Thread by @CSI_Starbase

@elonmusk No joke, I put in zero physical labor on but just being a spectator as @SpaceX workers fabricated this engineering marvel was exhausting!

Check out the thread below to see how the most advanced launch mount on the planet was constructed! @StarshipGazer

Before we start

#250wordcount sucks. Make sure u check the alt descriptions. This could easily turn into a 200 pager. I plan to do it in phases because there are even more interesting #Starship topics I want to cover. Make sure to follow if u want to see future updates on this

1. I waited 168 days for @SpaceX to finally move this launch table on 7/28/21. When it finally happened I almost called in from work so I could watch @LabPadre all day. Luckily I work from home so that wasn't necessary.

PS...Sorry Brad, we can talk later 😅

“We are choked with news and starved of history” – Durant

Couldn't agree more.

2. Speaking of history, on 2/10/21 (8 days after the #SN9 massacre) @RGVaerialphotos caught the first signs of the beginning of the construction of the Orbital Launch Mount

PS: RIP Eileen

3. If you remember when this picture came out, how long did it take for you to know what this circular pattern of objects was going to be used for?

Be honest with yourself - this is a no judgement zone lol

4. This is where it all started:

(20) 51" tall pipe stand platforms supplied by @Fagioli_spa . This is the company who showed up with the worlds second largest crane to @Starbase in order to assemble the OLIT. I will explain the purpose of these later. Credit: @BocachicaMaria1

5. If not for @DaytonCostlow it would have taken a lot longer to figure out that each of the ten sections that make up the #Starship #OLM deck weigh roughly 49,000lbs. This means main structure weighs about 245 US tons 😰

6. The remaining four sections are constructed a little differently as shown below.

If this is hard to read please let me know in the comments. I am trying to work around the 250 word count.

7. The 51" @Fagioli_spa pipe stands are used to provide an elevated, level surface so there is enough clearance for Welders to get underneath and....weld.

8. A longtime #Speculator in my Discord server #JustKirk was convinced that this was going to be #ElonMusk 's private 360 #HighBay bar!!

Kirk is why I joined @RGVaerialphotos patreon cuz I needed to show Kirk...ain't no way.

Let me know what u thought this was in the comments!

9. This is how each of the #OLM sections are laid out. Additional vertical supports in the LS & RS sections are highlighted red

Current BOM:

(20) 1.5" floor plates
(20) 2.5" roof plates
(44) 3" vertical support plates
(20) 1.5" Rear Plates
(80) 1/2" shelf plates
(Hella) Welders

10. If you want to find unknown dimensions, its helpful to find a google-able object's with a spec sheet and use those DIMs as a reference.

My fav is the 2" DOT reflector strips on the side of every US Semi Truck.

How many objects can you find that are easily measurable?

11. Here are some of the major dimensions of the #OLM. This thing is MASSIVE.

You can see one of the #SpaceX Welders walking underneath it in the second picture.

12. Annoyed w/ seeing #Imperial units when talking about #rockets? 👇🏾

#SpaceX uses #Imperial on all #Infrastructure projects. They were kind enough to leave them visible for @StarshipGazer to get a closeup 🙃

Conversions require math and I don't do math outside of work🤷🏾‍♂️

Quick Question:

Do you know the purpose of the LS and RS sections?

13. Not trying to toot my own horn here, but if not for the extreme level of accuracy of this model, I would not have been able to figure out the following details about how the deck aligns with the #OLM legs. These things are easy to miss.

14. The reason there are LS and RS sections is so the gusset plates on the #OLM leg extensions will properly line up with the interior vertical support plates.

You can see below what this looks like after they are mated together.

*I wish they transported it like this

15. There are 6 of these massive #OLM leg extensions that are attached to the base structure of the #Starship #OrbitalLaunchMount.

Did you know that none of the three pieces shown here are the same? There are three different versions of these extensions. Lets see why...

Pause... lunch break.
I was about to post all 20 pages and then hit X instead of send. Soooo yea I'm halfway through redoing all of it!

In the meantime if someone could calculate the outer and inner circumference of the launch deck...that would help me for later.

16. Can you see what makes these #OLM leg extensions different from each other???

And don't just skip to the answer either, yah lazy a$$es...at least make an attempt. Give it 30 seconds!

@RGVaerialphotos Do you know what it is?

17. If you haven't figured it out yet, this should help. The V shaped cut that is on the top of each of these plates is shifted in order to make a 20 sided table match up with 6 legs lmao. Weird geometry for sure. In the second pic you can see why it matters for alignment