

Alexander Bakharev
301 posts

@bakharev_a
Chief Executive Officer, Founder Mesuron Inc. https://t.co/BJ983tZ3ln Problems solver: Thermodynamics, AI, Bio-physics, Math, Aerodynamics https://t.co/3fgXZuFI38



The incomplete Raptor relights on Super Heavy during the final minutes of descent are most likely caused by something that is literally sitting on the surface of the vehicle. Previous boosters with Raptor 2 engines carried substantial heat protection that shielded both the engines and the upper face of the thrust plate that mounts them. Raptor 3 engines no longer need that individual protection, but the plate itself still does. During high-speed atmospheric descent the unprotected surface receives aerodynamic heating and mechanical load; that energy conducts straight into the propellant transfer lines and the tank structure. The result is intensified local boiling, two-phase flow or elevated vapor content in the feed system, and the consequent failure of multiple engines to light reliably for the landing burn. I spent more than a decade at RKK Energia and held the world records for the lowest liquid-helium evaporation rates in cryostats for decades. The thermal path and boil-off dynamics described above are exactly the class of problems I worked on. Happy to discuss the details if useful. @SpaceX



The sights and sounds of launching the world's most powerful rocket





SpaceX Starship Heat Shield Comparison Between Flights 10-13. It’s getting better every time. This is what progress looks like. 🦾







Starship 60-second static fire ahead of the thirteenth flight test





