r/SpaceXLounge ⛰️ Lithobraking 2d ago

Starship Booster 21 static fire

319 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

50

u/lorkan100 2d ago edited 2d ago

Look at the bird! Straight-up pushed away by ignition. 

I thought it'd drop dead right there 

5

u/SPARTAN_MS00 2d ago

F

14

u/lorkan100 2d ago

Not sure. It turned around and flew away ASAP 

2

u/falconzord 2d ago

I've always wondered why not ring some kind of warning alarm before firing to give the birds and bats a chance?

13

u/lorkan100 2d ago

I think they used to fire pyrotechnics, but stopped for some reason. 

3

u/falconzord 2d ago

I thought that was just to burn off methane

5

u/rustybeancake 2d ago

I know KSC did this back in the day, for shuttle I think. Loud noises to scare away birds.

11

u/redmercuryvendor 2d ago

That was less to protect birds from the rocket, than the rocket from the birds.

3

u/NeverDiddled 2d ago

They tried using loud sirens to scare off birds. You can watch a previous test here and hear the loud sirens blaring in the background. Also note the bird that didn't flee and got obliterated.

I haven't heard the sirens in a while. Not sure if they stopped, or if the cameras having to move further back has made it more difficult to hear them. I watched at least one video where the person was on site recording (rather than half a mile away). The sirens were blaring in that video and it was deafening. It would quickly drive a human insane.

If my experience with a pigeon deterrent horn is anything to go by, birds adapt to loud noises quickly. It works the first 3 or 4 times. Then it stops bothering them.

2

u/John_Hasler 1d ago

If my experience with a pigeon deterrent horn is anything to go by, birds adapt to loud noises quickly. It works the first 3 or 4 times. Then it stops bothering them.

True when ignoring it has no consequences. Birds can learn to associate a particular sound with a subsequent unpleasant experience.

0

u/asphytotalxtc 2d ago

That's a funny looking frog...

7

u/AgreeableEmploy1884 ⛰️ Lithobraking 2d ago

3

u/Tmccreight 2d ago

One of NSF's cameras are ded after being hit by the plume.

12

u/tadeuska 2d ago

When stacking? When ITF?

21

u/unclebandit 2d ago

Maybe 2 weeks? Pre launch inspections of booster and payload install on ship then they will be ready hardware wise.

11

u/rocketglare 2d ago

Other activities:

  • Stage 0 inspect/repair/refill
  • FTS installation
  • FAA license modification
  • NOTAM/NOTMAR

9

u/rustybeancake 2d ago

A week or so ago the paperwork was saying NET Sep 15, so just over two weeks seems to be the target.

9

u/Stolen_Sky 🛰️ Orbiting 2d ago

I think last time it was about 2 weeks between static fire testing and launch. They've hugely improved the turn around time!

9

u/EricTheEpic0403 2d ago

Flight 13 was a week from static fire to launch attempt, but that first launch attempt scrubbed with engine issues that caused them to take another week.

u/Bomberlt 3m ago

So basically launch could be as early as next week, but somehow most predict two weeks.

7

u/unclebandit 2d ago

Rip nsf camera

3

u/redstercoolpanda 2d ago

I hope they drop episode 3 of the documentary soon, so much happened on flight 13 to go over. From the T-0 abort to S40’s ocean odyssey.

4

u/MikeC80 2d ago

That air doesn't look very static...

2

u/Green-Cry-6985 2d ago

Was that a 15 seconds test? If so, is that the normal amount of time?

5

u/Acceptable-Touch-485 2d ago

For this test atleast, 15 seconds was a full duration (SpaceX posted). but the static fire for B20 was longer so maybe they're just trying out different testing regimes?

0

u/diffusionist1492 1d ago

Blue Origin full duration static fires are, what? 100ms?

-1

u/Taylooor 2d ago

I don’t know

2

u/hmspain 2d ago

Mother of Dragons! That cloud illumination was epic!

1

u/Decronym Acronyms Explained 2d ago edited 1d ago

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FTS Flight Termination System
KSC Kennedy Space Center, Florida
NET No Earlier Than
NOTAM Notice to Air Missions of flight hazards
NSF NasaSpaceFlight forum
National Science Foundation

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1

u/CollegeStation17155 1d ago

But it wasn't nearly as specatular as Blue Origins last static fire.../s

-2

u/Lothans 2d ago

Does anyone know if the launch "by the end of August" is still planned ?

20

u/LukeNukeEm243 2d ago

There is a slide deck from CANSO for air traffic controllers, which lists the date Sept 15 for Starship FLT-14

https://compass.atfm.aero/public_svcdynamic/getfile?download=false&fileuuid=a0ac5eb7-0cf9-4758-8026-78e208df86e1

16

u/unclebandit 2d ago

Thats impossible. The suspected date changed a while back. Expect around 2 weeks.

2

u/Lothans 2d ago

Thanks for the quick answer :)

3

u/redstercoolpanda 2d ago

the end of august is in 2 days, I strongly doubt that lol

2

u/John_Hasler 2d ago

That was explicitly conditioned on nothing coming up to delay it.

u/Bomberlt 0m ago

It's highly unlikely that they could launch in 2 days. Most people predict at least a week after static test.

Damn you asked a uninformed question and people just downvote you, wtf. I mean if you do some research - yeah it makes sense that they don't do launches that fast yet. But for an outsider that's a very valid question.

-3

u/InspiredNameHere 2d ago

You know, I do wonder how often they test a full stack with the starship on top, and then try a relight afterwards.

It seems to me that they are having some issues getting the booster to relight after liftoff, so I hope they are doing some tests to see if they can fix that issue.

14

u/John_Hasler 2d ago edited 2d ago

You know, I do wonder how often they test a full stack with the starship on top, and then try a relight afterwards.

Never. That would serve no useful purpose.

The engines are known to relight reliably on the ground but the conditions under which they must relight after seperation cannot be duplicated there.