Tag: Super Heavy
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SpaceX receives launch license for second integrated flight test of Starship
SpaceX has received the modified license No. VOL 23-129 Rev. 1, which will allow them to fly its Starship-Super Heavy vehicle for the second time. This came shortly after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) confirmed the completion of their investigation into the new deluge system at the orbital launch site in Starbase. FWS…
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SpaceX focuses on launch site readiness ahead of Starship Flight 2
Progress toward the second flight of the world’s most powerful launch vehicle continues to take place at Starbase. With Ship 25 passing its six-engine Static Fire test, the focus has returned to completing upgrades to the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), with the installation of a steel plate water deluge system now taking place. That will…
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Starship conducts maiden launch – clears launch site and first stage flight
The most powerful rocket in history launched on its second attempt Thursday, the first major step to making life multi-planetary. Liftoff of Starship from Starbase, Texas came after an uneventful countdown, with only a couple of short holds before roaring off the launch mount. The vehicle lost several Raptors during first stage ascent before starting…
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Starship into final preps for launch targeting second half of April
Ship 24 and Booster 7 – now returned to a full-stack stance – are waiting to attempt their historic test flight. While a launch date remains fluid, hopes remain high that the vehicle could rise out of Starbase in the second half of April. Numerous prelaunch objectives have already been achieved before the approval of…
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Historic scrubs and aborts that could happen to Starship
There are two words that most people never want to hear at a rocket launch, “abort” and “scrub.” As Starship’s orbital test flight gets closer, it may take multiple attempts to get Booster 7 and Ship 24 off the ground. If so, it wouldn’t be the first super-heavy launch vehicle to experience issues before and/or…
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Starship debut leading the rocket industry toward full reusability
Starship’s first orbital flight is currently planned for March. This is the first time the anticipated flight date of the vehicle is in the current month, and with that, a future of fully reusable rockets is getting closer. But not only is Starship aiming for reusability, but the rest of the industry is also moving…
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Delving Deeper: Super Heavy thrust and counting down to flight
The orbital test flight of Starship is just around the corner. Starship has conducted a 31-engine static fire, a single-engine spin prime test, and multiple Booster quick disconnect (QD) tests in the last few weeks. However, the question remains if the ground service equipment (GSE) can handle almost double the thrust of the static fire,…
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Starship program conducts major test, firing 31 of 33 Super Heavy engines
SpaceX’s Starship program has reached a major milestone ahead of its historic launch with a static fire test of Booster 7, successfully firing 31 of the booster’s 33 engines for the full planned duration. The test aimed to validate numerous systems, not least the Ground Support Equipment (GSE), which has never previously had to cater…
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Boosters 7 and 9 in dual flow toward Starbase test milestones
With Booster 7 returned to the Mega Bay (High Bay 2) at Starbase, all eyes are on its stablemate, Booster 9, as both vehicles prepare for a roll down Highway 4. Booster 7 recently completed another important test as SpaceX continues to inch closer to an orbital test flight of Starship with another Static Fire…
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Booster 7 resumes static fire testing as SpaceX ramps up Starship production
Booster 7 resumed its static fire test campaign Monday with a full-duration firing of 14 Raptor engines in a significant event before the long-awaited 33-engine static fire test. This milestone puts the Super Heavy booster one step closer to being ready for Starship’s first orbital flight. While this flight is currently targeting no earlier than…