SpaceX is innovating for this third flight: in addition to new maneuvers to be performed in mid-flight, the American company plans to crash the Starship in the Indian Ocean, and no longer in the Pacific. If the rocket doesn’t explode first.
The third flight test of the Starship is scheduled to take place on March 14, 2024. In any case, this is the provisional schedule shared by SpaceX on March 5. Like any test, this may be rescheduled without notice to another date: in particular if the United States Civil Aviation Administration (FAA) does not authorize takeoff.
In the meantime, SpaceX has shared the theoretical progress of the mission on its website. First notable element to consider: there is no longer any question of finishing the flight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Hawaii, but in the Indian Ocean. A change justified both for security reasons and for operational needs.
“ This new flight path allows us to try new techniques, like burning engines in space, while maximizing public safety », justifies the American company. Compared to the 2nd flight, organized in November 2023, a few more maneuvers are planned.
Among the main events expected during this attempt, there are:
- the successful ascent of the two stages (Super Heavy and Starship) of the rocket,
- opening and closing the door for payload,
- the demonstration of propellant transfer in the upper stage,
- the first re-ignition of a Raptor engine in space and a controlled re-entry of Starship.
The entire sequence should last approximately 90 minutes. There is, however, a possibility that the flight could go “wrong”, with a premature loss of one of the two stages, leading to the shutdown of the operation. This was what happened during the first two attempts, with failures after four and eight minutes of flight respectively.
These failures, however, are part of SpaceX’s way of manufacturing, testing and ensuring the reliability of its launchers. The American company carries out real tests, even if it means sacrificing prototypes, to collect data and make various corrections from one attempt to the next. It’s an expensive approach, but one that has worked so far.
All the major stages of the 3rd flight of the Starship
| 00:00:02 | lift-off ; |
| 00:00:52 | moment of maximum mechanical stress on the rocket (Max Q); |
| 00:02:42 | shutdown of most motors (“MECO Booster”); |
| 00:02:44 | separation of the two stages and ignition of the Starship propulsion (“Hot-staging”); |
| 00:02:55 | ignition of the Super Heavy’s engines to prepare for return to Earth; |
| 00:03:50 | extinction of the Super Heavy engines; |
| 00:06:36 | the booster is transonic; |
| 00:06:46 | starting the engines to land the Super Heavy; |
| 00:07:04 | stopping the sequence; |
| 00:08:35 | shutdown of Starship propulsion; |
| 00:11:56 | opening the door; |
| 00:24:31 | propellant transfer demonstration; |
| 00:28:21 | closing the door; |
| 00:40:46 | demonstration of Raptor re-ignition in space; |
| 00:49:05 | Starship reentry to Earth; |
| 01:02:16 | the Starship is transonic; |
| 01:03:04 | the Starship is subsonic; |
| 01:04:39 | Starship landing. |
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