Weekly Space Report: Details from Starship Static Fire, SpaceX Sells Offshore Oil Rigs, New Glenn Wins NASA Launch Contract, Now Progress Springs a Leak

[johnwalker]

SpaceX Ditches the Oil Rigs and Incredible Insights of the Orbital Launch Mount/Booster Static Fire

[CTLaw]

SpaceX drops plans to convert oil rigs into launch platforms

[jabowery]

Any news on the concrete erosion problem with the 33 engine test?

[johnwalker]

@jabowery

Any news on the concrete erosion problem

I haven’t heard anything. The 31 engine static fire (33 engines were installed, but one was disabled before firing and another shut down after ignition) was conducted at 50% of full thrust. Elon Musk has said that the orbital flight test will use 90% thrust at liftoff (presumably reduced because there will be no payload).

They are apparently installing a water deluge system on the orbit launch mount, but I haven’t heard whether they expect that to be ready for the orbital flight test.