On Friday, May 19, SpaceX released a 20-second video demonstrating that it is already conducting tests on technology aimed at fortifying the ground beneath its enormous Starship rocket's orbital launch pad. The launch pad, situated at SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas, endured significant damage during the inaugural test flight of a fully-integrated Starship vehicle on April 20. During the test flight, the sheer power of the Super Heavy rocket’s 33 Raptor engines created a substantial crater beneath the pad. As a result, chunks of shattered concrete were sent soaring through the air.
SpaceX founder Chief Engineer Elon Musk shared that SpaceX is actively developing a solution to mitigate such damage. He said that they plan to build “a massive water-cooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount.” The footage of the test shows a methane-fueled Raptor engine ignited with its beam hitting a steel-plate and a massive stream of water. “One hell of a plasma beam!” said Musk when he shared the video via Twitter, shown below. A single Raptor V2 engine is capable of generating around 230 tons of thrust. Engineers must build a strong structure that could support such intense power, collectively, all 33 Raptor engines generate over 17 million pounds of thrust!
Regarding launch pad modifications –“We're going to put down a lot of steel” under the launch tower before the next Starship flight with a water flame diverter system, Musk said during a Subscriber-only Twitter Spaces discussion on April 29. “We certainly didn't expect” to destroy the concrete under the launch pad during the flight test, he said (pictured below). He speculates that the crater was caused due to “compressed the sand underneath the concrete to such a degree that the concrete effectively bent and then cracked.”
The attempt to send Starship into orbit on April 20th was a captivating event. The stainless-steel rocket-ship ascended an impressive 39 kilometers above the Starbase launch site before encountering an unfortunate midair explosion. Subsequently, SpaceX disclosed that the flight concluded with a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD) after just 4 minutes of flight due to the shutdown of several Raptor V2 engines. In response to the deviation from its intended trajectory, SpaceX made the decision to initiate the rocket's Flight Termination System (FTS), resulting in its self-destruction.
One hell of a plasma beam! https://t.co/y8uOTeFlsD— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 19, 2023
Currently, SpaceX is preparing to perform the second orbital launch attempt at Boca Chica Beach. This week, Starbase teams rolled out the next Starship prototype (SN25) to the suborbital launch mount to begin pre-flight tests, which will involve a set of proof tests and static-fire engine tests. Musk recently said that the next attempt at reaching orbit could take place within the next 2 months. The company must first fix the damage at the launch tower and install the water-cooled steel-plate system under the launch mount before taking flight. SpaceX will also need a new spaceflight license from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before its next attempt.
4/20 View of SpaceX Starship first-ever launch attempt to orbit from Isla Blanca at South Padre Island, Texas. It was AMAZING!! Congrats on lifting off the Starbase launchpad!! @elonmusk @SpaceX— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) April 20, 2023
via @Tesmanian_com pic.twitter.com/1tvT5vQSDn
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Featured Image Source: SpaceX
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
SpaceX ilitoa video ya sekunde 20 inayoonyesha kuwa tayari inafanya majaribio ya teknolojia ya kuimarisha ardhi chini ya uwanja mkubwa wa uzinduzi wa roketi ya Starship. Kituo cha uzinduzi cha SpaceX katika kituo cha Starbase huko Texas, Texas, kilipata uharibifu mkubwa wakati wa majaribio ya kwanza ya ndege ya Starship iliyounganishwa kabisa mnamo Aprili 20. Wakati wa majaribio ya ndege hiyo, nguvu ya injini 33 za Super Heavy Raptor ilisababisha shimo kubwa chini ya uwanja wa ndege. Matokeo yakawa kwamba vipande vya saruji vilivunjika-vunjika na kuruka hewani. Mwanzilishi wa SpaceX, Elon Musk, alisema kuwa kampuni hiyo inatafuta njia za kupunguza uharibifu huo. "Wanasema kuwa wana mpango wa kujenga ""bamba kubwa la chuma lenye baridi ya maji kwenda chini ya mlima wa uzinduzi"" na picha ya majaribio inaonyesha injini ya Raptor inayoendeshwa na methane ikizima na beam yake ikigonga bamba la chuma na mkondo mkubwa wa maji." "Mlipuko wa plasma wa ajabu!" alisema Musk aliposhiriki video hiyo kupitia Twitter, iliyoonyeshwa hapa chini. Injini moja ya Raptor V2 inaweza kuzalisha karibu tani 230 za msukumo. "Mwanzilishi wa Raptor aliandika: ""Kama injini zote 33 za Raptor zinatengeneza nguvu ya zaidi ya pauni milioni 17." "Kuhusu marekebisho ya jukwaa la uzinduzi, ""Tutaweka chuma kingi chini ya mnara wa uzinduzi kabla ya safari ijayo ya Starship na mfumo wa kugeuza moto wa maji,"" Musk alisema wakati wa majadiliano ya Twitter Spaces ya Wanachama tu Aprili 29. """ "Hakika hatukutarajia" kuharibu saruji chini ya jukwaa la uzinduzi wakati wa jaribio la ndege, alisema (picha hapa chini). "Amesema kuwa mlipuko huo ulisababishwa na ""kufinyangwa kwa mchanga chini ya saruji kwa kiwango ambacho saruji iligeuka na kisha kupasuka"" na ""ajali ya kupeleka Starship kwenye mzunguko wa anga tarehe 20 Aprili ilikuwa ya kuvutia.""" Ndege hiyo ya aina ya Rocket Ship ilifika umbali wa kilomita 39 juu ya kituo cha uzinduzi cha Starbase kabla ya kulipuka. SpaceX ilisema ndege hiyo ilifutwa kwa disassembly ya haraka (RUD) baada ya dakika nne tu ya ndege kutokana na kuzimwa kwa injini kadhaa za Raptor V2. Kwa sababu ya kupotoka kwa trajectory yake, SpaceX ilifanya uamuzi wa kuanzisha mfumo wa kukomesha ndege ya roketi, na kusababisha kujiharibu. Mwangaza mkubwa sana wa plasma! "Mwanzoni mwa wiki hii, SpaceX ilitangaza mpango wa ""mfano wa kwanza"" wa uzinduzi wa orbital huko Boca Chica Beach." Timu za Starbase zimepeleka mfano wa pili wa Starship (SN25) kwenye kituo cha uzinduzi cha suborbital kuanza majaribio ya kabla ya ndege, ambayo yatahusisha seti ya majaribio ya ushahidi na majaribio ya injini ya moto wa static. Musk amesema jaribio la pili la kuruka angani linaweza kufanyika katika miezi miwili ijayo. Kampuni hiyo lazima kwanza kurekebisha uharibifu katika mnara wa uzinduzi na kufunga maji-kupoza chuma-bamba mfumo chini ya uzinduzi mount kabla ya kuchukua ndege. SpaceX pia inahitaji leseni mpya ya ndege ya anga kutoka kwa Utawala wa Ndege wa Shirikisho la Marekani (FAA) kabla ya jaribio lake la pili. SpaceX Starship ya kwanza ya kwanza ya uzinduzi wa mviringo kutoka Isla Blanca katika Kisiwa cha Padre Kusini, Texas Ilikuwa ya ajabu!! Asanteni kwa kuinua juu ya Starbase launchpad!! "Tunamkumbuka Evelyn Janeydy Arevalo, ""Mwanamke wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza wa kwanza.""" Andika mawazo yako katika sehemu ya maoni hapa chini. "Kama una maoni au maoni yoyote, jisikie huru kunipigia ujumbe wa moja kwa moja kwenye Twitter: ""Evelyn J. Arevalo"" @JaneydyEve ""Soma hadithi zangu za hivi karibuni hapa: Hadithi za Habari za Hivi karibuni"" - Chanzo cha Picha: SpaceX ""Kuhusu Mwandishi"" Evelyn J. Arevalo alijiunga na Tesmanian mnamo 2019 kufunika habari kama Mwandishi wa Anga na Mjumbe wa SpaceX Starbase Texas." Evelyn ni mtaalamu wa roketi na uvumbuzi wa angani. Mada kuu yeye inashughulikia ni SpaceX na NASA.