{"id":23285,"date":"2020-12-16T18:15:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T23:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=23285"},"modified":"2020-12-16T18:15:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T23:15:34","slug":"space-transport-roundup-dec-16-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=23285","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup – Dec.16.2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here<\/a>):<\/p>\n

** Dec.9: First high altitude flight test of a SpaceX Starship<\/a> prototype successfully demonstrated two key requirements for returning from orbit:<\/strong> (1) controlled stable flight while in a horizontal orientation during unpowered descent and (2) the flip to vertical maneuver after restarting the engines. The vehicle was powered by three Raptors<\/a>, which fired for nearly five minutes before reaching the 12 km altitude. (Two of the engines shut down sequentially during the later phase of the ascent.) This provided a big gain in the amount of data on in-flight performance of the LOX\/Methane engines compared to the short hops with earlier prototypes.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, during the SN8 vehicle’s relatively short vertical descent to the bullseye of the landing pad, a drop in pressure from the propellant tank in the tip of the nosecone reduced the thrust of the Raptor engine and the vehicle landed too hard and exploded. This operational problem can be prevented in a straight-forward manner in future flights. After 60+ successful Falcon 9 booster recoveries, the company knows how to land a rocket vertically.\u00a0 However, SpaceX has had no experience with flying a rocket in a horizontal attitude and controlling it with side fins. It also had never swung a vehicle from horizontal to vertical. So this was a very successful test. While it might have flown again if it landed safely, SN8 was never intended to provide more than suborbital test data.<\/p>\n

This multi-exposure image nicely captures the liftoff and return of Starship SN8’s epic test flight:<\/p>\n

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Omg. Only image I had in my mind for SN8 & it worked perfectly!
\nBig thx to @Erdayastronaut<\/a>, @SpacePadreIsle<\/a> @considercosmos<\/a> & @thejackbeyer<\/a> for helping me make the trip to TX\/a huge success🚀<\/p>\n

⚙️\/⬇️\/🖼: https:\/\/t.co\/VvOyEejkx0<\/a>
\n2021 starship calendar: https:\/\/t.co\/DTkCXERMvo<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wMa9v0yYpq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Trevor Mahlmann (@TrevorMahlmann) December 11, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n