Starship Rapid Iteration Can Be Scary

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Welcome to Starbase, Texas - a place where the future of space exploration is being built, but sometimes things go BOOM! 🚀💥 In this Halloween-themed video, we're revisiting some of the spookiest moments in the SpaceX Starship program. From fiery mishaps to heart-stopping explosions, we'll dive into the lessons learned along the way. Join us for a thrilling journey through the ups and downs of Starbase history. Spooky Moments at SpaceX Starbase: Scary Explosions and Near Misses! Happy Halloween from NSF!
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🤵 Hosted by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)
🖋️ Written by Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera (@alexphysics13)
✂️ Edited by Sawyer Rosenstein (@thenasaman)
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed)
📹 Video by: BocaChicaGal, Jack Beyer, Starbase Live, NASA, SpaceX, Michael Baylor, Elon Musk.
🔍 If you are interested in using footage from this video, please review our content use policy: www.nasaspacef...
L2 Boca Chica (more clips and photos) from BC's very early days to today.
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#SpaceX #Starbase #Starship #Explosions #SpaceExploration #RocketLaunches #ElonMusk #SpaceHistory #SpaceTechnology #Halloween #ScaryMoments #LessonsLearned

[@Vatsyayana87]

The elevator weight throwing sparks as it screamed down the track and slammed into the ground like 24 hours before IFT-1 was a little concerning as well. Man... Hopper and SN4, those were back in the 12-14 hour stream days... You guys have done so much for us and we thank you forever.

[@NASASpaceflight]

Accurate scales! Ares = Bad. Shuttle = Good :D

[@Vatsyayana87]

Yeah Yeah lol. You cant beat shuttle, ill give ya that. But the possibilities of the Aluminum (oh wait, lemme try in horse riding brit speak..) Aluminium spitting space candle could have really made a good jump in space access for that time. But now we have much better options so we can move on from it i guess.. Now go carve a gord or whatever you guys still use over there and have a nice day.

[@bryanillenberg]

@@Vatsyayana87 tone down the rudeness, okay? But Shuttle was absolute trash. It should have been canceled the moment the Saturn Shuttle concept was dropped.

[@Vatsyayana87]

@@bryanillenberg Rudeness? NSF actual is a Brit, im an American, its almost law that i flick him grief about us spelling the same element differently, and he loves horses so i just threw that in for fun. Also its halloween which comes from across the pond in his area, where they would gather assorted gords to carve because pumpkins werent a staple trademark of the holiday yet. There was nothing but friendly banter in my comment. But i will say that you are so wrong about shuttle. It was one of the most impressive and amazing engineering marvels of human history and so so beautiful. I will die on that hill right next to my plucky British compadre.

[@bryanillenberg]

@@Vatsyayana87 I misinterpreted your statement. Sorry. Yes, the Shuttle did some amazing things. But it was a complete failure at what it was supposed to do: lower cost/kg. The Saturn V was more efficient. Hell, even the Saturn I and IB frankenrockets were more efficient. The Saturn Shuttle design was safer (no SRBs, and the S-IC was a proven design), with a pathway to reuse of the first stage (there were several studies into this).

[@ross077]

Thanks to everyone at NSF for a hugely entertaining Halloween video, I hope you guys enjoyed making it as much as I enjoyed watching it 😂

[@SawyerRosenstein]

This was definitely a fun one to edit as I'm sure you can tell lol

[@AdamJ03]

​@SawyerRosenstein Great job with the edit Sawyer!

[@Mitsuolevel]

What a wild ride we have seen so far. Thank you NSF for giving us the chance to see all that

[@danielb5801]

Spending a week with Jack was pretty scary.

[@JackABeyer]

DAN

[@danielb5801]

@@JackABeyer I never said you were what made it scary.

[@JackABeyer]

@@danielb5801what was it then?? Hmmm?

[@danielb5801]

@@JackABeyer Trying the impossible burger, The spicy bacon, Driving with Sean.

[@JaviAirwraps]

I remember exactly, that i was at my kitchen sink washing dishes when the sn4 methane explosion happened. I thought Jack jinxed it lol!!! But this was a fun vid. Made my October! Love you guys

[@Lothlindir]

What a nice video...good to remember all that explosions. Good work nsf

[@mrwidget42]

The Starhopper flame jet made it look like a supersize dalek.

[@murbella7]

This video and all the reports you guys provide will eventually become one of mankind's greatest historical records. Pretty much every other rocket company hides everything they do behind big steel doors and corporate secrecy rules until the very day their results are rolled into public view (where they usually fail). We will learn and remember little of those companies and their efforts but we will all know about and remember Space-X.

[@DebraJean196]

Takes guts to publicly test like that. But NASA did it in the beginning. The world watched as rocket after rocket blew up.

[@jacklets3851]

That thumbnail was heartbreaking for a split second. I didn’t realize it was a past launch😂

[@hannable3871]

Right, I was like, what the hell happened?

[@NadineLynch10]

I got a fright and said to myself what happened this time?

[@tinman3251]

good ol sn4

[@RichardShift]

Same.. 😅 really scary, for a moment!

[@Vatsyayana87]

The thumbnail is of SN10 my friend.@@tinman3251

[@Hampus_006]

Did we forget that booster 7 had its downcomer implode during a cryo test? 6/10 on the scary scale for me.

[@JackABeyer]

Nah we didnt. Also… transfer tube

[@B4s_aft_section]

My scariest moment was: the day was April 17th 2023 and after a lot of begging my parents let me stay of school to watch Starship IFT-1, it got to t-5 mins and they announced that where stepping down from that day’s attempt (I still got to watch the launch on the 20th)

[@Anzerianpatriot]

The scariest moment was definitely SN4 going boom, the static fire test looked good and then l it just got obliterated out of nowhere.

[@Vatsyayana87]

It all happened fast thats for sure. Though i remember seeing the massive leak and knew what possibility was just waiting to happen. But ill be honest, didnt expect it to actually go off. It was quite incredible.

[@yootoobnz8109]

Fun video, but a little surprised you missed out SN8 & SN9's scary landings. Very early on, when Starhopper's nosecone blew over, now that had to be scary for the workers, as in: rock-paper-scissors, who's gonna tell the Boss?

[@David-yo5ws]

I thought NSF would have mentioned how Frankiencrane 'ran' to the rescue of SN9 (Eilean). She never got rid of that 'lean' factor did she? 🚀 landed like that.

[@MickRonald]

Everyone can thank SpaceX for doing these tests in full view for all to watch. As far as I know, we don't get this level of access from NASA, Blue Origin, or others. A big thumbs up to NSF for providing it to us. Thanks Jack, Alex, Sawyer, and Kevin for this very creative Halloween themed video.

[@donnaonos3895]

Thank you NSF for allowing us to continue watching launches 😊

[@georgemoore6662]

Hi Donna🌹🌹 How are you doing?

[@Midcon77]

That was a really fun video guys! Great job!

[@59seank]

Great script Alejandro. Great delivery Jack. I think the most scary thing at Starbase is Jack's beard. IT"S ALIVE!

[@JackABeyer]

ITS EATING MY FACE AAAHHHHGGGGGG. THIS IS JACK. BUY BEARD OIL. GROW A BEARD. BEARD GOOD. ALL HAIL BEARD.

[@bryanillenberg]

@@JackABeyer 🤣🤣

[@rchorseman]

What a great video, lot’s of memories here. Thanks so much NSF team.

[@cyteen02]

honourable mention for Dangervan !

[@JBPenguino]

Wasn’t expecting this but it’s nice

[@johnlynch5007]

Great summary. I am with you in wishing we had seen sn11

[@JackABeyer]

Right?!

[@MichaelCox]

Retrospective 11 out of 10 on the power slide of S24B7. That *narrowly* avoided hitting the launch mount, which could have easily turned into a fully fueled pad explosion.

[@jasonthomas2011]

that's awesome!! 😄 thanks!

[@Tabouleh00]

I think we need a Scale scale. The Spookiness Scale rates about 7 out of 10 on the Scale scale in my opinion. But the Scale scale rates about 2 out of 10 on it's own scale because of lameness. So the Scale scale is 2 out of 10 on the Scale scale scale.⚖⚖⚖⚖

[@JackABeyer]

I support this

[@Vatsyayana87]

Agreed

[@SawyerRosenstein]

No. Please no more scales!!!!

[@David-yo5ws]

@@SawyerRosenstein 🐍 Slitherin's like sssssssscales.

[@ANGRY_AMERICAN]

Awesome recap, the many scales was funny and entertaining. Keep up the great work hope to see it again next year.

[@themiltonguy4530]

not even a minute in and I know I'm going to love this. Thanks!

[@gingerman5123]

Alex, THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!

[@NASASpaceflight]

It's always Alex's fault! -kmr

[@ale131296]

You ain't wrong. I came up with the idea of making this video 😜😜

[@SawyerRosenstein]

Thank you! We need to make it clear that there should be a balance of scales! And scale down the scales

[@Vatsyayana87]

I was totally blaming Sawyer till you got called out.. lol @@ale131296

[@Vatsyayana87]

Agreed, maybe bring it down about 3 Aries next time.@@SawyerRosenstein

[@riverdavekenny]

Jack is the "spoopiest"! 😂

[@jasoncasey3005]

Great episode! Happy Halloween

[@johnhanson6039]

Scariest was SN4 as I think that was only one to be a detonation rather than explosion, @NSF

[@Vatsyayana87]

I dont know if we ever quite got a confirmation about the B7 explosions speed (it may have been a detonation), but just to clarify, they are all explosions. You are distinguishing between a detonation and deflagration here. Cheers

[@doctorsov]

I like those scary rocket sounds)

[@cboy-ou2hr]

They went all out for this episode love it

[@johit103067]

I give the SN4 explosion a 10 out of 10 on the Scariest Scale. It rattled windows in Harlingen! Wow! What an explosion!

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

Yup. The mass simulator weighing 22 tons went flying right up about 30m then landed hard next to the pad. The pad was scrap.

[@Spherical_Cow]

You should've included the elevator cables snapping and cabin crashing down to the ground inside the OLIT. That would rank super-scary in my book (and I mean, in itself that's already one of the more well-known phobias); fortunately there weren't any workers on/near that elevator/OLIT at the time...

[@areareare9953]

Yeah, that would be the scariest - they clear the pad for the rockety bits, but that would be a definite bad thing if someone was in it.

[@jimgraves4197]

I remember watching Starhopper being a Fire breathing Dragon!

[@cboy-ou2hr]

I been here since 2019 I remember all these moments

[@Vatsyayana87]

Im sure we shared some pop corn on more then one occasion then.

[@cboy-ou2hr]

@@Vatsyayana87 I remember when I use to get scared of them doing a cryo test because I thought it was going to fail remember waking at 3 AM in the morning to seeing SN3 cryo failure seeing SN5 take flight for the first time

[@Pampalak]

Nice scary scale! (Don't show it to Thomas B. tho haha)

[@sprinter768]

This video gets 10/10 in the Jackness scale

[@StuffOfInterest]

Brought back memories of SpaceX's own video of "how not to land a rocket". Fun stuff.

[@AdamJ03]

This was such a fun video! Hopefully IFT-2 soon!

[@johnwiles4391]

I remember being very impressed with sn8 when it hit ground (hard) on landing and it totally did not crumple like a wet noodle the way we have seen so many other rockets fail. Indeed, it held up like a very stiff building!

[@yootoobnz8109]

Are you sure you mean SN8? SN8 landed kinda hard. Maybe SN10? I like Cosmic Perspective's "Valhalla: Starship Explosion Footage SN8-SN11", a really good summary, very well edited, worth a look.

[@danielalejandroochoaalvare590]

I think the SN11 explosion was something like "a mystery in the fog"😶‍🌫️

[@Jonasastrophotos]

I remember watching the SN4 explosion live. It was quite a sight

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Thanks for the video Jack and Das! I WAIT for these. You two are the best and only presenters left. Cheers.

[@StephenShard]

Spooky Ares! WooooOOooOoOoOO! 👻💥

[@wizardofhoz7216]

I’ve been around for all , scary scared how the time flies and sometimes Starship, there at Starbase. Go Starship, Go Spacex, and please Go FAA!!!❤🎉😊!!!

[@rchilton]

Great fun stuff!

[@raptorversionthree]

The scariest moment I've ever seen was that I almost missed IFT-1! ☠️

[@Vatsyayana87]

Close call eh?

[@raptorversionthree]

@@Vatsyayana87 As I know my luck, I'm sure that the same thing will happen to me during IFT-2 too. 😅

[@David-yo5ws]

LOL. Well Tim Dodd completely missed the launch! So busy talking and looking at his computer, instead of just looking out over the balcony 👀

[@stevenroberts5683]

SN10 was a 10/10 on the spooky scale. Parts raining down through the fog, that's the definition of spooky.

[@Hello_OoOoO]

Sn11

[@wspepsilon]

Great memories for sure! Cool to see recaps of things missed and lived through live. I didn't find the channel until the SN8/9 ish timeframe.

[@Lensman864]

Happy Halloween guys! 🎃🚀

[@valamaas]

Hearing imperial units is scary

[@davidelang]

I think you underestimated the time it shucked the puck. The top tank flew a long way and could have done serious damage if it had gone a different direction There was also the fact that it popped before the official start time of the test. There was someone who had a scanner running on their feed and it was interesting to hear the sheriff reaction to it popping.

[@JackABeyer]

Good point! Oh man I wanna hear that audio.

[@obbie1osias467]

For me, a scary thought would be getting eaten by an F-14 Tomcat engine intake and being turned into ground meat. I was a stupid airman then when it happened and didn't understand why the Air Boss immediately got me fired off the flight deck duty! When somebody explained it to me, that was the last time I've ever walked on an aircraft carrier flight deck while a full flight operation is ongoing. Rocket explosions can't be that much scary anymore because we know Elon Musk won't be that crazy to kill people just to prove a point.

[@David-yo5ws]

Kermit Weeks just posted a video of his visit to an aircraft carrier. That was a 9/10 scary factor watching all the busy action going on in such a confined area, for me. And I was in the Navy, so it brought back to me memories of all that noise and confined room to move. I was only on a Frigate, Survey Ship, Diving Tender & Inshore Survey Ship. I wouldn't call yourself stupid. You were 'green' and some people have situational awareness skills and some don't. Your brain gets 'hard-wired' around the age of 5. So certain skills you can do well and other's you can't do at all. The Air Boss ensured you stayed alive. Thanks for your service.

[@travisslusser9808]

SN11 was ranked too low. I remember being on stream being like "WHAT'S GOING ON???".

[@tannar4607]

Good job Alex on all the scales

[@kenkahn138]

I always think of the pioneers in rocketry, you remember the blockhouse 30 ft from the rocket slash missile- that was for telemetry you couldn't get the data back and forth fast enough in those days at any distance so you have to be really close to the air fuel bomb,, there was a whole lot of explosions going on just feet away from the "Rocket Scientists" and future astronauts in the blockhouse.

[@carolmariel81]

The intro 😂😂!!! Omg you guys are the best 🙏, really thank you so much for all your hard work ❤. You are the best !!!

[@MistSoalar]

🤣🤣Ares-I for scariness scale. Thomas must be yelling from vandy.

[@proesterchen]

Nice touch on using the death stick for the scary scale! 👍👍

[@LodeRunner-to2pt]

GREAT FUN, GOOD JOB😮

[@NOM-X]

Should've put a witch on a broom in the "NSF," logo instead of the Shuttle. Good Job guys! - NOM

[@timestampterrysassistant7638]

Jack you’re scaring us 😱

[@SpontaneousIntrospections]

LOVE this video!! Great work and thanks for the laughs!!

[@smokingfoxx]

Fun😂.. thanks team NSF

[@thomasboese3793]

10:00 Lots of scales, but, you missed a big one, "It Flys!".

[@VanishingImage]

Still love when Das yelled " Did it just do a kerbal!?" lol.

[@mohammednumaan9204]

This episode is the coolest till date! The intro with the spooky sound looks best😂 loved it.

[@o0shad0oo]

Why didn't you show the elevator failing, sending the counterweight crashing down in a trail of sparks?

[@Vatsyayana87]

Lol, i mentioned it as well. I wonder if its because they didnt actually catch it on their cams, i just remember watching it on lab cams for some reason.

[@ale131296]

We had it on the list, we had to skip a few of these moments or else the video ended up being too long but I wrote about it on the script heh

[@David-yo5ws]

@@ale131296 Tch tch tch 🦘Skippy 'The bush Kangaroo' Skipping right along folks. (I will see myself out 🚪) That's an Australasian 1970's TV show, by the way.

[@robertarmstrong3478]

Scary beard explosion as well!

[@DigbyGrayston]

you peeps are great...love the news updates and the different presenters . it works well.

[@gingerman5123]

Hotel is booked. See yall at StarBase!

[@Unknown-fe9om]

What? Why did you book the hotel? The approval has not arrived yet. It's coming soon

[@Vatsyayana87]

Have plan B and C on stand by. Chances are hardly more concrete then it was 3 months ago.

[@David-yo5ws]

@@Unknown-fe9om But Gingerman did not say what date it is booked for. And might have a transfer booking date capability.

[@Volamek]

SN4 just sticks with me. It was by far the largest exposition at the time, and relatively unexpected. I'll always remember reacting live with the NSF crew.

[@danceswithmules]

Alex, you had more scales than a fish...

[@corrinastanley125]

Thanks NSF team you have outdone yourselves with this video, loved it.

[@murbella7]

This video definitely Does NOT put shade on SpaceX. If anything, it shows how open they are to error and how rapid they use their considerable expertise in problem fixing.

[@diraziz396]

02:50 - That's Smoky the Bandit when he was Little..

[@dufkers]

I suspect SpaceX got lucky with the weather on SN11. Any news story about the danger of Starship would be using that clip for years to come.

[@JackABeyer]

For sure. From an optics standpoint it went about as well as i could have given the low viz.

[@theshrew8853]

That SN8 burst disk situation was especially scary especially as it was at night

[@patgalloway2228]

Great video! Love it.

[@RealAndySkibba]

Super fun Halloween video! 🎃 💥

[@Creadeyh]

SN11 should be a 10 scary, it's literally a ghost RUD !!!

[@David-yo5ws]

👻💥🔟

[@NASASpaceflight]

⚡ Thanks to Solar Expanse for Sponsoring this Spoooooky Video ⚡ ⚡ Check out Solar Expanse: nsf.live/solarexpanse ⚡

[@SamuelLopez-id4po]

Boo 🎃

[@Apxllopie]

Boo!

[@tonamg53]

SN9 test flight was the most Kerbal thing ever! and it was glorious…

[@AR_Wald]

Alex, this is your fault

[@matthewerwin4677]

The Fish and Wildlife service is grateful for your montage.

[@faj7342]

No "be excellent to each other"? I really miss that!

[@ThexBorg]

Fantastic debris moments in Starship development.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

i think there should have been a "beavering scale" for the guys who work at starbase, i don't think i've ever seen so much 24/7 activity without unions getting involved, they do a great job, i hope they get paid well.

[@Spacey1800]

Bro I actually thought it blew up 😮 the video screen

[@witchdoctor6502]

I hope once Starship is flying we get the RUD montage similar to F9

[@rokadamlje5365]

Solar game with porkchop plots and no aliens? Sign me in!

[@NASASpaceflight]

Right? - Das

[@patgalloway2228]

Loved this!! 😊

[@stephenwhite1372]

Fantastic video!!! Thanks guys!

[@lazarus2691]

Using Ares-1 for the spoopy meter is a mood.

[@AerospaceHorizon]

Wow. Starbase - Halloween Edition 🎃

[@foulasign]

Alex, I don't really mind all the scales

[@craigwatt1303]

0:32 oh. thats just flaring. don't worry about it. its controlled. so many scales in this video we could make a song from it.

[@zapfanzapfan]

!hose 🙂 And thank you for all the coverage during the pandemic, seeing the progress was really helpful.