#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.
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!
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
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
1/11) Hey #StarshipAddicts, I just wanted to take some time to correct some misconceptions I have seen floating around about this event during the WDR. Hopefully this thread will clear the confusion. At the end, I will suggest a possible solution to this issue.
2/11) To start off, we should all be able to agree that Wet Dress Rehearsal involves Liquid Methane, and Liquid Oxygen. There is zero nitrogen involved, other than for super chilling of propellants and various gas purges (interstage & OLM/OLIT)
3/11) Now, lets take a look at the depressurization vents on top of the methane tank of the booster. There are no pipes on the inside of the tank that connect to these valve. So when they open...you can literally stick your arm inside of the booster methane tank
📸@ChameleonCir
(1/4) Hey #StarshipAddicts, here's a little update about the status of exterior cladding on the Orbital Launch Integration tower.
As of today, the first 3 levels of the OLIT have been covered on the sides facing the Launch Mount.
What is the status for the rest of the tower?
(2/4) More paneling for the tower has been spotted by @RGVaerialphotos at the Massey's site which is owned by @SpaceX.
As shown in this image, there are 18 bundles of tower cladding. Each bundle has 9 panels. There are a total of 162 center panels on site already.
(3/4) Each level of the tower requires 4 center panels. Doing a little math...
Panels Available =162
Number of sublevels on OLIT = 24
Remaining levels without cladding = 21
Panels Needed for each side OLIT after bottom 3 levels are covered = 84
Hey #StarshipAddicts It's been a while since I've done this but here's a short thread explaining what is about to happen at the Starbase Orbital Tank Farm
1) Last week this trailer arrived to the Sanchez Gas site. As of yesterday it appears that SpaceX has started to move these items over to the Launch Complex, which is something I wasn't expecting until after the first Orbital Test Flight. Here's why...
2) At the OTF there are currently two active liquid oxygen pumps (green). To the left of those are two additional inactive pumps which were delivered back in March (red). So why weren't these ever fully installed?
This piece of equipment is the main reason for using the #LR11000 Super crane to lift the booster, instead of the #Chopsticks. I'm going to refer to it as the Locator Pin.
(2/11) When fully extended, the locator pin is inserted into this position on the starship #StarshipSuperHeavy's Hydraulic Power Units (#HPU's). There are two of these located on either side of the booster.
(3/11) I'm not sure if the aero cover actually makes contact with this hard point on the booster, but its not meant to take much force either way. In order to not damage the booster, these locator pins are designed to have a relatively light tough.
(1/8) #StarshipAddicts, I think we have a major update for you about one of the #Starship variants we have been expecting to see at #Starbase!
It has been speculated that this nose cone barrel section was to be used for the #CargoVariant.
(2/8) Thanks to @RGVaerialphotos, we now know what it looks like from above. In this image you can see in interior structure which is most likely used to open the "payload bay"
(3/8) If you watched the most recent episode from @RGVaerialphotos flyover review you will remember us mentioning that the size of this payload door makes a lot more sense for #HLS#LunarStarship than it does for #Cargo version.
(1/10) Hey #StarshipAddicts! If you didn't get a chance to check out the latest @RGVaerialphotos Flyover review livestream then you missed some interesting details about new progress around #Starbase. Here's a summary of last weeks top finds. A lot of info in this image alone!
(2/10) CH4 Storage Tanks:
The tanks shown in this picture are assumed to be the additional Methane storage tanks needed in order to fully fuel a #Starship/#SuperHeavyBooster for orbital launches and also suborbital WDR / Cryo testing on the new staging pads.
(3/10) CH4 Storage Tanks: @LabPadre#Gatorcam caught these four tanks rolling into the port on a barge on the morning of Feb 15, 2022 at KSC. These are identical tanks to the four tanks that we have seen at the Sanchez site.