Ahead of its fifth Starship test flight in Texas, and after it transported the Super Heavy booster to the pad in the evening Eastern time yesterday, SpaceX lifted the rocket on the launch mount, shows footage from local media. After a brief pause in testing activities in Texas, SpaceX has picked up the pace with its Starship tests. The fifth test will be the first time the firm attempts to catch the booster with its launch tower catch arms, and potential tests for the booster after today's lift could include pressurization tests or a static fire.
SpaceX Gears Up For Fresh Starship Tests Ahead Of Flight 5
Before SpaceX can run Starship tests on the launch pad, local officials in Cameron County inform residents for safety purposes. These bulletins are publicly available and often provide key details for Starship related activities. Separate notices are issued for rocket transportation, ground test and flight activities. Subsequently, not only were notices issued for the booster's transport yesterday, but new notices also covered testing activities.
According to the notice signed by County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr, SpaceX is allowed to conduct "non-flight testing activities" either today or tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. While the notices do not cover details for what tests SpaceX will run, similar notices in the past have covered tank pressurization and static fires. If SpaceX conducts a static fire for Super Heavy before Starship Flight 5 and the test is successful, then it will have fewer key tests remaining before a launch is attempted.
Along with the Super Heavy, engines for the second stage Starship are also static fired before launch. SpaceX has previously conducted these tests on a pad adjacent to the launch tower. This pad has now been taken down and a new launch tower is being built in its place.
With Super Heavy now at the orbital launch pad, SpaceX should be able to start testing the rocket after setting up the required connections. The booster uses 33 Raptor engines to generate close to 17 million pounds of thrust, and over time, these have improved their performance over successive flights. Starship's latest test flight in June saw only one engine failure at lift off, and all engines needed for a boost back burn were also reignited.
The test was also the first time that a Super Heavy was able to cut its speed and hover vertically over the ocean as part of a soft splashdown. While alleged footage shows that the rocket exploded after it tipped over following the splashdown, SpaceX has decided to increase the stakes as it aims to attempt a tower catch with the booster on Starship Flight 5.
The tower's catch arms have already undergone some testing for this attempt, and if the test is successful, then SpaceX will have cleared a major milestone in Starship development. If it fails, then the launch pad might suffer significant damage. SpaceX might also have to work with the FAA to secure clearance for a tower catch since it carries the risk of major damage to the launch site.
Booster 12 has been lifted onto the OLM. pic.twitter.com/0Tpx9hWpKO
— LabPadre Space (@LabPadre) July 10, 2024
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.
