SpaceX crosses critical threshold: Starships are coming

SpaceX capped off an eventful but instructive chapter in its Starship rocket program with a near-flawless test flight on Monday. Launched from South Texas, the giant stainless steel spacecraft circled the hemisphere as planned, arriving in the Indian Ocean. A JUSTIFICATION NEEDED FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Starship lifted off at 6:23 p.m. local time, with 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines firing simultaneously. Starship, the most powerful rocket in history with an estimated 16.7 million pounds (7.6 million kgf) of thrust, performed a vertical liftoff from its Starbase facility in Texas. The 123-meter-tall rocket followed its planned flight path almost flawlessly from liftoff. The spacecraft is considered SpaceX’s most successful Starship flight to date. In a post-flight statement, SpaceX said: “Starship’s 11th test flight achieved all of its objectives. This data provided valuable information for the next generation of Starship and Super Heavy.” ONE OF THE ENGINES DISABLED This flight did not retrieve the Super Heavy booster stage, but SpaceX attempted to precisely land the giant rocket at a designated spot in the Gulf of Mexico. This booster, which was also used in the March flight, tested a controlled deceleration by firing 13 engines during landing and then gradually decreasing to five and then three. The broadcast showed that one of the engines failed early in the landing, but this did not affect the overall success of the flight. STARSHIP V2’S FINAL FLIGHT This was the fifth and final test flight of Starship’s second-generation (V2) configuration. The V2 variant, in development since 2023, finally met expectations after unsuccessful tests in January, March, and May. Despite an explosion during a test in June, the August flight allowed the program to recover. In that test, the rocket achieved its first-ever controlled water landing. SpaceX engineers had discovered that the metal heat shield plates were inadequate on that flight. A new insulation material called “crunch wrap” was used to close the gaps between the ceramic tiles. During Monday’s flight, this system was tested over a larger area, and the heat shield performed better. ORBIT TEST After reaching space, Starship passed over the Atlantic Ocean and Africa and positioned itself over the Indian Ocean before re-entering the atmosphere. While in space, it dropped off mockups of SpaceX’s next-generation Starlink satellites. Then, it fired a single engine to set its re-entry course. Despite plasma temperatures reaching approximately 1,430 degrees Celsius, the heat shield remained largely undamaged. SpaceX’s live stream showed uninterrupted Starlink connectivity as the rocket roared through the purple-orange plasma layer. According to Ars Technica, this was a critical phase in testing Starship’s reusability. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described this flight as “the true test of Starship’s durability.” V3 PREPARATIONS HAVE BEGUN SpaceX has now turned its attention to the Starship V3 model. This next-generation vehicle will feature larger fuel tanks, improved Raptor 3 engines, and an advanced payload bay. Starship V3 will be used for in-orbit fuel transfer, operational satellite missions, and long-range flights. In-orbit refueling is vital to both Mars missions and NASA’s Artemis Moon program. NASA is developing a Starship-based human lunar lander with a more than $4 billion contract with SpaceX. Therefore, the successful completion of V3 tests is critical to the space agency’s Artemis Moon mission schedule. NEW LADDERS ON THE WAY Monday’s flight was the last launch from Pad 1 in its current state. SpaceX plans to rebuild the pad by adding a flame trench. New Starship launchers are also being prepared in Texas, as well as at Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX aims to expand the Starship program to monthly, weekly, and even daily flights in the future. "The focus is now on developing the next generation of vehicles that will carry the fully and rapidly reusable Starship fleet to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond," the company's official statement reads.