SpaceX Starship missions 3

[thebard3]

Starting a dedicated thread here. After a pretty smooth flight test today, assuming no big anomalies occurred with the ground systems, it looks like SpaceX is back on track with testing and development. We should see more flights in the near future.
Both vehicles were lost before completing their full mission but a huge step forward today to see both executing the primary flight goals.

Brad Waybright

The more you know, the more you know you don't know.

 

[btrueblood]

Would you be more comfortable on the Starship re-entering from lunar transfer orbit? It hasn't even made a successful return from sub-orbital speeds, and talk about heat shield issues...

 

[thebard3]

Artemis/Orion's next planned mission is to be manned. Starship is obviously not ready.

 

[TugboatEng]

Do we know that heat shields are a problem on Starship? Have they had a controlled re-entry yet? The heat shields might be adequate if they can have a stabilized re-entry.

 

[Dbrock11]

we never been to space

 

[WKTaylor]

Be advised that the SpaceX reliance on thermal tiles... for covering the complex curves of the nose/belly and wings of the Starship... is related to the Space Shuttle design... and may also carry with it a learning curve... and 'baggage'.

There was NEVER any possibility of Shuttle re-entry above/beyond the parameters of return-from high earth orbit.

I always wondered why SpaceX never launched each version/evolution of the Starship... 'as-a-single-stage' [or on a mini-first-stage]... in a series of max-performance suborbital flights over the Gulf of Mexico to a recovery ship. OH well I'm just an old-dum-bass... and stinky, too...