On November 19, SpaceX conducted its sixth test flight of the Starship vehicle, although it had to abort plans for the Super Heavy booster to land back at the launch site. The Starship/Super Heavy lifted off at 5 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 a.m. IST) from SpaceX’s Starbase test facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The launch occurred at the beginning of a 30-minute launch window, with no issues reported during the countdown. Among the attendees at the launch was President-elect Donald Trump, who has maintained a close relationship with SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk.
What happened to the Super Heavy booster?
The Super Heavy booster, designated Booster 13, detached from the Starship upper stage approximately two minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff. As it began its return to the launch site, controllers announced shortly thereafter a "booster offshore divert," indicating that it would not be returning to the launch pad.
SpaceX did not specify the issue that prompted the diversion. Instead, the booster executed a powered landing in the Gulf of Mexico, just offshore from the launch site, where it tipped over and exploded moments later. This incident represented at least a minor setback for SpaceX, especially following their success in "catching" the booster at the launch tower during the previous launch on October 13.
How did the Starship test flight go?
The booster successfully placed the Starship upper stage, known as Ship 31, onto a suborbital trajectory. During its time in space, SpaceX briefly reignited one of the vehicle’s Raptor engines, a crucial test for the deorbit burns required in future missions.
Following this, Starship reentered over the Indian Ocean. Prior to the flight, the company indicated a shift in the reentry profile, stating it was “purposefully stressing the limits of flap control,” among other adjustments, while also utilising an older version of the thermal protection system compared to the previous flight.
“Do not be surprised if this is not a smooth flight to splashdown today. We are intentionally testing how far we can push the vehicle to understand its true limits as we plan for future ship returns and catches,” said Kate Tice, one of the hosts of the SpaceX webcast. Ultimately, SpaceX aims to return Starship to the launch site using a catch system similar to that employed for the Super Heavy booster.
Starship successfully navigated reentry intact, although it sustained noticeable damage to a flap and certain parts of the thermal protection system. The vehicle achieved a powered soft landing in the ocean 65 and a half minutes post-liftoff, tipping over on its side and floating on the surface. The shift in launch time from morning to afternoon allowed the splashdown to occur in daylight, providing better video coverage of Starship’s return.
What next?
SpaceX is implementing upgrades to the next iteration of the Starship's upper stage, as announced during the launch webcast. These enhancements include extending the vehicle to accommodate larger propellant tanks and increasing its payload capacity from 1,200 to 1,500 tons. Additionally, the forward flaps, which are used for controlling the vehicle during reentry, have been repositioned and downsized to offer improved protection against the intense heat encountered during reentry. The company did not specify an anticipated launch date.
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