This time with correct units! [Edit: NOT]

Some things that stand out to me:

  1. Acceleration from liftoff until around 1:00 is pretty much flat. I know rockets throttle down for Max Q but I didn’t realize it would be that much.
  2. Speaking of Max Q, it was announced on stream around the 1 minute mark and we can see that the vehicle quickly begins to accelerate afterwards. That being said, it was planned to happen at around 0:52, according to SpaceX’s press release. I wonder why (if) it came late.
  3. You can see just before the 2 minute mark when the first stage throttles back to limit acceleration on the structure as the vehicle gets lighter. Notice that it still rises though!
  4. When the Starship engines light, it seems to have a similar TWR to the booster at liftoff. I wonder what it will be like when it starts carrying payloads!
  5. As I mentioned in my previous post, you can clearly see at the 7:30 mark that the acceleration suddenly flattens. Could certainly have been planned, but I’m starting to suspect a malfunction.

Data taken at 5 second intervals.

  • threelonmusketeersMEnglish
    5•1 year ago

    Integrate area under velocity graph, then altitude is some launch angle percentage of that.

    Is it though? The rocket starts by pointing straight up, but then does a gravity turn. The launch angle wouldn’t be constant.

    • @derphurrEnglish
      -1•1 year ago

      Example with Saturn V

      During launch, the S-IC fired its engines for 168 seconds (ignition occurred about 8.9 seconds before liftoff) and at engine cutoff, the vehicle was at an altitude of about 42 miles (67 km), was downrange about 58 miles (93 km), and was moving about 7,500 feet per second (2,300 m/s).

      The second stage (S-II) will carry the space vehicle to an altitude of 102 nm and a distance of 892 nm downrange.