No highlights today. Traveling.
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I recruited ChatGPT to extract highlights from a transcript of this show:
Major Events & Updates
Ship 36 Explosion Aftermath
- New wide-angle footage of the explosion.
- Significant damage at Massey’s site, especially to the quick disconnect arm and tank farm.
- Cleanup underway, including crane incidents and large debris relocation.
- Explosion gave 3D artists insights into internal Block 2 structures.
Pad 2 Cryogenic System
- Active testing of cryogenic lines; 8 of 9 liquid oxygen pumps frosted.
- New bolted flange system replaces welded pipes — easier for maintenance.
- New boiloff gas dispersal fans installed to reduce oxygen-poor environments and camera fog.
Water Tank Farm Progress
- Four large tanks now connected to gas manifolds; speculation that baby Raptors may be used for tank pressurization.
Starship Development & Infrastructure
Starship Pad 2 Construction
- Progress on flame trench, rebar wall for blast protection, and tower cladding.
- Crew access hatch installed on tower arm.
- New dual booster quick disconnect system coming online.
Booster Quick Disconnect & Flame Trench
- Two quick disconnect hoods being installed, replacing previous single design.
- Flame trench floor and angled exhaust plates nearing completion.
Starship Build Site
- Hot staging ring moved back into Mega Bay 1 — possible storage/weather protection.
- Ship 38 seen on transport stand
Gigabay Foundation
- Foundation work progressing with gravel, geotextile, rebar, and pile cap.
- Structure supports likely for 24 total workstations (4x6 layout).
Expansion at Other Sites
Starship Pad 39A (Florida)
- Pad 39A’s flame trench mirrors Pad 2 design.
- Rapid progress on trench and tented launch mount construction.
- 17 tower segment assembly areas suggest multiple towers (possibly for LC-37 too).
Blue Origin Updates
- New Glenn and Blue Moon manufacturing expanding rapidly.
- Hints of a special delivery — likely related to the Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander.
Science & Launch Highlights
SLS Booster Test
- Solid rocket booster test ended with nozzle failure.
- Early test stages looked promising; thrust vector control system worked until failure.
Transporter 14 Mission
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70 payloads delivered via Falcon 9, including:
- Otter Pup 2 (Starfish Space) — aiming for first commercial docking.
- Allarisat (Australia) — water quality monitoring from orbit.
- VA Space reentry capsule — pharmaceutical research.
- Exploration Company’s “Mission Possible” — memorial flight with cremated remains.
Axiom Mission to ISS
- Axiom 4 launched from Pad 39A.
- Smooth ride to orbit; beautiful booster return.
- Mission focused on intensive scientific research and future private space station plans.
Starlink & Kuiper Launches
- 5 Falcon 9 launches in a week — record pace.
- Amazon’s KuiperSat-2 launched on Atlas V (27 satellites for internet constellation).
- Tight FCC deadline: Amazon needs ~1,600 more satellites in orbit by July 2026.
Rocket Lab
- “Get The Hawk Outta Here” mission launched with Hawkeye 360 and Kestrel payloads.
- Another mission, “Symphony in the Stars,” was pending at the time of video creation.
Rubin Observatory & Astronomy Discoveries
Rubin Observatory First Data
- 3,200 MP camera starting LSST survey.
- Observes wide-field images every 3 nights — unprecedented data volume.
- Expected to increase known asteroids 5x and detect standard candles (Cepheid variables) over 1 million light years away.
Deep Sky Images
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Images like “Cosmic Treasure Chest” and “Cosmic Abundance” reveal:
- Millions of galaxies.
- Shockwaves of stars from galactic collisions.
- Motion blur showing nearby objects (e.g., asteroids).
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Data accessible via online tools — a boon for public and amateur astronomers.
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TLDR: They might MacGyver a replacement Starship test stand by welding a Starship transport stand to the orbital launch mount.
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ChatGPT combined two segments. They separately mentioned Ship 38 was being assembled on a stand and that a transport stand was being moved toward the launch site to possibly serve as a test stand. The test would be of Ship 37 on that MacGyvered test stand.
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