SpaceX chief Elon Musk has given On a regular basis Astronaut YouTuber Tim Dodd an intensive tour of the Starfactory in Boca Chica, Texas.
Shot on the day earlier than the fourth test flight of the Starship megarocket earlier this month, the hour-long video takes viewers inside the ability the place they’re constructing the assorted rocket elements and assembling the car itself.
Musk stated he envisages the brand new facility, elements of that are nonetheless below development, making as many as 100 Starship spacecraft a yr, with the last word aim to construct as many as a thousand, although extra manufacturing amenities can be wanted to achieve that aim.
Musk takes viewers to many elements of the Starfactory, together with to a room full of the mighty Raptor engines that energy the Tremendous Heavy booster that lifts the Starship spacecraft to orbit.
The SpaceX boss explains how the next-gen Raptor engine will fly with no warmth protect. As a result of it’s uncovered, it is going to require integral cooling circuits all through the entire engine’s elements, “so it appears quite simple on the skin nevertheless it’s difficult on the within,” Musk stated.
He additionally talked a lot about rocket reusability, which is central to the SpaceX system. His goal is to construct a completely reusable rocket the place the primary stage and second stage may be landed and rapidly flown once more, very like a big airliner. SpaceX has achieved reuse of the primary stage of its Falcon 9 rocket by bringing it again to Earth and touchdown it upright shortly after launch, however returning the second stage from house is one other problem altogether.
For the Starship to be viable, SpaceX wants to have the ability to land the first-stage Tremendous Heavy booster and likewise safely land the Starship at its vacation spot — whether or not it’s the moon or Mars or someplace past — as it will likely be carrying crew and cargo. It then has to have the ability to safely carry the Starship house.
SpaceX is investing enormous sums within the Starfactory because it seeks to construct out its Starship system forward of crew and cargo flights to the moon. A lot testing remains to be required, nonetheless, with the Starship anticipated to embark on its fifth take a look at flight as early as next month.
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