SpaceX gears up for starship's pivotal orbital debut
The next launch of SpaceX's Starship rocket is planned for 28th February. This time, it will not fly empty; it is set to carry new Starlink satellites, test next-generation satellites into orbit, and initiate a vacuum engine. This will be the 8th test flight of the largest rocket in the world.
Starship is currently the largest rocket in the world. It is 120 metres tall and 9 metres in diameter. It has been designed for reuse and is capable of carrying both people and cargo. Its successful test flight is crucial not only to lower the costs of access to Earth's orbit but also to expedite manned missions to Mars and the Moon.
Elon Musk announced the return of Starship launches in 2025
The American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended the launch of the Starship rocket after the last test failed. Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, announced it is resuming flights. If they manage a successful landing, it will undoubtedly be considered a significant achievement. The rocket consists of two stages: Super Heavy, the booster, and Starship, which is intended to serve as a crewed spacecraft in the future.
Elon Musk announced the date. He previously stressed the need to accelerate construction work and promised a series of impressive launches in 2025. This announcement is significant after the previous attempt ended with an explosion in the Starship rocket's second stage at the beginning of the mission. Until now, the second stage of the Super Heavy has successfully landed twice.
The planned launch is set for this Friday, 28th February, from the Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, near the Mexico border. The latest images from SpaceX show the most significant part of the massive rocket, Super Heavy, already on the stand and being slowly prepared for launch.
Firing the vacuum engine in space is crucial
The upcoming 8th launch of the Starship rocket will fulfil tasks from the previous mission. This will be the first deployment of a payload into orbit, and several re-entry experiments will be conducted. SpaceX reports that the aim is to return the upper stage to the launch site for recovery. The test also includes the Super Heavy rocket's launch, return, and recovery.
As part of this mission, SpaceX aims to launch and test four Starlink prototypes, which are expected to resemble the next generation of satellites the company plans to deploy in Earth's orbit. The mission will also feature a test re-ignition of a single Raptor vacuum engine in space, a crucial aspect of the trial. SpaceX has implemented hardware and operational adjustments to enhance the reliability of the rocket's upper stage, hoping for a successful test flight.
The Super Heavy rocket intended for this flight has updated avionics, including a more advanced flight computer, improved power distribution and networks, and integrated intelligent batteries.
The rocket will target a safe splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico if there are any irregularities. The returning rocket will travel at supersonic speed, which will cause loud sonic booms in the vicinity of the landing area: a brief noise similar to thunder, whose intensity will depend on weather conditions and the distance from the landing site.
SpaceX is still waiting to obtain permissions
As reported on SpaceX's website, the eighth test flight of the Starship will be conducted as soon as possible, on Friday, February 28th, subject to obtaining the appropriate permissions.
As SpaceX states, development tests are inherently unpredictable. However, we can quickly learn and implement design changes by frequently placing flight hardware in a test environment.
There will be a live broadcast of the launch - where to watch?
The broadcast of the Starship test flight will start about 40 minutes before launch and will be available on the SpaceX website and Twitter @SpaceX. The launch window will open on 28 February at 11:30 PM Greenwich Mean Time. The schedule may change, as is often the case with development tests, so it's worth keeping up with updates on the SpaceX website and their profile on X.
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