
SpaceX: Musk's 'Mars ship' prototype aces 150m test flight - MindGods
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53659702
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martythemaniak
I really love the out-in-the-open development process. It doesn't cost SpaceX
anything, yet they attract lots of internet media where people set up streams,
discuss progress etc.

The next year should be pretty exciting as they develop things further.
Starship has a number of big innovations, which are:

\- the raptor engine. This was developed behind closed doors and is sort of
finished. We won't see much of it, but it is the most advanced rocket engine
ever made and I'm not aware of any upcoming engine that can compete with it.

\- Stainless steel construction. What we're seeing with SN5 is the basic tank
structure of the second stage. The hopper that flew last year was a neat demo,
but SN5 was pressurized and the design is way closer to what the actual
starship will end up having. The first stage tanks will also be a stretched
version of these tanks, so that's why you see them focus on this so much right
now.

\- belly-flop landing. To land, starship will be coming downhorizontal until a
few hundred meters above ground when it'll make itself vertical to land. SN5
won't have the fins and cone to perform this, but SN6 will. It might be
possible to see this before the end of the year - SN6 (with 3 engines) goes up
20km, goes horizontal to burn off speed, then lands vertically.

\- belly-first re-entry. Instead of a heatshielf that withstands a high
temperature, Starship will burn off speed with its belly, but do it over a
longer time period of time so that while the total heat is the same, the max
temperature doesn't rise too much. The stainless steel can't take the
temperatures ablative heatshields on capsules can. Don't know if Starhip will
be able to perform this meaningfully without a booster.

\- in-orbit refueling. Starship is big and heavy and basically can't get
anywhere unless it's re-fueled in orbit. I don't think this has been done
before, definitely gonna need 2+ starhips and boosters to show this.

\- superheavy booster. This might be the simplest part of the whole system - a
first stage with 31 raptor engines.

Lots of stuff coming in the next few years.

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oses
> belly-flop landing ...

Seems less likely that SN6 will be used for 20km flight + belly flop due to
the change from 301 to 304L. If I had to guess, I'd say it's likely SN6 will
be used w/ nose-cone and LOX header tank for additional short duration hops.

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johnmcd3
I believe Elon said they were targeting SN8 for a high altitude flight with 3
raptor engines, hopefully later this year. Various parts are already under
construction.

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pedrocr
Yesterday's discussion:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24055823](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24055823)

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cvaidya1986
Amazing! Next 50 years is going to be crazy in space innovation!

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throwawaye3735
*5 years (not to say the next 50 won't be awesome too)

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cvaidya1986
In 50 years I expect us to have a Mars Colony and looking towards Titan or
other habitable areas of our galaxy and have discovered an insanely fast way
of travel previously thought impossible. Human lifespans will be extended and
what it means to be human will be a very different definition and so deep
space travel will be within human grasp by the end of century.

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cincinnatus
That cover photo though, it looks so much like a flying hot water heater :-)

