Space X Starship test flights.

[Guest]

I am impressed with Space X's desire to rapidly progress manned space exploration. But does anyone understand and can explain what the goal is for Space X. The Star ship programme seems to be expanding vehicles at an alarming rate. Would I want to be a passenger? 

Wonder what their timeline is? I know that Space X has a chance of being chosen to build a Luna lander vehicle.

What is their goal I wonder.

[Stu]

4 minutes ago, Grumpy Martian said:

I am impressed with Space X's desire to rapidly progress manned space exploration. But does anyone understand and can explain what the goal is for Space X. The Star ship programme seems to be expanding vehicles at an alarming rate. Would I want to be a passenger? 

Wonder what their timeline is? I know that Space X has a chance of being chosen to build a Luna lander vehicle.

What is their goal I wonder.

Ultimate goal is to make humankind and interplanetary species perhaps?

[Guest]

They are very determined to get there fast. They don't seem to be deterred by the failures. They just press on rapidly. I wish them every success. I want to see a crewed mission to Mars in my lifetime having experienced project Apollo.

[Sunshine]

A mission to Mars is the goal for starship. Considering the success they've had with previous technologies despite years of failure, they have every reason to press on with kamikaze like zeal.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

As Sunshine said, it's all about Mars. 

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

https://www.spacex.com/human-spaceflight/mars/index.html

Elon Musk wants to send thousands of people to Mars. "Soon". I believe Mars is quite cold so pack extra socks.

 

[Paul M]

It looks like they could get to Mars, just the landing to worry about.

If I take a quick trip to Mars I'll pay extra for my capsule to landed by a Sky Crane

[Cyril]

I watched Mars Attack again, just make sure you aren't carrying any virus when you land there, yak yak

[Hughsie]

I read that Elon Musk once suggested that one way to warm up Mars for terraforming was to set off nuclear bombs at the poles. Not sure if he was serious or not but as he would like to go there I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

 

[peter95]

I`ve read that to cover whole planet with the Starlink internet connection it`s needed  42 thousand of satellites. The launches of the satellites must be finished till September and some of them will be delivered with help of Starship. How do you relate to the number of satellites in the orbit of Earth?

[peter95]

Also, the good piece of news might be the recent exclamation of Musk about the Starlink satellites. According to his words, these satellites will have self-disposal function. Long story short, Starlink satellites will be able to lead themself to the atmosphere of Earth in order to burn there and not to become dead satellites and not to increase the number of space junk.

[peter95]

Some good news from NASA. ESA and NASA are going to make a partnership in the environmental project. The first-ever partnership of its kind is based on observing Earth and environmental issues. This campaign will be based on observing the Earth from space with the help of satellite technology in order to save the environment on Earth. Such kind of stuff will be observed like coral reefs, glaciers, and other things that are in danger now.

[Shimonu]

Yes the goal of SpaceX is to make humanity multi-planetary and Musk has said he wants to die on Mars, just not during landing

What may appear as a lot of failures from SpaceX is a very deliberate methodology. They like to find faults by testing, sometimes deliberately to know the exact breaking points and weaknesses. It's to avoid over-engineering, saving time and resources, I believe. They're also at the forefront of rocketry, they're developing things that nobody has done before. They are the first to land a first stage booster, they're the first to fly a full flow staged combustion cycle engine. The Starship will be the first fully reusable rocket system and the largest rocket every built. They have accomplished a lot of first and will continue to do so. Frankly, there is no other rocket developer close to what SpaceX is doing.

What's also exciting about them is that they are so open about their development. Elon likes to answer questions and share details about plans and development progress as well as allowing people to put up permanent cameras outside their development facilities.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Shimonu
Spelling

[Astroscot2]

For the past few weeks I've not managed to keep on top of Space X progress, what a shock to see booster 4 with Sn20 stacked on the launch table  today!  Incredible progress in just 2 weeks. Amazing 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Mr. Musk has taken a Youtuber on a grand tour of the Boca Chica facility...

 

[Cyril]

Ulitimate goal? Money

He raised billions of dollars for his starlink with a promise to pay it back in three years.

[Cyril]

On 27/07/2021 at 14:38, peter95 said:

I`ve read that to cover whole planet with the Starlink internet connection it`s needed  42 thousand of satellites. The launches of the satellites must be finished till September and some of them will be delivered with help of Starship. How do you relate to the number of satellites in the orbit of Earth?

Musk's latest is that he wants to launch a satellite Billboard for advertising!!! If he gets away with it there is no stopping at how low he can get when he considers anyone else's view.

Our planet is surround by a cloak of satellites, so many that it must have an effect on the planet and atmosphere, who knows but would they tell us.

Edited August 9, 2021 by Cyril

[Shimonu]

24 minutes ago, Cyril said:

Musk's latest is that he wants to launch a satellite Billboard for advertising!!! If he gets away with it there is no stopping at how low he can get when he considers anyone else's view.

Our planet is surround by a cloak of satellites, so many that it must have an effect on the planet and atmosphere, who knows but would they tell us.

Well it's hardly his personal idea, is it? Someone wants to use SpaceX as a launch provider for a satellite billboard. Hardly a nice thing for anyone but why not attack the company wanting to put up the billboard? Sure, you can also say it's something SpaceX shouldn't be doing but don't start lying claiming it's his personal idea

 

[Tiny Clanger]

1 hour ago, Shimonu said:

Well it's hardly his personal idea, is it? Someone wants to use SpaceX as a launch provider for a satellite billboard. Hardly a nice thing for anyone but why not attack the company wanting to put up the billboard? Sure, you can also say it's something SpaceX shouldn't be doing but don't start lying claiming it's his personal idea

 

The poster did not say that it was Musk's 'personal idea' or his satellite, but that he 'wants to launch' that satellite . Which does not appear to be a lie as far as I can see.

 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

24 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

The poster did not say that it was Musk's 'personal idea' or his satellite, but that he 'wants to launch' that satellite . Which does not appear to be a lie as far as I can see.

 

There isn't a reliable source to be found stating Elon Musk "wants to launch" a giant billboard to anywhere. A massive pinch of salt is required... The report first appeared in Business Insider and the rest of the rags put their own filthy spin on it.

The ad is designed to be filmed using a 'selfie stick' and broadcast to youtube. It's not like there's going to be giant lettering in the sky...

On the other hand this is massively impressive:

https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1423685209640226817/photo/1

 

The rocket array...

https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1423041198764265473/photo/3

Reminiscent of the failed Soviet N1 lunar launcher.

[JamesF]

4 minutes ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

There isn't a reliable source to be found stating Elon Musk "wants to launch" a giant billboard to anywhere. A massive pinch of salt is required... The report first appeared in Business Insider and the rest of the rags put their own filthy spin on it.

Do you have a reference for the details of the satellite at all?  I posted in another thread that it sounded unviable as something visible to the unaided eye, so it would be interesting to find out exactly what they (the company that appear to be providing the satellite) are planning.

James

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

14 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Do you have a reference for the details of the satellite at all?  I posted in another thread that it sounded unviable as something visible to the unaided eye, so it would be interesting to find out exactly what they (the company that appear to be providing the satellite) are planning.

James

The best I could do was read between the lines and realising the satellite isn't a 'giant billboard' in LEO and knowing Cubesats are are actually tiny.

The company involved is here:

https://www.geometricspace.ca/

 

EDIT:Cubesat:

https://www.cubesat.org/cubesatinfo

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cubesats/index.html

Edited August 9, 2021 by ScouseSpaceCadet
Cubesat info

[peter95]

18 hours ago, Cyril said:

Musk's latest is that he wants to launch a satellite Billboard for advertising!!! If he gets away with it there is no stopping at how low he can get when he considers anyone else's view.

Our planet is surround by a cloak of satellites, so many that it must have an effect on the planet and atmosphere, who knows but would they tell us.

Yeah, we`ve got a lot of dead sats and other kinds of space junk in the Earth`s orbit. I am not the fan of the number of sats Mask wants to launch. However, Starlink sats are gonna have self disposal function, so they will not increase the number of space junk

[Xilman]

9 minutes ago, peter95 said:

Yeah, we`ve got a lot of dead sats and other kinds of space junk in the Earth`s orbit. I am not the fan of the number of sats Mask wants to launch. However, Starlink sats are gonna have self disposal function, so they will not increase the number of space junk

Until something else hits one, then we've thousands of bits flying around. The more satellites in intersecting orbits, the (much) higher chance of collisions.

[peter95]

On 10/08/2021 at 17:55, Xilman said:

Until something else hits one, then we've thousands of bits flying around. The more satellites in intersecting orbits, the (much) higher chance of collisions.

That`s a good point. But we should understand that satellite technology play an important part in our life. We cannot imagine some spheres of life without satellite technology. Also, some sats take part in environmental preservation campaign. Some land observation sats observe such things like coral reefs and glaciers in order to help scientists in some environmental preservation   https://www.skyrora.com/blog/tag/uk-satellites

[peter95]

For instance, there are special kind of microsatellites that is aimed at tracking some rare species of animals in order to protect them from being killed by hunters. I consider such projects like that are really worthy to be made.