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:

 

[HVM]

They lost 5 engines so that alone would be failure. Also lost of one of the steerable middle raptors and 4 in one side of the outer ring, made it uncontrollable at the end.

 

[SMAlset]

Starship started it’s flip…waiting for separation…

Long wait and just no separation until….

Oh no…unintended disassembly

Still quite the achievement to celebrate

On to the next one.
Congrats SpaceX. A thrill to watch in my lifetime.

 

[mongo]

They lost 5 engines so that alone would be failure. Also lost of one of the steerable middle raptors and 4 in one side of the outer ring, made it uncontrollable at the end.

All 13 inner engines steer. Outer engine failures were semi opposed so less asymmetry.

Fixing the separation issue might be more difficult depending on the failure mode.

It didn't get to separation, less engines extended timeline.

Long wait and just no separation until….

Stage separation was to occur at 64km, your screen grab is at 38km.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649045802332073986

 

[HVM]

Yeah "steerable middle raptors" means those 13...

And shutdowns are in one side.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649048101133467648

 

[ecarfan]

I was watching on my phone and took a couple of screen grabs for the casual reader here not having time to rewatch the launch.

Thanks for posting those screenshots. So it appears that 3 engines failed to ignite initially and then 4 more engines failed. Interesting, and rather surprising to me.

It didn't get to separation, less engines extended timeline.

Yes, I’m tending to agree with you. So stage sep didn’t get to be tested because the software did not initiate it because the required altitude was not reached due to the deviation from the planned trajectory?

I really want to see the webcast again. I thought I saw RCS firing from the booster but I’m not sure. Anyone notice that?

 

[SMAlset]

All 13 inner engines steer. Outer engine failures were semi opposed so less asymmetry.


It didn't get to separation, less engines extended timeline.

Stage separation was to occur at 64km, your screen grab is at 38km.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649045802332073986

Only screen grab I had from that timeline…

 

[mongo]

Yes, I’m tending to agree with you. So stage sep didn’t get to be tested because the software did not initiate it because the required altitude was not reached due to the deviation from the planned trajectory?

I really want to see the webcast again. I thought I saw RCS firing from the booster but I’m not sure. Anyone notice that?

It doesn't have flame based rcs, but pressure based could ignite.

Ship was stable with many engines out.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649052544755470338

 

[ecarfan]

Starship started it’s flip…waiting for separation…

At that point, T+002:37, the booster should not have started the flip maneuver. See the Best Case Scenario timeline, stage sep was planned at T+-2:52. As @mongo observed, with so many engines out the vehicle was behind the planned timeline and not at the planned altitude.

 

[ggies07]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649055633805824002

 

[ecarfan]

It doesn't have flame based rcs, but pressure based could ignite.

Yes, understood, I wasn’t saying that I saw RCS activity that ignited, just thought I saw bursts of cold gas. But I could be wrong, have to watch it again.

 

[mongo]

Yes, understood, I wasn’t saying that I saw RCS activity that ignited, just thought I saw bursts of cold gas. But I could be wrong, have to watch it again.

Wasn't sure what you saw, so was just differentiating from Dragon. (In retrospect, F9 is cold gas, so it was a pointless observation on my part).

 

[ecarfan]

And watching Michael Baylor‘s video it appears I was imagining that RCS activity.

Interesting to see a Raptor in the outer ring flame out and shut down.

So maybe so many engines out resulted in a loss of steering control of the vehicle that resulted in the tumbling?

 

[TunaBug]

How long is it intended to sit on the pad after starting engines? I'm sure it was just seconds but good grief it felt like an eternity. I went from excitement at ignition to screaming "don't blow up on the pad!".

 

[mongo]

And watching Michael Baylor‘s video it appears I was imagining that RCS activity.

Interesting to see a Raptor in the outer ring flame out and shut down.

So maybe so many engines out resulted in a loss of steering control of the vehicle that resulted in the tumbling?

I'm super reaching here, but wondering if reduced thrust, off nominal fuel remaining, and angle caused the fuel to do a fore/aft slosh which messed up cg and control.
Seemed to happen during pitch maneuver. Multiple orange could indicate feed issues.

 

[ecarfan]

Did anyone see any tiles fall off during ascent? I did not but I think the video image was too distant to determine that.

 

[Grendal]

At that point, T+002:37, the booster should not have started the flip maneuver. See the Best Case Scenario timeline, stage sep was planned at T+-2:52. As @mongo observed, with so many engines out the vehicle was behind the planned timeline and not at the planned altitude.

This. Stage separation became impossible with the engines still firing well past the initial boost phase. Stage sep requires the booster shut off to allow for separation. Otherwise the booster is still connected to stage 2 and firing up the second stage engines with the booster attached would guarantee a RUD.

 

[mongo]

How long is it intended to sit on the pad after starting engines? I'm sure it was just seconds but good grief it felt like an eternity. I went from excitement at ignition to screaming "don't blow up on the pad!".

From SpaceX timeline, startup sequence begins at T-8 seconds.

 

[tivoboy]

Did anyone see any tiles fall off during ascent? I did not but I think the video image was too distant to determine that.

Is the lower stage launch booster painted maybe?

Once we saw two spins, it was pretty clear it was cooked.

 

[HVM]

ha,

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649052722698784771

 

[ecarfan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649050306943266819