SpaceX uses an iterative testing philosophy, using each mission to improve the next. As a result, the Elon Musk-led company plans to push the development of its experimental giant rocket Starship a step further with a third test flight later this week.
We are just hours away from the third comprehensive flight test of SpaceX’s Starship giant rocket, which is scheduled to launch on the morning of Thursday, March 14, from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The live stream will be available on Xbroadcast begins at 7:30 a.m. ET, with release time around 8:00 a.m. ET.
At least, that’s the plan; SpaceX still needs to get a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration. That said, the company is continuing to install the rocket’s Flight Termination System (FTS) and extending invitations to the media to install cameras as if it’s a foregone conclusion.
On this third flight, SpaceX will tackle some challenging milestones. Starship is still an experimental rocket, so success is not guaranteed.The first two test flights were both at April 20 and November 18 One flight last year resulted in the premature destruction of the two-stage rocket, but each flight takes the company further along in the development process.
“This rapid iterative development approach is the foundation for all of SpaceX’s major innovative advancements, including Falcon, Dragon and Starlink,” the company explain on its launch page. “Recursive improvements are critical as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of delivering crew and cargo to Earth orbit, helping humans return to the moon, and ultimately to Mars and beyond.”
For example, in the second test, in which Starship flew twice as long as the first test, the 400-foot (122-meter) rocket completed thermal staging maneuvers to improve stage separation, allowing the upper stage to fly independently for nearly seven minutes , and even reached space – a first for a launch vehicle. However, both stages failed. Damage to the Super Heavy booster was blamed on a clogged filter, while a liquid oxygen leak was blamed on an upper stage failure.Overall, the FAA investigation led by SpaceX 17 corrective actions identified Required before third flight test.
A critical stage in Starship’s third fully integrated flight test.
SpaceX has identified several key goals for its third flight. In addition to the successful ascent and burn of both stages, the company also plans to open and close the Starship’s payload door, achieve the first re-ignition of the Raptor engines in space, and perform a controlled re-entry of the Starship.
As $53.2 million”tipping point” Signing a contract with NASA, SpaceX also plans to Propellant Transfer Demonstration The superiors are in the gliding stage. Eventually, SpaceX plans to use Starship “tankers” for orbital refueling, using a method similar to aerial refueling. In the upcoming demonstration, approximately 10 metric tons of liquid oxygen will be transferred from one tank to another, a feat that has never been accomplished on such a scale before. The test won’t see the two Starships meet in space, but SpaceX and NASA see the test as a critical step in advancing necessary technology.
The test flight will also see Starship flying along a different trajectory than its two predecessors. The upper stage’s goal is not to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, but in the Indian Ocean. “This new flight path allows us to try new technologies like space engine combustion while maximizing public safety,” SpaceX said.
Upcoming flights will be equipped with Newly implemented flame deflection system, or water deluge system, which proved effective during the second flight test and is scheduled to activate about 10 seconds before liftoff. At T-3 seconds, all 33 Raptor engines will fire, setting the stage for a critical sequence of events. The flight will reach maximum aerodynamic pressure, called MaxQ, 52 seconds after launch. After this, the booster will reach Most Engine Off (MECO), with most engines shutting down at 2 minutes and 42 seconds (yes, you read that right, that’s “majority” engine shutdown, not “main” engine shutdown , as several engines are shut down) the Raptors will remain active during this phase). Thermal classification and stage separation will occur immediately after two seconds.
The booster’s boost burn is expected to begin at 2 minutes and 55 seconds. If the booster is still running at this time, it will shut down after 3 minutes and 50 seconds. The booster’s landing burn will begin at 6 minutes and 46 seconds, with the goal of landing in soft water in the Gulf of Mexico seven minutes after the mission ends. Both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage are fully reusable, but while the upper stage has demonstrated this capability, the Super booster has yet to do so.
At the same time, the starship will head towards the Indian Ocean along its orbit. Starship plans to shut down its engines within 8 minutes and 35 seconds of launch before re-entering the atmosphere and planning a crash landing in the Indian Ocean. The upper stage landing burn does not appear to be part of the plan.
Of course, these timelines assume the mission is successful. Failure can happen at any time, but hopefully it won’t. With two flights already under way, it will be interesting to see how far SpaceX can push its revolutionary giant rocket.
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