A Cure for Weldness SpaceX is pulling out all the stops in preparation for the upcoming test launches of its gigantic Starship spacecraft next year.
According to documents obtained by The Launch Pad Network last month, SpaceX is targeting no earlier than January 11 for its upcoming seventh Starship test.
In other words, SpaceX is making some considerable changes to the design of its Moonbound rocket, which could raise the stakes for the upcoming test launch next month.
But whether it survives its upcoming test flight unscathed remains unclear.
During the previous two launches, SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft splashed down in the ocean after experiencing scorching and metal-melting temperatures during reentry.
Take a look!
Weldness Cure.
In order to get ready for the massive Starship spacecraft’s test launches next year, SpaceX is going all out.
The company’s “Starfactory,” a huge facility at its “Starbase” launch complex in South Texas, appears to have a large robotic arm welding one of its Starship nosecones, according to footage released by NASASpaceflight.
The seventh Starship test is scheduled for January 11 at the latest, according to documents obtained by The Launch Pad Network last month.
A new generation of Starship prototypes, known as “Block 2,” are anticipated to be launched, with “Ship 33” being the first. It’s unclear if the nosecone in the most recent video is from it or another Block 2 Starship. ().
In addition to other modifications, the prototype will have a new forward flap design, a new heatshield layout, a larger propellant capacity, and perhaps even more thrust than its predecessors.
Stated differently, SpaceX is modifying the Moonbound rocket’s design significantly, which may increase the pressure for the test launch that is scheduled for next month.
Acid Test.
Ship 33 finished its initial cryogenic testing in late October, according to NASASpaceflight.
It is unclear, though, if it will make it through its next test flight unharmed. In the two earlier launches, SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft experienced temperatures during reentry that were so hot that they melted metal, and then splashed down in the ocean.
Being able to launch again soon after landing will be the true litmus test for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s incredibly ambitious heavy-lift launch platform, which NASA is still hoping to use for its first, and recently postponed, human landing on the Moon since the 1970s.
Last month, he tweeted, “A fully and immediately reusable heat shield is the biggest technology challenge remaining for Starship.”. The ability to land the ship, refuel the propellant, and launch immediately without the need for renovations or time-consuming inspection. That’s the acid test. “.”.
Continue reading Starship: NASA’s Moon Landing Is Again Postponed.
