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SpaceX has shipped the upper-stage Starship spacecraft for tests at its test site ahead of Starship Flight 7. The rocket shipped is the second-generation upper-stage Starship, which should set the stage for the rest of the rocket's test campaign. Starship Flight 7 might occur in January, a fact bolstered by the rapid speed with which SpaceX is testing the rockets. Before shipping the upper-stage ship to the site yesterday, SpaceX conducted a static fire of the 232-feet-tall Super Heavy booster. This test might be the last of its kind ahead of launch, provided SpaceX met all its test objectives.
SpaceX Ships Starship Flight 7's Main Item To Test Pad Ahead Of Launch
The star of Starship Flight 7, just like Flight 6, will be the upper-stage spacecraft. Starship Flight 6 stood out from the pack due to the fact that SpaceX chose to stress test the ship. These tests focused on the reentry phase of the ship's mission, as the firm flew the rocket at a flatter angle prior to the flip maneuver for its water landing. Starship typically enters the atmosphere at a steep angle to expose its heat shield to the air flowing beneath to enable the ship to withstand the heat of reentry.
Once atmospheric reentry is complete, Starship's forward (upper) fins get to work and guide the ship towards an eventual vertical orientation for landing. Naturally, if the ship is lying flat during entry, the flaps must work harder for reorientation. However, despite the added stress, the ship, its heat shield and the fins delivered during Flight 6 for an eventual soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Flight 6 was the final flight of the first-generation upper-stage Starship. SpaceX had started testing the upper-stage ship before Flight 6 through a series of tank tests to verify its structural integrity. These tests also confirmed that the new ship's tanks were larger and could carry more propellant.
Ahead of Flight 7, SpaceX started by rolling out the 232-foot-tall Starship Super Heavy booster to the launch pad over the weekend. The rollout resulted in a static fire test, after which the rocket was shipped back to the assembly facilities. SpaceX has followed up by transporting the second-generation upper-stage Starship to the new test stand. The firm will likely static fire the upper-stage engines to review their performance before the upcoming integrated test flight.
The rocket uses six engines, three of which are with larger nozzles and are designed to be used in space. Starship Flight 6 was the first test in which SpaceX attempted and successfully fired a Raptor engine in space. This was an important test for the overall program since it enabled the firm to demonstrate to the FAA that it could control Starship in case of orbital flights.
Other key watchout areas for Starship Flight 7 will be the new heat shield and the performance of the redesigned forward flaps. Additionally, if SpaceX manages to successfully splash down Starship in the water and test catch hardware, then Flight 8 could be the first Starship test to attempt a tower catch of the world's first reusable second-stage rocket.
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.
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