Weekly Space Report: Starship V3 Test Fires!

SCANALYZER The Happening World
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Highlights:

  • Ship 39 moved to Masseys. New tile patches noted on leeward body, plus backsides of the flaps.

  • Booster 19 moved to Pad 2, with all engines installed.

  • Engine bay spactacularly simplified with V3 Raptors.

  • Booster tanking, detanking, spin prime, partial deluge testing.

  • More booster tanking and detanking, QD testing

  • 33-engine 3-second test fire.

  • Complete wet dress rehearsal for booster after engine test.

  • Ship 39 tanking and detanking, possible spin prime.

  • Ship 39 six-engine 60-second test fire, with SpaceX tweet.

  • Falcon 9: Cygnus NG-24 (not Dragon), Starlink 10-24, Starlink 17-27

  • Cygnus XL ISS cargo mission review.

  • More Artemis II follow up

  • Investigating Service Module small helium leak–difficult with physical evidence burned up on re-entry.

  • Crew elevator doors damaged on launch again.

  • NASA Budget

  • Blue Origin New Glenn 3 coming up, with reuse of booster from flight 2, but with new engines.

  • New Glenn 3 full stack 19-second test fire.

  • Blue Origin lunar regolith melter discussion.

  • Blue Moon Mk I lander vacuum testing completed. More Mk I landers in production.

Missed two weeks due to my European vacation (Epic!!), episodes here:

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One month in with Starlink ISP and VOIP Ooma phone. Not a wrinkle! Perfect. I’m also glad to hear the FCC is soon going to lift power restrictions on LEO satellites. That should guarantee no slowdowns due to congestion, as it will increase bandwidth available by 7 - 9 times! Good timing!

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We get mixed signals about Europe these days. Please fill us in on your first hand observations.

Your comment brought back recollections of a couple of amusing movies about vacations in that part of the world – “European Vacation” and “Euro Trip”. I am sure those were nothing like your experiences. :grinning:

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Limited, as I have in-laws to stay with. Both Bordeaux and Paris had more hijabs on public transport than I encounter in the Atlanta area. But no obvious bad behavior. I made no attempt to taverse areas like St. Denis in Paris, a well-known “no-go” zone.

Side trip to Lourdes was pleasant and unremarkable (and I’d been there before), except for the automated speeding ticket I got on the way back to my MIL’s place. :man_shrugging:

TGV was as awesome as usual (but cheap enough that I always buy 1st class).

Politics was absolutely off-limits with my in-laws. The television news was 100% Trump-bashing, with not a hint of embarrassment over Europe’s impotence. My in-laws are entirely in an impervious left-wing bubble.

Gasoline worked out to just shy of $10.50 per gallon when I refueled the rental car.

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I’m also happy to report that the interior of Notre Dame is restored and fully functional–attended Vespers and the 6pm Vigil mass on the 11th before the return flight on the 12th.

The exterior still has some stone work underway near ground level. Roof and spire are gorgeously restored.

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Thanks for that report. A trusted first-hand report is key ground truth.

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