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SpaceX's Starship Flight 10 could launch close to the end of this month, shows a fresh FAA advisory, with a launch opportunity penciled in for the 29th. If Flight 10 does occur on that day, then SpaceX will have flown Starship a little over a month after the previous test flight in May. Starship Flight 10 should build up on the firm's learnings from the previous test, which flew nearly three months after Flight 8. For all of its Starship flights in 20205, SpaceX has struggled to fully complete the upper-stage spacecraft's test objectives, particularly those surrounding the heatshield and an eventual tower catch for reusability.
SpaceX Speeds Ahead To Starship Flight 10 As It Static Fires Upper-Stage Spacecraft In Texas
The FAA's flight advisory for Starship Flight 10 comes after the agency closed its mishap investigation for Flight 8 earlier this month. Starship Flight 8, like Flight 7, ended in failure for the upper-stage ship, which failed to shut down its engines after separating from the Super Heavy booster.
This failure was similar in appearance to Flight 7, but SpaceX explained later that its cause was different. According to the company, while Flight 7's failure was due to vibrations in its propulsion system, Flight 8 failed due to engine malfunction, which led to uncontrolled mixing of the ship's propellants.
The FAA closed its Starship Flight 8 investigation earlier this month after it verified that SpaceX had implemented eight corrective measures to prevent improper propellant mixing in the future. However, after Flight 9's failure last month, the FAA opened another mishap investigation. This investigation is ongoing, and SpaceX is yet to share any details about the reasons of its failure on Starship Flight 9.
Since Starship Flight 9, SpaceX has conducted two Starship ground tests. The first of these was a static fire of the Super Heavy booster. This static fire test fired all of the rocket's 33 engines for a full-duration run. Such tests typically occur close to launch as they allow teams to verify a rocket's system before preparing for flight.
The second Starship ground test lit up a single engine on the upper-stage ship in what was likely a simulation of an in-space engine ignition. SpaceX has yet to light a Starship second-stage engine in space this year, as all tests have involved the second-generation upper-stage spacecraft. During Flight 9, the firm skipped the engine ignition before the ship failed its controlled entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Following these two tests, a fresh FAA advisory lists down June 29th as the primary Starship Flight 10 launch window and June 30th as the backup window. If the test occurs on these dates then SpaceX will have flown Flight 10 a little over a month after Flight 9 to have significantly reduced its turnaround time.
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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