SpaceX has shared fresh footage of its Starship static fire last week that saw all engines successfully ignite and only two engines shut down on the massive 33-engine Starship rocket booster. Officially called the Super Heavy, the rocket is responsible for the first stage of the Starship rocket system's flight, and SpaceX has increased the flow of tests on the rocket this month as it aims to test Starship for yet another orbital launch attempt soon. Starship is crucial for both NASA's lunar landings and SpaceX's Starlink constellation and a successful orbital test flight will mark the first major milestone for the rocket, which relies on a complex orbital refueling profit for its Moon and Mars mission architecture.
SpaceX's Starship Flight Test 2 All But Certain To Slip From Tentative Deadline
The scale of the Starship rocket, which measures 394 feet tall when fully stacked and uses 33 Raptor engines for flight, makes each of its tests a highly anticipated event. SpaceX conducted the first Starship orbital test flight in April, which was a partial success as while the rocket did clear the pad and made it to stage separation, the rest of the test was not so lucky.
Stage separation is the point in flight when a rocket's first and second stages separate, and the April test saw the massive Starship flip in the air multiple times before ground control sent the command for self-destruction. At the same time, several of its engines had stopped functioning during flight, and the massive thrust of the Super Heavy booster laid havoc on the launch site, with nearby towns covered in dust and a deep crater present at the launch site.
All this 'excitement' left SpaceX with plenty of work to do before it could attempt the next flight. SpaceX kept up with the pace of rapid development and quickly built and tested a water deluge system for the launch pad, and tests so far indicate that the system is working as expected.
As to the timing of the test, while a notice put out by the Coast Guard hints that Starship can launch as the second week of September kicks off, it's more likely to wait out its fate on the launch pad. While SpaceX's latest static fire test was quite successful, the firm has to stack the second stage Starhip on the booster and check out all the ground systems at the very least before making another attempt.
Not to mention, the firm also has to work with the FAA, and on this front, journalist Christian Davenport has some inside news which confirms suspicion that a Starship test flight in the next couple of weeks is unlikely.
Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the journalist shared:
From what I'm hearing, the next SpaceX Starship launch attempt is still weeks away, pending FAA approval. Modifications, such as the water deluge system, need to be approved. As always, the process is fluid and can speed up or slow down depending on a number of factors but as of now 9/8 doesn't appear likely.
The water deluge system is crucial for a successful launch, as the static fire attempt did not test the Raptor engines at full power. While these engines are slowly throttled up while the rocket moves away from the pad, it is reasonable to assume that the engines will be fired up at more than half of their thrust levels to successfully lift the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage Starship.
As we wait, here's fresh footage of the Starship Super Heavy booster's latest static fire from the top of the launch pad:
Booster 9 static fire from the top of the launch tower pic.twitter.com/AScDvl50ww
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 28, 2023
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