SpaceX prepares Starship for a crucial sixth test flight
SpaceX plans to carry out the sixth test flight of the Starship rocket on 18 November. The previous fifth test, which took place on 13 October, was a complete success, allowing for the precise capture of the Super Heavy booster and the controlled landing of the second stage in the ocean. The intention is to use this rocket not only for launching payloads but also for colonising the Moon.
This refers to a two-stage mega-rocket standing over 121 metres tall. It consists of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft's second stage.
This project aims to launch the largest payloads into orbit and significantly reduce space transportation costs.
During the fifth test flight, the Super Heavy booster was precisely captured for the first time by the mechanical arms of the launch tower after detachment from the rocket. After an hour-long flight, the second stage made a controlled "landing" on the ocean waters, marking a complete mission success.
Elon Musk's company has high hopes for the Starship project. The plan is to use this rocket not only for launching payloads but also for colonising the Moon and, in the future, Mars. A sufficiently large fleet of these ships could ensure regular transport connections with the Moon, making humanity an interplanetary species.
The project is also of great interest to NASA. The American space agency intends to use the Starship rocket to send astronauts back to the Moon as part of the Artemis 3 mission, planned for 2026.
Apart from the fifth, earlier test flights were not entirely successful and ended in spacecraft explosions. In April 2023, during the first attempt, the spacecraft exploded about four minutes after launch due to a failed detachment from the Super Heavy booster. Another failed attempt occurred in June of the same year when the rocket's upper stage detached but exploded after separation.
In the third test flight, in July 2023, the Starship performed its first re-entry manoeuvre from space into the atmosphere. Although it was destroyed, engineers were able to gather valuable data. During the fourth flight in September 2023, the booster separated as planned and fell into the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship survived atmospheric re-entry and was landed in the water.
The upcoming sixth test flight aims to continue advancements in the development of the Starship rocket and bring SpaceX closer to achieving ambitious goals related to space exploration. Through this project, people may become an interplanetary species inhabiting Earth and other celestial bodies.
