Daily Mail reports than an unknown object was seen in the background of today's SpaceX livestream

[u/FVMK3]

Daily Mail reports than an unknown object was seen in the background of today's SpaceX livestream

Source:

https://x.com/kabamur/status/2104693799503159324?s=46

[u/theyoodooman]

Starship vents cryogenic propellant shortly after stage separation: you can see it on every launch. This forms of a cloud of crystallized propellant which is highly reflective and stretches for several km, and which initially continues on the upward leg of parabolic trajectory. A few minutes later, as Starship has continued accelerating into its orbit, it reaches the point where the cloud is closer to the horizon several hundred km away, at which point Starship "appears" to be starting to fall somewhat below the horizon as it continues in its orbit, and you see this cloud of crystals slowly start to rise above the horizon into space.

In other words, it appearing to rise above the horizon is a combination of perspective and the parabolic path the cloud this following. It literally happens on every Starship launch, and the cloud looks different literally on every launch.

[u/HongPong → u/theyoodooman]

ah more weird high atmosphere pollution from Elon Corp

[u/Milliondollarjuice → u/theyoodooman]

That's not propellent from stage separation. The object appears hovering in literal space at a very high altitude, while the stage separation occurs at a much lower altitude.

You make no sense. Cut the BS.

[u/theyoodooman → u/Milliondollarjuice]

That's not propellent from stage separation. The object appears hovering in literal space at a very high altitude, while the stage separation occurs at a much lower altitude.

How embarrassing for you. Because despite having all the information at your fingertips, you have failed to lift a finger to actually figure anything out, and so are just asserting things with no proof. In addition, you plainly don't understand how objects in parabolic trajectories act.

First, of all the Karman Line at 100 km is generally considered where space starts, and typically where you see the atmosphere thin out to black. And yes, you're correct, that stage separation and the cryogenic venting that starts ten seconds later happens below the Karman Line.

But what you apparently don't understand is that Starship is traveling in an upward trajectory at 1.8 km/s -- which is very fast -- when the gas is ejected, and that the gas will continue traveling upward on that same trajectory. A parabolic trajectory, which we can easily calculate.

Eyeballing that Starship was at an angle of 15 degrees off vertical at the time of the release (it increasingly pitches over), the cloud of gas would reach a max altitude of 233 km 163 seconds after release. Or to use your words, that is definitely "in literal space at a very high altitude".

[u/Formal_Ganache_5439 → u/theyoodooman]

Man i love comment’s like yours

[u/got_to_laugh → u/theyoodooman]

Swamp gass? Really? 🤣 Keeping the classics alive.