This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
SpaceX has completed last-minute propellant loading tests for the highly anticipated Starship Flight 6, which is scheduled for afternoon Eastern Time on Tuesday. Like Starship Flight 5, Flight 6 will also attempt to catch the first stage Starship Super Heavy booster with the tower arms and softly land the second stage Starship in the Indian Ocean. However, unlike Flight 5, the upcoming Starship test flight will also test an in-space Raptor engine reignition on the second stage Starship and additional flight profiles designed to test the limits of the ship's endurance and design options to catch it with the launch tower.
SpaceX Breezes Ahead With Last Minute Checks On Starship Full Stack Ahead Of Flight 6 On Tuesday
Over the last few days, SpaceX transported its Starship Super Heavy booster and the ship to the launch pad before stacking the ship on the booster ahead of Tuesday's test attempt. The test attempt was initially slated for tomorrow, but weather constraints forced SpaceX to move the launch forward by a day. After it stacked the rockets, SpaceX fully loaded the booster and ship's tanks with liquid oxygen and hydrogen as part of pressurization tests. These tests evaluate the rocket's structural integrity and other systems to ensure they are in working condition before launch.
With the tests complete, the firm shared on its X page that it is ready to proceed with Starship Flight 6 on Tuesday. Should Flight 6 successfully lift off on Tuesday, then it will mark the fastest turnaround time for an integrated Starship rocket in the test program's history. SpaceX launched Starship Flight 5 in mid-October, and secured the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) launch license for Flights 5 and 6 simultaneously.
This removed the time that the firm typically has had to wait for regulatory clearance since the flight profiles of the two test missions are identical.
Just as was the case with Starship Flight 5, Flight 6 will also require SpaceX to run several checkouts before it can proceed to return the 232-feet-tall Super Heavy booster to the launch pad. According to an earlier update shared by the company, Flight 6 will see propulsion system improvements, structural upgrades and shorter post-catch propellant offload times for the booster. SpaceX's flight control teams must feel comfortable returning the booster to the pad before the boost back burn is complete. If they are not confident, then the rocket will make a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The main star of the show will be the upper stage Starship spacecraft. According to SpaceX, it will fly the ship during reentry at a much steeper angle than before to test its flaps and gather data for future tests. Additionally, the test "will have entire sections of heat shield tiles removed on either side of the ship in locations being studied for catch-enabling hardware on future vehicles," as well as improved thermal protection.
SpaceX's second-generation second stage Starship, which recently underwent tests, will fly on Flight 7. This ship has larger propellant tanks, new tiles, redesigned top-section flaps, and additional thermal protection layers. Successive Starship tests will also enable SpaceX to catch the ship with the tower arms, which could take place over the next six months.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
