SpaceX Starship - Orbital Test Flight - Starbase TX

Launch Date: April 20
Launch Window: 8:28am CDT (6:28am PDT, 13:28 UTC) - 62 minute window
Launch site: LC-1? - Starbase, Boca Chica Beach, Texas
Core Booster Recovery: Expended in Gulf
Starship Recovery: Water landing near Hawaii
Booster: Super Heavy Booster 7
Starship: Starship 24
Mass: No mass simulator mentioned
Orbit: LEO-ish
Yearly Launch Number: 26

A SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship launch vehicle will launch on its first orbital test flight. The mission will attempt to travel around the world for nearly one full orbit, resulting in a re-entry and splashdown of the Starship near Hawaii.

Webcast:

 

[ecarfan]

Stacking in progress!

 

[cdub]

S24 has been outside for so long that the black paint is wearing away! I assume it is primarily for cosmetic reasons and is not part of the TPS.

View attachment 928692

As long as heart shield doesn't wear away. Hopefully sea air is not wearing away anything important.

 

[ecarfan]

Stacked! Hopefully for the last time.

 

[mongo]

Looking good, but watching wind shear.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1647601303634460674

 

[ecarfan]

Last NSF video update before their livestream tomorrow. Nothing new in the video, just a summary of where things stand now.

 

[Buckminster]

Launch party in 85 mins:

 

[mongo]

Targeting 8 am Central time for launch

https://twitter.com/x/status/1647767704177192961

 

[Electroman]

Besides the telecast from NSF and EA, this is the official SpaceX telecast

 

[808?]

Besides the telecast from NSF and EA, this is the official SpaceX telecast

Posted this 2 days ago #83

 

[Electroman]

Posted this 2 days ago on page 5.

Thank you. I missed it. But anyway good to have it here again

 

[mongo]

NasaSpaceFlight's hosted livestream has been going for 4+ hours already, SpaceX's will start ~45 minutes from launch.

 

[Electroman]

I am going to have all three - NSF, EA & SpaceX - feeds running at the same time, switching audio between them hoping to catch as much as possible from all three and then switch to SpaceX feed exclusively from T+0

 

[mongo]

Go for propellant load; 8:20am central for launch

https://twitter.com/x/status/1647927958273941505

 

[ecarfan]

Elon was on Twitter Spaces and in response to a question about the test flight he focused on lowering expectation for the test, basically saying that the goal is to get data to improve future booster/ship designs. He did mention B9/S26, implying they were next in line for flight and that with so many vehicles in production SpaceX will get a lot of data relatively quickly.

 

[Grendal]

Mission Control Audio.

 

[Grendal]

Live. Here we go.... 350,000 on the stream and gaining fast.
Special Starship intro. Kate Tice starting the show.

 

[mongo]

Elon was on Twitter Spaces and in response to a question about the test flight he focused on lowering expectation for the test, basically saying that the goal is to get data to improve future booster/ship designs. He did mention B9/S26, implying they were next in line for flight and that with so many vehicles in production SpaceX will get a lot of data relatively quickly.

Yeah, this hardware configuration is already outdated. So some data and some disposal.

 

[mongo]

SpaceX:
One boat to clear out
Winds are good

 

[mongo]

SpaceX: Booster team working a pressurization issue.

 

[Electroman]

Scrub. Changed the launch to WDR for today

Pressurization issue in the Booster. Will take minimum 48 hours to troubleshoot and for a relaunch attempt.