SpaceX Orbit Largest Spacecraft In History also SpaceX Destroy Largest Spacecraft In History.

Scott Manley

14 Mar 202419:25

Summary

TLDRSpaceX's third Starship and Super Heavy test flight on Pi Day marked a significant milestone, with the vehicle achieving orbit and demonstrating improved performance over previous flights. Despite challenges with weather, engine relight, and control issues, the flight provided valuable data and stunning footage, highlighting the progress and potential of the Starship program.

Takeaways

🚀 SpaceX's Starship and Super Heavy had their third test flight on Pi Day, March 14th, coinciding with the company's 22nd birthday.
🌬️ The launch was delayed due to weather concerns, specifically high wind speeds predicted to reach 37 knots at 3,000 ft.
🎉 The goal for the flight was to improve upon the second flight, where the booster exploded and the Starship failed to reach orbit after an engine fire.
🔥 The first key milestone was successful hot staging, where the engines on the booster relit after separation.
🛬 The booster was intended to perform a boost back and descent for a soft landing, but it experienced issues with engine relight and control during re-entry.
🌍 Starship continued downrange into a lower inclination orbit over Africa, heading towards a landing in the Indian Ocean.
🧪 On its partial orbit, Starship conducted several tests including opening the cargo door, performing a cryogenic propellant transfer, and attempting to relight the engine.
📸 The onboard footage from the flight provided unprecedented views of the launch and ascent, thanks to multiple, redundant Starlink antennas.
🛰️ Starship successfully reached orbit, becoming the largest spacecraft ever launched, albeit in a slightly suborbital trajectory.
🚫 The final on-orbit test, relighting the engine, did not occur due to unexpected vehicle rotation that may have interfered with the process.
🌊 The flight concluded with Starship losing attitude control and experiencing a less than ideal re-entry, with debris seen being blown off before loss of signal.

Q & A

What was the significance of the date chosen for SpaceX's third test flight of Starship and Super Heavy?
-The third test flight of Starship and Super Heavy by SpaceX was performed on Pi Day, March 14th, which is also the company's 22nd birthday. The date was chosen likely due to its relevance in mathematics and as a nod to the company's founding anniversary.
What was the primary concern that delayed the launch window?
-The launch window was delayed primarily due to weather concerns, specifically the strong winds with speeds predicted to reach 37 knots at 3,000 ft, which could have posed a risk to the launch and flight safety.
What were the main objectives of the Starship's flight?
-The main objectives of the Starship's flight included successful hot staging, booster relight, boost back and descent through the atmosphere for a soft landing, performing a cryogenic propellant transfer test, and attempting to relight the engine for a precise landing in the Indian Ocean.
What was the outcome of the hot staging and the booster's performance?
-The hot staging was successful, with all engines on the booster relit after the first stage separation. However, the booster did not perform as expected during the descent, losing control and failing to relight the engines for a soft landing, resulting in a loss of contact at zero altitude.
What was the significance of the Starship reaching orbit?
-The Starship successfully reaching orbit, albeit in a slightly suborbital trajectory, marked a significant achievement as it became the largest spacecraft ever launched into orbit. This was a step forward for SpaceX, demonstrating progress from previous flights.
What issues were observed with the Starship's heat shield during re-entry?
-During re-entry, it was noted that the Starship did not maintain the correct attitude for the heat shield to function optimally. Additionally, debris was seen being blown off the top of the vehicle, and there was a concern that the plasma generated during re-entry might not be effectively managed due to the spacecraft's orientation and potential heat shield damage.
What was the fate of the Starship after its re-entry?
-After re-entry, the Starship experienced a communication blackout due to the plasma generated by the intense atmospheric friction. The last signals indicated that it had lost a significant speed but the final outcome was not detailed in the transcript.
What were some of the technical issues encountered during the flight?
-Technical issues included the asymmetric shutdown of engines, potential problems with the propellant, a door that may not have fully opened, attitude control failures, and issues with the reaction control thrusters during the final descent.
What were the unique aspects of the Starship's flight that were tested or observed?
-Unique aspects included the multi-play redundant Starlink antennas for onboard footage, the stratified clouds seen during ascent, the performance of the grid fins during the booster's descent, the spacecraft's roll around its axis, and the live footage of re-entry through the plasma phase.
What can we expect from the upcoming Starship flights?
-Upcoming Starship flights may include as many as six flights this year, with improvements and adjustments based on the learnings from the previous flights. Future tests will focus on addressing the issues encountered, refining the spacecraft's performance, and potentially achieving a fully successful flight.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 SpaceX's Starship Test Flight Summary

This paragraph discusses SpaceX's third test flight of Starship and Super Heavy on Pi Day, March 14th. It highlights the launch delay due to weather concerns, specifically high wind speeds. The goal was to improve upon the second flight, where hot staging was successful but the booster exploded, and the Starship failed to reach orbit. The focus was on the hot staging, the booster's return and descent, and Starship's trajectory into a lower inclination orbit over Africa, leading to a landing in the Indian Ocean. The flight included various tests such as opening the cargo door, performing a propellant transfer test, and attempting to relight the engine. The summary confirms that SpaceX achieved more successes than the previous flight, with all engines lighting up on liftoff and successful stage separation, although not all goals were met.

05:02

🌬️ Booster's Atmospheric Entry and Control

The second paragraph delves into the booster's atmospheric entry and the challenges faced. It contrasts the booster's entry without an entry burn to the Falcon 9 booster's approach. The primary control mechanism during this phase is the grid fins, which initially seemed to control the descent but later appeared to become unstable. The booster experienced a roll oscillation, and the engines failed to relight, resulting in a loss of contact. The paragraph also discusses the Starship's successful ascent to a near-orbital trajectory and the breathtaking footage captured during this phase, including the first view inside the nose cone and the outgassing of excess propellant.

10:04

🔄 Starship's On-Orbit Tests and Re-Entry

This section covers the Starship's on-orbit tests, including the planned engine relight, which did not occur as expected. SpaceX attributed the failure to an anomalous rotation that may have interfered with the relight process. The paragraph then describes the Starship's preparation for re-entry, noting the continued rotation and the difficulty in maintaining the correct attitude for entry. It discusses the potential reasons for the observed debris脱落 and the challenges in maintaining attitude control. The summary also touches on the hope for live footage of the re-entry process and the eventual loss of communication due to plasma interference.

15:06

📈 Analysis of Flight Data and Future Outlook

The final paragraph provides an analysis of the flight data, focusing on the stage separation and the changes made from previous flights. It discusses the potential adjustments to the timing and throttle settings of the booster. The summary also examines the final descent into the ocean, suggesting that the use of outer ring engines indicated a failure. The paragraph concludes with anticipation for the fourth flight, discussing the possibility of multiple flights this year and the remaining challenges for SpaceX, such as catching boosters and in-space refueling. It ends with a hopeful note for future test flights and the continued learning process for Starship development.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡SpaceX

SpaceX is a private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. In the context of the video, SpaceX is conducting the third test flight of Starship and Super Heavy, marking a significant step in their space exploration endeavors.

💡Starship

Starship is a spacecraft and space launch vehicle being developed by SpaceX. It is designed to be a fully reusable spacecraft capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In the video, the Starship's performance during its third test flight is analyzed, including its ascent, in-orbit activities, and re-entry.

💡Super Heavy

Super Heavy is the booster stage of the SpaceX Starship system. It is designed to support the Starship spacecraft during launch and return it to Earth after missions in space. The video details the Super Heavy's performance during the test flight, including its successful hot staging and boost back maneuvers.

💡Pi Day

Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi), observed on March 14th (3/14 in the month/day format). SpaceX chose this date for the third test flight of Starship and Super Heavy, possibly as a nod to the mathematical and engineering precision required in space exploration.

💡Hot Staging

Hot staging is a critical phase in the launch of a rocket where the main engines relight after the initial ascent to continue propelling the rocket and its payload into higher orbits or space. In the video, the success of the hot staging is one of the key milestones that SpaceX aimed to achieve during the Starship and Super Heavy's test flight.

💡Boost Back

Boost back is a maneuver in which a rocket booster returns to Earth after delivering its payload. It involves the booster flying backward and using its engines to slow down before re-entering the atmosphere for a controlled descent. The video describes the boost back of the Super Heavy booster and its intended return path towards Earth.

💡Re-entry

Re-entry refers to the process of a spacecraft or object returning from space and passing through the Earth's atmosphere to land on the surface. The video discusses the Starship's re-entry phase, during which it was expected to perform a belly flop maneuver and test its heat shield at high speeds.

💡Heat Shield

A heat shield is a protective layer designed to withstand and dissipate the extreme heat generated during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. It is crucial for the safe return of spacecraft and their occupants. The video highlights the importance of testing the Starship's heat shield during its re-entry to ensure its effectiveness against the intense plasma and heat.

💡Orbit

An orbit is the curved path that an object takes around a celestial body, such as a planet or star, due to the balance between its velocity and the gravitational pull of the body. The video discusses the Starship reaching a suborbital trajectory, which is close to but not exactly an orbit.

💡Attitude Control

Attitude control in aerospace refers to the orientation and stabilization of a spacecraft or rocket. It is essential for ensuring that the vehicle maintains the correct orientation during ascent, in-orbit activities, and re-entry. The video notes issues with the Starship's attitude control during its flight, particularly during the re-entry phase.

💡Plasma Blackout

Plasma blackout, also known as ionization blackout, occurs when a spacecraft re-enters the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, causing the air around it to ionize and form a plasma. This plasma can block radio communications with the spacecraft. The video describes the Starship experiencing a plasma blackout during its re-entry, which is a critical phase where communication with the vehicle is typically lost.

Highlights

SpaceX performed the third test flight of Starship and Super Heavy on Pi Day, March 14th.

The launch was delayed due to weather concerns, specifically high wind speeds predicted to reach 37 knots at 3,000 ft.

The goal was to improve upon the second flight, where the booster exploded and Starship failed to reach orbit.

The first milestone was the successful hot staging, where the engines on the booster relit after shutdown.

The onboard footage from the flight provided multi-angle, high-quality views of the launch and ascent.

During the ascent, a few tiles were missing from the heat shield, but it seemed like an improvement from previous flights.

The stage separation was successful, with all engines on the first stage relighting, unlike the previous flight where the booster exploded.

The booster's trajectory was similar to Falcon 9, but it did not use an entry burn, instead relying on the grid fins for control.

The booster experienced a roll oscillation during its descent, which might have been intentional or due to performance exploration.

The Starship successfully reached orbit, becoming the largest spacecraft ever launched, albeit in a slightly suborbital trajectory.

The spacecraft experienced a door failure during the test of opening the Pez dispenser cargo door.

The propellant transfer test between tanks was announced but its success was not confirmed.

The final on-orbit test, relighting the engine, did not happen as planned due to an anomalous rotation.

The spacecraft's rotation and attitude control issues persisted throughout the entry phase, affecting the heat shield performance.

Debris was seen being blown off the vehicle during entry, indicating potential issues with the heat shield and attitude control.

The communication blackout due to plasma during re-entry prevented live footage of this phase, a first for spaceflight.

Despite the issues, the flight was considered successful, setting new records for SpaceX and the US launch vehicle capabilities.

The fourth flight is anticipated with potential improvements and continued learning from these test flights.