UPDATE 1122 CST: Well, guess not, unless they fix whatever the snag is and go late this afternoon local. Sorry. But we have a three-day window and the links will be just as good tomorrow, and tomorrow will be today then, after all.

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0954 update: Venting! Pad Clear! SpaceX Feed just change to "Teams Working Through Additional Test Prep. Liftoff Time TBD." However, that does sound like they intend to go today.

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Been sitting on this over three hours, watching the activity at the launch site, but with SpaceX still showing 23 min to (already two hour delayed) live feed start plus seeing cars start to drive away from the site, might as well launch this post so--assuming all indications are correct--no one misses anything.

I know there is another topic, mods, but it spanned what seems like many delays and disappointments and is a little stale. Today is different. TFRs, Road Closures and Harbor Master Warnings active and Elon Musk is on site. Yesterday was eventful. Residents evacuated to the Pearl Hotel, successful Wet Dress Rehearsal and SN8 operated its control fins under its own power. It was quite a show, with dramatic venting, clouds of vapor issuing both fore and aft, and condensation on the lower part taking on a tan color as it reflected the earth around the site. Weather at Boca Chica is good; wind now gusting to 9 kts. Space X has their live feed set up, so the world can watch the whole thing, whether it's an RUD (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly) on the launch platform or the entire flight of maybe six minutes. Live feed begins 1600 UTC. Just now (0700 CST) the feed start has been delayed for two hours. It was 1400 UTC when I began typing this. Come on, Elon! You're killing me! But I'm watching a breathtaking live YouTube feed from LabPadre's Nerdle Cam of sunrise over the Starship launch site. It might launch anytime from 0800 1000 to 1700 CST today.

On LabPadre's Nerdle Cam, there's still activity at the launch site, but it looks like a launch to me. (I am not a rocket scientist, though.)

I don't think I need tell anyone here why this is an historic event, so will resist the temptation to wax poetic. The chances of a successful landing are small: Elon puts it at one in three. I feel that's optimistic. (SN8 does not even have hydraulic shocks in the landing gear.) The most I hope for is a successful "belly flop," or "crazy Elon maneuver," or "suicide dive," or whatever else it's being called. Anything beyond that is gravy. The thing to remember is that every second starting from when those engines light, Space X is going to learn something. They've got SN9 waiting in the wings and construction continues at a mad pace. In fact, there's an unfinished, dare I say, disposable look to SN8. SN9 has already evolved new features.

The plan for today's flight. Three Raptor engines will fire for a few seconds, boosting SN8 to 12,500 meters. Then it will use those fins and small steering jets to go horizontal and stay that way, relying only on the atmosphere for braking as it plummets toward earth. At the last moment (I'll be holding my breath) it will right itself and relight those same engines for a landing on a pad next to the launch platform, Just like those booster rockets we've seen land with mind-boggling precision on those little barges across the pond from where I sit.

That's the plan.

Chuck Yeager's death yesterday and today's first test of a vehicle conceived to take humans to Mars cannot be unnoticed. We're not just opening a new chapter, we're beginning another book.

If the mods will indulge this thread as breaking news, I look forward to reactions here, my friends.

If it doesn't go off today, I think the suspenseful build-up we've seen for, what--three months?-- well... there are two more days available, is all I'll say. I wanted to post this so no one who might want to watch misses it.

I'll update as required. As of 0941 CST here's this:

 

Edited December 8, 20205 yr by Tim_Capps

I'm watching now Tim. If it doesn't launch its all your fault. 😆 

Believe me, Martin, I know. What little forum cred I have will drop to nil. BUT we just had SN8 Venting. So another box checked off for takeoff!

UPDATE: 1038 CST LabPadre feed reports hydraulics issue and delay. About the only thing we can (probably) say for sure is that it's going to be after lunch before we see a launch.

WOW! Spectacular! What did you think, Martin?

Edited December 8, 20205 yr by Tim_Capps

"sure is that it's going to be after lunch before we see a launch."

I would think so Mr Tim... its 16:56 here in the British Isles! 😆 

Guess you didn't fall for my capture of a brief pan to the (non-SN8) empty platform. I gotta do something else now and seek treatment for my OCD I guess.

😆  no way. Im staring at the TV as we speak. Namely the SpaceX live feed... which hasn't started yet. 

Reckon it will be a couple of hours before it blows up on the pad. 😆 

 

I really do suffer from OCD, since I was 8! Trust me, exposure and response prevention therapy does help. 😆 

Edited December 8, 20205 yr by martin-w

Not so fast! We have some pretty amazing live feed of really, really tall cherry pickers unstrapping the flaps. Don't think they would be doing that for a scrub.

And a NASA recon Canberra filed flight plan dep EFB for Boca Chica 1400 CST return EFB 1700. Hmm...

Edited December 8, 20205 yr by Tim_Capps
New Info

Tim! What in gods name is going on? Launch the blasted thing will you! I'll be in bed in two hours!

I'm VERY dissapointed in you!

And I dont want to hear any talk of Cherry Pickers. There are NO cherries on Elon's Starship. 😡

 

Aborted! Raptor Abort!

That's your fault Timothy.

Hope you are proud of yourself. 😡

What do we say to the God of Flight? NOT TODAY!

I claim a moral victory. I am only responsible for ops, not the Raptor engines. They’ll sort that out pretty quick. Since I was at a doctor visit I’m GLAD I didn’t miss the launch! For less than $2 a mo. you get members only cams without all the trolls and idiots in the live comments. We had great fun at the expense of that man-lift slowly going to the pad—I’ll remember an hour staring at that stupid thing more than the abort. I have no regrets!

46 minutes ago, martin-w said:

Aborted! Raptor Abort!

Hey, we’ve all been been there before.

On the Fourth of July or Guy Fawkes Day or whenever you shoot fireworks I mean.

This is deleted because I was half asleep and fired up my PC, found myself watching the replay. 🤣

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 20205 yr by martin-w

A computer controlled shutdown barely a second before the Raptors were supposed to ignite Hopefully, we will get the full show tonight

One can hope. Im glad it did abort. YouTube on the TV froze literally a few seconds before it aborted. I had to scramble to fire up my phone. Got there after the abort. Phew!

I would like to blame Tim but thats getting boring now.