SpaceX is gearing up to fly its full stack Starship rocket for the fifth time in late July, according to fresh comments from CEO Elon Musk. Starship’s fourth test took to the skies earlier this month amidst much fanfare, and it marked the first time that both the ship and the booster met their test objectives. Owing to its complexity, which stems from 33 Raptor engines, the booster had presented SpaceX with problems during earlier tests.
During the fourth test, the rocket successfully made a soft splashdown in the ocean. After the test, Musk was quick to share that the next test would see SpaceX attempt a tower catch, and so far, SpaceX appears to be sticking with this decision.
SpaceX All Set To Catch Starship Super Heavy With Launch Tower In July
SpaceX’s recovery profile for Starship is different than the one for its Falcon 9 rocket. Unlike the Falcon 9, Starship’s second stage is also fully reusable, and while the Falcon booster lands either on a drone ship or on the ground, the Starship Super Heavy booster does not feature landing legs. This means that SpaceX plans to ‘catch’ the rocket with its launch tower, a decision that plays a key role in the firm’s plan to make Starship rapidly reusable.
Before Starship IFT-4, SpaceX had yet to undertake a controlled landing of Starship. However, after the rocket was able to successfully make a soft splashdown during the fourth test, it looks like the firm is moving full speed ahead with the next stage of Starship tests. This will involve trying to catch the rocket with the tower, and in his latest comments, Musk believes that such an attempt can take place as soon as in July.
One of the biggest hurdles that SpaceX has had to face when establishing a rapid testing cadence for Starship is securing regulatory approval. The FAA has to approve each launch individually, but now, it appears that this process can speed up, given SpaceX uses the same flight profile and other test characteristics.
Ahead of a tower catch, Starship will first test all its systems close to the tower before approaching it. A catch is quite risky since it can damage or destroy the tower. SpaceX’s plans for a new Starship pad in Florida have indicated that the launch and landing towers will be different to eliminate this risk from the flight profile.
A tower catch could take place in “late July,” according to Musk, and SpaceX has shared few details about the fourth flight since it took place. Another tricky area for Starship has been the heat shield, and SpaceX tested a special adhesive on the second stage during the fourth flight. The second stage ship’s heat shield is made of thousands of tiles, and these regularly fall off during a launch and even while the ship is on the ground.
Ahead of the fifth flight, SpaceX is replacing all the tiles on the ship designated for this test. Footage from local media in Texas also shows that SpaceX is building a second tower in Boca Chica.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
