SN17 was a planned Starship prototype. First parts were stacked but as a result of the successful outcome of SN15's test program, SN17 progress slowed down and later first parts were moved to the scrap yard.
History[]
Several components have been spotted, Brendan Lewis mentions the following[1] on March 5:
- Aft dome (sleeved)
- LOX tank section
- Downcomer pipe
- Common dome (sleeved), with methane header tank
- Forward dome (sleeved)
Timeline[]
- 07 Feb 2021: Forward dome sleeved
- 17 Feb 2021: Aft dome barrel section spotted
- 22 Feb 2021: Thrust (Common according to NSF) section ready for sleeving
- 23 Feb 2021: Thrust dome sleeved
- 26 Feb 2021: SN17? aft section moved
- 5 March 2021: SN17/18 scrap aft skirt with leg deployed
- 20 Apr 2021: New [?] nosecone inside tent 3 [possibly SN17]
- 22 Apr 2021: 2 Nosecones [SN16, SN17?] inside tent 3
- 23 Apr 2021: [?] ring section spotted with a lot of TPS heat shield tiles attached
- 25 Apr 2021: New [Sn16?] nosecone washed in front of low bay; Other nosecone [Sn17?] in tent 3
- 28 Apr 2021: Common dome (3-ring stack full with TPS tiles) moved into Mid Bay; stacked on its LOX tank section (4-ring stack)
- 29 Apr 2021: Nosecone work in tent 3
- 30 Apr 2021: Nosecone barrel section full with heat shield tiles in front of tent 3; work platform erected, attached to crane
- 2 May 2021: Nosecone barrel section in front of tent 3; attached to crane
- 7 May 2021: Nosecone barrel section with lead ins and work platform
- 8 May 2021: SN17 section (7 rings tall, with lead ins, upper part with many TPS tiles, some damaged), one stack called Mid-LOX, moved out of Mid Bay [Mid LOX and common dome], possibly indicating a hold
- 10 May 2021: SN17? and another nosecone in tent 3, flap mounting hardware visible
- 13 May 2021: MID-LOX tank section next to tent 1 [video next day]
- 19 May 2021: Nosecones in tent 3 [SN17?, SN20?]
- 21 May 2021: Section outside mid/High Bay, some tiles cut out [mid lox & common dome stack]
- 23 May 2021: Section now cut out
- 28 May 2021: Destacking: mid LOX and common dome section cut in two
- 3 June 2021: Engine section at scrap yard (near SN5)
- 11 July 2021: Nosecone in front of tent 3 [the one spotted earlier] hooked to crane and stacked on barrel section; "both sections have tape markings indicating payload door tests" [the_denks]; NSF: "Nosecone 18 going onto SN17's barrel section" [vid 12]
- 04 Sept 2021: Old flap storage shown, likely a flap for SN17 spotted