http://www.space.com/35340-spacex-nails-1st-stage-landing-again-in-return-to-flight-video.html

 

http://gizmodo.com/spacex-will-fly-two-bougies-around-the-moon-next-year-1792796822

Well, here’s a bit of space news we weren’t expecting: Today, future Martian overlord and SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced that in 2018, the company intends to fly two private citizens around the Moon in its Dragon 2 spacecraft, carried by its extremely powerful Falcon Heavy rocket. While the voyagers’ names have not been disclosed, according to SpaceX, a “significant deposit” has already been made.

I know one of the people.

"One of these days Alice—pow! Straight to the Moon!"

 

Hi,

Yeah interesting. "Significant deposit". Will they make it back alive?
I think a success would give NASA the kick in the 'A' that it needs

Sadly, both Ralph and Alice now have been beyond the moon and wont be coming back :-(

 

 

SN8
High-Altitude Flight Test

 

"Full Payment in Advance"

 

What amazed me,
is in the video how small the engines are compared to the diameter of the ship.

I still think of the Saturn 5, and the engines not quiet fitting in the casing.

 

they had ignition issue at landing, what makes the flame green? Copper?

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/spacex-rocket-test-flight-ends-in-fiery-explosion/#x

 

Between his (so far) successful push at commercializing space flight and his recent decision to escape the Left Coast, I am beginning to like Elon Musk. I used to think he was a nut. Now, I'm not so sure.

 

For me it's both. Liking him more, but he's bat sh1t crazy. No doubt about that.

 

they had ignition issue at landing, what makes the flame green? Copper?

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/spacex-rocket-test-flight-ends-in-fiery-explosion/#x

I don't think they really tried for a 'safe' landing. Unless I missed it the landing gear didn't extend so it landed on the bottom rim of the rocket.

The pad looking up view is very cool. 7:45

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1336849897987796992

I remember that move from the BSG series. They had FTL warp drive for the end.

 

What amazed me,
is in the video how small the engines are compared to the diameter of the ship.

I still think of the Saturn 5, and the engines not quiet fitting in the casing.

That's just for spacecraft testing.

They need at least 6 engines on a first stage for sub-orbital testing.
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

 

...he's bat sh1t crazy...

..like a fox, I'm starting to think.

 

..like a fox, I'm starting to think.

Having hunted fox extensively in my youth, they're more wily than crazy. Musk could "invent" a new plate-o-poop and wallstreet would throw him a parade and reward him with $10B more in market cap. Still his money buys great engineers. I watched his Neuralink live stream months back, yeah he's nuts. And not necessarily in a bad way.

 

For me it's both. Liking him more, but he's bat sh1t crazy. No doubt about that.

In a good way!

 

The flip back to vertical and the landing burn are fueled from the header tanks, not the main tanks. The fuel in the main tanks would be sloshing around too much for reliable feed. Apparently the header tank and feed from it needs a bit more work as the pressure in the tank dropped below what was needed. Two engines were used for the landing. With the lack of proper fuel flow, first one engine flamed out, then the other went oxygen rich. Oxygen rich in a hot engine tends to burn up everything in sight. They do think the green color was copper.

The landing legs didn't have time to extend....

 

Still his money buys great engineers.

Have you noticed they are all children???

 

The flip back to vertical and the landing burn are fueled from the header tanks, not the main tanks. The fuel in the main tanks would be sloshing around too much for reliable feed. Apparently the header tank and feed from it needs a bit more work as the pressure in the tank dropped below what was needed. Two engines were used for the landing. With the lack of proper fuel flow, first one engine flamed out, then the other went oxygen rich. Oxygen rich in a hot engine tends to burn up everything in sight. They do think the green color was copper.

The landing legs didn't have time to extend....

Looks like they ran out of leg activation time because of the bad burn. A missing data point for testing that part of the ship. I read they were still finalizing the landing leg design.

On SN5 the legs drop in less than a second so I don't think just time was the main constraint at the end of the flip maneuver to touchdown.

0:35
I suspect they have a landing speed trigger somewhere in the leg firing sequence that was never tripped before it hit for a classic RUD touchdown.