** The Official Space Flight Thread - The Space Station and Beyond **

Starhopper expected to make its 150m hop some time in the next 10 mins.


Edit. Aborted at t+0.8sec.
 
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There was a burst of something from the nozzle at 0, then it shut off. So may well be an automated abort. Sensor spotted something wrong and shut down rather than possibly kerploding. If it wasn't automatic... someone was seriously on the ball.
 
Nailed it. Amazing to watch. :cool:

Edit: watched Tim Dodd's stream for an alternative angle. Can't get over how incredible that was lol.
 
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Was pretty damn close to the X even if they missed it. Not a bad show for barely 60 seconds of burn.

I did notice the collapsible feet did their job well on landing. Did it lose a fairing panel from one of the legs? The left hand landing leg once the smoke clears looks like the internal bracing is showing.
 
Pretty amazing.. I a massive spacex fan.. And tesla.. I had no interest in rockets or cars until I watched the first falcon land and a few YouTube videos of tesla..
 
Everyday Astronaut has some nice video. But also shows something flying off the Hopper at the end of the video. Also shows a flicker colour change in the rocket exhaust, and then some flame from around the base of the hopper/top of the Raptor nozzle just before the landing. Could have been a bit of a harder landing than planned, hence the missing feet. Completely crushed.

 
I'm not as avid a space watcher as some of you but do pay attention to the Space X antics and have been incredibly impressed over the years. Watching the Falcon Heavy demo flight live on YouTube was really amazing, I was flabbergasted to be honest. Watching the Starhopper test and reading up on the new programme can anyone explain why they are moving to methane from kerosene? Is it higher delta vee per kg? Or is it a relight-ability thing?
 
PlacidCasual said:
I'm not as avid a space watcher as some of you but do pay attention to the Space X antics and have been incredibly impressed over the years. Watching the Falcon Heavy demo flight live on YouTube was really amazing, I was flabbergasted to be honest. Watching the Starhopper test and reading up on the new programme can anyone explain why they are moving to methane from kerosene? Is it higher delta vee per kg? Or is it a relight-ability thing?
Click to expand...

Looking into it, it appears that Methane is easily producible on Mars from the underground water there. As this engine is intended to go to Mars, makes a bit of sense to use a fuel that can be easily produced.
 
@Flibster

Thanks, much appreciated.

It is obvious now you point it out. I knew methane was producible from carbon dioxide and water and many visions of Mars exploration included Mars production of fuel. I'd forgotten this engine and rocket was for Mars use not just Earth use. Thus hadn't put 2:2 together.
Time to go a read The Martian for nth time :-D
 
SpaceX Starship is being assembled. If only I'd kept all my childhood doodles, I'd be a rocket scientist now.

YWXS5J3.jpg
 
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