tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090730627588012222024-03-13T15:20:12.509+03:00Science, History and Other StuffDeniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-2510279583049133012023-05-12T07:35:00.005+03:002023-05-12T07:35:48.839+03:00Orbital Launches in the First 3 Months of 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVQttl3KuGWUiIDYOEpVwkqZvg2g14jciBKWto6a_9VB0HX3NYFLLH4HiUoKtS8qnfAAB3qULXb8ZNr40YA42kPUm7NVVHT_3EkMRRC0JTPNxsK4FKgKaoU_m7kd3WE9pRab3uMFRxTCjPkNiW2CTfpWe0lcP1wFUFqAv7jHvTawSfaNWaXunCEDc/s3524/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2349" data-original-width="3524" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVQttl3KuGWUiIDYOEpVwkqZvg2g14jciBKWto6a_9VB0HX3NYFLLH4HiUoKtS8qnfAAB3qULXb8ZNr40YA42kPUm7NVVHT_3EkMRRC0JTPNxsK4FKgKaoU_m7kd3WE9pRab3uMFRxTCjPkNiW2CTfpWe0lcP1wFUFqAv7jHvTawSfaNWaXunCEDc/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The global orbital launch report prepared for the first quarter of 2023 by the analysis and engineering firm called BryceTech is remarkable*.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">SpaceX is in such a dominant position in the data of this report that in order to evaluate the world space flight market, it may be better if it is excluded from the statistics and evaluated in a different category.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the first quarter of 2023, SpaceX 23, CASC (China) 12, Roscosmos (Russia) 6, Rocket Lab 3, JAXA (Japan) and ISRO (India) 2 and 5 other companies or states have carried out one orbital launches.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In terms of launch numbers, SpaceX is by far the first. But if we look at the statistics of the number of satellites carried into space and the total payload, the graphs get interesting. The difference is enough to necessitate logarithmic representation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">SpaceX launched 763 satellites, while ISRO, in second place launched 39, and CASC 31 satellites. Virgin Orbit 8, Rocket Lab 6, Roscosmos 6 satellites launched and other launchers followed with fewer satellites.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the amount of payload delivered to orbit, SpaceX reached 233 tons, while CASC and Roscosmos in the second and third place delivered approximately 24 and 23 tons respectively. ISRO followed with 5.4 tons and JAXA with 3.5 tons. Rocket Lab has delivered a payload of 427 kg to orbit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we only look at the number of launches, the difference between SpaceX and China is 2 times, if we look at the tonnage, it increases to 10 times and the number of satellites is 24 times. The weight of satellites placed in orbit can vary from a few kilograms to tons. For this reason, the number of satellites does not provide reliable information about the work done. Small satellites made up 96% of the total mass, and the bulk of these are communications satellites like Starlink.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">How practical and cost-effective the limited reusability feature of the Falcon 9 rocket would be initially met with skepticism. However, in the first three months of 2023, we see that SpaceX has achieved a 10-fold increase in performance compared to traditional methods of accessing space.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">* </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can read the original report here: <a href="https://brycetech.com/briefing" target="_blank">https://brycetech.com/briefing</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b754ad2f-7fff-a5e5-3875-32498d470e21"><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-83650021371149613962023-05-11T06:49:00.007+03:002023-05-11T06:49:48.185+03:00Starship's First Orbital Attempt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LAVoB6jIQosc18l2fWV6KFKlOySixda6BD9K7NBDjY-Ol4ElH-BQ1qjPAM2XjjQzn9JYLFmXhJSQV9A7pXP-kTQARjif1XHCv8lnhN2iMzGLvrFf2uzxWYGqxT9UAOCFNA4Ycz-qSBqJLeGCK-HapYh6G7ZumQ_9BHOZw29hJT1n4h2vU1lYWt9Y/s900/FuQhVFdWIAAdQgI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="642" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LAVoB6jIQosc18l2fWV6KFKlOySixda6BD9K7NBDjY-Ol4ElH-BQ1qjPAM2XjjQzn9JYLFmXhJSQV9A7pXP-kTQARjif1XHCv8lnhN2iMzGLvrFf2uzxWYGqxT9UAOCFNA4Ycz-qSBqJLeGCK-HapYh6G7ZumQ_9BHOZw29hJT1n4h2vU1lYWt9Y/s320/FuQhVFdWIAAdQgI.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On April 20th, Starship orbital test took place. Almost 2 years of waiting has come to an end. The rocket did not reach most of the predicted goals and had many problems. But it could have been much worse.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQP7Mu9tCGl4k0rmE6XTiY4AbRaKl9DFqkbK-QtPKRnu3ULVbmblF_EZ1GPhpBu0ovnFEim1C3Z4PKIs0fZSwik8mzSEWQzPp6R_j_sQclmRBAom6AAmgyzQsV4FIKdUWkCEKN4lX-0NEu703RP36mU1G1W7xDczOGJR32zcNwx7EAFcXlRRWrnTkM/s1594/FuQhdP-WIBQ1L4F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1594" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQP7Mu9tCGl4k0rmE6XTiY4AbRaKl9DFqkbK-QtPKRnu3ULVbmblF_EZ1GPhpBu0ovnFEim1C3Z4PKIs0fZSwik8mzSEWQzPp6R_j_sQclmRBAom6AAmgyzQsV4FIKdUWkCEKN4lX-0NEu703RP36mU1G1W7xDczOGJR32zcNwx7EAFcXlRRWrnTkM/s320/FuQhdP-WIBQ1L4F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the last 40 seconds of the countdown, the stopwatch is stopped. Just as I was wondering if there would be a delay again, the counting started again. We witnessed that the Super Heavy Booster, which was covered with ice, was caught between flame and dust clouds.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBm6QRi-6ntWwonEjouOVLCKXFfPo0y1wDHNjTECUFSbcYu7euRREoRzIz5x4fHHYyvNC51NPFL8rtYC-vKlqMyK7QR8Q7rMZKiA4IsErqLkLn3l_Iwi0S2iV8z-cs9fNODT49VUyEs5b514OHXfj5T-_QYZYweLHs6r033qcXHWHnMCJ7dZmf1p_/s2048/FuQhoq2WIBAQ1gm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBm6QRi-6ntWwonEjouOVLCKXFfPo0y1wDHNjTECUFSbcYu7euRREoRzIz5x4fHHYyvNC51NPFL8rtYC-vKlqMyK7QR8Q7rMZKiA4IsErqLkLn3l_Iwi0S2iV8z-cs9fNODT49VUyEs5b514OHXfj5T-_QYZYweLHs6r033qcXHWHnMCJ7dZmf1p_/s320/FuQhoq2WIBAQ1gm.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was known that although the engines would run for about 6 seconds, the rocket would be held in place and then released if all was well. But in that confusion, this duration seemed much longer.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wWuz_SzkMpivI1u1jfAtUsekxey_B2ItKJSt0CsuntjqsgceCrJVGNfxPpQOJL10dhR0dKwuowrHfGDYyFAus23aZA7FCMHVFxanm-Sq3aXwIxpbkQonIbeo1wUHLGOCmEQ4XajJF8CGdLe5dX7iW73sS7lzW8kWP_KDXbfSuvEz22Adbx8Cofcy/s2048/FuQiIv-WIBMd8l2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wWuz_SzkMpivI1u1jfAtUsekxey_B2ItKJSt0CsuntjqsgceCrJVGNfxPpQOJL10dhR0dKwuowrHfGDYyFAus23aZA7FCMHVFxanm-Sq3aXwIxpbkQonIbeo1wUHLGOCmEQ4XajJF8CGdLe5dX7iW73sS7lzW8kWP_KDXbfSuvEz22Adbx8Cofcy/s320/FuQiIv-WIBMd8l2.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then Starship started to rise slowly. On the one hand, it was rising, but at the same time, it was as if pulling to the right. Was something wrong or was this a planned maneuver to get away from the launch tower?</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSUk0pfvSSU70Lk_Yg9iQ0cy7c1YZKpk6DHKl4cVmVTGTYeJI_i_SAlVuZAh7nBLj8UFB9lcRLzhXOqP-J7g-AOt0bkQjR-nN-2rwywliv1etElwY2wdu8Niej5689sWuQ042S5bQ3R98aLkthDbC60-YoywtlwmlfAxQgQG0uR3r1AqQ-OtRWEdV/s1200/FuQihUDWIBc6XEJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSUk0pfvSSU70Lk_Yg9iQ0cy7c1YZKpk6DHKl4cVmVTGTYeJI_i_SAlVuZAh7nBLj8UFB9lcRLzhXOqP-J7g-AOt0bkQjR-nN-2rwywliv1etElwY2wdu8Niej5689sWuQ042S5bQ3R98aLkthDbC60-YoywtlwmlfAxQgQG0uR3r1AqQ-OtRWEdV/s320/FuQihUDWIBc6XEJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the seconds that followed, the rocket's speed increased. As it rose like a spear in the sky, explosions from engines and hydraulic systems were seen at its base.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSpiBBSvOnMqImZ45TnWJi3A8Y-KGAXZNa1oe3v1r9tQm-59HfrQovEQZJnVqzZebsJ2GHCvxfd2rLDrcqXz4v5tX_dP0NrrWsQ_dgPEfaR2aQn4H8_4TpqIJiCZYXJY8JVcZ3ylU7OcM_pm3U-KOhMvl82ukr1Knd-70f9NkJXNQeO8C0vxw7Abd/s640/FuQi0G-WIAsZOJR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSpiBBSvOnMqImZ45TnWJi3A8Y-KGAXZNa1oe3v1r9tQm-59HfrQovEQZJnVqzZebsJ2GHCvxfd2rLDrcqXz4v5tX_dP0NrrWsQ_dgPEfaR2aQn4H8_4TpqIJiCZYXJY8JVcZ3ylU7OcM_pm3U-KOhMvl82ukr1Knd-70f9NkJXNQeO8C0vxw7Abd/s320/FuQi0G-WIAsZOJR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When it was time for the separation of the second stage, the rocket began to spin. At an altitude of about 39 km, it did some desperate somersaults around itself. Eventually the flight termination system kicked in and the rocket was detonated.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75hTHHyLaVuJEO0zn3ovT2YDGGVTA5KnjXCciObUKkpKpKoYBxTWYHfLBQNnzpzmCYBWvnav5ZR6CnqtcyzMGvgDDN1RcLknQV0gxy4qHcn2qrY6tj2u4RuIS6VkiM4_7d3cjMq8B-G7y9YVMqv2ED57i8A7niS1mj5isEa3_uVsHhN8GdoC6vh0p/s1292/FuQjEVfWIAIhID9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1292" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75hTHHyLaVuJEO0zn3ovT2YDGGVTA5KnjXCciObUKkpKpKoYBxTWYHfLBQNnzpzmCYBWvnav5ZR6CnqtcyzMGvgDDN1RcLknQV0gxy4qHcn2qrY6tj2u4RuIS6VkiM4_7d3cjMq8B-G7y9YVMqv2ED57i8A7niS1mj5isEa3_uVsHhN8GdoC6vh0p/s320/FuQjEVfWIAIhID9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Faced with a rocket of this size, those familiar with the work are inevitably frightened. There are millions of things that can go wrong, and if the test gets out of control, there may be loss of life as well as physical damage.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">At this point, the only thing SpaceX wanted was to get rid of this rocket. They even changed many of the technologies they used here in later prototypes. Leaving the tower behind and not exploding on launch pad was the only criterion for success.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyT2AlyQtuqNq-sIREksAiNDPCmV77GNPO36my_XziNZEATR32XwswaQ0jNZB5jSC0JYKUybjuL9rnGituHz522S-zP79G4PjW5RNKj_xic2KYwbUEL6TBkMKbvQEb_3hdQ-9_iYnk5H6Zcgsqf_cIKruCOvpyxlXxUKSW9QaAx1CBOf-s8KwWqCW/s1708/FuQjZSWWIBsrwmS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1708" data-original-width="1489" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyT2AlyQtuqNq-sIREksAiNDPCmV77GNPO36my_XziNZEATR32XwswaQ0jNZB5jSC0JYKUybjuL9rnGituHz522S-zP79G4PjW5RNKj_xic2KYwbUEL6TBkMKbvQEb_3hdQ-9_iYnk5H6Zcgsqf_cIKruCOvpyxlXxUKSW9QaAx1CBOf-s8KwWqCW/s320/FuQjZSWWIBsrwmS.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starship was by far the heaviest human-made object that could fly under its own power. Try to imagine the downward force required for such a mass to rise and the reaction of the ground to it.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Normally, methods are used to dissipate and suppress the heat and mechanical energy applied by rockets to the ground. Like the flame divertor and the flood suppression system. Starship ground elements did not have these.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj2SRzNaKMNuXoUVWTdeFSIQi6ggg9QTdEcEGM_M2pE2xEct53TJlE0Vqld7mnccHn0ky9MP_2TZ-CVt3d8PesQTfNspU3abZvwCzKDsU_mshIrOBChyl17N5RRpAdaA85xZbtjWZ0gI1fFQncDlkMIkKO7qfvUiNCcIDTrtIbdqOgysqrBmpr1UT/s800/FuQjhs4WIBsejEG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="800" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj2SRzNaKMNuXoUVWTdeFSIQi6ggg9QTdEcEGM_M2pE2xEct53TJlE0Vqld7mnccHn0ky9MP_2TZ-CVt3d8PesQTfNspU3abZvwCzKDsU_mshIrOBChyl17N5RRpAdaA85xZbtjWZ0gI1fFQncDlkMIkKO7qfvUiNCcIDTrtIbdqOgysqrBmpr1UT/s320/FuQjhs4WIBsejEG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the pressure of the engines, a large crater formed in the concrete under the launch pedestal. The blown pieces inflicted serious damage up to hundreds of meters away. Engine and hydraulic problems may be caused by the destructive effect of these parts or the sound waves reflected from the ground.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EuEHBAuzeJNQn8NtVNmSGObtpI1-Q1vlY7UNHb0OprfH-eExRIemygxqrY3GMzeaGtnxcSK71D6PiF_29l6dxITJV8D9sPmhVIIQCZAIsZRhfKOFjLip6xLMFL4aEoLdkLCKL9FbKuQhx6KuiISyaelsg1_JuIiwEIbfYRsPUXS93md_cKpHMM2w/s2016/FuQjqTsWIAAtFlV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EuEHBAuzeJNQn8NtVNmSGObtpI1-Q1vlY7UNHb0OprfH-eExRIemygxqrY3GMzeaGtnxcSK71D6PiF_29l6dxITJV8D9sPmhVIIQCZAIsZRhfKOFjLip6xLMFL4aEoLdkLCKL9FbKuQhx6KuiISyaelsg1_JuIiwEIbfYRsPUXS93md_cKpHMM2w/s320/FuQjqTsWIAAtFlV.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a result, the fate of this ground system and the experiment with this rocket was drawn from the beginning. It would be delusional to expect a perfect result. Still, luck was on SpaceX's side, there was no disaster. I believe Starship will solve the issues in a few years.</span><p></p>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-72995012084713132732023-05-10T23:29:00.000+03:002023-05-10T23:29:15.289+03:00Starbase Workers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoFMm8KM-tvFXUfW8GSmkcECa2ObVzAPOZJ-B6lwFe7GYhyCfTswoQd4mKvBpi_bATvqPbIzIO2Ky4isN512sZweeCY-KORHxaIpa38wwJLp5h4NTNfoISQpWkKaql1Vh6d8raUiVUYK6PnUj6EAoGDSfBe1wI_NzgVc1OhuQIDoj4zi0qTKPmUTt/s903/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="719" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoFMm8KM-tvFXUfW8GSmkcECa2ObVzAPOZJ-B6lwFe7GYhyCfTswoQd4mKvBpi_bATvqPbIzIO2Ky4isN512sZweeCY-KORHxaIpa38wwJLp5h4NTNfoISQpWkKaql1Vh6d8raUiVUYK6PnUj6EAoGDSfBe1wI_NzgVc1OhuQIDoj4zi0qTKPmUTt/s320/2.png" width="255" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I had been asked to imagine the construction of space rockets a few years ago, I would have envisioned scientists in isolated, clean rooms, dressed from head to toe in protective suits, working with high-tech devices, almost as if they were meditating.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This scene can actually occur in NASA's scientific projects. But it's certainly not an accurate description for SpaceX's facility in Texas. Actually, the reality is exactly the opposite. If NASA's space programs are classical music, SpaceX's is in the heavy metal category.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mXgdGYn1J7KVwZmz93xvj_2CnYaM7zFNUXjfjf2jzkj01HO0jcc5XQHjwU2Qm17UunviIl39mH6oruRniESNQXedZkazoVBRcZ8CykubB-cuqAevv9EEnot4Z7jPt4nJBKJ1-erzvBjATeDMPNZMdGbVHUuJzyFVV8QahE6KA418TY0WURtIge2x/s4096/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mXgdGYn1J7KVwZmz93xvj_2CnYaM7zFNUXjfjf2jzkj01HO0jcc5XQHjwU2Qm17UunviIl39mH6oruRniESNQXedZkazoVBRcZ8CykubB-cuqAevv9EEnot4Z7jPt4nJBKJ1-erzvBjATeDMPNZMdGbVHUuJzyFVV8QahE6KA418TY0WURtIge2x/s320/3.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starbase started with lines drawn on the sand on the beach of Boca Chica, in one of the most pristine areas of the USA. At first the work looked so amateurish that the first prototype of the Starship was mistaken for a water tower by observers.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3EmP92Jz4aOSKFQQv8Q3W03TfhFagCGZe8Zid--k-AJ0ASKCJRXdpGeq1GdzpciBtrkcFGQopHPsHGmqHrOhorr-v2E172oyr6NtU-owI4WDzwRsjuWcxDi-zki9t8FGsZJ4juFCw9OhyiwwkOrhiKCD61z47uAdvgVEAfF5DgrYjssLN2peAxB3/s5184/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3EmP92Jz4aOSKFQQv8Q3W03TfhFagCGZe8Zid--k-AJ0ASKCJRXdpGeq1GdzpciBtrkcFGQopHPsHGmqHrOhorr-v2E172oyr6NtU-owI4WDzwRsjuWcxDi-zki9t8FGsZJ4juFCw9OhyiwwkOrhiKCD61z47uAdvgVEAfF5DgrYjssLN2peAxB3/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elon Musk is associated with high technologies such as electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, chips in the brain, machines that make machines. Boca Chica, on the other hand, initially seemed far from the edge of technology.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tesla's experience at the Fremont factory may have changed Musk. There, he wanted to make the production system as human-independent as possible and handle it with robots. He experienced that a simple task for man, such as connecting two hoses end to end, can still be very difficult for robots.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E25W1bhDwxofRg6HdTMNEZ8-avXs-78917ijR_wdc3hZQhH6GIL3Jlveyz0UanyTJkZT6LF0BAmdRImQf_jlcKkbCLO_wIWNvGjs9K2VfOzoMvZEEAbpjmf_AIkmzmnUCaVv9bjkpkd6ISvkgHXQS7wfOWcgvnPB3nV4qejUKv7UqYh6GXeeWN9h/s612/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E25W1bhDwxofRg6HdTMNEZ8-avXs-78917ijR_wdc3hZQhH6GIL3Jlveyz0UanyTJkZT6LF0BAmdRImQf_jlcKkbCLO_wIWNvGjs9K2VfOzoMvZEEAbpjmf_AIkmzmnUCaVv9bjkpkd6ISvkgHXQS7wfOWcgvnPB3nV4qejUKv7UqYh6GXeeWN9h/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the manufacturing crisis at Tesla, he learned to correctly assess the strengths and weaknesses of humans and machines. Maybe that's why there was no claim to solve the problems with robots in Starbase.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL45z0s89HraKjlYvIKgQQ8ocug1N9cZjF_zgAixiqtnR3Dsp-I9Lm6sa1CM5Wxuu6Ew8nD_Magc9-bmQBSCPLCcqDGAv6c3m7UuMpP3o33Eo2ew3YH1j_RVL_HEwXZ5fKgTeydD1wTOsLprChQic7cWFKEP7UA3NeR_my3iAZuHOejHxdOJBzt63f/s680/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL45z0s89HraKjlYvIKgQQ8ocug1N9cZjF_zgAixiqtnR3Dsp-I9Lm6sa1CM5Wxuu6Ew8nD_Magc9-bmQBSCPLCcqDGAv6c3m7UuMpP3o33Eo2ew3YH1j_RVL_HEwXZ5fKgTeydD1wTOsLprChQic7cWFKEP7UA3NeR_my3iAZuHOejHxdOJBzt63f/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">He made maximum use of manpower. He did not spare the machine support, including the world's largest cranes. Once a prototype was ready, he implemented a rapid development program in which many components related to the final vehicle had already changed.</span><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">He threw away carbon composites, which were expensive and difficult to produce. Instead, he switched to stainless steel, which is not that cool but is both cheaper and, under certain conditions, more durable than carbon.</span></div><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0E5D1-dcvKpLITHazWoQ3A3oh4emtYkqHnbiQKo_T-E6wOmuxfz2Bo78ZDu6GqDArBhRYkk_xL73iRRyNTRq8P4CNTDAs_yrQmSQk0Xd56EqY6pcVEScsNK2_bTlDVwbx9WsuT_jnR2o8VY2-pI65LiqJkIENqA0QBuAn6d2G0QMrBEIpR4GV0Mh/s2047/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="956" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0E5D1-dcvKpLITHazWoQ3A3oh4emtYkqHnbiQKo_T-E6wOmuxfz2Bo78ZDu6GqDArBhRYkk_xL73iRRyNTRq8P4CNTDAs_yrQmSQk0Xd56EqY6pcVEScsNK2_bTlDVwbx9WsuT_jnR2o8VY2-pI65LiqJkIENqA0QBuAn6d2G0QMrBEIpR4GV0Mh/s320/9.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, the Boca Chica Starbase is a facility where engineers and blue-collar workers who are not afraid to get their hands dirty work hard to build the future. People built the largest rocket in history, not in clean rooms, but next to mosquito-infested wetlands.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZLhayhrXRdFtTYopECwe-5VpAejAWncGw38wp3G-s99jbMRxaBSzLwURQZXJ0xNzyBwDNaH7Eu8JGxoh8O3Xb10Hx3sQ29F3Umsn5hM0CiHaUvy7i7ZL6EkRnxWa_NSnU9lzLQiJ5bGLPAy_7i9iG6nltFCjOhCg_NgxWBhqtlGVtGe6ZMM0VRDy/s738/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="738" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZLhayhrXRdFtTYopECwe-5VpAejAWncGw38wp3G-s99jbMRxaBSzLwURQZXJ0xNzyBwDNaH7Eu8JGxoh8O3Xb10Hx3sQ29F3Umsn5hM0CiHaUvy7i7ZL6EkRnxWa_NSnU9lzLQiJ5bGLPAy_7i9iG6nltFCjOhCg_NgxWBhqtlGVtGe6ZMM0VRDy/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">All these developments are not taking place in secluded military areas, but next to a public beach. A large social media ecosystem has emerged, fueled by watching activities on Starbase, and the increased interest of young people in rocket science will perhaps be the biggest gain of these process.</span><p></p></div>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-44124528671530371272023-05-09T06:08:00.002+03:002023-05-09T06:14:57.554+03:00Reusable Payload Fairings of Falcon 9<p></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2EZYcR3ZJlVIk6Zs25uBW7pO56khVJHzCLCNkd2-8qXOzJY-G76YVGGsofefjWjNG1mrZA4IK-KruPxWIyt55N9SUbuWMpomuCALHUH0zVb7-sNxAFtr1KZGbLg8pJItgEkhWpwn7JZuu7w4y8bK7sPKPg_aSQAYB2kWr7Nd0hTk7j-z0EmPWOwR/s1200/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2EZYcR3ZJlVIk6Zs25uBW7pO56khVJHzCLCNkd2-8qXOzJY-G76YVGGsofefjWjNG1mrZA4IK-KruPxWIyt55N9SUbuWMpomuCALHUH0zVb7-sNxAFtr1KZGbLg8pJItgEkhWpwn7JZuu7w4y8bK7sPKPg_aSQAYB2kWr7Nd0hTk7j-z0EmPWOwR/s320/3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>The nose cone is the cone-shaped part at the top of a rocket that resists air resistance and friction.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In space rockets, the payload, namely the satellite, takes place in the nose cone. For this reason, it is also called payload fairing. It usually has a cone-cylinder combination shape. The payload fairing also provides clean room conditions for some satellites until they reach space.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6LMh-14jStbJxdW-z6jP1WDjimosOYZkuAXAhBsPdbkMu_ZUKqb1yO3m81UHHACy9lWTqBI0K9jpPxeMPkHCAUabYVtxZC8CuXLmbrs5L03DTXAmaIksI0b2eTnJjYgcRAwrFGPgBJE81_TKD8qgZ_KhiAVXZ4F1rz_M67dTYYK-W7dBYjBja7e5/s267/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="267" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6LMh-14jStbJxdW-z6jP1WDjimosOYZkuAXAhBsPdbkMu_ZUKqb1yO3m81UHHACy9lWTqBI0K9jpPxeMPkHCAUabYVtxZC8CuXLmbrs5L03DTXAmaIksI0b2eTnJjYgcRAwrFGPgBJE81_TKD8qgZ_KhiAVXZ4F1rz_M67dTYYK-W7dBYjBja7e5/s1600/4.jpg" width="267" /></a></span></div><p></p><p></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">SpaceX's attempts to recover and reuse the payload fairings began in 2020. The cost of the 14-meter-long fairings produced in carbon composite and aluminum is estimated at $6 million. Considering that one launch of the Falcon 9 rocket costs $62 million, it's a significant amount.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the space rockets reach an altitude of around 100 km, the payload fairings complete their mission. After that, atmospheric friction is negligible. In order not to add unnecessary weight, the fairings are separated from the rocket. In conventional rockets, they burn in the atmosphere and fall into the ocean.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWzSW1kMZ_LYcFE_jyuvVNarlidEbTUb6CO9SMEmVmUWNPYPOYUVY4xvM3lX4q5dL2E3yVPugiMuYwmcbnLC5PIEaclEQ1RE-u2-G2uM_3y_4SP8vTdeNubJYZJLkvma8z8W-RkTM4zp9PoZck6qWMNffHx8zOa3w9YvX16v0F28OCzKnvH4JiVBs/s1280/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWzSW1kMZ_LYcFE_jyuvVNarlidEbTUb6CO9SMEmVmUWNPYPOYUVY4xvM3lX4q5dL2E3yVPugiMuYwmcbnLC5PIEaclEQ1RE-u2-G2uM_3y_4SP8vTdeNubJYZJLkvma8z8W-RkTM4zp9PoZck6qWMNffHx8zOa3w9YvX16v0F28OCzKnvH4JiVBs/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the other hand, when SpaceX completes its function, it directs the payload fairings, which separate like oyster shells, with cold gas thrusters and allows them to enter the atmosphere at the appropriate angle, just like a capsule.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Payload fairings, which have a very large surface area, are thus slowed down by friction. Then their parachutes open and they make a soft landing in the ocean.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qdNZKDAhPT7SugUMbqutDaJTr-sdvCcq9BYaEVRisB78kzviIr-w4oETpeAwi6-O49htatRFU6u5the4kF09BuoGfNYQsEZ1B22Rp2fwki-eqZ4LEUWCQPKOe73XTGTo9NRuhB-BJcoWB8CIzc0hBFFxPycYsARNapzaLIAltobJKUJmyTnXJa6r/s2048/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="2048" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qdNZKDAhPT7SugUMbqutDaJTr-sdvCcq9BYaEVRisB78kzviIr-w4oETpeAwi6-O49htatRFU6u5the4kF09BuoGfNYQsEZ1B22Rp2fwki-eqZ4LEUWCQPKOe73XTGTo9NRuhB-BJcoWB8CIzc0hBFFxPycYsARNapzaLIAltobJKUJmyTnXJa6r/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">SpaceX initially tried to catch the parachuted fairings before they touched the water with fast ships on which they mounted nets. It succeeded a few times, but it proved to be really difficult to catch the fairings in the air.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhGnpvWb9FNiETByJeJG1BoHcViRrrBgTGyu4Try43V9rD_JFwagSg3vak5SVWd2XjTLWsljZRG9N36qY7mpg0dDvnHPJ7Hchi38teHn9rD_j0Z03fuf23cz1je10YfGzMTQm9Nu5FkZHFHNMPSJ_yJPpOin51H1Qevv7tOxC02TyI2dmz_XIJhkg/s1024/8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1024" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhGnpvWb9FNiETByJeJG1BoHcViRrrBgTGyu4Try43V9rD_JFwagSg3vak5SVWd2XjTLWsljZRG9N36qY7mpg0dDvnHPJ7Hchi38teHn9rD_j0Z03fuf23cz1je10YfGzMTQm9Nu5FkZHFHNMPSJ_yJPpOin51H1Qevv7tOxC02TyI2dmz_XIJhkg/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saltwater is not at all merciful towards space equipment, but when the idea of catching it with a net did not work, the method of lifting it with a crane was started after the fairings fell into the sea. Fairings collected from seawater are refurbished before being reused.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ENd4CUCqs-quCAvGQqPy_uJs3AEP3OX4NT__4YI84XUKghRD3bcpc7dpJbI2dXMNMyRM2bxCFIopuNqjUTqyqIJVATL2pHnAWjwUYVDccrIvOQgJ5Gdbd8QxNXzqNDsHbKsctlUS9fA5_PogPBVn82FG-yG-IcyiJHkeK2NcjNJGh8TIsOFmtAOd/s4032/9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ENd4CUCqs-quCAvGQqPy_uJs3AEP3OX4NT__4YI84XUKghRD3bcpc7dpJbI2dXMNMyRM2bxCFIopuNqjUTqyqIJVATL2pHnAWjwUYVDccrIvOQgJ5Gdbd8QxNXzqNDsHbKsctlUS9fA5_PogPBVn82FG-yG-IcyiJHkeK2NcjNJGh8TIsOFmtAOd/s320/9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">SpaceX uses two ships to retrieve the payload fairings from the ocean. There were questions about whether this entire operation covered the costs, but if we look at the number of reused fairings, we can conclude that it was profitable.</span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a463c56f-7fff-3f58-4170-134096bd8906"><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-47382359218474266472023-05-08T20:59:00.004+03:002023-05-08T20:59:27.329+03:00Grid Fins of Falcon 9<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsGhwMralmZHozuEHc5KpMDL89UfNdE-pheSVJCZb2cDDA4MYc1UaKN53Kz_MYTexwRCmeufghW7nlxbWMC8BHwqm7Y836-0j4nfVlWyiqygc52rwqUhp3ShzgWAwNo-T8UduI5g4YNaxtAt0BNcxHmbhB5ZEn8j6aL0920xF6m1ER_4Xd0px__Gi/s1024/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsGhwMralmZHozuEHc5KpMDL89UfNdE-pheSVJCZb2cDDA4MYc1UaKN53Kz_MYTexwRCmeufghW7nlxbWMC8BHwqm7Y836-0j4nfVlWyiqygc52rwqUhp3ShzgWAwNo-T8UduI5g4YNaxtAt0BNcxHmbhB5ZEn8j6aL0920xF6m1ER_4Xd0px__Gi/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grid fins or lattice fins are flight control surfaces that direct some rockets and bombs. They are also used in SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Starship rockets.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVEa4_8TPIXZSjpcCWPtiNnKMsVRxVahxXMh03Ub2ym9QSwH7DsZrLT_ZBuCsYE0bAQg1s9OiD2cig7AegTBQswdm11QABZMDJ-k3RaSLidi8J2buS4xeABlfIA1-VjGNLgdQKYZE8MU-Qyy_zRrrjrt-C1mF-OuXlWTSTJTy2ZP1kEhlzPsfQHwO/s1024/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1024" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVEa4_8TPIXZSjpcCWPtiNnKMsVRxVahxXMh03Ub2ym9QSwH7DsZrLT_ZBuCsYE0bAQg1s9OiD2cig7AegTBQswdm11QABZMDJ-k3RaSLidi8J2buS4xeABlfIA1-VjGNLgdQKYZE8MU-Qyy_zRrrjrt-C1mF-OuXlWTSTJTy2ZP1kEhlzPsfQHwO/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">To keep rockets on their course, traditionally planar shaped fins are used. Grid-shaped fins were first developed in the Soviet Union in the 1950s.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">SpaceX began testing on first stage in 2015. When the rocket re-enters the atmosphere at high speed, it is directed to the landing point with 4 grid fins.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fins can make the rocket perform up to 20 degrees three-axis movements; roll, pitch and yaw. Although the steering system components are unknown, it is likely that both flight path simulations and actual flight data are used.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM7qQPqT6_gZtY6gkkKp6onc8ih-4qiY3fBEJLy0hAjevHtSdJmeARUWI9J1oSOwcq5PIg_KWJIpCpDf-8_t1d0OqrWJP2ROy0ngAeGKQLnE4KOYLxVpdrdbW6fQ9mTG8_1L302jIeH-2Y-7Cq0kd2qvQhi8xysXKzdDJhGOWHNuytJlVrJ5dZJhP/s611/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="611" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtM7qQPqT6_gZtY6gkkKp6onc8ih-4qiY3fBEJLy0hAjevHtSdJmeARUWI9J1oSOwcq5PIg_KWJIpCpDf-8_t1d0OqrWJP2ROy0ngAeGKQLnE4KOYLxVpdrdbW6fQ9mTG8_1L302jIeH-2Y-7Cq0kd2qvQhi8xysXKzdDJhGOWHNuytJlVrJ5dZJhP/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the first trials, the Falcon 9 grid fins were made of aluminum. However, the high temperatures generated during re-entry occasionally caused the coatings to burn and the fins to melt.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then it was switched to titanium. Titanium is a very expensive and costly metal. However, the rocket's reusability benefited because it was resistant to high temperatures. Over time, apart from the material, the size and shape of the fins also changed.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatlBV8K5tQebKYA5V6IDGf2dvmlI4uiUvRiRGcGC1AXo6NCxJUxZbym1X9e3ivXgZa8UXGbXObvMxBf6GOyCyfub973XmOf6KXx3XQsahEXE15F5fP_8duoRBST69HvLT5fK2l6sWLdxT_1EcB8crcpocrOqQuQg3gYB03WLSmm78btZvOm9yoCX0/s873/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="873" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatlBV8K5tQebKYA5V6IDGf2dvmlI4uiUvRiRGcGC1AXo6NCxJUxZbym1X9e3ivXgZa8UXGbXObvMxBf6GOyCyfub973XmOf6KXx3XQsahEXE15F5fP_8duoRBST69HvLT5fK2l6sWLdxT_1EcB8crcpocrOqQuQg3gYB03WLSmm78btZvOm9yoCX0/s320/3.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The grid fins on the Falcon 9 fold up during lift off. When the rocket re-enters the atmosphere, they open from their hinges.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was also the case in the Starship design at first, but then the hinges were abandoned due to weight limitations. It was concluded that the grid fins would not distrubt the aerodynamics at lift off. As for material, stainless steel was preferred instead of titanium.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c442330e-7fff-ff30-7a75-7b6b52b996c1"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWX55Yvz5VoqWOoM3Es1fNgyQFNNBV3Ts0MBYVInlHqrZHGSW54EbouVlN_wjSCUiCOXwK1Hxg3cIrONh4_9YhdubYlbcFkrExt3kFYFME49Kedo1CQjyx_Ii1OKN6U1L-vAn1whTTTBAdpTwaGUMjvBo-n05lmVe9Bb3C5GwpJEzTfYB0aqbmUdcK/s1920/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1920" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWX55Yvz5VoqWOoM3Es1fNgyQFNNBV3Ts0MBYVInlHqrZHGSW54EbouVlN_wjSCUiCOXwK1Hxg3cIrONh4_9YhdubYlbcFkrExt3kFYFME49Kedo1CQjyx_Ii1OKN6U1L-vAn1whTTTBAdpTwaGUMjvBo-n05lmVe9Bb3C5GwpJEzTfYB0aqbmUdcK/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-37735749462987062442023-05-07T18:02:00.002+03:002023-05-07T18:02:30.572+03:00SpaceX's Drone Ships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZP909ejYNzuxrhGDJY4bHzQRJvgDIO-H3EK6HPCHcizN_3OclekS5IJ-XAcpLB0bESCMlohacqhlHYDuQ4Zt6_3n_atrPOJ6Njmf_cpX1ljrJUvhxMZb8PaoYdFjLWrS9ztrwwAaXrrBldzenbYjbAcd8d0Bg4Mjn8Y11-znJovrEjeK9hCYYNwu9/s1200/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZP909ejYNzuxrhGDJY4bHzQRJvgDIO-H3EK6HPCHcizN_3OclekS5IJ-XAcpLB0bESCMlohacqhlHYDuQ4Zt6_3n_atrPOJ6Njmf_cpX1ljrJUvhxMZb8PaoYdFjLWrS9ztrwwAaXrrBldzenbYjbAcd8d0Bg4Mjn8Y11-znJovrEjeK9hCYYNwu9/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial;">While watching SpaceX's live broadcasts, you can often hear the host say "Of course I still love you". Don't take this personally. “Of Course I Still Love You” is the name of one of the autonomous drone ships SpaceX has built to land first-stage rockets into the ocean.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNvYqOt6O7e3k6EeNr1WXU6LGlJyI2X1cAdZlzl0tLFDHBzwaLlUwfYi3IQTb-al_HdqWJvi5gBP7XsLUp39Hx5ZmkKLztI8rFdwFNV3GcySXA7xHwgeKoK6nzs91udmMVTxoThNYYHQ9KmekVsPP01vvTIokVpu-ErEwaTJ26zdqfhXuTyQqf61E/s2048/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="2048" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNvYqOt6O7e3k6EeNr1WXU6LGlJyI2X1cAdZlzl0tLFDHBzwaLlUwfYi3IQTb-al_HdqWJvi5gBP7XsLUp39Hx5ZmkKLztI8rFdwFNV3GcySXA7xHwgeKoK6nzs91udmMVTxoThNYYHQ9KmekVsPP01vvTIokVpu-ErEwaTJ26zdqfhXuTyQqf61E/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The names of the other two ships used for the same job are "Just Read the Instructions" and "A Shortfall of Gravitas". These weird names refer to the spaceships in Scottish author Iain M. Banks' sci-fi series Culture.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In order to be able to be used again, the first stages of Falcon 9 rockets land about 8 minutes after takeoff, either in an area close to the launch site or on an autonomous ship located hundreds of kilometers from the launch site. If the load it sends into space is light, it has fuel to return to the launch site, if it carries a heavier payload, it does not bother to return and continues in the direction of launch and aims at the ocean platform (If it needs to benefit from its full performance, it does not make a controlled landing and the rocket is wasted).</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjhlGGVv-sMHc3FiEpgl8pNmZkzNje3ekyogML65xsSiPYPHlQQAi6gsEqjfZgsTJhyL3xLStUEWY5Gwu-wPb6y7EWHkkUsoTycwCnl-JZNXrqLxFPUE9OL77k1Ez7AyDO14f5jVDunOfn-p5WhjnD66f5lRfxHu4WeMYF2xGUV6cVgp3rPh6Jf_e/s800/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjhlGGVv-sMHc3FiEpgl8pNmZkzNje3ekyogML65xsSiPYPHlQQAi6gsEqjfZgsTJhyL3xLStUEWY5Gwu-wPb6y7EWHkkUsoTycwCnl-JZNXrqLxFPUE9OL77k1Ez7AyDO14f5jVDunOfn-p5WhjnD66f5lRfxHu4WeMYF2xGUV6cVgp3rPh6Jf_e/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">This 41-meter-long rocket, falling from the sky at speeds exceeding the speed of sound, can harm people around if things go wrong. For this reason, landing ships are designed to operate unmanned.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Autonomous ships were initially towed and brought to the coordinates determined for landing by support ships. For several years, they have been able to make this journey on their own. At the point where they are left, they maintain their position against waves or currents with the help of GPS.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbvm38wyJWdO2H-TwaIoweAdqLPsqXKlv4jGHpaP40kPuSFFfIjHwUWnHHFbjTfg-GJCCz7C8X24NgQJTvgIImS497VnA7LxFJ-LlUkDSg7A6oGHaPsUO1HhmcXpKOG_2zF1SxuYTaqZPH2A4YYmnjna7DyNMD0fFT0ZOEdeultFPD8B8Zulxbm14/s768/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbvm38wyJWdO2H-TwaIoweAdqLPsqXKlv4jGHpaP40kPuSFFfIjHwUWnHHFbjTfg-GJCCz7C8X24NgQJTvgIImS497VnA7LxFJ-LlUkDSg7A6oGHaPsUO1HhmcXpKOG_2zF1SxuYTaqZPH2A4YYmnjna7DyNMD0fFT0ZOEdeultFPD8B8Zulxbm14/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">After the rocket has landed, the robot called Octagrabber, which is waiting in its sheltered area on the ship, comes under the rocket by remote control. It secures the Falcon 9 to the ship with its four arms, thus preventing the rocket from slipping and tipping over with the waves.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It takes a few days for the ships to return to the port. A fleet of several ships must be kept ready at all times in order to reuse the first stages. The process is costly and time consuming. So far, the shortest time between two launches of the same rocket is around 3 weeks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">SpaceX wants to reduce reuse to days or even hours on its test Starship rocket. Therefore, it is planned that the rocket will only land back at the launch complex.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L3FOqKi3zgVUAb5G_fxMxIzS4QYR8zZpp3wdHEEjI7fNV5s1q8xBeMEsGGMwsrdcuz0SeI_zL5FHHBFhu82TxyRyu2W_xeMAjBF-idwPt5vJxKHTvys6f4RqFFFexNPLhSfLqQh5T0XBJvxMcZlyNwAv_OiYUzTTaQdVzkWak1UNh4oQJLXOWaOn/s1200/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L3FOqKi3zgVUAb5G_fxMxIzS4QYR8zZpp3wdHEEjI7fNV5s1q8xBeMEsGGMwsrdcuz0SeI_zL5FHHBFhu82TxyRyu2W_xeMAjBF-idwPt5vJxKHTvys6f4RqFFFexNPLhSfLqQh5T0XBJvxMcZlyNwAv_OiYUzTTaQdVzkWak1UNh4oQJLXOWaOn/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">In fact, two oil platforms, named Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars, were purchased in order to be used for Starship. But building an ocean platform on a system that is not yet operational would be very distracting. That's why they were disposed of.</span><p></p>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509073062758801222.post-20756687116134317932023-05-07T17:44:00.004+03:002023-05-07T17:44:38.034+03:00Number of Starlink Satellites Exceeded 4000<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbtQ14Waa2vwCfjN6BGl3v_G1qay7I_D7U3g4wRLCRQimJWAV99sftiESXjKZEe2oSuWrgDNY6OZRmiw7BrOiPLP3rPUpis8vO55rCYUmIiGjRuICx_t3v3sTaY-K5Gq6rwv6vBB5CX3clEU_KqCqMqUORXnI9uj4tXsFKO1jWuUSAPCpQFONGHg5/s960/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbtQ14Waa2vwCfjN6BGl3v_G1qay7I_D7U3g4wRLCRQimJWAV99sftiESXjKZEe2oSuWrgDNY6OZRmiw7BrOiPLP3rPUpis8vO55rCYUmIiGjRuICx_t3v3sTaY-K5Gq6rwv6vBB5CX3clEU_KqCqMqUORXnI9uj4tXsFKO1jWuUSAPCpQFONGHg5/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>Last week, Starlink, which provides internet from space, crossed two important thresholds. The number of active satellites in orbit exceeded 4000 and the number of subscribers exceeded 1.5 million. Starlink's first test satellites, Tintin A and Tintin B, entered orbit in February 2018. Reaching 4000 satellites in about five years is an incredible achievement.</span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The number of satellites in orbit has increased exponentially over the past few years. Small satellites, which can fit dozens of them on a single rocket, are responsible for the increase in numbers. Starlink's first version satellites were also generally sent in bundles of 60. Each of the 1st generation satellites weighs 260 kg. Although the current figures are constantly changing, roughly two of every three satellites operating in orbit belong to Starlink. This is a ratio obtained against the USA, Russia, China and other major states and companies.</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-34d82165-7fff-2c72-3eb5-dcd76c184038"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Satellite internet did not start with Starlink, but we can say that it is the company that is progressing the fastest in this regard. ViaSat, EchoStar, Globalstar, Iridium, OneWeb, Amazon-Kuiper are other brands operating in this field.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFo2KWLiG_L1NyZpyZ9yrC0TOf7ONRGxHX07cah57KsWOgY9VWgSmTlndvY0fj55ooXNNkx-K9MCjjioMbXBwEI7-FAB9g7z3LBaCXMBZ0JdiGl3QHg6ccttVjscuqu8rI4Lq4cV3h-WTwjinBzGU0qDPDwKxvtOK8V4IOOEHG_3W-70kJFeqQ0Z-r/s499/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="499" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFo2KWLiG_L1NyZpyZ9yrC0TOf7ONRGxHX07cah57KsWOgY9VWgSmTlndvY0fj55ooXNNkx-K9MCjjioMbXBwEI7-FAB9g7z3LBaCXMBZ0JdiGl3QHg6ccttVjscuqu8rI4Lq4cV3h-WTwjinBzGU0qDPDwKxvtOK8V4IOOEHG_3W-70kJFeqQ0Z-r/s320/7.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When SpaceX started to use the first stages of its Falcon 9 rockets again, it gained a huge advantage over its rivals, especially in low earth orbit (LEO) reach. In the first years, there was no market to realize this great advantage. For example, while there were 18 launches in 2017 and 21 in 2018, this number decreased to 13 in 2019. There were no satellites on the market to saturate Falcon 9's capacity. Starting from 2020, the number of launches broke new records every year, with 61 launches in 2022. Most of them were Starlink missions. Elon Musk said that if there is no market, I will create it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Starlink subscription generates $110 monthly, 1.5 million subscribers generate $1.98 billion annually. The lifetime of a satellite is 5 years. Accordingly, 14 Falcon 9 launches are required each year to keep the 4000 satellites constant. If each launch costs $50 million, it's $700 million. In its current form, we can conclude that Starlink is a viable system. Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, also said that Starlink achieved positive cash flow in the last quarter of 2022.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ8XcPp9X1Ak00z6_5Xog9oIRnGIfUfhhEax0_ljy7AMRNZDkpSLRuv6U6WhE_8z5RRNnP81BzQ8Cl-_tao-IaGEhyhvgrrloejVriepW-Q2g9pU3bqDiKWPxHee6ltEOaibdnECY2at_pAcOdlBMLLBdAnx6qTfXCKVlJ-AnmJleumNw5HIDap-x/s2048/10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ8XcPp9X1Ak00z6_5Xog9oIRnGIfUfhhEax0_ljy7AMRNZDkpSLRuv6U6WhE_8z5RRNnP81BzQ8Cl-_tao-IaGEhyhvgrrloejVriepW-Q2g9pU3bqDiKWPxHee6ltEOaibdnECY2at_pAcOdlBMLLBdAnx6qTfXCKVlJ-AnmJleumNw5HIDap-x/s320/10.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Starlink has plans to send tens of thousands more satellites into space. Even the "mini" versions of the version 2 satellites weigh 800 kg. The ability of these to be carried into orbit with these numbers depends on the operation of the Starship system. Otherwise, what we experience in space technologies will not turn into a revolution, but will remain a modest reform.</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Deniz Doganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04082081866716952344noreply@blogger.com0