Tom B retweeted
Earlier this month, NASA's Kennedy Space Center posted the Draft PEA for SpaceX's expansion of its Roberts Road campus for Starship. This would expand the site from 167 acres to nearly 400 acres, more than doubling the existing footprint at the site.
netspublic.grc.nasa.gov/main…
Tom B retweeted
Lmfao a guy on the r/rocketry Discord server just posted a gif made by a Blue Origin insider that not just contains a new leaked angle of the NG-4 RUD, but also an internal dev name of a project called “Northstar”
Tom B retweeted
Masseys #2 site aerial image taken a few days ago
Tom B retweeted
New Tesla Roadster info from the videos below:
• Bespoke 4680 battery cell just for Roadster. Tesla's fastest charging battery, 15-80% charge in 10 mins.
• Tesla wants to get to a <30 minute COPV tank refilling time, which will last ~5 seconds (single use before you have to refill it).
• COPV uses an actuator from Tesla's Optimus robot
• Roadster is capable of 0-60mph time of 0.55 seconds
• 310-320 mile range
• Up to 1,500 hp
• Two motors, both on the rear axel
• 10,000 psi COPV
• 330+ mph top speed target
• Rocket trim will be limited production
• Almost every panel of the car moves in some way
• Roadster is 2 meters wide
• The pedals move for driver comfort. Seats are fixed
• Brake-by-wire (and steer-by-wire)
• Wireless phone charger
• Heated seats
• Next-gen heat pump
• Tesla's thinnest headlights ever
• Rear-wheel drive only, with 2 rear motors making 1+ megawatt & 1,400+ Nm, more than all 3 Plaid motors combined
• No differential: each rear wheel is controlled independently through 8.4:1 planetary gears, with its own inverter
• New 4680 cells with a special high-power chemistry, aluminum cans (instead of steel) & double-sided cooling
• Titanium upper battery plate + aluminum lower plate
• 800V architecture (same as Cybertruck & Semi)
• 15-80% charge in 10 minutes, Tesla's fastest-charging battery ever
• 300+ miles of range (battery size not disclosed)
• Target of 25-30 minutes of unlimited track driving per charge
• Weight just under 1,700 kg or 3,700 lbs (not final)
• Double wishbone front suspension, multi-link rear, adaptive dampers
• Track Mode lowers the car 40mm & makes it 3x stiffer
• Pop-down headlights only ~15mm tall
• Front wings move up to 80°, with pop-out side "scales" (barge boards) & an active hood vent
• 4 rear fans (~20 kW each) + 4 drop-down side skirts form a "sucker system" for 2+ g of cornering from 0-50 mph
• Skirts are replaceable rubber & nylon-bristle wear parts
• Orange-tinted titanium-oxide rear glass, as used on aircraft
• Removable roof panels
• 4-5 prototypes built so far, with a bigger build planned early next year
• Tesla calls it "the last great driver's car"
Top Gear got early access to the new Tesla Roadster with Franz and Lars. youtube.com/watch?v=JdkIOhFm…
Tom B retweeted
In other news, after roughly two months of assembly, the 420-ton bridge crane has been jacked up to the top of the Gigabay.
It’s one of eight bridge cranes that will be installed in the structure. The two larger 420-ton cranes will transfer vehicles between transport and work stands and handle breakover for horizontal transport, while the other six will be used for stacking operations.
12 hour time lapse 🎥: @LabPadre
Tom B retweeted
I see a lot of people asking how none of the tests were captured on camera. So first thing's first; many were. Not directly but the events were captured. Mini thread on each test site utilized below:
SpaceX performed some catch testing with the copsticks at the top of Pad-2 and workers were seen celebrating at the top of the tower later in the day
Beyond the limits of physics
– Multi-mode fan & ground sealing system pulls air from beneath the vehicle, generating enough suction to hold it upside down while stationary
– Powered fans & active wings maximize traction and cornering speeds in all conditions, achieving massive downforce at zero speed
– Advanced cold-gas thrusters w/ all-electric actuators make micro adjustments within a fraction of a second to stabilize the vehicle in flight
Interior
– Ultrawhite interior w/ gray microsuede detailing & seat bolsters for added grip
– Manual controls & a fixed seat position reduce overall vehicle mass
– Lightweight, high-strength materials throughout, including magnesium, titanium & carbon fiber help reduce it further
This allows Roadster to respond to driver inputs almost instantly









































