This article was originally published on September 29, 2019
▼
Space, cowboys, Texas... Starship, Super Heavy, Musk, Futurama...
The long-awaited first show of the SpaceX Texas Starship, which shined quickly and brightly in a minimalist style today, took only 45 minutes. Musk, as in the past, is one man and one person. NO hosting, NO unveiling, NO posing...
There is no Joe's god-like field control, no legendary reality distortion force field, and even stuttering from time to time, but this has not affected the series of dry goods musk wants to convey - hardcore is the most important! Authenticity matters!
SpaceX Starship update media
Starship upgrade media conference
Time: September 28, 2019, 22:15-23:00 pm CST, And 9:15 to 10:00 Beijing time on September 29, 2019
Where: Boca Chica SpaceX, the southernmost beach in Texas, USA
Protagonist: SpaceX founder, CEO and chief designer Elon Musk
Theme: Announce the latest design picture of Starship + Super Heavy
Attendance: More than 100 media representatives were invited
Why did you choose to hold the press conference on this day?
Musk's ostensible answer: to commemorate SpaceX's first launch into orbit. But the deeper meaning is this: because today is the anniversary of SpaceX's resurrection – to know that 11 years ago today, SpaceX was not an epic success, it had to be an epic failure!
That is, the last attempt, if the launch fails, like all short-lived companies, everything will disappear, and history will not be kind enough to write down, an American space exploration technology company called SpaceX.
The result was a famous arrow: on September 28, 2008, US time, the first liquid-fueled rocket (Falcon 1) developed by a private rocket company in human history broke into earth orbit.
Musk knows best that without the successful launch of Falcon 1 11 years ago, it would not be possible to have the glory of SpaceX today. Remembering the difficulties and failures behind the glory is actually the best memorial.
As spaceX's first-generation rocket, Falcon 1 has been launched 5 times, 3 times failed, and 2 times successfully from 2006 to 2009. The launch site is far from the U.S. mainland and was chosen at the Kwajalein Atoll Missile Launch Site in the Marshall Islands, which has long been controlled by the U.S. military.
At 22:30 on March 24, 2006, Falcon 1 was launched for the first time.
25 seconds after liftoff, a fuel line leaked, the engine caught fire, and the rocket crashed on a reef a mile away.
Engine designer Muller said bitterly: Rockets can have thousands of reasons for failure, but the number one cause is engine failure. Musk handed Mueller a glass of champagne and touched him: "Don't panic. The key is to find out what went wrong."
Don't panic, it has now become the motto engraved on Tesla's celestial body.
A few months later, engineers identified the cause, a corroded nut that caused a fuel leak and engine fuel to catch fire. This failure is just the beginning.
At 01:10 on March 21, 2007, Falcon 1 was launched again.
The first and second stage rockets separated, the fairings were thrown away, the second stage rocket flew to an altitude of 290 kilometers, and had already entered space, and it seemed that everything was going well... But in a flash, the rocket suddenly lost contact and failed to reach the intended orbit at an altitude of 680 kilometers.
The cause was later pinpointed, as the rocket's spin stability problem caused the sensor to shut down the engine 90 seconds earlier.
At the launch site, when the reporter asked Musk what was his mood for the second failure, he was already a pair of twin fathers at the time, and replied lightly: "I am ready for 3 consecutive failures." If I needed, I would sell the house, and it was a big deal that my wife wouldn't give me a good look..."
Unfortunately, he was right.
At 03:34 on August 3, 2008, Falcon 1 was launched for the third time.
Just two minutes later, the rocket made an abnormal sound, the arrow body trembled, and the result was lost again. 350 employees boiled from the very beginning and fell into the abyss.
You know, unlike the previous two test launches, this time it carried the trust of the two major financial owners (3 satellites of the US Department of Defense and NASA), and the last wishes of 208 dead people (ashes scattered into space), and the hopes and luck were wiped out.
Musk, who has not closed his eyes for more than 40 hours, still has a bright and firm look in his eyes. In front of the 350 employees present, he said calmly: "We have experienced the difficulty of rockets reaching the orbit of the Earth, which is rocket science. Now I want to give you the most important message, SpaceX is not going to be a slow forward rhythm. SpaceX will be successfully launched and reliable space transportation."
He knew what to emphasize and announced in a calm tone that the company would continue with the 4th launch, preparing for the 5th launch. Please don't worry about money.
Although everyone knows in their hearts that the $100 million he has invested at this time has been burned out.
Either epic success or epic failure
Just after 56 days, everything was locked on the 4th launch. It's either an epic failure or an epic success. There is no middle ground.
Because SpaceX is trying to get a super order from NASA, a commercial launch contract of up to $1.6 billion. But only if the launch is successful. Success or failure is here!
At 23:15 on September 28, 2008, the 4th launch of Falcon 1 was launched, and a fire dragon illuminated the night. A miracle occurred, the rocket did not explode, and successfully entered the established orbit.
Most of the employees present shed tears, including Musk and the TV audience who watched the live broadcast on CNN.
SpaceX became the world's first private company to successfully launch a launch vehicle into Earth orbit.
This is not only the success of a rocket company, but also a success in the history of human spaceflight. SpaceX has done what only 9 countries and one international agency (ESA) can do.
Less than a year later, Falcon 1 launched for the 5th time, a successful continuation, with the deployment of the first and only commercial satellite. (The Malaysian communications satellite is still in orbit.)
SpaceX switched from Falcon 1 to Falcon 9, setting more and stronger launch records.
In 2008, the world's first liquid-fuel rocket developed by a private company was successfully launched into orbit, the Falcon 1.
In 2010, the world's first spacecraft developed by a private company was successfully launched, the Cargo Dragon spacecraft.
In 2012, the world's first spacecraft developed by a private company (Dragon Spacecraft) automatically docked with the International Space Station.
In 2013, it became the first private company in the world to send a satellite into a predetermined orbit.
In 2015, the world achieved the first soft landing of a recyclable orbiting rocket.
In 2016, the world achieved the first soft landing of a recoverable launch vehicle on an offshore platform.
In 2017, the world's first second-hand rocket launch and recovery.
In 2017, for the first time in the world, a second-hand spacecraft was launched to and from space.
In 2018, the world's most powerful rocket in service, the FH Heavy Eagle rocket, made its first flight.
So far in 2019, SpaceX has launched a total of 74 Falcon 9 and 3 heavy eagle rockets; the first stage rocket has tried a total of 52 recoveries, with 44 successful attempts, with a success rate of 84.62%; 22 rockets have achieved a return flight, and 4 rockets have achieved a third flight.
In 2019, the first generation of starship Starworm was tested many times, and the second generation of starships was released, which is about to enter the first flight stage of sub-orbit ...
Browse the brief history of SpaceX to see the latest and driest goods revealed by Musk at this conference -
What was the first prototype starship like?
As evidenced by the physical evidence, the first full-size prototype starship Mark1, which towered at the live press conference, is the best answer.
According to the information disclosed before and after Musk and the scene of the press conference, it comes down to the following:
Starship height: 50 meters
Spacecraft diameter: 9 meters
Maximum upgrade:
The rear drive fin becomes two, and the drive fin is completely separated from the landing frame (change reason: more flexible and efficient re-entry, landing flight control);
The landing frame became 6 unfolding, no longer three large and heavy fixed types (the reason for the change: it became lighter, heavier and more adapted to the vertical landing of starships on the surface of the moon, Mars, etc., which had not been artificially repaired).
Assembly of engines: 3 Raptors were assembled for the first test flight
Net weight: 200 tons
Maximum mass: 1400 tons
LEO capacity: 150 tons
Return capacity: 50 tons
Pressurization space: more than 1000 cubic meters
Maximum ride: 100 people
The Starship is equipped with 6 Raptors: 3 sea-level engines and 3 vacuum engines
When did the Mk1 first fly?
Prior to this, Musk had said that the first full-size prototype starship Mark1 would be tested for the first time in October 2019, at the Texas base, the launch site that Starworm once used. The flight altitude is about 20 km.
But at the launch, he revealed that the launch time became more flexible: about a month or two. After all, it ultimately depends on the FAA's approval progress.
When did the Mk2 first fly?
Since the second quarter of 2019, in order to accelerate the progress bar of starship development, SpaceX has adopted a two-line construction and internal competition model between the two places, with full-size prototype starships built in Florida at the same time, Mk1 at Boca Chica Base in Texas, and Mk2 at Florida Cocoa Base. Mk1 was a little bit faster, so Musk chose the starship launch and chose the location in Boca Chica, Texas.
At this conference, Musk did not specify when the Mk2 will first fly and the altitude at which it will fly, and it is estimated that the fastest will be the end of this year.
The launch site is at the famous golden launch site: 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It is currently being upgraded to accommodate the high-frequency launch mode of future starships. According to an environmental report provided by SpaceX to the Florida Environmental Protection Agency, SpaceX plans to launch starships about 24 times a year in the future. An average of 2 times a month.
Working on Mk3?
yes. Musk said that in addition to building Mk2, the Florida Cocoa Base is preparing to start building Mk3 next month. About 6 months later, it was launched into orbit in conjunction with the Super heavy Eagle rocket.
Musk's exact words: "It may sound a little crazy, but we want to launch into orbit in about 6 months."
Is super heavy started building?
Obviously, Musk's design idea: first develop the starship spacecraft, and then develop the super heavy rocket. Although the golden combination of the two is indispensable. But before that, 95 percent talked about starships, and only 5 percent talked about super heavy.
At this conference, Musk specifically mentioned super heavy -
Arrow height: 68 meters
Diameter: 9 meters
Equipped with Raptor engines: 37 (6 more than BFR31) of which 7 can swing and the rest are fixed.
Propellant capacity: 3300 tons
Landing gear: 6 fixed (Falcon 9 telescopic)
Grid wings: Oversized diamonds
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 1.5:1 (Saturn V 1.1:1)
Maximum thrust: 7500 tons (more than double the Saturn V 3400 tons)
Total altitude of the Superhawk Rocket + Starship: 118 m (slightly higher than the 111 m Saturn V)
Progress: Construction is underway at the Cocoa Base in Florida
Mass production of Raptor engines
SpaceX has now rolled off 12 Raptor engines.
Current production capacity: one unit every 7 to 10 days. Capacity target for the first quarter of 2020: one unit per day.
Musk admitted that the limitation of Raptor engine production capacity is still the biggest bottleneck in SpaceX's research and development and mass production of starships and super heavy.
It can be seen that Musk is still in madman mode, and seems to be "ready to smash everything". Those who believe in changing the world know best that "if you want to subvert tradition, you have to completely subvert it."
Musk believes in Ford's saying that the plane takes off against the wind, not the downwind.
As a super fan of Musk and SpaceX, we firmly believe that if I succeed, I will bring you to glory. If you fail, you will go crazy with you.