First Starship v2 - Starship 33 for flight 7

[ajmarco]

But what about the heatshield protrusions under the flaps? The distance between them is more like 6.8 m. Can the heatshield tiles be partially placed on the door?

Put the dispenser door on the opposite side of Starship from the heatshield and no concerns there.

[Spiceman]

Star Ship: The Next Generation   

Fly a lot and prosper.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1851693456290136377

Ship 33 (Flight 7 and the first Block 2 Ship) is performing its second cryo test at SpaceX Masseys.

nsf.live/starbase

[Kazioo]

But what about the heatshield protrusions under the flaps? The distance between them is more like 6.8 m. Can the heatshield tiles be partially placed on the door?

Put the dispenser door on the opposite side of Starship from the heatshield and no concerns there.

I'm talking about the red parts in this picture.

[SteveU]

But what about the heatshield protrusions under the flaps? The distance between them is more like 6.8 m. Can the heatshield tiles be partially placed on the door?

Put the dispenser door on the opposite side of Starship from the heatshield and no concerns there.

I'm talking about the red parts in this picture.

Those areas are leeward enough that there shouldn’t be any issues with sealing the door. They well experience far less heating than the Shuttle landing gear doors and tank attachment doors - all on the belly.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Video:

https://twitter.com/enneps/status/1852328220210700364

Starship S33 is keeping busy at Massey's, with teams performing a third day of cryo proof testing, getting valuable data on all the Starship Block 2 upgrades, ahead of S33's hopeful flight on flight 7.
@NASASpaceflight
Starbase Live nsf.live/starbase

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Video:

https://twitter.com/enneps/status/1852734298211643415

After its busy week of testing at Massey's Starship S33 was rolled back overnight to Mega Bay 2, and removed from the test stand, to potentially receive some raptors ahead of a static fire campaign.
@NASASpaceflight
Starbase Live nsf.live/starbase

[catdlr]

Information on Starship V2 will be discussed in this week's RGV Aero Photgraphy Weekly Update.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.msg2638562#msg2638562

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Video:

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1855172655239807096

RVac 275 in Mega Bay 2, likely being prepared for installation on Ship 33 (Flight 7).

nsf.live/starbase

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Video:

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1855286665394438467

And here come Ship 33's Sea Level Raptors. SN385 in view. With Flight 6 just around the corner, Flight 7 and the first Block 2 Ship are deep into preps.

nsf.live/starbase

[catdlr]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

https://twitter.com/kmreed/status/1860843566148264392

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

[panjabi]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

[Vettedrmr]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

I don't know how much endurance S33 has for orbital flight, but you can have an orbital flight and still land in the Indian Ocean.  So, I expect you could fly a 1 orbit flight and still land in the IO.

[DanClemmensen]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

I don't know how much endurance S33 has for orbital flight, but you can have an orbital flight and still land in the Indian Ocean.  So, I expect you could fly a 1 orbit flight and still land in the IO.

Yep. If you land one hour after launch, it's sub-orbital. If you land 25 hours after launch, you hit the same place a day later (this is approximate, but very close). The referenced message says it's one hour after launch, so it's sub-orbital.  My guess: they want to have very high confidence in Raptor relight before they risk an orbital flight.

[Vettedrmr]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

I don't know how much endurance S33 has for orbital flight, but you can have an orbital flight and still land in the Indian Ocean.  So, I expect you could fly a 1 orbit flight and still land in the IO.

Yep. If you land one hour after launch, it's sub-orbital. If you land 25 hours after launch, you hit the same place a day later (this is approximate, but very close). The referenced message says it's one hour after launch, so it's sub-orbital.  My guess: they want to have very high confidence in Raptor relight before they risk an orbital flight.

I missed that; thanks for pointing that out.  That does go against what EM stated that if IFT-7 goes well that they'd attempt a catch on flight 8; at least I think it does.  To go from suborbital ocean landings to a catch after a multiple orbit flight seems an exceptional step.

[TomH]

To go from suborbital ocean landings to a catch after a multiple orbit flight seems an exceptional step.

Honest question: Does it really matter how far the vehicle has traveled in space? ICBW, but won't the angle of entry, velocity, and EDL profile all be pretty much the same? What will be different is length of the ship, size and location of the flaperons, and the fact that the new TPS has flown previously only on IFT-5.

And IFT 4 and 5 both water landed with accuracy.

Things that I know of that will differ for the catch are 1) approach will have to be over land, probably Mexico, with a minuscule chance of Florida if the first ship catch is that far into the future,  2) the ship will have to overfly the tower towards water and then divert back towards land if systems are go for landing, unless, of course, a catch tower is built which faces a general westerly direction,  3) the pins have to survive and deploy correctly, and 4) contact between TPS and chopsticks.

[jmt27]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

Don't forget if they want to catch the next ship on flight 8 they have to test out the catching pins during reentry. This hasn't been done yet. With the data collected on flight 6, they'll know where to place those pins. So no need to go orbital for this.

[AmigaClone]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

Don't forget if they want to catch the next ship on flight 8 they have to test out the catching pins during reentry. This hasn't been done yet. With the data collected on flight 6, they'll know where to place those pins. So no need to go orbital for this.

I suspect SpaceX also wants to compare IFT-7 with the IFT-6 and make sure they have as much control over a Starship V2 during reentry and they had with a Starship V1  during reentry.  Also, doing a near copy of flight 6 will allow SpaceX to launch in January while at the same time making a request for a revised launch license that would permit orbital flights and catching the Starship (along with possibly satellite deployment, and/or fuel transfer between two Starships being demonstrated).

[rfdesigner]

No need for a Flight 7 Launch prediction Thread:

<snip>

A letter from NASA Flight Operations to the FAA with an exemption request has revealed that the target NET for Flight 7 is 11 January 2024, and that the ship will re-enter in the Indian Ocean again.

This is very odd. Another sub-orbital flight? I was almost certain that flight 7 would be orbital, based on the successful engine relight on Flight 6. Also, would SpaceX not want an orbital flight and then a precise ditching of Ship BEFORE they attempt an catch on Flight 8?

I don't know how much endurance S33 has for orbital flight, but you can have an orbital flight and still land in the Indian Ocean.  So, I expect you could fly a 1 orbit flight and still land in the IO.

Yep. If you land one hour after launch, it's sub-orbital. If you land 25 hours after launch, you hit the same place a day later (this is approximate, but very close). The referenced message says it's one hour after launch, so it's sub-orbital.  My guess: they want to have very high confidence in Raptor relight before they risk an orbital flight.

I missed that; thanks for pointing that out.  That does go against what EM stated that if IFT-7 goes well that they'd attempt a catch on flight 8; at least I think it does.  To go from suborbital ocean landings to a catch after a multiple orbit flight seems an exceptional step.

Going orbital is worth a few seconds longer launch burn, minimal extra ship stress, they've done 4 x 98% orbital velocity launches. Deorbit burn has been demonstrated, pinpoint landing has been demonated.  I assume they've also prooved they consumed a suitable percentage of tank pressure/propellants ensuring the suborbital "engine off" flight could be extended out to a number of days.

Yes it looks like a big step, but all the elements required for a catch have now been prooved.

[Navier–Stokes]

S33 doesn't have any payload deployment capability, right? Have any of the v2 Starships been stopped with an updated Starlink deployment mechanism?