SpaceX gears up for pivotal Starship test flight with new tech
On January 15, 2024, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, SpaceX's Starship rocket is set to launch. During this seventh test flight, the company plans to demonstrate technological improvements and challenging maneuvers, including placing a simulated payload into orbit.
On Wednesday, January 15, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, SpaceX is planning another test flight of its mega-rocket, Starship. This will be the seventh such flight, during which engineers intend to test new technologies and assess the ability to perform complex maneuvers, such as orbiting a simulated payload.
Starship is a two-stage rocket standing 404 feet tall. The first stage, Super Heavy, serves as a carrier module, and the second stage, Starship, is the spacecraft itself. The project's goal is to launch large payloads into orbit while simultaneously reducing transportation costs.
This flight will also test the vehicle's new front flaps, which have been reduced in size and repositioned. This adjustment aims to minimize the flaps’ exposure to heat during atmospheric re-entry. Changes also involve the propulsion system, including a 25 percent increase in fuel volume, the application of vacuum insulation for fuel lines, and the introduction of a new fuel supply system for the engines.
Tests and experiments
The flight will feature the first attempt to place ten simulators of Starlink satellites into orbit. Experiments related to atmospheric re-entry and landing are also planned, including a test that involves catching the ship and returning the Super Heavy booster.
Special attention has been given to testing the thermal shield, which now utilizes the latest generation of protective tiles with a backup layer. On the upper stage of the ship, some protective tiles have been removed for endurance tests in the areas most vulnerable to damage.
SpaceX emphasizes that the coming year will be crucial for the development of Starship. The company's goal is to launch a system that fully reuses the vehicle and to undertake increasingly ambitious missions. This includes sending people and payloads into Earth's orbit, to the Moon, and to Mars. The launch can be followed on platform X.
During the previous, sixth test flight in November 2023, not everything went according to plan. The carrier module, instead of returning to Texas, was directed to the Gulf of Mexico, and the second stage of the rocket landed in the Indian Ocean.