Thread by @CSI_Starbase

(1) Hey #StarshipAddicts...I have a feeling that a lot of you have heard various things here and there about possible issues with the #OrbitalTankFarm at the #Starbase launch complex. Check out this thread if you want the FULL story starting from the very first signs of trouble

(2) This is a break from my normal style, I'm going to tell you all a story.

At the end of May 2021, I took my first ever trip to Starbase as a treat to myself after quitting my job as an Engineer in the Oil & Gas industry.

(3) The moment my last shift came to and end, I got in my car and drove 10 hours straight with the intension of not stopping until I got to the #Starbase sign. I drove through a massive 4 hour rain storm that ended, right as the #Highbay came into view.

(4) I made several more questionable decisions over the next few minutes as I crossed over several mini-rivers on #HW4. First thing I did when I got there was pull up to #LaunchPadCam so I could get out and do the customary #nerdle dance @LabPadre

(5) There was absolutely no way I was going to let a little water stop me in this situation but #youtube and the #weather had other plans. The stream froze and my car ended up being a static image on screen for 6 hours.

(6) I drove to the beach so I could take a picture of my car in the middle of the street since there was no one around. It was here, standing outside of my car...when I heard a really odd sound.

(7) Not too many people found this interesting at the time, but this is what I saw. There was extremely high winds during the rainstorm and apparently it had ripped one of the external downcomer pipes off of #GSE1 👀.

(8) This was an odd moment for me because no one else was around...not even security. I could have walked up to hug #GSE1 so it didn't have to be alone in that vulnerable moment, but I didn't. The truck in this image was the first sign of life I had seen in a half an hour.

(9) As I stood in front of these massive vessels, the biggest thing that bothered me (minus the obvious) was the lack of internal or external ribbing/stringers. Every #Starship 7 #booster tank section #SpaceX constructed up to this point had them...why not these??

(10) Structural ribs like this are pretty standard on any liquid storage tank you will ever come across. They are critical for supporting the walls of the tank against the hydrostatic pressure, or the weight of the fluid inside the tank. They come in lots of different forms.

(11) On May 31 the first of the #GSEC shells arrived at the #OTF. The purpose of these tank jackets is to create a 1.5m void space where insulation can be inserted in order allow cryo fluids to be stored for very long periods of times.

(12) It appeared that they weren't ready to sleeve #GSE1 yet however, because they put the jacket onto an empty concrete stand and had people thinking it was a water tank for weeks. But...shortly after this the real water tank showed up

(13) Were you one of the people who got tricked into believing there was a dome on the bottom #GSEC1? lol

(14) Okay seriously, if all you needed to do was make a tank out of 6mm 501 stainless steel in order to eliminate the need to install compression bands around the outside...I'm pretty sure everyone would make their water tanks this way. Please don't fill this thing up @elonmusk !

(15) I asked @StarshipGazer to check for signs of repair work on that mounting backet on #GSE1 for WEEKS. Honestly, I wasn't sure if anyone other than me and the 10 people in my discord server knew it was damaged....I didn't have @elonmusk phone number saved in my phone back then

(16) #Speculation: The same day #GSEC was moved to the #OrbitalLaunchComplex, SpaceX realized had a problem. It was the same problem I had already been thinking was an issue which is why I was probably the first to notice this next detail same day it happened on July 13.

(17) While I was glad they were addressing this issue, I was still confused. As @StarshipGazer showed me, they tack welded them every 12 which allowed them to install these rather quickly. Usually you have someone follow up behind you for the full weld but....that didn't happen.

(18) The two month delay in #GSE activity finally ended and they began to make the same fixes to the other tanks (July 28). This was a major design error by #SpaceX IMO. There's no proof, but I stand by that lol...and @elonmusk won't respond to this cuz he's still mad about it

(19) Just as much as the next #StarshipAddict, I would like believe #SpaceX and their incredible group of engineers simply aren't capable of making these kinds of mistakes but....this one is pretty clear right?

(21) So, for a while, the #OrbitalTankFarm and #GSE tanks progressed rather smoothly from here. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to say the problems were over... this is actually where the story starts to gets interesting.

(22) In Sept, a lot of folks were beginning to think the #OTF was nearing completion. I was one of them until 9/23 when @RGVaerialphotos did this flyover. I told one of the @LabPadre cam operators to be on the lookout for something large coming to the #OTF within a week (❤️Tux )

(23) He didn't believe me back in those days but sure enough...within a few days 2 large horizontal #cryogenic storage tanks were moved to the #OTF. This is was extremely significant because of where these two tanks came from.

(24) These are the before and after photos of the #AirSeparationUnit at the Sanchez site. It's pretty clear where these tanks were stolen from. When this happened #SpaceX was a few weeks into making their own #LOX and #LN2 onsite. This put an end to that...

(25) On Oct 5, an absolutely massive - her pleasure - cryo tank was delivered. The common assumption was that these would replace the storage tanks from the #ASU.

(26) During the tanks 5 hour trip, I noticed something at the #OTF that made me tell Tux to be on the lookout for up to 3 more of these. I would outline it for you but I want yal to appreciate how difficult this was to spot.

(27) The second tank showed up the next day but the other two were much much later. In fact they were just delivered at the beginning of December. #SupplyChainNightmare

(28) Before it was common knowledge that these horizontal tanks were going to be used for CH4. I had a feeling something weird was going on here. I kept it to myself until I went to Starbase for #crowfest2. If you haven't read this yet...have fun

(29) Well...we've arrived at the point that everyone has been asking me about recently. Why does #SpaceX need horizontal methane tanks if they already have 2 #CH4 #GSE tanks?

(30) Well one thing I didn't mention in that previous post...was the start of this containment wall concrete forms that I noticed being setup on 10/29 as I sat outside the #OTF with a bunch of fellow #nerdle

(31) Almost as if he was reading MY mind, I overheard the driver of this van thinking to himself about how this containment wall with a tunnel going through it was probably not going to work out so well in the event of a spill.

(32) How many of you think you know why this wall is here?

(33) I really don't know how they missed these....but here's some important rules about storing #LiquidNaturalGas in the Country of Texas as defined by the Railroad Comm. Most important rule...is that EVERY RULE listed must be followed before these tanks can be put into service.

(34) Feel free to read through this and see if anything stands out.

(35) To prevent unauthorized access and accidental chemical releases the regulations require a 6 foot wall with a minimum clearance of 2 feet from any part of an LNG transfer or storage system. It looks to me like we have a bit of a problem here. (See alt)

(36) " In addition to NFPA 52 §13.5, stationary LNG containers and piping shall not be placed in the area directly beneath or
above an electric transmission, distribution, or customer service line and the area six feet to either side of that line. "

Well this is awkward....

(37) Just so happens these new horizontal tanks and recently completed perimeter fences, are now in compliance with the rules I mentioned above. Look closely at the wall, its proximity to the new tanks, and the fact that all the CH4 transfer pipes are inside of it.

(38) Can you imagine how awkward it would have been having #LCH4 tankers offloading fuel 5 meters away from 11 #LOX tankers? I wonder if the original SOP for offloading specifically prohibited fuel drivers from shaking hands with the oxidizer guys. I'm glad they changed this!

(39) I still have my fingers crossed that the shaved off paint on the welds of the water tank means they will be adding compression bands around it one of these days.

Equally spaced bands might be an indication of a pressurized water tank btw... just throwing that out there.😉