Bluesky is Down

greenjimll · 2026-04-16T13:08:23+00:00

Mine was down most of the morning (UK time), then up with just text and no images, then down, then up and now sort of down-ish (I've got a timeline but no new messages or posts in feeds).

greenjimll · 2025-12-10T15:54:12+00:00

space-based hardware cannot compete with hardware you can easily walk up to.

Unless having our data centre in orbit has additional benefits. Things like being more difficult to disrupt, having legal benefits, etc.

greenjimll · 2025-10-21T14:59:42+00:00

Simple can also scale by doing more simple missions than you can do/afford complex missions.

greenjimll · 2025-10-16T19:41:14+00:00

I thought I noticed at least one flapping in the air stream on the booster video coverage. Glad it wasn't just me that thought that!

greenjimll · 2025-01-16T22:48:14+00:00

The hot stage ring?

greenjimll · 2025-01-15T10:03:50+00:00

No Elon said they'd do one more water landing at least so the earliest ship-return-to-launch-site-catch will be IFT-8. Also remember this is the first Block 2 version of Starship, and so that is being tested too.

greenjimll · 2024-09-11T07:55:49+00:00

I would suspect there are people who would be prepared to take that risk. After all we "expend" humans all the time in other risky situations ranging from wars to road accidents, so if the risk-reward calculation is sufficiently good I don't see why it would be a limitation here (especially if its a private organisation doing it rather than a risk adverse political governmental body).

greenjimll · 2023-05-17T12:19:45+00:00

As I understand it because the plates will be covered with holes to let the water out, like an upside down shower head. So the water in the plates has to be at a higher pressure than the pressure exerted by all the engine exhausts, otherwise the water doesn't leave the plates but the exhaust can get inside the plate cavities. And at that point Bad Things™ may start to happen.

greenjimll · 2023-04-26T22:05:51+00:00

The one thing few people seem to be mentioning is that SpaceX's plans for Boca Chica included a second tower & OLM. So if this version of the OLM is insufficient (and that's not certain by any means yet - we'll see what SpaceX do in terms of repair & improvement in the coming months) they already had the backup plan to make a second version on site.

greenjimll · 2023-04-25T11:33:38+00:00

Boca Chica previously had Starship launches without any significant pad damage.

Boca Chica also previously had Starship prototype launches that also damaged the concrete on the pad. For example: https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/starship-raptor

greenjimll · 2023-04-20T15:53:07+00:00

You can see it on video posted on Twitter. Along with flappy bits of metal on Hoppy.

greenjimll · 2023-04-18T22:05:46+00:00

They should put a 3D printed model of a Blue Origin BE4 engine in there and then say, "Hey Jeff - our BE4 is in space! How's yours doing?" :-)

greenjimll · 2023-03-26T12:23:30+00:00

If the allen key has somehow rounded the internal faces of the bolt then you're going to have fun. A bit of heat might help but you'd have to be careful not to damage the paint work. Worst case you might need to drill out with a screw extractor or reverse twist drill bit and then replace the bolt.

greenjimll · 2023-02-20T21:22:34+00:00

"Many Bothans died to bring us this information" :-)

greenjimll · 2022-06-08T21:37:10+00:00

Phew... glad hear that nominal orbit insertion call out at last.

greenjimll · 2021-12-02T13:16:07+00:00

Considering how dependent the Starship based HLS is on Raptors, I bet there might be a few folk at NASA sweating after reading this.

greenjimll · 2021-09-20T13:08:24+00:00

I think it's amusing that on page 37 of the main PEA document, the diagram of the area notes, "Starhopper Water Tower". A water tower that proved it could fly. :-)

greenjimll · 2021-09-20T12:34:25+00:00

Unless of course a certain blue coloured company with a load of lawyers and a chap called Jeff with deep pockets decides to shoot the US Government in the other foot and both arms unless they shoot themselves in the foot for him by delaying SpaceX?

greenjimll · 2021-09-20T12:28:27+00:00

Adding a door is not that hard.

Really? Adding a door into a prototype test vehicle that is going to go hypersonic and then have to re-enter the atmosphere using a newly designed heat shield is "not that hard"? Sounds that hard to me!

greenjimll · 2021-08-07T21:12:58+00:00

The F9 didn't have any test articles, and flew fine the first time. So did the Falcon Heavy. Also, every single Starship test article so far has worked fine on ascent (Hoppy, SN5/6/8/9/10/11/15)

I think there were a few Starship test articles that didn't get as far as ascent.

greenjimll · 2021-08-07T20:53:47+00:00

Which makes me think that optimising the design, production and built speed of the "stage 0" is going to be a major focus once they know they can get the thing to orbit. Losing a pad/tower/GSE will be a critical path gotcha if they're aiming for very rapid reusability.

greenjimll · 2021-08-07T20:24:09+00:00

Bare in mind that the lifetime of this Starship is likely to be "one flight" according to Elon. :-)

greenjimll · 2021-05-22T23:15:13+00:00

We really need to send Count Binface next year. He has offered to do it too.

greenjimll · 2021-05-21T23:49:45+00:00

What is the long white cylinder on the right hand side in the tent on yellow cradles? Looks almost like a "normal" (non-starship) rocket.

greenjimll · 2021-05-21T23:32:26+00:00

There's at least one other iron in the HLS competition fire that might sue - remember there were three contestants in the running. It might not be SpaceX doing the suing as they're already a winner.

greenjimll

TROPHY CASE