter for the depot refueling.
Quote from: DanClemmensen on 10/16/2025 01:32 pmQuote from: rsdavis9 on 10/16/2025 01:45 pmQuote from: lightleviathan on 10/16/2025 10:11 pmQuote from: Kazioo on 10/21/2025 03:27 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI know Elon hates Lidar You are probably referring to his dislike for using it for self-driving cars
Quote from: rsdavis9 on 10/16/2025 01:45 pmQuote from: lightleviathan on 10/16/2025 10:11 pmQuote from: Kazioo on 10/21/2025 03:27 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI know Elon hates Lidar You are probably referring to his dislike for using it for self-driving cars
Quote from: lightleviathan on 10/16/2025 10:11 pmQuote from: Kazioo on 10/21/2025 03:27 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI know Elon hates Lidar You are probably referring to his dislike for using it for self-driving cars
Quote from: Kazioo on 10/21/2025 03:27 pmQuote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI know Elon hates Lidar You are probably referring to his dislike for using it for self-driving cars
Quote from: catdlr on 10/15/2025 01:41 pmI know Elon hates Lidar You are probably referring to his dislike for using it for self-driving cars
