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Starship, SpaceX’s rocket designed sending humans to Mars and beyond could reach whole new heights next week.
Tuesday, Space.com reported that the prototype of the spacecraft “SN8” conducted a static test firing at 6:23 p.m. EST at SpaceX’s facilities in Texas. This was the fourth such test for the prototype – it is a procedure that takes place before a launch in which the engines are fired but the vehicle is held in place.
The successful fire is another step towards Starship’s biggest “jump test” to date.
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“Good static fire from the Starship SN8!” Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX written on twitter after the test.
“Aim for the first 15 km / ~ 50 km altitude flight next week. The objectives are to test the climb of engine 3, the body flaps, the transition from the main tank to the main tank and the landing rollover.
Musk’s tweets confirm that SpaceX hopes to make its most ambitious leap yet next week. The Starship has held a series of “jump tests” over the past twelve months, gradually reaching higher altitudes over time. In August 2019, a miniaturized version of the ship, nicknamed “Starhopper”, reached 500 feet above sea level. A full-size prototype reached the same height in August 2020.
A flight of several miles has been on Musk’s wishlist for years. In October 2017, when the Starship was still known as “BFR,” Musk said the company aimed to perform “short jumps of a few hundred miles in elevation and lateral distance.” In August 2019, Musk repeated the goal and said that SpaceX was planning a 20-kilometer flight with the first prototype, which was unveiled in September.
It may have taken years to get here, but Musk doesn’t seem sure about the flight’s success. In response to a question of whether he thinks the ship will land in one piece, Musk wrote on Twitter: “A lot of things must be fine, so maybe 1/3 of luck”, before adding: “But that’s why we have SN 9 and SN10.”
Look at the static shot “SN8” below:
SpaceX regularly polishes the prototypes. The “SN5” prototype that flew in August lacked a number of cosmetic features, including a nose, meaning it looked more like a farm silo flying through the air than a rocket. For SN9 and SN10, fans can expect “many small, but broadly similar improvements,” according to Musk. “The cabling is more robust, the motors are more mature, the nose is better sealed, etc.” he added.
“Major upgrades are planned for SN15,” Musk wrote.
The success of these flights could dictate the timing of the next missions. SpaceX plans to use Starship to send humans to Mars in the mid-2020s – the first steps towards establishing a city on Mars by 2050. The fully reusable ship would use liquid oxygen and methane as its fuel, meaning that astronauts could fly to Mars, refuel using the planet’s resources, and either return home or venture further afield.
Asked about SpaceX plans to test these fueling technologies, including portable fueling plants, Musk wrote the team “could maybe start on this in a year”, adding that “it depends on how Starship progresses.”
the Reverse analysis – Perhaps it’s no surprise that Musk isn’t sure if he’ll get the ship back in one piece. After Virgin Orbit failed to reach orbit in May 2020, Musk revealed that SpaceX took four attempts to reach orbit with the Falcon 1 rocket.
But the new flight time highlights how the team’s previous expectations have changed. During the unveiling of the “Mk.1” ship in September 2019, Musk claimed that the prototype could reach 20 kilometers in one or two months. Maybe a year or two will prove to be more precise.
It took a while to reach this point, but the end result – a fully reusable ship that can send 100 people or 150 tonnes into space at once – could have a profound impact on the space industry.
THE STARSHIP JOURNEY, SUMMARY
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