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Once again, things are brewing at SpaceX’s South Texas Launch Facility, located just outside the village of Boca Chica, Texas. Over the past few weeks, the aerospace community has been buzzing about the deployment and static fire test of the Super heavy booster 3 (B3) prototype. It was the first time that a booster was tested, which will be responsible for launching the Vessel in space in the near future. Since then, things have only accelerated a little more.
First, there was the announcement of August 2sd than the fourth Very heavy prototype (BN4) received a full complement of 29 Raptor engines and grille fins. This was followed on August 3rd with news that BN4 was moved to launch pad and that the SN20 Vessel prototype received a six complete Raptor engines. August 6e, the denouement came with the stacking of the two prototypes together, resulting in the tallest rocket in spaceflight history!
Together, integration Vessel was approximately 120 meters (390 feet) high and 145 m (475 feet) high with the addition of the orbital launch support – which is taller than the Pyramid of Giza (138.5 m; 454 feet). The stacking was the first time that the Vessel and Very heavy have been fully integrated, an important step for the company that brings them closer to an orbital flight test.
The integration was part of a fast-track work order that has been dubbed “Warp 9”. This included bringing in hundreds of employees from other sites across the country to help with operations. On Friday August 6, the two elements were integrated just long enough to have an idea of their behavior on the day of the flight; and, of course, for watchers to snap millions of photos, shoot videos and live tweet the event!
They were then unstacked and the SN20 returned to High Bay while the BN4 remained at the orbital launch stand. Then the two elements are expected to undergo a series of ground tests, which will likely include static fire tests for the BN4 booster. This will allow the company to complete and integrate the last elements of the Vessel to the Orbital Launch Site (OLS), where it will be launched to perform the orbital test flight.
Although no date has yet been set for this crucial milestone (although it is still expected before the end of the year) Musk reported via Twitter that he and his company had four major goals planned for the next two weeks. These include the addition of the latest of the heat shield tiles to the Orbital Starship element, the application of thermal protection to the booster motors, the addition of ground propellant storage tanks and an arm. quick disconnect switch (QD) for the system.
The latter element is crucial for flight testing as it connects the launch facility’s fuel and feed lines to the rocket prior to launch. It is also clear at this point that the orbital flight test will be carried out with the BN4 and SN20 prototypes. This was evidenced by how the BN4 was fitted with 29 Raptor engines, which the final design specs demand (the static firing test with the B3 only included three).
Likewise, the SN20 was fitted with six complete Raptor engines, three optimized for thrust at sea level (identical to the 29 engines of the Very heavy relies on), and three optimized for thrust in the vacuum of space. In all previous flight tests, the prototypes were equipped with only three engines optimized for thrust at sea level, as they performed a limited flight test (10 km; 6.2 mi altitude) and flew strictly in the earth’s atmosphere.
It’s called the Karman Line, which is about 100 km (62 mi) above sea level and marks the border between Earth and space. Another indication is how the Grid Fins were installed on the BN4, which is the first prototype to receive them. These are essential for performing a controlled descent and landing for all SpaceX boosters, showing that the ground crews are hoping to recover it eventually.
Based on the flight plan SpaceX filed with the FCC in May, the mission will see the separate booster item from the Vessel approximately 170 seconds of flight. The Booster will then make a partial return and make a soft water landing approximately 32 km (20 miles) off the Gulf of Mexico. the Vessel will then reach orbit before performing a targeted soft-water landing approximately 100 km (62 mi) off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Based on previous statements, the flight is also expected to have a ceiling of 200 km (~ 125 mi) above sea level. If this test goes as planned, SpaceX will be ready to undertake its first commercial flights, including a lunar flyby scheduled for 2023. Known as the #dearMoon campaign, this flight will see Japanese billionaire and art collector Yusaku Maezawa and a crew of eight performers fly around the Moon.
Considering the recent buzz about Branson and Bezos, it’s possible Musk wants to fly with them! Be sure to watch this video of the stacked SN20 and BN4 as well, courtesy of NASA Spaceflight:
Further Reading: NASA Space Flight
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