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Starship Damages Launchpad [1]

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Date: 2023-04-22  

Starship

Before the launch of Starship, Elon quipped, “just don’t blow up the launchpad.”

I guess it depends on one’s definition of “blow up” but, as the Washington Post reports today, the launch did significant damage to the pad.

I was surprised when I saw the rocket sitting atop what looks like a giant stool. I’m used to the days of the Saturn V when there was an enormous flame diverter under the launch pad. Musk said that three months ago the company started to build “a massive water-cooled, steel plate to go under the launch mount.” But he said that it “wasn’t ready in time” and the company had hoped the concrete under the rocket would survive the first launch.

Well, it didn’t. Here’s a Twitter post that shows the pad pre and post launch. The damage to the bottom of the tower is significant and, remember, that’s the base of a tower at least 450’ tall. I’m not a mechanical engineer and I don’t know how to “fix” the bottom of such a structure without somehow supporting the remainder.

Inside the article are some videos that show the beach being shrapneled at the moment of launch and a car parked 1100 ft away engulfed in smoke and debris. And then there’s this picture of huge dents in nearby storage containers. Which begs the question: storage containers of what?! I don’t know if the damage was caused by debris or the shock wave.

Musk said that it “looks like we can be ready to launch again in 1 to 2 months.” Good luck.

I know the WaPo article is behind a firewall. Usually you can read an article on your cell if you don’t have an account. My wife does it all the time.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/22/2165336/-Starship-Damages-Launchpad

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