Next week, SpaceX is hoping to launch its next Starship test flight, its seventh overall. The company released a detailed flight plan and explained what changes are coming to the new Block 2 Starship upper stage and what will be inside its payload bay.
On Starship Flight 6, SpaceX flew its first payload to space, a banana. Something we should have expected after seeing the banana decal on the side of Ship 31.
For Flight 7, Starship is going to fly some more serious payloads. In an update posted on the company’s website, SpaceX shared it plans to not just carry but also deploy ten Starlink satellite simulators. These dummy satellites will share the same suborbital trajectory and re-enter over the Indian Ocean, likely burning up in the process. If anything survives, it will splash down at sea, away from any land.
SpaceX and Starlink have been hand in hand for each other’s success for years now. Nearly two years ago, Space Explored reported that Elon Musk was concerned about the future of Starlink if the larger V2 satellites could not be launched soon on Starship. SpaceX has now switched to V2 mini satellites, which, given Starlink’s great success and cash flow, has likely solved that problem.
However, SpaceX still wants to move Starlink missions to Starship. The rocket’s increased payload capacity and its fully reusable design will make it more competitive and soon popular enough to retire the Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets.
SpaceX shared more details about what has changed between the Block 1 and Block 2 Starship upper stages. For those who don’t know, Flight 7 will feature a Block 1 booster and a Block 2 ship, which has more propellant, new forward flap positions, and many other changes.
Ship 33 has an upgraded avionics system that features a more powerful computer, upgraded antennas, and a power system. The ship also has a new heat shield. The tiles have also been upgraded, with a new ablative base layer added in case of any burn-through.
All of this will hopefully end in a successful mission no earlier than Friday, January 10. SpaceX hopes to fly as many as 25 Starship missions this year, getting closer to commercial operations and sending a lander to the Moon and cargo to Mars.
