Despite a fiery end to its inaugural launch in April, hopes are high that tomorrow’s event will have a different outcome.
SpaceX’s Second Attempt
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is gearing up for a second attempt. Tomorrow afternoon, the Starship spacecraft, propelled by the Super Heavy Rocket booster, is planned to ascend to lofty heights. “Starship is ready,” SpaceX announced. This will provide another opportunity to test Starship in actual flight conditions and continue learning as much as possible.”
‘Starship is ready for flight,’ tweets SpaceX. ‘This is another opportunity to test Starship in real flight conditions and learn as much as possible.’
Launch preparations are already underway at Starbase in Texas, where both the Super Heavy Rocket and Starship have been ready for departure. The launch was initially planned for today, but a last-minute decision was made to postpone it until tomorrow. Musk revealed that the delay was due to a steering system part needing replacement.
The combined size of the rocket and Starship is certainly impressive – together, they form a construction that stretches up 118 meters high, making the duo taller than Utrecht’s Dom Tower and slightly bigger than the 111-meter tall Saturn V rocket which NASA used in the 1960s and 70s for moon missions. Even NASA’s new SLS rocket, in its Block 2 version, is a mite shorter than Starship at 111 meters.
First Test Flight
There is hope that this second test flight will go better than the first attempt. Last April, the immense structure was supposed to make a suborbital flight together for the first time. However, the flight ended in disappointment when, just over three minutes into the launch and at an altitude of just over 30 km, things went awry. At this point, the first rocket stage, the Super Heavy Booster, should have detached from Starship, but it didn’t. Shortly afterwards, an explosion occurred, resulting in scattering debris.
What Went Wrong?
We now have more insight into why the mission failed. “As the vessel ascended, fires erupted due to leaking fuel in the rear section of the Super Heavy booster,” SpaceX revealed in a statement in September. “This ultimately led to the loss of connection with the main onboard computer. As a result, most of the booster’s engines could not communicate, resulting in a loss of control over the entire vessel.”
Lessons Learnt
Despite the disheartening outcome of the first trial, SpaceX sees a silver lining. The maiden Starship test flight yielded numerous learning points that directly contributed to various improvements in both the spacecraft and ground infrastructure,” SpaceX stated. Among the corrective measures taken include reducing leaks and enhancing tests for both the engines and booster hardware. In addition, SpaceX significantly expanded the Super Heavy Rocket’s existing fire suppression system to prevent future engine compartment fires. “In the second test flight, several new elements will be introduced,” SpaceX explained. “These include a hot-stage separation system and new electronic Thrust Vector Control system (TVC) for the powerful Super Heavy Raptor engines. In addition, reinforcements installed onto the foundation platform and a water-cooled steel flame deflector have also been added, among other upgrades, to enhance the chance of success for future flights.”
Looking Forward
Expectations for tomorrow’s launch are undoubtedly high. Everything possible has been done to make this second test flight a success. A successful launch would not only be great news for SpaceX, but also for all space enthusiasts. This test flight is just the beginning of something much larger. Ambitious plans are in place at SpaceX, including plans to use Starship to take space tourists on a lunar journey. Furthermore, a Starship variant, the Starship Human Landing System, will play a crucial role in NASA’s plans to land astronauts on the moon in the coming years. The ultimate goal of Starship, however, is to facilitate interplanetary travel, such as trips to Mars. “The system should be capable of carrying satellites, payloads, crew, and cargo… to various orbits and various destinations on Earth, the moon, and Mars,” cited SpaceX.
To stay updated with tomorrow’s launch, tune in to the live stream that will begin approximately 35 minutes before launch. You can catch the live stream on SpaceX’s website or on its X account. Please bear in mind that the timing schedule may change, so keep an eye on the updates.
