SpaceX Fixed Starship V2 Problem, Get Ready for Flight 9 Next Month...

it's so close everyone flight 9 could be just a few weeks away according to musk's estimates making this one of the busiest periods of preparation in particular fixing starship's issues after the last two flights will be a top priority ensuring SpaceX has the best chance of success in the upcoming flight so what does SpaceX need to do to prepare in the coming weeks let's find out in today's episode of great SpaceX first off we have to talk about the flight 9 schedule again even though flight 8 experienced the same issues as flight 7 and is now undergoing a mishap investigation musk wasted no time in confidently announcing that the next flight could happen within 4 to 6 weeks meaning early to mid April this estimate was further reinforced by the FCC license which set an operational window from April 7th to October 7th the early start date has fueled expectations of a launch in early April however in my opinion a mid to late April launch seems more feasible now that we're in late March and approaching April the next Starship flight is just weeks away that means SpaceX is in its final preparations especially in addressing the issues that caused problems in previous flights while SpaceX has yet to officially announce all the causes behind the failures we can assume that most of the challenges remain the same as those faced during flight 7 the upgrades implemented before flight 8 can still be applied and further refined for ship 35 two primary factors likely contributed to the issues harmonic resonance and the impact of the stage separation mechanism in the previous flight the harmonic response in the cavity above the engine firewall may have been too strong leading to a leak as the leak worsened pressure likely built up and the venting system may not have the capacity to release it efficiently the leaked propellant could then have come into contact with the engine's exhaust gases triggering fires similar to what was observed in the vacuum engines of s34 additionally increased pressure and other factors could have compromised the cooling system causing the engines to overheat and fail to prevent a repeat of these issues SpaceX will need to further refine the upgrades introduced after flight 7 first the venting system must be improved to enhance pressure release capabilities next the fire suppression and nitrogen filtration systems need reinforcement to extinguish fires as soon as they arise finally the engine cooling system should receive additional protection to prevent damage and maintain performance throughout the flight engine reliability will be a key focus in the coming weeks S35 has already completed its cryogenic test meaning the next step is engine installation followed by Static fire testing each Raptor engine will need to undergo rigorous inspections before integration but the real challenge will come during the static fire test itself during the flight 8 campaign SpaceX conducted an unprecedented long duration static fire on ship 34 testing different thrust levels I believe this approach should be continued and expanded upon potentially with multiple tests at varying fuel levels to better diagnose any lingering feed line issues many analysts suggest that the feed line problem worsens as fuel levels decrease since spacex's pre-flight tests were all conducted with a fully fueled vehicle this issue may have remained undetected until actual flight conditions this problem related to structural resonance amplifies vibrations that can damage the vehicle the V2 Starship design might be more susceptible to this due to structural adjustments made in this iteration SpaceX appears to be taking this issue very seriously even going so far as to announce new engineering hires specifically to address the problem after the test the engine system will of course need to be inspected again to ensure reliability at the same time other critical systems including the heat shield payload integration and avionics must also undergo thorough checks the vehicle will then proceed to the wet dress rehearsal where all fueling procedures will be simulated speaking of this test I believe SpaceX should conduct the full wdr process rather than skipping certain steps as was done in the previous flight campaign ensuring that the fuel tanks and Associated systems function flawlessly under real conditions is crucial for Mission success now looking at B16 the system that requires the most attention right now is hot staging recent concerns suggest that the separation mechanism particularly the hot staging ring may be exerting excessive back pressure and shock on the upper stage to mitigate this improvements must be implemented before flight 9 to prevent these issues from recurring additionally the hot staging clamps need to be carefully inspected to prevent scrubs like the one that occurred in flight 8 even minor failures in this system could result in costly delays making it essential to address any potential weaknesses in advance the booster's engines also require adjustments to prevent damage especially in the reignition phase after separation while these issues have not yet impacted the booster's landing attempts they must still be resolved as SpaceX refines its recovery process just like with S35 these upgrades and fix must be prioritized immediately B16 has recently returned to the production site and its next step will be engine installation followed by Static fire testing given the complexities involved SpaceX may need to conduct multiple static fire tests with varying thrust levels and fuel loads to thoroughly evaluate performance following the static fire both the booster and ship must undergo extensive monitoring throughout the wdr campaign every parameter from fuel flow to structural integrity will need to be carefully analyzed to catch any potential issues before launch while these preparations are still unfolding one thing is clear SpaceX has been working with remarkable urgency and determination for example both S35 and B16 have undergone multiple cryogenic tests this indicates that SpaceX is actively pushing the limits of the fuel tanks propelling systems and overall structural endurance notably B16 remained at the Massie test site for several weeks after completing cryogenic testing during this time time it was likely subjected to additional evaluations focused on its fuel tank and Plumbing Systems there is still much work to be done and with just a few weeks remaining before the expected launch date SpaceX must carefully balance speed and thoroughness flight 9 will be a pivotal Mission it'll validate multiple objectives including payload deployment and Landing enhancements on the ship most importantly this flight must prove that SpaceX has effectively addressed the issues encountered in the previous 2 minutes missions the short-term objective is straightforward fix the problems ensure a smooth flight and Achieve Mission success while this may sound simple it is a critical step forward the long-term objective however is even more significant a successful flight KN will help restore confidence in SpaceX from both NASA and the broader Aerospace industry it'll reaffirm starship's role in future space exploration particularly within the Artemis program where it plays a key part in Humanity's return to the the moon so while the final weeks of preparation will demand significant time and effort the importance of these steps cannot be overstated after two consecutive flights with ship related failures spacex's resolve is now stronger than ever and with the launch date rapidly approaching perhaps just a few weeks away the excitement is building stay tuned as we witness SpaceX pushing the boundaries once again respond with nice nine to show your support for the team during this crucial phase then like the video and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on spacex's journey and now let's take a closer look at the upcoming dragon mission Fram 2 after being postponed late last year this highly anticipated private space flight is finally approaching launch according to spacex's latest announcement the mission is now scheduled to launch no earlier than March 31st meaning liftoff is just around the corner to ensure this timeline both the spacecraft and crew have undergone extensive preparation recently released images from SpaceX confirmed that the Dragon capsule has been transported to the company's facility in Florida where it'll be integrated with the Falcon 9 rocket meanwhile the crew who have been training in California have completed their final preparations and suit fittings the mission's name Fram 2 is inspired by the historic Norwegian seaf fairing vessel Fram which explored both the Arctic and Antarctic regions between 1893 and 1912 this name reflects the mission's unique tra trajectory an extraordinary 90° orbital inclination that will take the crew over both of Earth's poles this marks the first time a private crude space flight has attempted such a steep orbital path allowing for unprecedented observations of the planet's extreme polar regions Beyond this historic flight path Fram 2 will also conduct critical scientific research one of its primary objectives is to study the effects of microgravity on the human body furthering our understanding of space flight's impact on long duration missions additional research and observational tasks will be carried out throughout the mission reinforcing the increasing scientific value of commercial space flight Fram 2 was first announced last summer and is led by maltes entrepreneur Chun Wang he will be joined by three international astronauts Janik mikkelson from Norway Eric Phillips from Australia and Rea Raga from Germany this diverse team underscores the growing Global participation in private space exploration with the crew and spacecraft now fully prepared spacex's Next Step will be to stack the Dragon capsule at top its falcon9 rocket a static fire test will then be conducted to verify the vehicle's riness before final launch approval Fram 2 will be another milestone for spacex's Dragon program following in the footsteps of last year's polaron Mission which was led by billionaire entrepreneur Jered isman these missions highlight the remarkable versatility of the Dragon spacecraft reinforcing its position position as the world's leading private crew space vehicle that versatility was further demonstrated recently when crew 9 safely returned two Starliner astronauts to Earth following their unexpectedly extended Mission Beyond its scientific and exploratory objectives Fram 2 may also play a role in helping SpaceX break a record had the mission launched on schedule last year SpaceX could have achieved five crude Dragon flights in 2024 however with Fram 2 now set for 2025 the Company still has the opportunity to reach that Milestone this year this will be spacex's second dragon flight of 2025 following crew 10 with additional missions including crew 11 and upcoming axum flights expected to push the company toward a new launch record let's see how this historic Mission plays out and what new achievements SpaceX can accomplish with dragon this year this has been Kevin with great SpaceX don't forget to like the video and subscribe if you haven't already to stay up to date with yours truly in the latest details of spacex's progress thank you so much for tuning in and remember curiosity imagination and inspiration will always follow you as long as you keep looking up