SpaceX Breaks Silence On Starship Flight 5 – Sunday Launch & Catch Abort In-Play

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SpaceX has picked up the pace with its Starship Flight 5 preparations in Texas, as after tank tests yesterday, the firm confirmed on social media that Starship Flight 5 could take place as soon as Monday. The announcement was the first for Starship after SpaceX's previous post confirmed that the launch could be delayed until November because of regulatory approvals. SpaceX's objectives for Flight 5 shared before today's announcement had included a tower catch for the Super Heavy booster as part of the firm's bid to build the world's first super heavy lift reusable rocket system.

SpaceX Ready To Fly Starship On Sunday Pending Regulatory Approval

SpaceX's post from yesterday night followed a day of Starship full stack testing at the pad. Right now, the upper stage Starship is stacked on the Super Heavy booster, and yesterday, SpaceX filled the booster's tanks with propellant to verify its systems. These tests typically increase in frequency before a launch, indicating that Starship's approval was moving faster than anticipated on the regulatory front.

SpaceX's earlier posts for Starship shared that regulatory approvals for the booster's tower catch and a new splashdown location for the interstage ring were the primary reasons behind the delay. The latest information confirms that a tower catch is still on the cards, indicating that the issues stemming from the sonic boom that had raised regulatory concerns might have been resolved.

However, just because SpaceX plans to catch the Super Heavy booster with the launch tower doesn't mean that a catch is guaranteed to occur. The firm outlined that it accepts "no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team," which has led it to only attempt a catch "if conditions are right."

SpaceX explained its Starship tower catch criteria, outlining that "Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch attempt of the Super Heavy booster." These include "healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission’s Flight Director.'

To evaluate the rocket before a catch attempt, automated systems on the rocket will conduct health checks, and the vehicle will only approach the launch pad if the flight director gives manual approval. SpaceX added that if the tower catch is aborted, the ship will attempt a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after initiating a landing burn.

As for the second stage Starship, SpaceX has also made several upgrades to the spacecraft. These include "updates to the ship’s operations and software for reentry and landing burn," along with a complete overhaul of the heatshield. Starship second stage's heatshield was the star of the show in flight 4 after its forward flap caught fire during reentry.

Splashdown for the second stage is planned for the Indian Ocean, with the heatshield upgrades including improved tiles, an additional layer for heat ablation and more protections between the flap and the main body. These areas are among the most vulnerable and had made Elon Musk predict that a fire could light up there before Starship Flight 4.

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