The daily problems on Brilliant are actually fantastic. Great way to challenge your brain each day. Thanks again to Brilliant for making these videos possible: brilliant.org/realengineering/

Would it not be ironically hilarious if the Mars spaceship ends up looking EXACTLY like the 'absurd' spaceships of 1950's space movies? :)

Elon stares at Starship for a moment. "Tell you what, throw a little hot rod red in there".

The sweating part is really really smart. Makes me believe that the best engineering is to copy nature.

"The Falcon 9 certified for human payload is a bit of a nightmare" Me: NOT ANYMORE!!

You missed the real important bit. " Most steel alloys get brittle at cryogenic temperatures. That’s not the case for stainless steel with high chrome-nickel content. It gets stronger in cold conditions, but it also maintains ductility. That means stainless steel has high fracture toughness, which could prevent small structural imperfections from developing into cracks." With the cryo fuel loaded, that thin sheet of steel is stronger than carbon fiber, on top of all the other stuff you mentioned.

Your thumbnail game is *so* strong.

Starhopper - the test article Starship - the actual thing that goes to Mars

2020: the tin can now exists and even launched once

Other scientists: “Let’s colonize Mars” Elon Musk: “Yeah, let’s colonize Mars, but first: Meme 👏 Review 👏"

I love how Elon is pushing new ideas, and failure together. Because success without failure is just luck lol.

Another amazing video again! Been a long time viewer and can say this channel is one of the reasons i'm studying engineering now

Real Engineering: Sometimes you just need to make mistakes to learn, which is why you should sign up to Brilliant. People who sign up to Brilliant: lol won't do that again

I'm British, so know you're talking in Celsius, but when you're talking about numbers in Degrees, you should always specify whether Fahrenheit, Celsius or Kelvin. The first rule of Engineering is "Name your units".

Origin of "WD-40" - I honestly never knew that before!

My Soviet university "diploma work" back in 1987 was to test this type of cooling for rocket re-entry, porous pressed metal powder was used, however there were problems with incostintent gas flow in different parts of provided samples. Hopefully perforated solid metal will work better than baked together particles, I really hope such protection is possible (although not 100% sure), only tests will show.

I like coming back to this video to see just how far SpaceX has grown in such a short time, not just for a space company but just a company in general!

Flex tape. Problem solved. Rocket made entirely out of Flex tape.

_"where stainless steel shines"_ *see what you did there*

Correction or note: It was only the fairing that toppled over. The bottom half with all the tanks, plumbing, etc stayed upright.

“Failure is an option here. If you’re not failing, you’re not innovating enough.” - Elon Musk

Just so you know, "Starhopper" is the test vehicle currently being built. The actual thing will be called "Starship" and the booster "Super Heavy".

"The thing literally fell over in the wind" Mars, 2020 Astronaut 1: I'm gonna get the tools from the rocket. Astronaut 2: Sure, go ahead. *heads outside Astronaut 1: Where's the feckin' rocket!? I just parked it right here!

The ship looks like nothing else... unless you grew up watching '50s sci-fi.

Here we are. Days before SN9 takes off. I hope it could land perfectly this time.

The first liquid cooled rocket better have RGB

"There's no oil on Mars" The American government has lost interest.

Rule 1 of engineering: MORE TRIANGLES!!!

As someone who works in Aerospace Metals I love these videos. Can you make a video on Nickel Alloys in Aerospace? Or perhaps Cobalt alloys!

There's a couple of errors or misconception in the video and one key part brushed over: 1. "Starhopper" is just the nickname of the test vehicle being built in Texas; it has this name because when SpaceX were testing the software and systems required to perform landings with the Falcon 9 they built a short version of a Falcon 9 (with just 1 Merlin engine) which was called Grasshopper. The actual rocket that's going to Mars is called "Starship" as a whole, with the upper stage bearing the same name and the booster (which is only necessary for getting Starship off of Earth's surface) being called Superheavy (as a spiritual step-up from Falcon Heavy). 2. The Starhopper vehicle being built in Texas is not the same height, weight, etc as Starship (just as Grasshopper didn't have the height, weight, etc of Falcon 9); rather it's just designed to test propulsion and the final stages of landing (being able to throttle the engine properly, have a reliable and rapid gimbal system, etc). They do have a very rough approximation of the final Starship's CG vs center of pressure with Starhopper, but it's only really rough data. There's also rumours that they might attempt a simulated mid-air engine-out, where the rocket would descend under 1 or 2 engines (instead of all 3 they're installing on Starhopper; Starship is currently planned to have 7 engines), likely at a tilted angle - engine-out redundancy is important for something that's envisioned to carry 100 people to Mars and (later) back. 3. They're also going to be building a full-scale prototype of Starship separately to Starhopper; this full scale prototype was meant to be under construction now at the Port of Los Angeles, but SpaceX didn't renew their lease and are moving construction to Texas, so there's likely not much in LA right now (that can't be moved by truck, rather than barge, to their new Texas facility). It's not clear whether this would be a vehicle that later turns into an operational vehicle, but that full scale prototype will actually test things like the aerodynamics of the rocket (including the special aerodynamic control surfaces, have the proper manufacturing techniques (such as those involved with the active cooling system), etc. Starhopper will get the control laws tuned into the ballpark, the Starship prototype will refine these to transport customer payloads and humans. 4. This is the key part you missed out - a lot of materials, such as carbon composites, aluminium and even many stainless steels, get weaker when they're subjected to the cryogenic temperatures experienced when being used to store -200C liquids. The specific stainless steel (a slight variant of 301 SS for the tanks, a slight variant of 310 SS for the heat shield outer wall) that SpaceX will be using however actually gets about 50% *stronger* when it experiences these temperatures. The combined cryo + hot strength advantages of steel has ended up resulting in the payload capacity of Starship rising compared to prior carbon composite-based plans.

They actually let the carbon fiber tank explode to know it's maximum limit. It didn't fail.

While I hope Elon pulls it off, I wish they would not call the thing Starship. Its supposed to take people to Mar's, not Proxima Centauri.

Can I just say you're a major reason I am getting a Certificate in Data Science and a Masters in Material Science & Engineering. Thank you!!!

SpaceX is killing it right now. I hope this works!

Real Engineering 10:36 Sometimes you just need to make mistakes to learn, which is why you should sign up to Brilliant...

0:09 that fox is a classic image

What you said about WD-40 is true, It was deloped by Aerosol systems, I used to work there

I think one aspect that was missed in the video is that Stainless steels have also come a long way as far as properties in the last 50 years. They are generally easier to weld than aluminum alloys and not prone to the same fatigue life. In general Stainless steels have gotten significantly stronger (UTS) in the last 30 years and therefore can be considered an option that was not feasible in the 60's of 70's.

Space X: "I can build reusable rockets that land themselves on land or on water at the same time!" Wind: "Can i come?"

"Think like an engineer" dangerous words to say on the shop floor.

This week SpaceX just sent a live crew to the ISS, which the US hasn't been able to do for nine years. Elon Musk has his quirks but he is the kind of entrepreneur that America has been lacking for about 40 years, a true innovator and achiever. many other companies have not made nearly so much advancement in their fields (im looking at you,, car companies) but Musk is pushing the envelope and getting results. (by the way the most advancement weve seen in AUTOS was also due to Musk)

not gonna lie, the sight of rocket landing is super cool

I love this channel, this was a bit of a bizarre video though. Mentioning the fact that the Starship has to reenter "not once, but twice" kind of down plays the significance of what Spacex is doing here. They're not just developing a rocket for the purpose of going to Mars and coming back, they're trying to design a rocket that can go to Mars, come back, and then leave again any number of times. The goal is a fully reusable rocket than can go to space and reenter tens, hundreds, or maybe even (a bit aspirational) thousands of times. And it's not just for Mars, it'll also do routine launches of satellites and cargo to places like the ISS, geostationary orbit, etc. It's intended to completely replace the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, so it's going to be doing quite a bit more than going to Mars.

SpaceX is seriously a hot topic right now

They couldn't decide on a colour for the ship, Then when the sun's rays hit it, Oooooohh Shiny, We like that, Sod the paint job.

Matt Groening deserves credit for the design of that spaceship - because I've seen it before on Futurama!!

Cuz stainless steel vehicles are better for time travel

Plus it won't rust from all the humidity on Mars 😝

Amazing content and good material knowledge! Another interesting consideration is application of torsional loads unto the material as Kepler's laws take over. This certainly makes isotropic materials like SS a preferred choice, at least until we can improve composite material science to respond equally well to compound forces. However, there will always be limitations associated with substrate selection for various coatings/shielding, especially as their CTEs vary and internal strain is created. Looking forward to other videos!

One important factor you didn't give enough attention to is the fact that with very large spacecraft, there is more room for carrying extra weight. For smaller spacecraft there is a very small margin and any extra mass means significantly higher launch costs per kg. However, for a large reusable spacecraft the equation changes dramatically. There is much more room for extra mass and reliability and reusability become far more important. The main reason why super large rockets have not been used till now is the lack of reusability meant the greater complexity of larger rockets was less economical than small ones. They would have had to launch large numbers of satellites on every launch to be economically viable.

FYI that aluminum CNC'd away IS NOT wasted. It's collected, melted down, and reused to make new aluminum billets. At least it is in any other business besides SpaceX. I assume they do the same. No one would just "waste" that much aluminum and just throw it away, actually wasting it.

Dude, you are better than my physics teacher. You might have just inspired a kid to become an aerospace engineer.

One year later and it has worked

Cooling the skin with cow farts!! Intriguing.

If Elon really take us to Mars and comes back, his name for sure will go down in history as one of the first pioneers of human interplanetary travel, and the best part is that most of us will be here alive to witness his success.

I highly recommend watching Scott Manley's videos to learn about rocketry stuff in a divulgative level (there're more interesting channels but that's the one I'd always recommend first).

I like how you explain their decisions just before SpaceX to change them

"Sometimes you just need to make mistakes to learn... *Which is why you should sign up to Brilliant*" Damn that was brutal XD

Short answer: they felt like replicating Queen Amidala's ship.

few months later, and we are on the cusp of Starhopper doing a 20 m hope, with Starship doing a 20 Km hop in a few months. Hope you will do a follow up. cheers

It’s funny watching this 4 years in the future where they have just successfully blasted starship into orbit

Could I also suggest that Stainless Steel might offer greater protection from particle bombardment and Hard Radiation, as well as the other benefits?

We don’t care about actual rockets, we only care about Elon making genetically engineered cat girls

I agreed with everything you said. But you did not seem to want to replay. So much fun. I am always here for you!

"Sometimes you just need to make mistakes to learn, which is why you should sign up to brilliant." Sounds like it's would be a mistake to sign up :P

Elon Musk: “In this spaceship we will reach mars” Spaceship: *gets knocked down by wind*

It’s crazy how technology is unfolding before our very eyes. In a few decades these moments will be in our history books. Elon is definitely one of the most important pioneers of the 21st century. Imagine what he could do in the field of medicine

10:25 "on the surface though, the whole operation looks like a bit of a s*** show." I really love how Brian can geek out about Elon Musk's ventures and criticise them at the same time. We need more people like that following Tesla's and SpaceX' developments.

What I learned: Space travel is just min/maxing.

I don't understand a thing but looks great...

It's june 2024! Super heavy booster and Starships 4th flight test is successful with splashdown of both vehicles on the ocean. 🎉

“On the surface though the whole operation looks a bit like a shitshow” 😂😂😂

Nah it's for aesthetic. Obviously.

*Me acting as if understood anything he said in the video*

Thing needs an ACME sticker on it! ..piloted by Wiley Coyote

It's truly amazing that the new S/S SpaceX Starship looks so much like the space-Ships of the 1950's movies.

Use of propellant for cooling during reentry is not as unusual as you think as this is not the first time it was proposed on a space vehicle. It was featured on a lot of Phillip Bono's designs such as the SASSTO and ROMBUS.

I’m from the future starhopper did it, StarShip is coming 🚀

Please do one on the raptor engine as well!!

Thanks for the well done video. What I liked most about this video is that it wasn't degraded by having to look at someone's face presenting this video.

Has anyone asked the Martians how they feel about being colonised?

“Why did space x build a stainless steel starship?” Answer: cause it’s cool

The good ship Planet Express Ship.

The X-20 Dyna Soar's heat shielding also would've used liquid coolant during peak heating.

Cost, ease of production, structural strength

How thick are space ships if 10mm stainless steel walls was “extremely thin”?

Ok, so now that Starship has "advanced" its development, are there any arguments remaining for using steel? The dry mass of Starship is ridiculous. The HLLV from NASA's SPS study had a similar payload to Starship, yet only 4000t weight when fully fueled (lese than simply the fuel mass of Starship!) - even with some mass reserve! Apparently, aluminium construction/winged flyback is a pretty efficient design! From what I can gather, the SPS HLLV has enough of a mass margin that it can afford to have a heatshield separate from the cryotanks, with an insulation layer in between. Most of the heat is blocked out by the tiles and insulation, and so the actual temperature affecting exterior of the tanks should be no worse than the rocket standing in summer sun. So not a 2500°C difference but only about 300°C - much better. So it goes 2500°C frontface -> heat tiles -> 100-300°C backface -> insulation -> -300°C tank interior. By splitting the load, you can also optimize the thermal systems - the tiles for high temperatures to medium ones, the insulation from medium to low ones. In addition, Starship absolutely needs a thick TPS, no matter the material - its tanks also serve as the outer hull, so the tiles have to handle the entire 2500°C -> -200°C jump by themselves, the high melting point of steel doesn't matter. It would matter if the tanks were separate from the hull and it used a variation of the "hot structure" system proposed for the Dyna-Soar project, but Starship isn't built like that. There is a good point about the fatigue, but it isn't really tested - long-term wear and tear isn't really easy to predict. It could end up having higher maintenance needs than an aluminium construction, we can't know for sure until it is tested in actual conditions. P. S. Plus, the heavy steel construction forces Starship to use baloon tanks, like the Atlas I/II - and everybody will tell you that rocket was incredibly difficult to handle and move around, since the structure tended to crumple and buckle at the slightest loads, and even collapsed if it lost tank pressure. And despite baloon tanks being one of the lightest tank constructions ever known, Starship is still incredibly heavy. So another hit against steel.

I would love for you to do an update on BFR development, now that the Mk1 Starship is close to complete. The fact that they can make something like that on a beach in Texas, is maybe the most impressive thing about it. It's like performing surgery in a blooming canola field.

1:19 looks like a scene from Thunderbirds :)

Who come here after the launch? Starship roll multiple times at highest speed and still intact before be self-destructed. Its shown that Stainless steel is ultimate choice for it and maybe later space rockets.

Its elon musk, nothing is strange with this man

1.5 years ago, we weren't sure this was even going to work. This past week SpaceX landed astronauts from the ISS, performed the 150m hop on starship, launched their 10th StarLink mission, and won over the NSSL Contract. Their progress is unreal

Could you do a video on metallic glass/amorphous metal’s please

The StarSHIP is the full-sized human-rated vehicle that will go to Mars. The StarHOPPER is an unmanned test rocket that will only go to five miles of altitude and is solely used to test operations and the engines for the 'real' ship. You keep mixing the terms up and saying that the StarHopper will go to Mars.

5:05 , you say that CNC ing isogrid from thicker material produces a lot of waste (95%). This is most likely not true. It is recycled. It is easy to remove lubricants and remelt it, or as a part of another batch, and create another cast. It is just the problem of time and big machine required. These machines are rather costly, and it probably day or two to machine out one section even when toolpaths are optimized and very high feed rates are used with first past done using coarse milling and big tools.

Dude we need an updated SpaceX video. So much has happened since you released this one.

Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator - it is either gonna be a metal band's name, or someone's password.

I would also imagine that stainless steel has a better fatigue life than aluminum, meaning a reduction in maintenance hours.

Electric cars - first produced in the late 1800s Rockets - took men to the moon in the late 1960s Elon Musk - builds electric cars and rockets = amazing visionary

You could Rib these verticly too! To boost strength.Iso grid is cool too!You guy's are doing fine so far!Good luck!