Ship 20 ready for pre-flight testing amid future refinements

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After the iconic first sight of a fully integrated Starship stack during fit checks on the Orbital Launch Site (OLS) support, Ship 20 and Booster 4 are being prepared for testing before the launch attempt orbital milestone. Ship 20 is back at the launch site, occupying the suborbital Pad B ahead of proof test targets, while Booster 4 undergoes the final fencing work inside High Bay.

The pre-launch campaign is underway as SpaceX takes preventative action for the future, with changes to future Starships designs and preparations to ramp up production with a second, much larger High Bay.

Booster 4 / Ship 20:

Booster 4 (B4), the first Super Heavy to fly, currently resides inside High Bay for a job Elon Musk described as a “little plumbing and wiring treatment.” The thruster returned to the production site on August 11 after being temporarily integrated into Vessel 20 at OLS.

The stunning view from the full stack was a milestone for the vehicle and the launch site. He also provided a readiness statement amid Blue Origin’s relentless disinformation campaign on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) award.

Part of Blue Origin’s claim included a reference to Starship not yet having a launch site, released around the time the built-in stack was placed on the OLS.

SpaceX photo of ship 20 docked on Booster 4

The Booster 4 milestone came after the deployment of the first Super Heavy, Booster 3, at the suborbital launch site.

Booster 3 (B3) performed a three-engine static fire test – the first time a Super Heavy had fired a set of Raptors. While there was the potential B3 would continue to test nine engines, plans were altered based on Booster 4’s campaign readiness, as Musk hinted at.

Booster 3 has since started the disposal process, with work being carried out on the A suborbital cushion.

However, this potential testing roadmap may indicate expected milestones for Booster 4 once it returns to the launch site.

Pending completion of the release of cushion A from the remains of B3, B4 could take its place on the rack, allowing for proof testing, cryogenic testing and a series of static fire tests, including up to nine ignited engines. at a time.

Carrying out this first test campaign on Pad A would hardly interfere with the work in progress on the orbital launch site. However, the readiness of the OLS mount will determine the best approach once B4 is ready to exit High Bay and descend onto Highway 4, eventually allowing the Super Heavy to head straight to the OLM (Orbital Launch Mount).

Ship 20 is already back at the suborbital launch site and is now preparing for its own series of pre-launch tests.

This will include an initial test involving charging the vehicle with nitrogen, usually in two stages. First, the vehicle will first be filled with nitrogen gas, called the ambient test, before being loaded with super cold liquid nitrogen (LN2) for the cryogenic test.

Notably, with the thrust cylinders removed from buffer B, vessel 20 will only undergo pressure tests, minus a cylinder test which simulates engine stresses on ignition.

Road closures for this level of testing have been posted for the coming week, starting August 24.

If Ship 20 passed these test milestones, the next standard requirement would be to do a static shot of the vehicle, as seen with previous prototype spacecraft.

However, it is the first spacecraft to sport the full engine quota, namely three Raptors at sea level and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines. The latter can be safely fired at sea level, as seen on the test beds at SpaceX’s McGregor facility. However, the firing scenario of RVacs mounted in the back of a spacecraft will be a first, especially if they are not fired individually.

In addition, it is not yet known whether such a test will be carried out before or after the complete installation of the ship’s thermal protection system (TPS) 20.

Currently, Ship 20’s TPS is only partially installed, with many tiles removed and many more marked with colored indicators – likely indicating the condition of the tile, itself a throwback to the shuttle age. At some point, any issues indicated by these markers will need to be addressed with the replacement of the removed tiles.

Ship the 20s TPS – via Mary (@bocachicagal) for NSF.

Musk had previously mentioned that more tiles were being shipped, which could result in the current appearance of Ship 20.

A large amount of performance data will be acquired during proof testing and static fire testing for the TPS of the ship 20, especially via the vibrations induced when firing the engine.

While all of these tests might take a long time to be completed, in Elon Musk’s mind the path to returning B4 and S20 to a built-in stack could be within this month.

A week ago, Musk tweeted that “Starship’s first orbital stack should be ready to fly in a few weeks, pending regulatory approval only.”

Ultimately, once the vehicle is in its launch configuration, there will be a lengthy process to pass the aforementioned regulatory approval, with a public comment period on the environment triggered prior to launch. This must be completed before the launch license can be granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

As such, the launch this year – as recently cited by SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell at an industry meeting last week – is the main hope.

MCO:

The Orbital Launch Site continues to be a hive of activity, with its functionality a key part of the progression towards the Orbital Launch Attempt.

A functioning GSE (Ground Support Equipment) tank farm is a must, with the work still to be completed before loading the thruster into a built-in Starship and Super Heavy stack.

Starbase launch sites – via Mary (@bocachicagal) for NSF

Propellant lines are laid in a trench from the tank farm to the launch table and the integration tower. A berm will then be built around the storage yard to provide protection against explosions.

The new tank farm saw some activity last week, with slight ventilation coming from the GSE tanks.

However, there is not yet to arrive at the tank farm of two GSE methane tanks and four cryo hulls, as well as complete modifications on GSE 1 and 2 before being covered with cryo hulls – as is also required on GSE 6, 7 and 8.

Work will also be needed to complete the connections to the launch table and the huge integration tower that now dominates the Boca Chica skyline, as well as to install the Quick Disconnect (QD) arm required to power a spaceship when on top of the Super Heavy booster.

The Quick Disconnect (QD) arm under construction via Mary (@bocachicagal) for NSF

The QD arm continues to be crafted on site, along with the fascinating arms that will catch boosters and spaceships when they return to the launch site. However, “Mechazilla,” as Musk calls it, will not be needed for the flight of Booster 4 and Ship 20, as both will crash into the ocean at the end of their test mission.

Once operational, Mechazilla will also stack the vehicle, eliminating the need to use a mobile crane at the launch site.

Work continued day and night on the launch pad that will house the integrated battery, with two nozzles for the sound suppression system, which spurts water under the rocket exhaust to dampen acoustic energy. of 29 Raptors, already spotted.

Production site:

As usual, SpaceX’s build rate has already seen the preparation of future ships and boosters at the production site.

The aft dome of ship 21 has recently been sheathed, while sections for Booster 5, and even Booster 6, have been spotted around the facility.

The current evolution of Starship will only involve the next few vehicles, with changes already underway, possibly in time for Ship 24.

A “smooth nose tip” has again been spotted in the nose tip manufacturing tent. This new nose has an improved build quality and is made up of much less individual sections. Based on the nose currently being worked on, it is unclear whether this is simply a scout nose or whether it will be used in future spaceships.

What we now know is that the design of the front flaps will change. They will be positioned more forward / on top of the vessel and 120 degrees apart (previously 180 degrees), the closed angle opposite the tiled side. This modification is intended to provide more control over the vessel while reducing the fixed part of the front flap structure.

Despite the already impressive production rate, Musk had already confirmed that a new High Bay would be built soon, slightly taller and wider, tripling High Bay’s current capacity at the production site.

Groundbreaking has already started north of present-day High Bay, although its construction schedule is currently unknown.

Photos and videos provided by Marie (@bocachicagal) and Gary Blair. Additional information and assistance on items provided by: Adrien beil, Evan packer, Ryan weber, Justin davenport, Diplo, and Justin mooney.

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