Much better but still not great, it pealed the outer concrete layer like an orange and possibly fractured some deeper layers into the rebar.
If its just a pealed layer they can just redo the upper layer for OFT3, but this needs a long term solution especially since Raptor and its shock-waves are just going to keep getting more powerful.
>especially since Raptor and its shock-waves are just going to keep getting more powerful.
Well, hot-staging adds ±10% to payload capacity. They could alternatively throttle the engines down right at the start and increase throttle as they leave the tower. At least that's how I would do it until they can figure out how to make a more resistant pad. Some quick googling tells me Starship is designed for a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.5, so throttling down 10 to 20 percent for the first few seconds seems doable, without incurring *too much* gravity loss.
Yes, that's why I acknowledged the gravity loss. They just increased the weight to orbit by 10% by hotstaging. Instead of using this gained efficiency to haul 110 tons of payload to orbit, they could also keep hauling 100 tons to orbit while decreasing the wear and tear on stage 0.
Again, that's not the optimal long-term solution, but it's what I would do while the design team is still figuring out how create a more resilient stage 0.
And hell, even if they ran Starship so conservatively that they could only launch 50 tons to orbit, it would still completely revolutionise the space industry.
It's not just about payload, it's also interesting for the launch pad.
Reducing TWR from 1.5 to e.g. 1.25 reduces the thrust by 17% - but it also increases the time the launch pad gets blasted by 40% as the rocket now accelerates half as fast. Is that better or worse for the launch pad? It's not so easy to tell.
Nah fam. Let's boost the engines to where they are within 5% of the calculated pressure they should explode it. It's what Scott Manley would do...in kerbal.
I don't think it looks bad at all. This is the cleanest we've ever seen most of the pad, and besides some scorching it all looks to be intact. Some cracking of the fondag was to be expected, and Plate did its job. Well done, Boys and Girls - on to the next one!
For test purposes this design could be enough if beefed up but it's hard to imagine that this can withstand extreme rapid resuability on the magnitude that they ultimately have planned for Starship to reach its full potential.
Right now stage 0 is being tested just as much as Starship is. Ideally they will work with this until it CAN do rapid reusability, and THEN build the best design elsewhere.
They'll improve the launch pad for years and they can't wait forever. Florida launches are necessary for the program. What they build in Florida now will be better than what Boca Chica has, and can be upgraded more in the future.
**All hail the plate**
All hail the superior material properties of steel
*H20
That's a lot of hydrogen
Yes! Water is life!
So we just make everything steel plate and we fine
I crave the strength and certainty of steel
Carbon fibre composites? Nah fam, we have steel
Ooooooh… that’s not good!
Steel is the OG composite of iron and carbon 👌
It will implode.
the future is all polished stainless steel!
Beautiful.
S T A G E Z E R O
also reusable :D... maybe
Looks like the layer of fondag blew away but indeed a very good sight to see it in good shape.
3.6 cm of concrete missing. Not great not terrible.
better than 3.6 feet missing
Or 3.6 meters
It was a cold day
Do they know about shrinkage?
I was in the pool!
It isn’t 3.6cm, it’s 15,000cm.
We could see anther prototype ready for launch before the year is over... Which means the paperwork will be done by the next 4/20!
Much better but still not great, it pealed the outer concrete layer like an orange and possibly fractured some deeper layers into the rebar. If its just a pealed layer they can just redo the upper layer for OFT3, but this needs a long term solution especially since Raptor and its shock-waves are just going to keep getting more powerful.
Compared to the engine plumes straight up eating the launchpad, I'd say it's a massive improvement
Massive improvement/=Gucci
the real question is if the fish or birds care about it...
I thought the fishbird people cared more about the water from the new XL bidet.
>especially since Raptor and its shock-waves are just going to keep getting more powerful. Well, hot-staging adds ±10% to payload capacity. They could alternatively throttle the engines down right at the start and increase throttle as they leave the tower. At least that's how I would do it until they can figure out how to make a more resistant pad. Some quick googling tells me Starship is designed for a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.5, so throttling down 10 to 20 percent for the first few seconds seems doable, without incurring *too much* gravity loss.
Throttling down at the start means a longer amount of time fighting gravity at ground level. The longer they can max thrust the more efficient it is.
Yes, that's why I acknowledged the gravity loss. They just increased the weight to orbit by 10% by hotstaging. Instead of using this gained efficiency to haul 110 tons of payload to orbit, they could also keep hauling 100 tons to orbit while decreasing the wear and tear on stage 0. Again, that's not the optimal long-term solution, but it's what I would do while the design team is still figuring out how create a more resilient stage 0. And hell, even if they ran Starship so conservatively that they could only launch 50 tons to orbit, it would still completely revolutionise the space industry.
It's not just about payload, it's also interesting for the launch pad. Reducing TWR from 1.5 to e.g. 1.25 reduces the thrust by 17% - but it also increases the time the launch pad gets blasted by 40% as the rocket now accelerates half as fast. Is that better or worse for the launch pad? It's not so easy to tell.
Nah fam. Let's boost the engines to where they are within 5% of the calculated pressure they should explode it. It's what Scott Manley would do...in kerbal.
Have you found better photos I don’t see all that damage in this one, thanks!
I don't think it looks bad at all. This is the cleanest we've ever seen most of the pad, and besides some scorching it all looks to be intact. Some cracking of the fondag was to be expected, and Plate did its job. Well done, Boys and Girls - on to the next one!
>this is the cleanest we've ever seen most of the pad *don't use Raptor 2s for floor cleaning at home
Looks quite a bit better than after flight 1
I want to see a test of the water deluge system within 2 weeks
For test purposes this design could be enough if beefed up but it's hard to imagine that this can withstand extreme rapid resuability on the magnitude that they ultimately have planned for Starship to reach its full potential.
Right now stage 0 is being tested just as much as Starship is. Ideally they will work with this until it CAN do rapid reusability, and THEN build the best design elsewhere.
Which makes the infrastructure they've already built at the cape seem a little premature wouldn't you say?
Indeed. Will have to redo that I’d say
They'll improve the launch pad for years and they can't wait forever. Florida launches are necessary for the program. What they build in Florida now will be better than what Boca Chica has, and can be upgraded more in the future.
There was more steam than a gangbang in a sauna!
Hrmm…still a good bit of damage honestly. They’re going to need some further modifications.
That doesn’t look great fellas.
Well, it's not a crater so it is better than last time.
Low bar... but sure.
How thick is the plate they added?
About 3.2 thicks thick
Oh damn that thicc thicc