Re: “SpaceX reached space with Starship Flight 9 launch, then lost control of its giant spaceship (video)”

On 5/29/2025 3:55 PM, Lynn McGuire wrote:

On 5/29/2025 4:05 AM, Robert Carnegie wrote:

On 29/05/2025 00:07, Lynn McGuire wrote:

“SpaceX reached space with Starship Flight 9 launch, then lost control of its giant spaceship (video)”
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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex- launches-starship-flight-9-to-space-in-historic-reuse-of-giant- megarocket-video
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“SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket for the ninth time ever today (May 27), on a bold test flight that featured the first-ever significant reuse of Starship hardware.”
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“Starship‘s two stages separated as planned on Flight 9, and the upper stage even reached space, which was an improvement over the giant vehicle’s most recent two flights. But SpaceX ended up losing both stages before they could accomplish their full flight goals.”
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“”Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight!” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on social media after the flight. “Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase. Lot of good data to review.” Musk said the next three Starship test launches could lift off every three to four weeks in the days ahead.?
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Bummer.

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Next they're going to explode when they
come down.  Has this been thought through?

 This is engineering development at its finest.  Simulation only gets you so far.
 SpaceX is working an incredibly complicated problem.  Weight versus fuel and thrust.  The materials are also a serious complication as the temperature of outer space is extremely variable from cryogenic to hot (the unfiltered Sun shining on parts).

SpaceX fully expected to lose the booster on the way down. They were
testing using a higher angle of attack approach to reduce required
fuel, and also intended to simulate loss of a atmospheric engine
on the way down, to see if one in the outer ring could compensate.
The (different) problems that led to the loss of Starship on flights
7 and 8 appear to be solved, but a leak in one of the fuel tanks led
to a loss of pressurization, making attitude control impossible.
The door for the 'pez dispenser' to release satellites didn't work,
not clear why.
pt