SpaceX Boca Chica - New Thrust Dome flipped. Starship SN9 aborts Static Fire tests

While Starship SN9 struggles to complete the pre-launch Static Fire, work at the Production Site continues - including the flipping of a new Thrust Dome.

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L2 Boca Chica (more clips and photos) from BC's very early days to today.

0:00 - Sunrise
0:43 - Work Continues at the Orbital Launch Site
3:08 - Starship SN7.2 Test Tank Arrives at Launch Site
4:41 - Delivery: Starship SN7.2 Test Tank
6:27 - Workers Moving a Thrust Section
8:31 - Attaching the Flipping Harness to the Thrust Section
9:03 - Thrust Section Prepped for Flipping
10:13 - Flipping the Thrust Section
11:12 - 4 Ring Stack
13:16 - Depress Vent
14:15 - Second Static Fire Attempt
14:43 - Wayward Car on the Range
15:28 - Second Attempt Aborted
16:37 - Third Attempt Aborted

[NASASpaceflight]

0:00 - Sunrise
0:43 - Work Continues at the Orbital Launch Site
3:08 - Starship SN7.2 Test Tank Arrives at Launch Site
4:41 - Delivery: Starship SN7.2 Test Tank
6:27 - Workers Moving a Thrust Section
8:31 - Attaching the Flipping Harness to the Thrust Section
9:03 - Thrust Section Prepped for Flipping
10:13 - Flipping the Thrust Section
11:12 - 4 Ring Stack
13:16 - Depress Vent
14:15 - Second Static Fire Attempt
14:43 - Wayward Car on the Range
15:28 - Second Attempt Aborted
16:37 - Third Attempt Aborted

[paulmerron]

I really like the sunrise intro to all your posts, seeing the wildlife and the different states of tide. Its nice touch.

[kevinvanderpoole]

One things i always enjoy about these videos... they always demonstrate that even with all the clean rooms... phds... computer networking... and even lasers... nothing really gets done until the cement pourers... welders... steelworkers... show up and get to work.... people should not be so quick to assume the world will soon be a place of cleanliness and knowledge workers... and if it does seem that way... it is more likely a sign that something is off kilter in society.

[davenitro]

Mr.Bird is supervising SpaceX's work!!! 2:57

[robj]

Wow, what a sunrise image. Amazing work

[Jesus_Christ_loves_you_alot]

4:01 holy moly that thing's huge! And at 4:41 sn9 looks like a skyscraper. Imagine it stacked! Great views.

[omgmrtea]

I know i have written it before, but i cannot express how much these videos mean to me and excite me😍😍😍

[nathanielhosea]

Real rocket science is being demonstrated by SpaceX right here in Boca Chica.

[MonsterSound.Bradley]

I truly love your sunrise intros. ThX for all you do. 😎👍

[badrinair]

Thank you very much Mary and the NSF team. some serious foggy situation there .

[DavidKutzler]

It looks like a lot more warping around the weld seams with the 3mm vs the 4mm steel. Perhaps with a "test-to-destruction" tank, the welders weren't that invested in the esthetics of the welds. Or, it may be that there is a learning process involved in learning how to weld the 3mm vs the 4mm steel. The 3mm steel has less mass to conduct heat away from the welds, resulting in more expansion and contraction from greater heating and cooling cycles during welding. I recall how the welds in previous iterations of starships with the 4mm steel steadily improved.

[checktwenty]

At 7:54, the rigging crew allowed the thrust section to come into contact with the hoisting jig. I know this is just a another prototype, but does anybody else think that is careless?

Edit: looking at the still shots, clearly there is plumbing/flight critical hardware at that location.

[HylanderSB]

Liking the pan shots of the launch site! Mary has become a genuine videographer as well as photographer. All that is left is for her to make her own camera and training will be complete.

[dominiclanza]

Thank you NSF team for another awesome episode

[shortaybrown]

They build the starships 10X faster then they can test/use them.
They need to speed up the testing procedures

[HaraldBendschneider]

7:53 Hopefully nothing has been damaged in the process. No one made sure there was enough distance.

[doggers]

Boca Chica, the sunrise capital of the world.

[hopefwam]

3mm is a step up to weight reduction but a step down to aesthetics. Not sure how they gonna address those wrinkly mess. That said, probably not important as long as structurally it holds. But hey, who doesn't want a a structurally sound & aesthetically good looking starship.

[connorhart]

These aborts don't seem like a good sign for raptor. Of course the issues will be ironed out but it seems like there are more issues this time around than with sn8

[ricardopetrere]

10:40 "Are we streaming the dailies?" hahahahahaha