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

Colonel_Klinck said:
You have to think they'll maybe have enough thrust to get it off the launch pad with less than 100% thrust and then throttle up once its far enough off the ground for the energy reflections not to be a problem. 17 million pounds of thrust reflecting back is a lot of energy hitting those engines. I guess this is only a test base and the actual commercial launches will be from Florida where the infrastructure is already in place. Can't wait to see the orbital attempt, its going to be amazing!
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Musk says 90% thrust for launch attempt and that includes margin for engine failure. It's quite a lot of margin built into the booster, you can have some number of engines fail and running under full thrust and still get 150 tons to orbit

 
Grim5 said:
Musk says 90% thrust for launch attempt and that includes margin for engine failure. It's quite a lot of margin built into the booster, you can have some number of engines fail and running under full thrust and still get 150 tons to orbit

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once carrying 150+ tons they will be at 100% for lift off, then on to 250 Ton Raptor v2.5 and pushing the recovery limits
the test launch will have lots of margin yes, but its just the 1st launch attepmt atm
roll on boster 9 and ship x after that with the electric TVC
 
@Malevolence

I've seen a bit on these guys and it is a clever and ambitious solution very much Space X inspired with additional developments. It's amazing how SpaceX has completely broken the existing model and how all these new start ups are innovating SpaceX inspired solutions.
 
It was quite cool to see this launch even if they had a second stage problem. I like the competition for ideas it represents. Falcon9 went for simple basics that then iterated and added complexity in the form of landing to. Now with Starship they are building an austere design with quite some pace. The 3d printed rocket is a great concept it will be interesting to see how the model matures versus SpaceX's steel and methane concept. It's way too early to say but maybe rocket bodies aren't where 3d printing is going to add the value maybe getting the part count down on engines is the real win. But what I really like is the variations of ideas. The Stokes Space aerospike likewise is a really clever concept.

SpaceX aside I think all the major player, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Ariane, JAXA and Roscosmos are going to be left behind by the pace of innovation and a few of these smaller companies are going to outpace them just the same way SpaceX did.

Isn't it exciting.
 
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PlacidCasual said:
It was quite cool to see this launch even if they had a second stage problem. I like the competition for ideas it represents. Falcon9 went for simple basics that then iterated and added complexity in the form of landing to. Now with Starship they are building an austere design with quite some pace. The 3d printed rocket is a great concept it will be interesting to see how the model matures versus SpaceX's steel and methane concept. It's way too early to say but maybe rocket bodies aren't where 3d printing is going to add the value maybe getting the part count down on engines is the real win. But what I really like is the variations of ideas. The Stokes Space aerospike likewise is a really clever concept.

SpaceX aside I think all the major player, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Ariane, JAXA and Roscosmos are going to be left behind by the pace of innovation and a few of these smaller companies are going to outpace them just the same way SpaceX did.

Isn't it exciting.
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First stage launch, no RUD, all the way to separation on the first actual launch with a whole new design concept is amazing. As you say, how much of it will turn out to be useful we'll have to wait and see, but all competition is good.

Loved the blue flame too - as much as I'm sceptical of the Starship as a design philosophy if it gets off the ground and has all 33 engines that colour I shall applause...
 
Freakbro said:
www.bbc.co.uk

Virgin Orbit: Sir Richard Branson's rocket company cuts 85% of workforce

Virgin Orbit will cease operations for the foreseeable future, according to media reports.
www.bbc.co.uk

Oops, that could be it for Virgin Orbit.

I wonder how this will effect Virgin Galactic, didn't they say they were aiming for tourism flights by Q2 2023?
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Looks like it now

www.bbc.co.uk

Virgin Orbit: Richard Branson's rocket firm files for bankruptcy

The satellite launch company has failed to secure new investment after a rocket launch failed.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Wonder how much government money he's had and how much more he was asking for...

That failed launch seems to have put pay to his cash cow...
 
Still time for a few more tests and launch in the next fortnight. Progress on the stand seems breakneck. Clearing the stack and tange without exploding is the minimum for success. Stage separation in any form would be astounding.
I’m really looking forward to the launch.
 
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