Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – Feb.1.2021

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

SpaceX intended to fly the Starship SN9 prototype last Thursday and again on Friday but the vehicle remained grounded due to a failure to obtain a FAA license. The exact reason for the refusal has not been revealed to the public but it apparently involves issues regarding non-compliance with the license for the flight of SN8.

For Tuesday Feb.2, an air traffic clearance bulletin has been issued and it appears likely that the FAA will grant SpaceX a launch license according to Christian Davenport on Twitter:

Now hearing the FAA could approve the SpaceX modification to its license for SN9 as early as today, possibly “within the next couple of hours.” Could see Starship fly as soon as tomorrow.

For more details about the FAA and the test flight , see:

The SpaceX Starship webpage includes the following statement about the SN9 test:

As early as Monday, February 1, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 9 (SN9) – the second high-altitude suborbital flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas. Similar to the high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8), SN9 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN9 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.

The Starship prototype will descend under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. SN9’s Raptor engines will then reignite as the vehicle attempts a landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down on the landing pad adjacent to the launch mount.

A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing capability, combined with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth. This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.

There will be a live feed of the flight test available here that will start a few minutes prior to liftoff. Given the dynamic schedule of development testing, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates as we move toward SpaceX’s second high-altitude flight test of Starship!

** Starship SN10  prototype moved to the launch area. The largest crane at Boca Chica had been moved earlier in the week to the launch site and with the SN9 flight/landing canceled, SpaceX decided to move SN10 on Friday from the assembly area to the launch pad and lift it onto the second launch mount. There were no Raptor engines installed and Elon Musk later said they would do cryo pressure tests before installing them.

Find more about other SpaceX activities below.

** Virgin Galactic aims to fly SpaceShipTwo Unity during a window that opens on February 13th. Virgin Galactic Flight Test Program Update – Virgin Galactic

The flight window will open on February 13 with opportunities to fly throughout February, pending good weather conditions and technical readiness. The test flight will be crewed by two pilots and will carry research payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities program.

Pre-flight preparations are already underway at Spaceport America, New Mexico, including rigorous steps to prepare the vehicles, pilots, teams and facilities, with safety procedures as a top priority. In addition, the Virgin Galactic Pilot Corps has completed two flights with its mothership, VMS Eve, for routine pilot proficiency training. This training included using the mothership to simulate the glide and approach-to-land phase of flight for SpaceShipTwo, showing the versatility of VMS Eve as more than just a mothership.

A key objective of the upcoming flight will be to test the remedial work that has been completed since the December 12, 2020 flight when the onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor. The team has since conducted the root cause analysis, completed the corrective work required, and carried out extensive ground testing. The next stage will be to assess and verify this work during a rocket-powered flight.

The flight will incorporate all of the original test objectives from the previous test flight, including evaluating elements of the customer cabin, testing the live stream capability from the spaceship to the ground, and assessing the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during the boost phase of the flight.

See also

** Feb.1: The iSpace Hyperbola-1 fails on its second launch attempt. Amateur footage of the launch from the inland Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center shows the vehicle in trouble shortly after liftoff. The 4-stage solid-fueled rocket, most likely derived from a Chinese missile, was carrying the Fangzhou-2 (Ark-2) satellite.

** Jan.29: Chinese Long March 4C carries three Yaogan 31 remote sensing satellites into low earth orbit. These satellites are generally believed to be military reconnaissance satellites that provide optical and radio-electronic surveillance of the US Navy and other maritime activities.

** Jan.20: Rocket Lab’s first Electron launch of 2021 puts OHB satellite into orbit. There was no attempt to recover the first stage booster on this launch.

The payload for this mission has been shrouded in secrecy since Rocket Lab announced the planned launch Jan. 5. The name of the satellite itself was not disclosed by OHB until after liftoff, and a press kit for the mission did not include the satellite’s mass or orbital altitude, stating only that it was going into an orbit at an inclination of 90 degrees.

Rocket Lab said in its announcement of the upcoming launch that the payloads “will be a single communication microsatellite that will enable specific frequencies to support future services from orbit.” OHB, which built the satellite, procured the launch last August. At the time it cited “an unmatched delivery time” by Rocket Lab, who agreed to launch the payload within six months.

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The ultimate customer for the satellite may be GMS Zhaopin, a Chinese company planning a satellite constellation. It has been linked to a German company, KLEO Connect, that has announced plans for a constellation to provide internet of things services.

** A Virgin Orbit LaunchOne rocket successfully put 10 smallsats into orbit on the second demo mission. The first demo mission last May failed when the engine shut off shortly after igniting due to a breach in a liquid oxygen supply line. The company now plans to move into full commercial operations. Virgin Orbit Aces Second Launch Demo and Deploys NASA Payloads – Virgin Orbit

For today’s picture-perfect mission, Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft, a customized 747-400 dubbed Cosmic Girl, took off from Mojave Air and Space Port at approximately 10:50 A.M. and flew out to a launch site over the Pacific Ocean, about 50 miles south of the Channel Islands. After a smooth release from the aircraft, the two-stage rocket ignited and powered itself to orbit. At the conclusion of the flight, the LauncherOne rocket deployed 10 CubeSats into the team’s precise target orbit, marking a major step forward for Virgin Orbit in its quest to bust down the barriers preventing affordable and responsive access to space.

The payloads onboard LauncherOne today were selected by NASA LSP as part of the agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). Nearly all of the CubeSat missions were designed, built and tested by universities across the U.S., including Brigham Young University (PICS), the University of Michigan (MiTEE), and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (CAPE-3).

This flight also marks a historical first: no other orbital class, air-launched, liquid-fueled rocket had successfully reached space before today.

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With this successful demonstration in the books, Virgin Orbit will officially transition into commercial service for its next mission. Virgin Orbit has subsequent launches booked by customers ranging from the U.S. Space Force and the U.K.’s Royal Air Force to commercial customers like Swarm Technologies, Italy’s SITAEL, and Denmark’s GomSpace.

The company’s next few rockets are already well into integration at its Long Beach manufacturing facility.

A “Mission Recap” video:

LauncherOne has successfully reached orbit! Virgin Orbit’s unique air-launched system successfully delivered small satellites for 9 different missions precisely into their target 500km circular, 60.7 degrees inclination orbit on January 17, 2021. The flight was conducted from the Mojave Air and Space Port in Kern County, California — the first orbital launch ever to occur from there. This “Launch Demo 2” flight was conducted for NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services program. Unlike traditional ground-launched rocket, Virgin Orbit’s system uses a 747 jet as its flying launch pad and mobile mission control, allowing flexible and responsive launch from almost anywhere on the planet!

https://youtu.be/yrx2PBzeRdU

https://youtu.be/7soxTQ4Mlf0

Some VO internal webcast videos posted at International Rocket Launches – YouTube:

https://youtu.be/B3SP6RtV1iI

https://youtu.be/28i_xroGm8I

See also

** Jan.14: Blue Origin flew the fourth New Shepard vehicle for the first time on Thursday, January 14th at the company’s facility in West Texas.This vehicle includes additional design changes and will be used for the first flights with people on board. Mission NS-14 successfully demonstrates crew capsule upgrades – Blue Origin

The crew capsule descends for a landing after reaching over 100 kilometers in altitude. Credits: Blue Origin

Mission NS-14 featured a crew capsule outfitted with astronaut experience upgrades for upcoming flights with passengers onboard. Capsule upgrades included:

    • Speakers in the cabin with a microphone and a push-to-talk button at each seat so astronauts can continuously talk to Mission Control.
    • First flight of the crew alert system with a panel at each seat relaying important safety messages to passengers.
    • Cushioned wall linings and sound suppression devices to reduce ambient noise inside the capsule.
    • Environmental systems, including a cooling system and humidity controls to regulate temperature and prevent capsule windows from fogging during flight, as well as carbon dioxide scrubbing.
    • Six seats.

Also today during ascent, the booster rotated at 2-3 degrees per second. This is done to give future passengers a 360-degree view of space during the flight.

This flight continued to prove the robustness and stability of the New Shepard system and the BE-3PM liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine.

Also onboard today were more than 50,000 postcards from Blue Origin’s nonprofit Club for the Future. The Club has now flown over 100,000 postcards to space and back from students around the world. More information here.

** Blue reportedly plans to fly the  first New Shepard mission with people on board in early spring: Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin aims to fly people on New Shepard by April – CNBC

Beyond the upgrades, CNBC has learned that NS-14 also marked one of the last remaining steps before Blue Origin flies its first crew to space.

The flight was the first of two “stable configuration” test flights, people familiar with Blue Origin’s plans told CNBC. Stable configuration means that the company plans to avoid making major changes between this flight and the next.

Additionally, those people said that Blue Origin aims to launch the second test flight within six weeks, or by late February, and the first crewed flight six weeks after that, or by early April.

Blue Origin’s next flight, NS-15, will also include a test of loading and unloading the crew, the people said.

The company did not verify this info but it clearly sounds quite plausible.

** Video tour of Blue Origin’s engine production facility in Huntsville, Alabama. During the webcast of the above New Shepard test, a video tour of the company’s engine facility in Huntsville was shown.

** Blue releases video of long duration, full-thrust firing of BE-4 engine: Jeff Bezos released the video on Instagram:

“Perfect night! Sitting in the back of my pickup truck under the Moon and stars watching another long duration, full thrust hotfire test of @BlueOrigin’s BE-4 engine. #GradatimFerociter”

The BE-4 will power the first stages of Blue’s New Glenn rocket and ULA’s Vulcan.

More about the BE-4 status: Jeff Bezos kicks back with a BE-4 rocket engine test in Texas – GeekWire.

Scott Manley reviews all of the engines developed so far by Blue:

Blue Origin has been around longer than SpaceX, but they’re a lot more secretive about their technology and the things they’ve built. I wanted to make an overview of the 6 different rocket engines they’re designed and tested and the vehicles that have been propelled by them.

** Jan.19: Chinese Long March 3B rocket takes communications satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the Sichuan province. The third of the Tiantong-1 series of S-Band mobile communications services satellite will move into a geostationary orbital slot.

** Skyrora of the UK carries out full duration test firing of XL rocket‘s upper stage : Skyrora reveal new UK-built vehicle in live test | Skyrora

On 23rd December 2020 the Skyrora test and flight operations team performed one of their most important test campaigns to date, a full upper stage static fire test, at their engine development complex in Fife, Scotland. This historic event represents yet another significant milestone in the Edinburgh-based rocket manufacturer’s development plan. In fact, it is a crucial milestone for the entire UK space industry.

The company unveiled their latest technical accomplishment with a full mission duration static fire test (450 second burn over 3 firings) of the upper stage of their orbital-class vehicle, Skyrora XL. The test involved a fully-integrated setup of the engine, feed systems, avionics, and the software.

This third stage vehicle has capabilities way beyond just transporting its payload into orbit. It is a full mission-ready Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) that can perform a number of in-space missions once it has delivered its payload including the replacement of redundant satellites or even the removal of space debris.

** Jan.31: bluShift Aerospace of Brunswick, Maine tested biofuel with launch of a Stardust 1.0 low-altitude rocket. The first try for liftoff on Jan. 15th from the former Loring Air Force Base was scrubbed due to bad weather. The second try yesterday was a success: Watch live today: bluShift Aerospace to launch 1st biofuel rocket from Maine | Space.com

Though primarily a rocket test, the vehicle carried customer payloads:

Inside of Stardust’s payload bay, the PEARL™, will be two 3U Cubesat customer payloads, one academic and one commercial.

This low-altitude technology demo launch represents the culmination of 6 years of R&D, over 200 engine tests, 50+ launch stakeholder interviews, the successful completion of grants from NASA and the Maine Technology Institute, and the development of our novel, modular hybrid rocket engine powered by an Earth-friendly, bio-derived fuel – the MAREVL™.

More at Maine aerospace company’s commercial rocket launch next week will be a historic first – Bangor Daily News

Here is a comment from bluShift CEO Sascha Deri regarding public interest in the test:

** Sierra Nevada says first Dream Chaser cargo mission to the ISS now set for 2022: Dream Chaser space plane’s first flight slips to 2022 as pandemic continues | Space.com

Delays related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have pushed back the anticipated flight date of Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser space plane to 2022.

Dream Chaser is one of the NASA-selected cargo vehicles that, once it begins to fly, will resupply the International Space Station (ISS), along with SpaceX’s Dragon and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsules. But even as the space plane’s launch is delayed, its parent company continues to aim towards sending humans to the moon and, eventually, Mars.

“We’ve got this vision of the future here with our technology that we’re already creating,” Neeraj Gupta, director of programs for Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Advanced Development Group, said during a November press conference. “What we really see is this kind of vibrant, bustling commercial space economy developing.”

SNC plans for a crew version of Dream Chaser in a few years. A novelist features such a vehicle in her latest book: Ozmens’ SNC Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Reflected in New Novel by International Bestselling Author Patricia Cornwell – SNC.

** Precision landing  of small re-entry capsules demonstrated by Spaceworks in low altitude drop tests: SpaceWorks Validates Autonomous Precision Landing Re-entry Capsule – SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc

SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. (SEI), along with its partners Earthly Dynamics LLC (EDC) and Aerial Delivery Solutions, LLC (ADS), has validated autonomous and precision landing of a space-based payload return capsule through a series of successful low-altitude drop tests. The tests in Dunnellon, Florida on November 19th are the latest in a steady progression to develop SpaceWorks’ product line of entry capsules, including the RED-25 and RED-4U that provide on-demand and low-cost downmass capabilities from Earth orbit. 

This test campaign consisted of three airplane drop tests of a RED-4U prototype equipped with a guided ram-air parafoil with in-canopy actuators. The prototype drop test article was designated as Suborbital Test Vehicle #2 (STV-2). The parafoil is built by Aerial Delivery Solutions, LLC, and the actuators and flight software are developed by Earthly Dynamics, LLC. Tests were conducted at altitudes of approximately 7500 feet in 25 knot winds, achieving precision landings to a pre-specified target. 

“The successful completion of the low-altitude drop tests were a monumental step forward for our RED product line,” said Tyler Kunsa, the RED Program Manager at SpaceWorks Flight. “Our RED devices provide a low-cost solution for rapid, safe and reliable payload return from space. The addition of proven precision landing capabilities sets the stage for faster and easier payload recovery.” 

The next progression in the RED development effort will be a high-altitude balloon drop test of the precision re-entry RED-4U scheduled for late 2021. SpaceWorks, EDC, and ADS will demonstrate the RED precision re-entry capabilities from a sub-orbital space flight. “We are excited to continue our partnership with SpaceWorks and Aerial Delivery Solutions to develop the precision-guided RED system. Our in-canopy, bleed-air actuation and industry-leading GN&C software provide an efficient and scalable solution compared to traditional guided airdrop systems. These drop tests are an exciting milestone in revolutionizing payload return from space,” said Dr. Benjamin León, a Research Engineer at Earthly Dynamics.  

** Two NASA sponsored solar sail projects are in the works. NASA Solar Sails Build on LightSail 2 | The Planetary Society

The NEA Scout is a smallsat that will fly on Artemis 1, the inaugural test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS). Along with an uncrewed Orion capsule, the flight will carry over a dozen smallsats including the Scout, which will deploy an

86-square-meter (926 square feet) solar sail and slowly spiral out of lunar orbit. It will travel to a near-Earth asteroid and perform a slow fly-by, capturing up-close images of the surface. The target asteroid named in the past is 1991 VG, but the actual asteroid chosen will depend on the Artemis 1 launch date.

Solar Cruiser will deploy the largest solar sail ever put into space when it is launched in 2025. The sail will have

 an area of 1,650 square meters (17,800 square feet), big enough to cover more than six tennis courts. It will orbit an artificial spot between the Earth and the Sun that can be used for solar science or to provide advance warning of solar storms that damage satellites and disrupt power grids on Earth.

By demonstrating the feasibility of large solar sails, Solar Cruiser paves the way for even more ambitious missions. The spacecraft will also change the angle of its orbit, showing how a similar mission could hover high above the Sun’s poles, continuously monitoring them in a way that could revolutionize solar physics.

These projects build upon the lessons learned from the Planetary Society’s successful LightSail 1 and LightSail 2 missions. Here’s a recent Planetary podcast with Les Johnson, the principal investigator for NEA Scout and Solar Cruiser at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, who “credits LightSail for bringing solar sailing into the mainstream“.

** Spaceport America in New Mexico starts a monthly podcast:. The first episode is titled New Mexico is a Place for Space:  Spaceport America Podcast Number 1 | Spaceport America

“In this episode we wanted to explore why the world’s first commercial spaceport was built in our state and what the future holds for the aerospace industry in New Mexico” said Spaceport America’s PR Coordinator and host of the podcast Alice Carruth. “We invited the Vice Chairpersons of the New Mexico Aerospace States Associations Joe Bullington and Casey Anglada DeRaad to bring a balanced opinion on the aerospace industry throughout the state.” Joe Bullington is the Commercialization Manager for the Jacobs White Sands Group at the NASA JSC White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), near Las Cruces, NM. Casey Anglada DeRaad is the CEO of NewSpace New Mexico, a non-profit organization that works to connect and promote aerospace partners throughout New Mexico and across the US.

** Briefs:

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Check out the
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for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Virgin Orbit, Nanoracks, SN8 and China
Vol. 16, No. 1, January 30, 2021

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

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** SpaceX:

*** “All-Civilian” Inspiration4 Crew Dragon mission to orbit set for fall of 2021. The flight will be funded and commanded by Jared Isaacman,  the 37-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments. Isaacman, who is a trained pilot, plans to donate “the Crew Seats and invites the public to participate”. World’s First All-Civilian Mission to Space Will Usher in New Era of Commercial Space Exploration | Business Wire

Plans for the world’s first all-civilian mission to space were announced today from SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. The mission is being targeted for the fourth quarter of this year and will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 37-year-old founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR) and an accomplished pilot. Named Inspiration4 in recognition of the four-person crew’s mission to inspire support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and send a humanitarian message of possibility, the journey represents a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. Isaacman is donating the three mission seats alongside him to crew members who will be selected to represent the mission pillars of leadership, hope, generosity and prosperity.

Said Isaacman, “Inspiration4 is the realization of a lifelong dream and a step towards a future in which anyone can venture out and explore the stars. I appreciate the tremendous responsibility that comes with commanding this mission and I want to use this historic moment to inspire humanity while helping to tackle childhood cancer here on Earth.”

Isaacman and the Inspiration4 crew will undergo commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, including a specific focus on orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will receive emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial- and full-mission simulations. The mission will launch from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will be carefully monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control as the spacecraft orbits the planet every 90 minutes along a customized flight path. Upon conclusion of the multi-day journey, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.

Isaacman has given St. Jude two seats on the Inspiration4 mission. The first seat is reserved for a St. Jude ambassador with direct ties to the mission who exemplifies the pillar of Hope as well as the courageous vision upon which St. Jude was founded – compassion, unity, equality and inclusion. The second seat will represent the mission pillar of Generosity. During the month of February, members of the public can enter for a chance to join the flight to space and support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

See also: SpaceX to Launch Inspiration4 Mission to Orbit – SpaceX

In 2020, SpaceX returned America’s ability to fly NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station for the first time since the Space Shuttle’s last flight in 2011. In addition to flying astronauts for NASA, Dragon was also designed to carry commercial astronauts to Earth orbit, the space station, or beyond.

Today, it was announced SpaceX is targeting no earlier than the fourth quarter of this year for Falcon 9’s launch of Inspiration4 – the world’s first all-commercial astronaut mission to orbit – from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, is donating the three seats alongside him aboard Dragon to individuals from the general public who will be announced in the weeks ahead. Learn more on how to potentially join this historic journey to space by visiting Inspiration4.com.

The Inspiration4 crew will receive commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will go through emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations.

This multi-day journey, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes along a customized flight path, will be carefully monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control. Upon conclusion of the mission, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.

*** Axiom Space announces private crew mission to the ISS: Axiom released the names of the four private citizens who will ride a SpaceX Crew Dragon to the ISS in early 2022: Ax1 Crew Reveal — Axiom Space

Axiom Space on Tuesday announced its crew for humankind’s first flight of a group of private individuals to a Low Earth Orbit destination – the first-ever entirely private mission proposed to fly to the International Space Station (ISS).

The proposed historic Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) will consist of: former NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president Michael López-Alegría as commander; American entrepreneur and non-profit activist investor Larry Connor as pilot; Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy; and impact investor and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe of Israel.

López-Alegría, who flew to space four times over a 20-year, record-setting career at NASA and last visited the ISS in 2007, will become the first person to ever command both a civil and a commercial human spaceflight mission. Connor will be the first private mission pilot in the annals of spaceflight.

Pathy will be Canada’s 11th astronaut. Stibbe, a close personal friend of Columbia astronaut Ilan Ramon and a former Israeli Air Force pilot, will be Israel’s second. Both will fly as mission specialists.

See also The first space crew composed entirely of private citizens — Axiom Space.

*** Two Starlink launches set for this week. SpaceX launched three Falcon 9 missions in January –

  • Jan.24: Transporter-1 Rideshare mission put 143 satellites into LEO (see below)
  • Jan.20: Starlink v1.0 L16 put 60 satellites into low earth orbit. (See below)
  • Jan.8: Turksat-5A communications satellite launched to GTO

– and was aiming for a fourth. However, difficulties with a pre-launch static fire test of the booster has postponed the Starlink v1.0-L17 mission till no earlier than Tuesday, Feb.2nd. A static fire was successfully carried out on Sunday.

A second Starlink mission, v1.0-L18, is currently set for Thursday, Feb. 4th.

The company hopes to average roughly one launch per week in 2021, not counting Starship/Super Heavy test flights in Boca Chica.

*** Jan.24: SpaceX Falcon 9 sends 143 satellites into orbit on first dedicated Rideshare mission. The mission, named Transporter-1, broke the previous record of 108 satellites deployed on a single launch. The payloads included 10 Starlink satellites going into polar orbit, a first for the Starlink program. The booster was on its 5th flight and it made a successful landing on a seagoing platform. Both fairing halves were recovered as well.

More at:

*** Jan.20: Falcon 9 launch of Starlink v1.0 L16 puts 60 more satellites into orbit. The first stage became the first F9 booster to fly eight times. It also safely landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic and so could become the first to reach 9 flights. Elon Musk has said the boosters are designed for 10 flights before major refurbishment. With such periodic refurbishing, a booster might go 100 flights total.) The fairings had also flown previously.

*** Jan.13: Cargo Dragon returned for successful splashdown off Florida Gulf coast. The Dragon departed on Jan. 12th from the ISS, where it had been docked since Dec.7th.  Cargo Resupply Services mission 21 was the first cargo mission to use the upgraded Dragon v2, which was developed for Crew missions but configurable for cargo as well. The new vehicle offers more room for delivery of supplies and equipment to the station and for return of materials from the station. The Dragon also docks autonomously rather than using the berthing technique that requires the help of a robotic arm controlled by an onboard astronaut.

*** More SpaceX news:

*** Starship

As noted at the top, the launch of the SN9 prototype is the next major event for the Starship program. Although on normal rocket project time scales, hardware assembly and testing are happening lightning fast, the legion of Starship fans are getting impatient to see it fly. Before the recent delays due to the FAA licensing problems, there were multiple test firings of the three Raptor engines, including three in a single day. The goals of the testing included not only insuring that the engines were working properly but also to practice and smooth out the launch preparation process.

A summary of the SN9 static engine tests:

This video provides a compilation of views of the three tests on January 13th:

SpaceX defied expectations by static firing Starship SN9’s Raptor engines three times in one day. This was the final test before SN9 can fly. Video from Mary (@BocaChicaGal), Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer), and NSF Robotic Cameras. Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist)

*** Thinner propellant tank with 3mm thick stainless steel rather than 4mm was pressure tested. The SN7.2 (unofficial name) was moved from the production site to the launch and testing area on Jan. 21st. The pressure tests at cryogenic temperatures appeared to go smoothly. It was not tested to destruction, though that might be the goal in future tests.

25% thinner than previous Starship tanks, SN7.2 was tested to prove new manufacturing techniques to build lighter tank sections. At the production site, it’s a hazy day as crews stack another ring atop Super Heavy. Video & Photos from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist)

If shown to be viable, the thinner walled tanks will provide a considerable amount of mass savings, much of which can be added to the payload capacity.

*** Stacking of the first Super Heavy booster prototype is well underway in the High Bay building. Observers have noted that it appears that the liquid oxygen tanks will be above the methane fuel tanks for the booster, which is the opposite of the arrangement in the Starship.

Here’s a view of the first Super Heavy thrust dome to which an estimated 28 Raptors will be attached:

Despite the huge size of the combined Starship/Super Heavy, the combo will accelerate unusually fast off the launch pad:

*** Sections of the SN12 prototype have been junked. Elon Musk said awhile back that SN15 would mark a major upgrade in the Starship design and construction. It appears that tests of the SN9 to 11 prototypes will provide sufficient  data from the the initial design phase and they can jump directly to SN15.

Here is a graphic showing the status of the various modules and test structures:

More about the Starship modules and engines: Starships lining up for launch as SN9 closes in on clearance – NASASpaceFlight.com

*** SpaceX buys two oil drilling platforms for Starship launch and landing facilities. It’s been known for some time that SpaceX plans eventually to operate the Starship/Super Heavy takeoffs and landings from offshore facilities rather than from Boca Chica due to noise and safety issues.  Recently, the photographer Jack Beyer came upon a giant deep-sea oil rig named Deimos docked at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. Later a second rig named Phobos was spotted in the Galveston, Texas port. Deimos and Phobos, of course, are the names of the moons of Mars. Further investigation revealed that they are owned by a holding company headed by the SpaceX CFO. The rigs had been bought at a bankruptcy auction.

The Phobos platform later departed Brownsville for Pascagoula, Mississippi  where it will presumably be converted into a launch (and perhaps a landing) facility. See the video below for a view of Phobos’s trip to Mississippi.

More at

*** More Boca Chica videos:

**** Jan.31: Starship SN9 & SN10 Aerial Flyover! – RGV Aerial Photography

**** Jan.28: Starship SN9 Aborts Flight Test – FAA Approval Not Yet Granted – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Without approval from the FAA, SpaceX was not allowed to fly SN9 today despite great weather conditions. SpaceX is ready to make another attempt on Jan. 29th if approval is granted. Video & Photos from Mary (@BocaChicaGal), Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer), and NSF Robots. Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist)

**** Feb.1: SpaceX Boca Chica: Starship SN10 Unhooked – Vents for the First Time – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

The moon rises between both Starships as SN9, SN10, and SN7.2 wait for their test campaigns. SN10 was pressurized overnight for a small test as Tankzilla prepares to leave the launch site. Also spotted was Super Heavy BN1’s common dome being prepped for flipping. Video & Photos from Mary (@BocaChicaGal) & NSF Robotic Camera Team. Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist)

**** Other Starship and space transport reports:

**** Jan.30: SpaceX Starships line up for flight – SN9 and SN10 at the pad – Marcus House

Lots of news today as SpaceX Starships line up for the flight. SN9 and SN10 at the pad already. There is so much going on with Starship development right now with test tank SN 7.2 pushed to its limits this week. Plenty going on with Superheavy booster construction along with updates around that highly anticipated launch and high altitude flight test of Starship SN9. There was a record-breaking dedicated rideshare mission with Transporter 1 lifting off this past week, and finally, some news with Boeing’s Starliner capsule as its second uncrewed test flight looks to be targeting the end of March. We have so much to cover here in yet another incredible week of space news.

**** Jan.22: SpaceX Starship Sea Launch Platforms Under Construction! – SN9 Strange Tests – What about it!?

Why did SpaceX pressurize Starship SN9 three times in one day without lighting the engines, what’s different on SpaceX’s second Super Heavy booster and why is SpaceX building floating Spaceports at Brownsville Harbor?

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