The Super Heavy Booster is heading to the launch pad. There will be hold down test and other tests. The SN20 Starship will be stacked on top and then it will launch.
Super Heavy B4 has left the building! #SpaceX #BocaChica #Starbase #Texas #Starship pic.twitter.com/Yrpporqrvn
— LabPadre (@LabPadre) August 3, 2021
SOURCES= C-bass Production, Tasmanian, LabPadre, NASASpaceflight
Written by Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com
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Balancing broomstick hardware in the crawler maybe? 🙂
Plus tie-downs, I'd assume…
I suppose they're both too large to land on the barges used for the Falcons.
Super Heavy, the booster, has never flown. Not even a hop. Its first launch will be an attempt to boost the Starship upper stage to a partial orbit. The planned flight profile has the booster coming down in the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles from the launch site about 8 minutes after launch, and the spaceship coming down about 60 miles (100 km) off the northwest coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai about 90 minutes after launch. Both the booster and the spaceship will be attempting "soft water landings," basically trying to land as they are intended to land.
From <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=273481" rel="nofollow"><b>Starship Orbital – First Flight FCC Exhibit</b></a> . . .
<blockquote><i>"The Starship Orbital test flight will originate from Starbase, TX. The Booster stage will separate approximately 170 seconds into flight. The Booster will then perform a partial return and land in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 20 miles from the shore. The Orbital Starship will continue on flying between the Florida Straits. It will achieve orbit until performing a powered, targeted landing approximately 100km (~62 miles) off the northwest coast of Kauai in a soft ocean landing."</i></blockquote>
From what I understand, the intention is to go for orbit. Could be wrong about that, but I don't think so. But, not sure when the FAA will approve it.
Havr they made a "hopp" with the booster or are they going for orbit right away?
Kind of amazed they use a crawler for this, but I guess it isn't very tippy while unfueled.