SpaceX shared new images of Starship static firing last week, with all engines successfully firing and only two engines of the massive 33-engine Starship rocket booster stalled. The rocket, officially called Super Heavy, forms the first stage of the Starship rocket system, while SpaceX is apparently ramping up testing processes.Starship is huge
SpaceX’s increase in testing for Starship has only one meaning, and that the rocket’s second test flight is now very close. However, Starship is of great importance not only for the company but also for humanity. Starship is vital to both NASA’s Moon landing and SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, and a successful orbital test flight could usher in a new era for Moon and Mars missions.
Starship, which reaches a length of 120 meters when fully assembled, has 33 Raptor engines. There’s no need to quantify the power of these engines, as just looking at what’s on the launch platform during the first test will show the rocket’s power. In the launch test in April, Starship had a partial success by successfully taking off. The platform from which the rocket was launched became unusable and a deep crater was formed in the area. Even nearby settlements in the surrounding area were left in the dust. Although Starship managed to fly in its first test attempt, we can say that this was its only success. Because the rocket was destroyed in a controlled manner shortly after launch.
Tests in progress
SpaceX installed a new platform and a new water drainage system after its first attempt. Both work as expected in testing. Super Heavy tests are also progressing as desired, except for minor shortcomings.
So when will the second Starship test flight be? This is not clear yet. SpaceX needs to fix all the problems first. It is not enough to fix the problems, it is necessary to obtain a flight permit from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Since this is a process, it is not possible to give an exact date. However, Elon Musk was aiming to launch in September.
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