This article is about the second-stage of the vehicle also named Starship. For the entire vehicle, see SpaceX Starship.
Starship
Starship prototype SN20 at the launch site; the distinctive stainless steel structure is visible as well as the edges of the dark thermal protection tiles that cover the other side of the vehicle.
Starship is a spacecraft and second stage[3] under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Stacked atop its booster, the Super Heavy, the pair compose SpaceX's new super heavy-liftspace vehicle, also called Starship. The spacecraft is designed to transport both crew and cargo to a variety of destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. It's designed to be reusable and capable of landing propulsively by firing its engines to perform a controlled descent[4] in the arms of a tower on Earth or with landing legs on other planetary bodies.[5] It is intended to enable long duration interplanetary flights with a crew of up to 100 people.[3] It will also be capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in less than an hour. Furthermore, it will be used to refuel other Starship spacecraft, enabling them to reach higher orbits and other space destinations. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, estimated in a tweet that eight launches would be needed to completely refuel a Starship in low Earth orbit, enabling it to travel onwards.[6]
Development began in 2012, when Musk described a plan to build a reusable rocket system with substantially greater capabilities than the Falcon 9 and the planned Falcon Heavy. The rocket evolved through many design and name changes. On July 25, 2019, the Starhopper prototype performed the first successful flight at SpaceX Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas.[7] In May 2021, the SN15 prototype became the first full-size test spacecraft to take off and land successfully.[8] On April 20, 2023, Starship 24 performed the first full flight test on top of a Super Heavy booster, followed by a second test on November 18, 2023, when Starship 25 successfully completed hot-staging and passed the Kármán Line, becoming the first Starship to reach space as well as the heaviest object to ever reach space, before exploding at 148km.[9][10][11][12][13] As of November 2024, SpaceX has conducted 4 more flight tests of Starship, successfully achieving orbital velocities and gradually testing the atmospheric reentry and vertical landing capabilities of the vehicle by performing controlled splashdowns into the Indian ocean.[14] In April 2024, Elon Musk announced two new versions of Starship, Block 2 and Block 3. Both versions will be taller and will have increased thrust.[15]
In November 2005, before SpaceX had launched its first rocket, the Falcon 1, CEOElon Musk first mentioned a high-capacity rocket concept able to launch 100 tons to low Earth orbit, dubbed the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR). Later in 2012, Elon Musk first publicly announced plans to develop a rocket surpassing the capabilities of their existing Falcon 9. SpaceX called it the Mars Colonial Transporter, as the rocket was to transport humans to Mars and back.
In 2016, Musk changed the name to Interplanetary Transport System, as he planned for the rocket to travel beyond Mars. Made of carbon fiber, this design was to mass over 10,000 tons when fueled and carry 300 tonnes to low Earth orbit, while intending to be fully reusable. By 2017, the rocket was temporarily re-dubbed the BFR and had multiple variants announced, such as cargo, tanker and crew. In 2019, the current stainless-steel design was adopted.
Design
Diagram of a Block 1 Starship's internal structure. Not shown in this diagram are the flaps: the aft flaps are placed at the bottom (or left in this orientation), and the forward flaps are placed at the top (here, right) portion of the spaceship.
The current Block 1 of the Starship spacecraft is 50.3m (165ft) tall, 9m (30ft) in diameter, and has 6 Raptor engines, 3 of which are optimized for use in outer space.[16][17] The future Block 3 of the Starship spacecraft is planned to have an additional 3 Raptor Vacuum engines for increased payload capacity. Starship Block 1's payload bay, measuring 17m (56ft) tall by 8m (26ft) in diameter, is the largest of any active or planned launch vehicle; its internal volume of 1,000m3 (35,000cuft) is slightly larger than the International Space Station's pressurized volume.[18] SpaceX will also provide a 22m (72ft) tall payload bay configuration for even larger payloads.[19]
Starship's flap
Starship has a total propellant capacity of 1,200t (2,600,000lb)[20] across its main tanks and header tanks.[21] The header tanks are better insulated due to their position and are reserved for use to flip and land the spacecraft following reentry.[22] A set of reaction control thrusters, which use the pressure in the fuel tank, control attitude while in space.[23]
The spacecraft has four body flaps to control the spacecraft's orientation and help dissipate energy during atmospheric entry,[24] composed of two forward flaps and two aft flaps. According to SpaceX, the flaps replace the need for wings or tailplane, reduce the fuel needed for landing, and allow landing at destinations in the Solar System where runways do not exist (for example, Mars).[25]:1 Under the forward flaps, hardpoints are used for lifting and catching the spacecraft via mechanical arms.[26] The flap's hinges are sealed in aero-covers because they would otherwise be easily damaged during reentry.[1]
S20's heat shield being repaired.
Heat shield
Starship's heat shield is composed of eighteen thousand[27][28] hexagonal black tiles that can withstand temperatures of 1,400°C (2,600°F).[29][30] It is designed to protect the vehicle during atmospheric entry and to be used multiple times with minimal maintenance between flights.[31] The silica-based tiles[32] are attached to Starship with pins[30] and have small gaps in between to allow for heat expansion.[1] After IFT-4, SpaceX added a secondary ablative layer under the primary heat shield.[33] The total mass of the heat shield and ablative layer is 10.5t (23,000lb).[34]
Variants
Starship stacks with 3 upper stage variants: HLS, propellant tanker and propellant depot. The vented interstage, located between the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, is not included in this render.
For satellite launch, Starship is planned to have a large cargo door that opens to release payloads, similar to NASA's Space Shuttle, and close upon reentry instead of a jettisonable nosecone fairing. Instead of a cleanroom, payloads are integrated directly into Starship's payload bay, which requires purging the payload bay with temperature-controlled ISO class8 clean air.[19] To deploy Starlink satellites, the cargo door is to be replaced with a slot and dispenser rack, whose mechanism has been compared to a Pez candy dispenser.[35]
Crewed Starship vehicles would replace the cargo bay with a pressurized crew section and have a life-support system. For long-duration missions, such as crewed flights to Mars, SpaceX describes the interior as potentially including "private cabins, large communal areas, centralized storage, solar storm shelters, and a viewing gallery".[19] Starship's life support system is expected to recycle resources such as air and water from waste.[36]
Starship will be able to be refueled by docking with separately launched Starship propellant tanker spacecraft in orbit. Doing so increases the spacecraft's mass capacity and allows it to reach higher-energy targets,[b] such as geosynchronous orbit, the Moon, and Mars.[37] A Starship propellant depot could cache methane and oxygen on-orbit and be used by Starship to replenish its fuel tanks.
Starship Human Landing System (HLS) is a crewed lunar lander variant of the Starship vehicle that would be modified for landing, operation, and takeoff from the lunar surface.[38] It features landing legs, a body-mounted solar array,[39] a set of thrusters mounted mid-body to assist with final landing and takeoff,[39] two airlocks,[38] and an elevator to lower crew and cargo onto the lunar surface.[40]
Varying estimates have been given about the number of tanker launches required to fully fuel HLS, ranging from between "four and eight" to a number "in the high teens".[41][42] These launches will reportedly have to be in "rapid succession" in order to manage schedule constraints and cryogenic fuel boil-off.[41] When fully fueled, Starship HLS is designed to land 100t (220,000lb) of payload on the Moon.[43][44][45]
SpaceX prototypes are subjected to several tests before they can be launched. Pressure tests come first, during which the tanks are filled with a liquid or gas to test their strength and safety factor. SpaceX tests some tanks beyond the specified limit, to find the point at which they burst. After engine installation, vehicles undergo static fire testing, during which the engines fire while the vehicle is prevented from lifting off. After passing these tests, a prototype vehicle will launch, either flying within the atmosphere, or attempting to reach orbit.[48]:15–19
Construction on the initial steel test article—Starship Hopper,[63]Hopper, Hoppy, or Starhopper[64]—began at Boca Chica in 2018. Starhopper had a single engine and was test flown to develop landing and low-altitude/low-velocity control algorithms.
Starhopper used liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane fuel. After it completed its testing campaign Starhopper was repurposed as a water tank, weather station and equipment mount for cameras, lights, loudspeakers and a radar system.[65]
Testing
It passed tanking tests, wet dress rehearsals, and pre-burner tests.[66] A storm blew over and damaged Starhopper's nose cone. SpaceX continued testing without one.[67]
It then passed a static fire test,[68] and in a tethered test reached 1 meter altitude.[69][70][67] On July 25, 2019, a Starhopper test flight reached about 20m (66ft) altitude,[71] followed by an August 27 test that rose to 150m (490ft)[72] and landed about 100m (330ft) from the launchpad, the Raptor's first use in flight.
On September 3, 2024, Starhopper was moved to a parking lot nearby the launch site.[73]
Mark series (Mk1–Mk4)
Starship Mk1 in September 2019
SpaceX began building the high-altitude prototype, Mk1 in Texas and Mk2 in Florida, using competing teams that shared progress, insights, and build techniques.[74][69] The vehicle featured three Raptor methalox engines and were meant to reach an altitude 5km (3.1mi).[75][76]
Mk1 was 9m (30ft) in diameter and about 50m (160ft) tall,[77] with an empty mass of 200t (440,000lb). It was intended for testing flight and reentry profiles, in pursuit of a suborbital flight. When announced, it had three sea-level Raptor engines, two fins each at the front and back, and a nose cone containing cold-gas reaction control thrusters, with all but the aft fins being removed afterwards.[78][79][80]
On November 20, 2019, Mk1 blew apart during a pressure test.[81][82]
SpaceX began Mk2 in Florida, sharing progress, insights, and build techniques with the Mk1 team in Texas.[74][69] It was never completed.[83]
The Mk3 prototype began construction in late 2019.[77] In December 2019, Musk redesignated Mk3 as Starship SN1, and predicted that minor design improvements would continue through SN20.[84] SpaceX began stacking SN1 in February 2020 after successful pressurization tests on propellant tank prototypes. SN1 was destroyed during a cryogenic pressurization test on February 28, 2020, due to a design flaw in the lower tank thrust structure.[85][86]
Mk4 began construction in Florida in October 2019,[87] but was scrapped after a few weeks.
Hops (SN3–SN6)
SN3 and SN4
SN3 was destroyed during testing on April 3, 2020[48][88] due to a failure in the testing configuration.[48]
Static fire of SN4
SN4 passed cryogenic pressure testing on April 26[89] and two static fires on May 5 and May 7: one tested the main tanks, while the other tested the fuel header tank.[90] After uninstalling the engine, a new cryogenic pressure test was conducted on May 19. A leak in the methane fuel piping ignited, causing significant damage to the rocket's base, destroying the control wiring.[91] SN4 was destroyed on May 29, due to a failure with the Ground Support Equipment's quick-disconnect function.[92]
SN5 and SN6
After a static fire test on July 30,[93]SN5 completed a 150-meter flight (August 4) with engine SN27.[54][94] SN5 was scrapped in February 2021.[95]
SN6 completed a static fire on August 24, and a 150-meter hop test flight with engine SN29 on September 3. In January 2021, SN6 was scrapped.[96]
High-altitude test flights (SN8–S23)
SN8 shortly after taking off during its test flightStarship SN8 remains after it crashed to the groundSN9 on Suborbital Pad B, with the production facility in the background
SN8 was planned to be built out of 304L stainless steel,[97] although some parts may have used 301L steel.[98] In late October and November, SN8 underwent four static fires. During the third test, on November 12, 2020, debris from the pad caused the vehicle to lose pneumatics.[99] Launch took place on December 9. Launch, ascent, reorientation, and controlled descent were successful, but low pressure in the methane header tank[100] kept the engines from producing enough thrust for the landing burn, destroying SN8 on impact.[101]
On December 11, 2020, the stand beneath SN9 failed, causing the vehicle to tip and contact the walls inside the High Bay.[102] SN9 then required a replacement forward flap.[103] SN9 conducted 6 static fires in January 2021,[104] including three static fires in one day.[105] After these tests, two engines had to be replaced.[106] After struggling to gain U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permission,[107] SN9 conducted a 10km (6.2mi) flight test on February 2. Ascent, engine cutoffs, reorientation and controlled descent were stable, but one engine's oxygen pre-burner failed, sending SN9 crashing into the landing pad.[108] The landing pad was then reinforced with an additional layer of concrete.[109] After the SN9 failure, all three engines were used to perform the belly flop landing sequence. This offered a failsafe should one fail to ignite.[110][111]
SN10–SN14
SN10 underwent a cryogenic proof test on February 8, 2021, followed by a static fire on February 23.[112] After an engine swap, another static fire was conducted on February 25.[113]
Two launch attempts were conducted on March 3. The first attempt was automatically aborted after one engine produced too much thrust while throttling up. After a 3-hour delay to increase the tolerance,[114] the second attempt launched and landed successfully. The test ended with a hard landing-at 10m/s – most likely due to partial helium ingestion from the fuel header tank. Three landing legs were not locked in place, producing a slight lean after landing. Although the vehicle initially remained intact, the impact crushed the legs and part of the leg skirt. Eight minutes later the prototype exploded.[115][116]
SN11 accomplished a cryogenic proof test on March 12 that included a test of the Reaction control system (RCS),[117][118] followed by a static fire test on March 15, 2021. Immediately after ignition, the test was aborted.[119] Another static fire attempt[120] led to reports that one of the three engines had been removed for repairs.[121] A replacement engine was installed[122] and a third static fire was attempted on March 26.[123] A 10km flight test was conducted in heavy fog on March 30. The test included engine cutoffs, flip maneuver, flap control and descent, along with a visible fire on engine 2[124] during the ascent. Just after the defective engine was re-ignited for the landing burn, SN11 lost telemetry at T+ 5:49 and disintegrated.[125]
SN15 introduced improved avionics software, an updated aft skirt propellant architecture, and a new Raptor design and configuration.[127][128] A Starlink antenna on the side of the vehicle was another new feature.[129] SN15 underwent an ambient temperature pressure test on April 9, 2021,[130] followed by a cryogenic proof test on April 12, and a header tank cryogenic proof test on April 13.[131][132] A static fire was conducted on April 26,[133][134] and a header tank static fire on April 27 followed.[135] A 10km (33,000ft) high-altitude flight test was conducted in overcast weather on May 5, achieving a soft touchdown. A small fire near the base started shortly after landing, though this was extinguished.[136] After its engines were removed, it was moved to the Rocket Garden on May 31, 2021.[137] On July 26, 2023, SN15 was scrapped.[138]
SN16 was scrapped, while SN17, SN18, and SN19 were never completed.
SN20 getting its heat shield inspected
SN20/Ship 20–Ship 23
Static fire test of SN20 on October 21, 2021
SN20 was the first vehicle with a complete thermal protection system (TPS). SN20 rolled out to the launch mount on August 5, 2021, and was stacked onto Booster 4 for a fit test.[139][140][141] U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings in May 2021 by SpaceX stated that the orbital flight would launch from Boca Chica, Texas. After separation, Starship would enter orbit and around 90 minutes later attempt a soft ocean landing around 100km off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii.[142] However, S20 was retired in March 2022. As of April 2024, SN20 (Ship 20) remains in the Rocket Garden.
Ship 22 moved to the Rocket Garden in late February 2022. It was later scrapped, in favor of using S24 for integrated flight test 1 (IFT-1).[143] Its nosecone was converted into a HLS interior mockup. 3d Artist TheSpaceEngineer has claimed that this mockup features two decks, the first containing the life support systems (ECLSS), and the second serving as habitation for the crew.[144]
Ship 23 was scrapped and partially recycled in Ship 24.[145]
Ship 24 was first spotted in November 2021, and conducted cryogenic proof tests on June 2, 2022, June 6, and June 7.[146][147] On June 9, Ship 24 was rolled back to the production site for engine installation,[148] and was rolled to Suborbital Pad B on July 5.[149][150] Ship 24 conducted a series of spin prime tests in mid-late July.[151][152][153][154] It completed a two engine static fire test on August 9,[155] followed by an additional spin prime test on August 25.[156] On September 8, 2022, Ship 24 underwent a six engine static fire test.[157] The ship was subsequently stacked on top of Booster 7 in mid-October, followed by two destacks in October and early November.[158][159][160] On December 15, Ship 24 conducted a single engine static test fire.[161][162] In January 2023, Booster 7 and Ship 24 conducted a Wet Dress Rehearsal.[163] On April 20, 2023, Ship 24 was destroyed in flight along with Booster 7 after spinning out of control.[164][165]
Ship 25 was a Starship prototype similar to Ship 24, equipped with a heat shield and a payload bay, though this was permanently welded shut.[166] It was used to test the cryogenic test stand at Massey's test site.[166] During the third week of May 2023, Ship 25 was moved to the launch site and lifted onto suborbital pad B for engine testing.[166] On June 21, 2023, Ship 25 performed a successful spin prime test,[166] On June 26, 2023, Ship 25 underwent its first static fire test, igniting all six engines.[166] On August 5, 2023, it was moved to the Rocket Garden for final TPS work.[166] It was lifted onto B9 for the first time on September 5, and was destacked several times throughout the rest of the month and mid October.[166] On October 22, B9 underwent two partial cryogenic tests, while S25 was not tested,[166] followed by a full wet dress rehearsal (WDR) two days later.[166] On November 18, 2023, Ship 25 was launched atop Booster 9 on the second Integrated Flight Test, with Ship 25 successfully separating from Booster 9.[166] Near the end of its burn, a LOX dump started a fire in the engine bay, causing an explosion.[166] The autonomous flight termination system activated, destroying the vehicle.[167]
Ship 26 and 27
Ship 26 was an expendable Starship prototype, lacking heat shield tiles and flaps. Ship 26 also lacked a payload bay door. On September 9, 2023, S26 was moved to Suborbital Pad B for static fire testing.[168] S26 then underwent a cryogenic test on October 9, 2023, followed by a preburner test with a single engine nine days later,[169] and a single engine static fire test on October 20, 2023, simulating a deorbit burn. On December 16, 2023, SpaceX crews began welding large steel pieces onto S26's payload bay, although it is unclear what was the reason behind this reinforcement.[170] Additional supports were added on December 20, 2023.[171] S26 was rolled to the Massey's site on May 8 for static fire stand testing.[172][173] S26 conducted a cryogenic test on May 24,[174] followed by a six engine static fire on June 3.[175] S26's engines were removed on August 14.[176] It was moved into the High Bay on November 20,[177] where it was scrapped.[178]
Like S26, S27 was an expendable prototype, lacking heat shield tiles. It was the first Ship to have a reinforced payload dispenser. Ship 27 was scrapped on July 20, 2023, after the common dome failed.[179] S27's aft section was then converted into a test article, presumably to test the engine shielding design present on S25.[180] On September 27, 2023, S27 was rolled to the Massey's test site.[180]
Ship 28, along with subsequent Block 1 models, features heat shield tiles as well as reinforced Starlink satellite dispensers.[181] In July 2023, S28 underwent cryogenic testing, before receiving engines on August 18.[182] On December 14, S28 was moved to the launch site and lifted onto Suborbital Pad B,[183] where it completed a spin prime test on December 16,[182] followed by a six engine static fire test on December 20,[182] and a deorbit burn test on December 29.[183] S28 was moved to the Orbital Launch Site for IFT-3 on February 10,[182] and was stacked onto the B10 rocket.[182] The combined vehicle conducted two aborted wet dress rehearsal attempts on February 14 and February 16.[182][184] It was returned to Suborbital Pad B on February 19,[182] where underwent a spin prime test on February 26,[182] On March 3, 2024, B10 and S28 completed a wet dress rehearsal,[182] followed by a final destack on March 5 for FTS installation.[182] The FTS was armed on March 8, 2024,[182] followed by S28 being restacked on March 10, 2024.[182] S28 flew with B10 on March 14, and reached orbit. It conducted tests of the Payload Dispenser and fuel transfer system, before being destroyed during reentry.[185]
On September 22, 2023, S29 was moved to Massey's for cryogenic testing, where it was cryogenically tested on September 26,.[186] On November 21, 2023, S29 was moved into the High Bay,[186] and on February 29, S29 was moved to the launch site,[186] where it underwent a cryogenic test on March 7,[187] followed by a spin prime test on March 11.[188] On March 12, 2024, S29 was briefly removed from the launch site to prevent damage from IFT-3, before returning ahead of two static fire tests on March 25 and March 27.[189][186] On May 15, S29 was lifted onto B11, with the combined vehicle completing a partial cryogenic test on May 16,[190] and a full wet dress rehearsal on May 20.[191] A second wet dress rehearsal was conducted on May 28.[192] On May 29, S29 was destacked for final tile work and Flight Termination System (FTS) Installation,[186] with FTS installation occurring on May 30.[186] S29 was stacked onto B11 for the final time on June 5.[186] On June 6, S29 was launched with B11 on IFT-4, with S29 completing a full ascent burn with no engine failures.[193] It retained attitude control into reentry, despite the near-complete loss of a forward flap,[193] and achieved a successful landing burn.[193]
S30 was moved to Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on December 30, 2023.[194] On January 3, 2024, S30 underwent its first cryogenic test.[195] On May 1, it was rolled to the Suborbital Launch Site,[196] where it was lifted onto Suborbital Pad B for static fire testing.[197] It conducted a cryogenic test on May 7,[198] followed by an aborted static fire test,[199] and a 6 engine static fire test on May 8. On June 11, SpaceX began removing and replacing S30s thermal protection system, adding a backup ablative layer.[200] S30 was rolled to Masseys on July 20,[200] ahead of a 6 engine static fire on July 26,[201] and rolled back to the production site on July 27.[200] One of S30's Raptor Vacuum engines was replaced on August 3,[200] and it was rolled back to Massey's on August 6,[200] where it conducted a spin prime test on August 7.[202] SpaceX claimed that B12 and S30 were ready to fly on August 8.[202] S30 was then rolled back to the production site.[200] On September 21, S30 was lifted onto B12.[203] A partial wet dress rehearsal was conducted on September 23.[204] followed by a second partial wet dress rehearsal on October 7,[205] followed by S30 being destacked for FTS installation.[206] FTS was installed on both vehicles on October 9,[207] and S30 was stacked onto B12 for Flight 5 on October 11.[208] On October 13, S30 launched on B12, and reached the desired trajectory after a nominal ascent burn with no engine failures. Like S29, S30 retained attitude control through reentry, and successfully reignited its engines for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.[209] As of October 13, 2024, S30 is the largest artificial object to reenter Earth's atmosphere.[210]
On December 14, 2023, S31 was moved to the Rocket Garden,[211] before being moved back into the High Bay on January 4.[212] It was rolled to Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on May 11,[213] with the first test ending prematurely due to an electrical anomaly.[214] After being repaired, it returned to Massey's,[215] where it was cryogenically tested on July 2 and July 3.[216] On July 5, S31 was moved to Mega Bay 2 for engine installation.[217] The process of replacing S31's thermal protection system began in early August.[218] On September 6, S31 was rolled to Massey's for static fire testing.[219] It attempted to static fire on September 8, with the test being aborted due to the weather.[220] S31 conducted a static fire on September 18,[221] and it was rolled back to the production site on September 20.[222] S31 was moved to the launch site for IFT-6 on November 11,[223] where its Flight Termination System was installed on November 12.[224] It was stacked onto Booster 13 (B13) on November 14,[225] with the combined vehicle conducted a partial wet dress rehearsal on November 17.[226] On November 19, S31 launched on B13, and reached the desired trajectory.[227] After conducting a relight of a raptor engine, S31 reenetered the atmosphere, and successfully completed the landing burn for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.[228] Several components of S31, including multiple tiles and COPVs, were recovered for analysis in Australia.[229]
On November 24, Elon Musk implied that S32 would be the last Block 1 starship.[230] On January 10, 2024, S32 was moved to the Rocket Garden.[231] SpaceX confirmed that Flight 7 and subsequent launches would use Block 2 vehicles.[232]
Ships 33–38
In late November, 2023, the original S33's components were scrapped,[233] alongside the components of the original S34 through S38.[234]
Block 2 launches (Ships 33 and subsequent)
Block 2 ships will feature a new forward flap design, increased propellant capacity, and an increase in thrust.[235] Additionally, the leeward side of the vehicle has some external stringers.[236] These vehicles will be a total of 1.8m (5ft 11in) meters taller than the previous Block 1 ships.[235]
On July 24, 2024, S33's nosecone and payload bay were rolled into Mega Bay 2.[237] Stacking of the vehicle was completed on August 23.[238] On October 26, S33 rolled to the Massey's test site,[239] where it conducted a series of cryogenic tests.[240]
On September 19, 2024, S34's nosecone was rolled into the High bay ahead of integration with the payload bay.[241] The combined assembly was then rolled into the Starfactory,[242] and from there into Mega Bay 2.[243]
Liquid Oxygen Header Test Tank (LOX HTT) was based on the LOX Header tank, as well as surrounding parts of the nosecone. On January 24, 2020, the tank underwent a pressurization test which lasted several hours.[248] The following day it was tested to destruction.[244]
SN2 was a test tank used to test welding quality and thrust puck design. The thrust puck is found on the bottom of the vehicle where in later Starship tests up to three sea-level Raptor engines would be mounted. SN2 passed a pressure test on March 8, 2020.[86][85]
SN7 was a pathfinder test article for the switch to type 304L stainless steel.[97] A cryogenic proof test was performed on June 15, 2020, achieving a pressure of 7.6bar (110psi) before a leak occurred. During a pressurize to failure test on June 23, 2020, the tank burst at an unknown pressure.[249][246]
SN7.1 was the second 304L test tank, with the goal of reaching a higher failure pressure.[97] The tank was repeatedly tested in September, and tested to destruction on September 23.[250] The bulkhead came apart at a pressure of 8bar (115psi) in ullage and 9bar (130psi) at base.[251][247]
SN7.2 was created to test thinner walls, and therefore, lower mass. It is believed to be constructed from 3mm steel sheets rather than the 4mm thickness of its predecessors.[252] On January 26, 2021, SN7.2 passed a cryogenic proof test. On February 4, during a pressurize to failure test, the tank developed a leak.[253][254] On March 15, SN7.2 was retired.[255][256]
S24.1 was a test article design to test the redesigned aft section present on Block 1 ships after S24. It conducted a single test on the can-crusher on October 7, 2022. After this test failed, it received modifications before completing two tests on December 5 and December 6.[257]
S26.1 was a test tank designed to test the aft section of Block 1 ships after S24.1's failure. It conducted two tests on the can-crusher, before being moved off in July 2023.[258] On September 21, 2023, it was tested to destruction.[259]
S24.2 was a test article designed to test the payload bay of Starlink dispenser vehicles.[260] On September 28, 2023, it was moved to the Massey's test site. It performed two tests before subsequently being scrapped.
TT16 is a test tank designed for testing the Block 2 ship aft section,[261][262] consisting of an aft section and a small common dome section. Its official designation is not yet known.[263] On July 18, it was rolled to the Massey's test site for structural testing.[261] It conducted two cryogenic tests on July 25,[264] followed by another test on September 6, 2024.[265] It was returned to the production site in early October for scrapping.[266]
Test Tank 1 (TT1) was a subscale test tank consisting of two forward bulkheads connected by a small barrel section. TT1 was used to test new materials and construction methods. On January 10, 2020, TT1 was tested to failure as part of an ambient temperature test, reaching a pressure of 7.1bar (103psi).[267][269]
Test Tank 2 (TT2) was another subscale test tank similar to TT1. On January 27, 2020, TT2 underwent an ambient temperature pressure test where it reached a pressure of 7.5bar (109psi) before a leak occurred.[270] Two days later, it underwent a cryogenic proof test to destruction, bursting at 8.5bar (123psi).[271][268][272]
GSE 4.1 was first spotted in August 2021 and was the first ground support equipment (GSE) test tank built, made from parts of GSE 4.[273] It underwent a cryogenic proof test in August 2021 before it was rolled to the Sanchez site.[274] It was rolled back to the launch site in November 2021, where it underwent an apparent cryogenic proof test to failure on January 18, 2022, where it burst at an unknown pressure.[275]
EDOME was a test tank created to test flatter domes, possibly used on future Starship prototypes. It was moved to the launch site in July 2022, and then back to the production site the next month, after undergoing no tests.[276] It was later moved from the production site to the Massey's test site in late September 2022, where it was damaged during a cryogenic pressure test to failure.[276] After repairs, it was tested to destruction in late October 2022.[276]
EDOME 2 was a test tank which is likely designed to continue testing a flatter dome design. As of October 4, 2023, its official designation is unknown. It was tested once, before being scrapped for unknown reasons.[277]
↑ Gross mass is the total of the propellant mass (1,200 tonnes) and approximate empty mass (100 tonnes).
↑ Synonymous with increasing the delta-v budget of the spacecraft.
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NASASpaceflight, often referred to as NSF, is a private aerospace news organization, which operates a YouTube channel, website, and forum, which launched in 2005, as well as various social media channels covering crewed and uncrewed spaceflight and aerospace engineering news.
Launch vehicle system tests assess the readiness of a launch system to safely reach orbit. Launch vehicles undergo system tests before they launch. Wet dress rehearsals (WDR) and more extensive static fire tests prepare fully assembled launch vehicles and their associated ground support equipment (GSE) prior to launch. The spacecraft/payload may or may not be attached to the launch vehicle during the WDR or static fire, but sufficient elements of the rocket and all relevant ground support equipment are in place to help verify that the rocket is ready for flight.
SpaceX has privately funded the development of orbital launch systems that can be reused many times, similar to the reusability of aircraft. SpaceX has developed technologies since the 2010s to facilitate full and rapid reuse of space launch vehicles. The project's long-term objectives include returning a launch vehicle first stage to the launch site within minutes and to return a second stage to the launch pad, following orbital realignment with the launch site and atmospheric reentry in up to 24 hours. SpaceX's long term goal would have been reusability of both stages of their orbital launch vehicle, and the first stage would be designed to allow reuse a few hours after return. Development of reusable second stages for Falcon 9 was later abandoned in favor of developing Starship. However, SpaceX still developed reusable payload fairings for the Falcon 9.
SpaceX Starbase—previously, SpaceX South Texas Launch Site and SpaceX private launch site—is an industrial complex and rocket launch facility that serves as the main testing and production location for Starship launch vehicles, as well as the headquarters of the American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX. Located at Boca Chica, near Brownsville, Texas, United States, Starbase has been under near-continuous development since the late 2010s, and comprises a spaceport near the Gulf of Mexico, a production facility at Boca Chica village, and a test site along Texas State Highway 4.
Boca Chica Village or Kopernik Shores, formerly Kennedy Shores, is a small unincorporated community in Cameron County, Texas, United States, at the mouth of the Rio Grande. It was formed in the late 1960s, and is still extant as of 2021, although the village proper has changed greatly since 2018 as SpaceX came to purchase much of the land of the village. It lies 20 miles (32 km) east of the City of Brownsville on the Boca Chica peninsula, and forms part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. It is situated on Texas State Highway 4, immediately south of the South Bay lagoon, and is located about 2 mi (3.2 km) northwest of the mouth of the Rio Grande. Although the name Kopernik Shores is no longer in popular use, it remains its official name per the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, and is still occasionally used in official contexts.
Starship is a two-stage fully reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. On April 20, 2023, with the first Integrated Flight Test, Starship became the most massive, most powerful, and tallest vehicle ever to fly. SpaceX has developed Starship with the intention of lowering launch costs using economies of scale, aiming to achieve this by reusing both rocket stages by "catching" them with the launch tower's systems, increasing payload mass to orbit, increasing launch frequency, mass-manufacturing the rockets and adapting it to a wide range of space missions. Starship is the latest project in SpaceX's reusable launch system development program and plan to colonize Mars.
Falcon 9 Block 5 is a partially reusable, human-rated, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. It is the fifth major version of the Falcon 9 family and the third version of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust. It is powered by Merlin 1D engines burning rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
Raptor is a family of rocket engines developed and manufactured by SpaceX. It is the third rocket engine in history designed with a full-flow staged combustion (FFSC) fuel cycle, and the first such engine to power a vehicle in flight. The engine is powered by cryogenic liquid methane and liquid oxygen, a mixture known as methalox.
Starship HLS is a lunar lander variant of the Starship spacecraft that is slated to transfer astronauts from a lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back. It is being designed and built by SpaceX under the Human Landing System contract to NASA as a critical element of NASA's Artemis program to land a crew on the Moon.
Boca Chica is an area on the eastern portion of a subdelta peninsula of Cameron County, at the far south of the US State of Texas along the Gulf Coast. It is bordered by the Brownsville Ship Channel to the north, the Rio Grande and Mexico to the south, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. The area extends about 25 miles (40 km) east of the city of Brownsville. The peninsula is served by Texas State Highway 4—also known as the Boca Chica Highway, or Boca Chica Boulevard within Brownsville city limits—which runs east–west, terminating at the Gulf and Boca Chica Beach.
Starship flight test 1 was the maiden flight of the integrated SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. SpaceX performed the flight test on April 20, 2023. The prototype vehicle was destroyed less than four minutes after lifting off from the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The vehicle became the most powerful rocket ever flown, breaking the half-century-old record held by the Soviet Union's N1 rocket. The launch was the first "integrated flight test," meaning it was the first time that the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft flew together as a fully integrated Starship launch vehicle.
Super Heavy is the reusable first stage of the SpaceX Starship super heavy-lift launch vehicle, which it composes in combination with the Starship second stage. As a part of SpaceX's Mars colonization program, the booster evolved into its current design over a decade. Production began in 2021, with the first flight being conducted on April 20, 2023, during the first launch attempt of the Starship rocket.
Starship flight test 2 was the second flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. SpaceX performed the flight test on November 18, 2023. The mission's primary objectives were for the vehicle to hot stage—a new addition to Starship's flight profile—followed by the second stage attaining a near-orbital trajectory with a controlled reentry over the Pacific Ocean, while the booster does a boostback burn with a propulsive splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship flight test 3 was the third flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. SpaceX performed the flight test on March 14, 2024.
Starship flight test 4 was the fourth flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles flown were the Starship Ship 29 upper-stage and Super Heavy Booster 11. SpaceX performed the flight test on June 6, 2024.
Starship flight test 5 was the fifth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles flown were the Starship Ship 30 upper-stage and Super Heavy Booster 12.
Starship flight test 6 was the sixth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles flown were the Ship 31 upper stage and first stage Booster 13. The flight test started on November 19, 2024, at 22:00:00UTC.
Starship flight test 7 will be the seventh flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles expected to be flown are Ship 33, the first Block 2 upper stage, and Booster 14, a Block 1 vehicle.
1 2 "SpaceX – Starship". SpaceX. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2023. Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the Starship system.
1 2 3 Baylor, Michael (July 15, 2020). "Starship SN5 set for a static fire followed shortly by a 150-meter hop attempt". NASASpaceflight. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020. The most recent test tank, designated SN7, achieved a record pressure before it failed. SN7 was the pathfinder vehicle for the switch to 304L stainless steel. The next test tank – designated SN7.1 – will feature further build-quality improvements, as it attempts to break the record set by SN7.
1 2 Mali, Tariq (June 23, 2020). "Boom! SpaceX pops huge Starship SN7 test tank on purpose in pressure test". Space.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2021. SpaceX pushed a massive tank for its latest Starship prototype beyond its limits Tuesday (June 23) in an intentionally explosive test in South Texas. The Starship SN7 prototype tank ruptured during a pressure test at SpaceX's Boca Chica proving grounds, the second in just over a week for the spacecraft component.
↑ Ralph, Eric (January 27, 2021). "SpaceX's thin-skinned Starship 'test tank' passes first trial". Teslarati. Retrieved January 30, 2021. Known as Starship SN7.2, SpaceX's latest 'test tank' is the third to carry the SN7 moniker and appears to have been built primarily to test refinements to the rocket's structural design...the tank's most important task is determining if future Starships (and perhaps Super Heavy boosters) can be built out of thinner, lighter steel rings. Its domes appear to be identical to past ships but writing on the exterior of the tank strongly implied that its three rings were built out of 3mm steel rather than the 4mm sheets that have made up every Starship built in the last 12 months.
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