Nobody seems to be saying for sure, and realistically given the outcome I don't know if anybody can. I think it's reasonable to assume that some of the engine failures were FOD, though not all of them. I think it's very reasonable to say that the HPUs were taken out by FOD and that's what caused the ultimate failure of the flight. Those being replaced with electric gimbaling, and the other improvements made to the vehicle and the pad will help a lot. How much? We'll soon see. The biggest item on my wish list is a full burn on all 33 engines. That would be a huge win in my book.

Some things I read were saying rocks would have a hard time going uphill against a few MM lbs of thrust.
Fires from leaks and lack of shielding and probably some grenading engines took out more and more wiring and plumbing.

Anywho...

While true, if this launch doesn't stage, that will be disappointing.

It would not surprise me if this launch goes worse than the first. A lot of changes have been rushed into service and very small subtle errors can ruin the day.

I am, of course, hoping it goes spectacularly well. It would be awesome to get the second stage into almost orbit and do a reentry.

Mike C.

Yeah, I'm thinking that if it gets to MECO a big chunk of the launch is done. I don't see staging being an issue for Starship, in other words I think that the latches will release and it will power its way away from the booster. That doesn't seem terribly complicated. Now the booster tolerating the powered separation is a question, as is the ability to reliably light all six RVacs to get it to the desired altitude since nobody has ever started a Raptor in space before, and they have a reputation for being a little persnickety even at sea level. Once again, we're back to the engines lighting. If they can do that reliably the rest I think will be a matter of fine tuning.

Musk on Twitter/X: "We need to replace a grid fin actuator, so launch is postponed to Saturday"

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1725231694645461403

I wonder about the length of time components for this particular ship and booster have been hanging around in salt air.

Wasn't the move to electric gimbals caused by hydraulic lines damaged by some flying debris?

According to Alejandro Alcanterilla Romera:
Overnight-!! They destacked the ship, removed the Hot Staging Ring, replaced 3 grid fin actuators, replaced the HSR, tested the fins, and now will restack.

It Reminds me of the old days at Reno when they’d pull a Merlin overnight, rebuild, replace and then qualify First the next day.

Tj

No, the change had already taken place when IFT1 lifted off, they just chose to fly with the older design because they had one ready to go. The FOD, by all accounts did take out the hydraulics, but the reaction to that was "yeah, that's not a problem, we don't use that system anymore." Had they not planned the change, the exposure of the hydraulics would have been mitigated by solving the flying concrete problem, which they needed to do anyway.

The last update is most current

STARSHIP FLIGHT 2 UPDATE

Teams are now targeting Saturday, November 18 for Starship second integrated test flight. The 20-minute launch window opens at 7 a.m. CT.
During Day of Launch checkouts last night, teams discovered an issue with one of the grid fin actuators on the Booster, with repair work requiring destack of Ship.
We currently have November 19 and 20 as backup opportunities before we would standdown for the Thanksgiving holiday. If needed, additional opportunities begin on November 27.
SpaceX will host a webcast on spacex.com as well as on X @SpaceX beginning approximately 35 minutes before launch.


—————-

LAUNCH LICENSE RECEIVED | THE ROAD TO FLIGHT 2
Starship is stacked for flight and the FAA has granted SpaceX a launch license for Starship's second integrated test flight as soon as Fri day, November 17 inside a two-hour launch window that opens at 7 a.m. CT! SpaceX will host a webcast on spacex.com as well as on X @SpaceX beginning approximately 35 minutes before T-0.
Today, teams met for the Launch Readiness Review and stacked the Hot Stage and Ship for flight. Teams will now step through a series of Day of Launch checkouts to ensure Starship and its ground support equipment and launch pad (known as Stage 0) are ready for the opening launch attempt.
The Road from Flight 1
In the months since Starship's successful first integrated test flight, a significant amount of work on Stage 0 and the vehicle's design has taken place.
Two of the largest and most visible changes are the addition of a Hot Stage between Booster and Ship to enable a hot staging separation sequence and the addition of a large, water-cooled, steel deflector at the launch pad. The Hot Stage should simplify Starship's stag separation sequence while increasing overall payload-to-orbit capabilities; meanwhile, the deflector will protect the ground underneath Starship's launch pad during the ignition sequence and initial liftoff under the power of 33 Raptor engines.
Teams are also using a new engine ignition timing sequence tested during the Booster's static fire campaign. The new sequence halves the amount of time from engine start to liftoff, reducing stresses and pressures on Stage 0.
The Booster itself is also sporting a significant upgrade with electric Thrust Vector Control systems instead of the traditional hydraulic systems used on the previous flight (and still used by Ship for Flight 2). eTVCs are far less prone to failure than their hydraulic counterparts and are significantly lighter, too. The booster will also carry significantly more carbon dioxide then the first time to account for needed engine bay purges during ascent.
Other notable firsts planned for this mission include:
• Contingency stage separation of Ship from Booster – in case the Booster cannot reach its nominal stage separation targets but is far enough in flight to enable Ship to attempt Hot Staging
• Thrust termination – enabled for either post-Flight Termination System activation or after stage separation should the Booster's tank pressure drop too low
• Raptor Block 2 debut
• Alternative Raptor engine handling to more reliably account for engine out scenarios


——————-

STARSHIP UPDATE | STARLINK AND THE QUEST TO ELIMINATE REENTRY COMMUNICATION GAPS
Teams in Starbase are continuing to work through preparations for the second integrated test flight of Starship, which could come as soon as Friday, November 17 in a two-hour launch window that opens at 7 a.m. CT. SpaceX will host a webcast for the mission on spacex.com as well as on X @SpaceX beginning approximately 30 minutes before T-0.
A unique spaceflight challenge teams seek to address on this flight is maintaining communication during reentry. As a spacecraft comes back into the thickening atmosphere, its speed generates a plasma field that increases the electron density around it. The predicted electron densities so heavily attenuate frequencies into the S-band that direct communication with our ground stations becomes impossible during portions of reentry.
But what if Starlink could eliminate those communication gaps in spaceflight? Because of Starship's size and shape, it will leave a wake in its plasma field as it reenters. In this wake, the electron density should stay below the Starlink system's Ku-band frequency attenuation limits. This means that, via Starlink, Starship should be able to maintain continuous, high-throughput, low-latency comms during reentry.
This would be a significant advancement for in-flight communications; for Starship's second flight test, teams are hoping this will allow for a continuous stream of telemetry during the dynamic reentry phase of flight – where if something were to go wrong, we would need the data to learn and iterate fast. Visually, this should excitingly unlock live, high-definition video during reentry for the first time!
But it's not as simple as installing a Starlink user terminal on Starship. The vehicle will be moving at ~7.8 km/s as reentry begins; at this speed, Starship will shoot across a Starlink satellite's normally stationary spotbeam in about one second – far too fast for the normal process of establishing a lock between terminal and satellite, communicating, and then coordinating a hand off to the next satellite.
To solve this, Starlink teams will command the spotbeams to track Starship's expected trajectory. This will reduce the number of satellite handoffs during reentry and optimize the network for the expected reentry time that will be calculated once Starship lifts off. While this coordination is largely manual, teams plan to automate the process by implementing a closed loop tracking system for operational Starship missions.
Seeking to enable this unprecedented, high-throughput communication during reentry for the first time showcases the versatility and power of the low-Earth orbit Starlink constellation and the drive of our teams to push the boundaries of what has been possible


LATEST UPDATE-scheduled for 8:00 AM EST Saturday!

Live feed is up:

https://youtu.be/m-LFzFWaACo

T-37 and counting

Wow. Unbelievably amazing video.