SpaceX's Starship Aims to Break Long-Running Loss Record During Live Launch
SpaceX's Starship Rocket Set for Tuesday Launch
After a series of failed test flights since January, SpaceX's Starship rocket is scheduled for launch on Tuesday, August 26. The launch window opens at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The upcoming flight aims to break the streak of failed test flights and finally achieve Starship's mission objectives. Last month, the eighth test flight resulted in the upper stage's explosion, and the seventh test flight ended with a similar outcome eight-and-a-half minutes after launch.
However, SpaceX has integrated hardware and operational changes into its rocket for Tuesday's launch to avoid any more mishaps. One of the significant changes is that the rocket's COPV will operate at a reduced pressure.
During the descent, one of the booster's three engines will shut down to test the ability of a backup engine to take over. Instead of attempting to catch the Super Heavy booster at the launch mount, it will head on a trajectory to an offshore landing point in the Gulf of Mexico to test its landing burn.
The booster will use two center engines for the final landing burn, hovering briefly above the ocean before dropping into the Gulf of Mexico.
The launch is significant as SpaceX races to prove that its megarocket can fly a mission to Mars in 2026. The upcoming flight will attempt to deploy 10 Starlink simulators, each similar in size and weight to the company's next-generation satellites. However, these Starlinks are designed to follow a suborbital trajectory and are expected to burn up during reentry.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted SpaceX the green light for the upcoming flight after concluding the investigation into Flight 9, which occurred on May 27. The anomaly in the most recent flight was traced to damage to a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) in Starship's payload bay.
The goal of the government agency responsible for the launch of SpaceX's Starship rocket was to oversee the regulatory and safety aspects of the launch to ensure compliance with federal requirements and risk mitigation for the unprecedented test flights of this fully reusable, super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by SpaceX.
The launch will be streamed live on SpaceX's website, SpaceX's account on various social media platforms, and through third-party live feeds. Several tiles have been removed from the upper stage's heat shield to test vulnerable areas during its reentry, specifically from hot spots observed during Starship's sixth flight test.
SpaceX attempted to launch Starship on Monday, but the test flight was delayed due to unfavorable weather. The launch was called off minutes before its scheduled liftoff on Sunday due to an issue with ground systems.
The upcoming flight is a crucial step forward for SpaceX's Starship programme, and all eyes will be on Tuesday's launch. Let's hope for a successful test flight and a step closer to SpaceX's goal of landing humans on Mars.
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