After the failure of the first flight, SpaceX's Starship may carry out a second test flight within a week
According to CCTV news, on the 10th local time, the US Space Exploration Technology Corporation said that the "Starship" rocket and spacecraft integrated system may fly within a week. If all goes well, this will be the second test flight of Starship since its first failed flight in April.
On April 22, local time, a member of the public walked past the launch pad of the Boca Chica launch base, where the "Starship" made its first test flight on the 20th, and the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff.
SpaceX said on social media platforms on the evening of the 10th that the "Starship" is ready to be launched "as early as November 17" and is currently awaiting final approval from regulatory authorities.
Promotional materials released by the company show that the new Starship rocket is currently standing on the launch pad.
According to the contract signed between NASA and SpaceX, Starship will be used as a vehicle to carry American astronauts back to the moon for the Artemis 3 manned lunar landing program. However, the relevant research and development process has been delayed several times.
Starship made its first orbital test flight, and the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff.
On 20 April this year, the "Starship" rocket and spacecraft integrated system conducted its first orbital test flight, but the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff. According to AFP, the rocket engine failed, and the first stage booster did not separate from the spacecraft above.
According to the regulations, the second test flight of the "Starship" requires a launch permit issued by the FAA. The FAA completed its safety inspection in October. However, the test flight program is subject to approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
On April 19, local time, the "Starship" was preparing for its first orbital test flight.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, said in early October that Starship's separation system had been overhauled. Testing the new system would be "the most dangerous part of the flight" and he didn't want to set expectations "too high."
According to Musk, the flight plan for the two test flights is similar, that is, after separation from the booster, the spacecraft compartment of the "Starship" will complete nearly a circle of flight around the earth and then crash into the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
According to the SpaceX website, the new generation of heavy-lift launch vehicle "Starship" is the world's largest and most powerful launch vehicle so far, with a total height of about 120 meters and a diameter of about 9 meters. The rocket consists of two parts, the bottom is the first stage of the "Super Heavy" booster, about 69 meters high, equipped with 33 "Raptor" engines, and the top is the spacecraft, about 50 meters high, reusable.
Starship is a recoverable rocket that is larger than SpaceX's existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles, capable of carrying more than 100 tons of payloads into Earth orbit and designed to carry people and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.
Edited by Chen Yanting