Why SpaceX Is Dropping Starship S24 Into the Water instead of Mechazilla Catching?

Why SpaceX Is Dropping Starship S24 Into the Water instead of Mechazilla Catching?
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If you have been frustrated by the progress of SpaceX's Starship, we get it. The spaceship has been delayed from its first orbital for more than a year! However, as SpaceX is rushing to make the final crucial tests, the first Starship orbital flight is now actually closer than ever.
You've probably heard about Elon Musk wanting recklessly to attempt the booster catch during the first orbital launch.
Wow, this is really too risky a bet!
But what about its partner's fate?

Welcome back to the Alpha tech. We’d like to take the time to thank you for your continued support of our channel.
Now, let's take a seat and we will expose all about “why does Elon Musk still keep the decision to land Starship S24 into the water?”

A recently updated document submitted by SpaceX to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revealed details about the company’s plan for the first Starship booster ‘catch’ attempt.
But there is no change with Starship, although Elon Musk also intends to catch Starship in the future.
The Starship-Super Heavy test flight will originate from Starbase, TX. Just under two minutes after liftoff, at 171 seconds, the Super Heavy booster will separate from the ship.
The booster stage will then perform a partial return and land in the Gulf of Mexico or return to Starbase and be caught by the launch tower.

Meanwhile, the Starship orbital stage will ignite its Raptor engines at T plus 3 minutes and 56 seconds for the first time and continue into orbit, heading east over the Gulf of Mexico and following a track passing between South Florida and Cuba to never be above populated land while still ascending towards orbit. Cutoff of the Raptor engines is expected about 8 minutes and 41 seconds into the mission. Once orbital velocity is reached at roughly 28000 kilometers per hour and a soft controlled ocean landing 62 miles (100 kilometers) from the northernmost island of Hawaii, Kauai.

Musk pointed out on Twitter that this will be three-quarters of the way around Earth — much farther than the 6.2-mile (10-kilometer) up and down suborbital hops observers of the program have grown accustomed to — and that deorbit over the Pacific Ocean is a necessary precaution to minimize the risks of breakup on reentry for this first attempt.
The flight will end around 90 minutes after liftoff, at 5,420 seconds.
Why SpaceX Is Dropping Starship S24 Into the Water instead of Mechazilla Catching?

[murraydunford]

Just getting Starship into orbit will make the launch a success. Anything else that happens can be analyzed and fixed.

[peterdrury]

The analysis of the logic in choosing the wet landing for the ship was thorough and described a logical and responsible approach on the part of SpaceX. Great report!

[johnsmith-oo]

I suspect that if SpaceX do attempt a catch of the first orbital booster it will be preprogrammed with dozens of cut out "divert to area X" away from the tower and GSE at the first sign it isn't inch perfect. I don't know how all the data they have from Falcon 9 booster landings will translate to the much larger orbital booster but even if they don't catch it, as long as the Starship reaches orbit and they don't slam the booster into the tower it will be a huge step forward. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for them.

[SilkyWayFPV]

The guy forgot to mention that S24 has no landing legs. That is also a reason why they cant land it other than at the tower

[CSMtheMariner]

Brilliant video- props for your new channel! Small narration repetition at 4.30 easily removed in the YT studio :) Subbed! Good Luck!

[ethioUSA]

Good info; but, the barely perceivable background music is quite annoying.

[robkeshav]

Very interesting. It makes lot of sense with why SpaceX would land it in water.
If your animation is accurate the ship will land vertically in the middle of the ocean. Why not have a drone ship there and see if it could land on it? It will not put anyone in danger and they will get the ship intact if it lands safely.

[GarryAReed]

You bet … success all the way ! 👍👍👍👍

[mhosman]

thanks for the video ... keep up the good work

[gregorysagegreene]

Gawd I hope they have great video of the whole 90 minute orbit, and even the splashdown! 💜

[scotthogan]

Perhaps the chop sticks advantage of being capable of mounting the booster and stacking of Starship with nominal wind is what will be utilized. However, with SpaceX one never knows they do deliver the impossible late.

[mlt]

Wise move from a wise man. Wait for another launch pad completion before even risking the loss of your only working launch pad, besides if it fails to catch especially after it just failed to lift then the wreckage will take years to figure out what went wrong before attempt 2 can be made if needed.

[chrisbraid]

Letting the Starship end up in the Pacific near Hawaii allows it to drop into the deepest water … if it floats long enough I think it would be a nice souvenir, I think it could look great on the End of the Kona Runway … if it survives …

[rolflandale]

The goal is to test the flight path first, one thing at a time. MechZ will have to wait., this will eventually need to evolve with emergency only-human cargo eject stages on the far upper part of Starship.

[proteslapower]

This time what went on in Vegas will not stay in Vegas!!

I met both Britney Spears and Elon Musk in 2000 at Bellagio. Britney just stared at me as she was singing on stage and I was standing in an archway above and nearby. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be standing up there by myself but I did have her undivided attention. A few days later Elon came up to me and started asking me questions about what I was doing there, in Las Vegas and Hawaii during that time. If I would I be fine answering a few questions. And if I was a gambling man? I stated, "I was on vacation and I only like to bet on things that are worth betting on!" I had earned these trips by qualifying reward points at my work. He asked, "What kind of work is it that you do?" I said, "Commercial energy saving promotions but I had been schooled in Automotive Marketing Business Administration and worked in that field for several years as well." He asked me, "If I had millions of dollars to spend what would be the most innovative businesses that could help humanity?" We talked about electric cars, we talked about solar energy and so many other subjects for over an hour. Even commercial space exploration for the consideration of colonization. That way all of humanity's eggs are not in one basket in case of another world war, asteroid strike, major climate change, etc. These we're very expensive and ambitious businesses to become successful at. Therefore we had to talk about ways of keeping a low overhead in advertising, distribution and the manufacturing. He said, "They were all very good ideas and that they should be done!" He said he had already made hundreds of millions off of a couple internet companies he started. "One of them was PayPal, " he stated. Not that I had really done a lot of online banking or e-transfers at that time I didn't think much of it, until I noticed online about a year later that I could buy something off the computer with my PayPal card! Unfortunately I had just received a promotion as regional manager with the company I was working with. This made me let Elon know that I had to wait for a few years before I could assist further. I keep on sending out messages, hoping that he will get one and reply back. I will probably have to keep on trying, he gets more messages in a day then I would in five years! It is very inspiring to me to have a conversation with someone and they dedicate the next 20 years to making our conversation reality! We also talked about becoming your own best supplier and starting businesses that help your existing business. A type of slingshot effect that he has incorporated very well. It is so ambitious and amazing that he was willing to put pretty much all of his money where his mouth is and just make it happen with a consistent dedication. Congratulations Elon and I am looking forward to working with you again, one day in the near future! I still come up with innovative business ideas on a daily basis. Of course Britney I always wish her well and would enjoy meeting her again as well. Let's shoot for the Moon then Mars and then we will end up amongst the Stars! If you would like to learn more of these topics let me know. People with integrity expect to be believed otherwise they let time prove them right!

[williamrobson]

Are we going to get to see it landing on the water?

[keithb]

Hawaii being part of the United States has nothing to do with International hurdles. When you're Landing hundreds of miles away from the coast of Hawaii you are literally in the middle of the ocean and you are well beyond the internationally accepted boundaries of the United States, so there are no International or national hurdles involved in this Landing location.

[rays]

The real reason that Ship (the second stage of Starship) won't land at Boca Chica on the first suborbital test flight is because it can't for safety reasons. There are two flight paths that the Ship could use to reach BC on that test flight.

The North-to-South flight path crosses CA at high altitude, then Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas at progressively lower altitudes. The landing attempt at BC occurs about 30 miles South of Brownsville, TX/Matamoros, Mexico, five miles West of South Padre Island, and about five miles East of San Antonio, Mexico. SpaceX will have to get an FAA license for Starship to use five of the lower 48 states as a test range. That will delay the Starship program indefinitely.

The South-to North flight path crosses Mexico from its Pacific Coast to the Matamoros area near BC where the landing occurs. Since the Ship will fly over northeastern Mexico at low altitude (<10 km) as it approaches the BC landing area, SpaceX, the FAA, and the Mexican government will have to cooperate on a license for that test flight. More delay.

[MichaelMiller-opfe]

Why not do a mock-up of Chopsticks in shallow water?

[David-dlvj]

It's gotta get past the FAA first and the government of self interest first.