this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2024
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Well folks, it's time for the first booster RTLS and chopsticks catch attempt!

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-10-13 12:25 | |


|


| | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-10-13 07:25 (CDT) | | Launch Window (UTC) | 2024-10-13 12:00 to 2024-10-13 12:30 (30 minutes) | | Launch site | Pad A, SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA. | | Booster | B12 | | Ship | S30 | | Booster landing | Chopsticks catch at Pad A or soft water landing in Gulf of Mexico | | Ship landing | Indian Ocean |

Webcasts

| Stream | Link | |


|


| | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kCgVCMCfA | | Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIKI7y3DTXk | | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyR_M5rCL64 | | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC87WmFN_As | | LabPadre | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJ54Y22cVI | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpB62C9wWNA | | VideoFromSpace | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42QHfZzGZs0 | | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845210284270682178 | | The Space Devs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfuxxqc5yaI |

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 3rd Starship Full Stack launch this year

☑️ 5th Starship Full Stack launch overall

☑️ 98th SpaceX launch this year

☑️ 409th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship hops)

☑️ 3rd launch from Pad A this year

☑️ 128 days, 23:10:00 turnaround for this pad

Mission Details 🚀

Link to Starship Dev thread

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

One of my favourite videos of the catch, because of what happens when the sonic booms arrive!: https://youtu.be/749dRxbSkVU (They're at 6:51.) Also it's a different angle from most of the others, because it's from Mexico.

And a playlist: Starship IFT5 booster catch, original footage only

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Freakin' phenomenal execution for this flight! Booster and Starship both performed exactly as designed! Successful catch for Super Heavy, and on target landing for Starship! Footage from SPI is also amazing to see!

Edit: Bonus footage from SpaceX!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Landing burn!

Splashdown confirmed! Live video from a nearby buoy!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Starship is transsonic.

Edit: Ship now subsonic.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Mission control callout: Starship has passed through peak heating, approaching Max-Q.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Mission control callout: Starship has entered peak heating phase.

Edit: Halfway through peak heating phase. Landing engine chill has begun.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Ship velocity seems to have peaked around 26756 km/h, starting to slow down now.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Mission control callout: "Starship has entered the atmosphere, remains on a nominal entry trajectory."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Mission control callout: "Starship is in a good attitude for entry, approaching the entry interface."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Hosted webcast is back for coverage of ship reentry.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

Booster depress vents visible.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago

Holy fuck they did it

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Ship engine cutoff. Nominal orbit insertion.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Landing burn shutdown! Chopsticks have caught the booster!

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That was pretty unreal to watch. So little drama, it was like it was a render.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

Stunning. They have no right to make it look so easy.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Landing burn!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Jettisoned hot stage ring visible in the ground tracking shot!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Boostback burn shutdown, tower is go for catch!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

MECO, hot staging, boostback burn startup.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Flight director is go for launch.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Booster and ship propellant load is complete. Range is clear.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Hype! Let's catch this guy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

SpaceX hosted webcast is live. Kate Tice and Jessie Anderson are hosting.

Edit: Raptor engine chill.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845431347432579438

Prop load of the Super Heavy booster is underway

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845428939285544966

Propellant load of Starship’s upper stage is now underway

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

I was ready to wait until Christmas for this and now I'm not emotionally prepared!

If there's a catch attempt I'm expecting a mild success where something goes wrong (those arms sway sooo much), but I'm optimistic about Ship reentry. Going to be great.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Looks like they're now targeting the end of the window: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845424870655398102

The Starship team is go for prop load, and weather is looking ideal for today's flight test!

The launch webcast will go live ~35 minutes ahead of liftoff which is currently targeted for 7:25am CT

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Chopsticks have opened wide.

Tank farm is spooling up.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

:::happydance::: spaace...thefinalhfronteeah

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago

It's launch day!

Currently T-5.5 hours, and NSF are live with pre-launch coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVUji1BLLjw