Assembled on its launch pad, SpaceX’s giant rocket is ready to take off once again. A fuel loading test was successfully completed and the water wall to mitigate take-off shock was further verified. The US Coast Guard has also issued a notification of possible takeoff from November 1.
For now, the United States Civil Aviation Administration (FAA), which has control over the Starship flight program, has not yet officially authorized SpaceX to conduct its second aerial test. A situation that lasts: it has been more than six months since the first, unsuccessful attempt took place. Since then, the company has made numerous adjustments to make its rocket more reliable.
Behind the scenes, however, things seem to be accelerating. On October 21, SpaceX carried out static firing of a single engine of the upper stage of its launcher – in order, he explained then, to show a “flight-like ignition for a deorbit firing”. The company also mentioned additional tests ahead of the next flight.
SpaceX prepares for D-Day
On October 25, new notable progress: on an assembled Starship on its launch pad, the company declared that it had loaded the propellant – always with a view to the dress rehearsal before the launch. This is, in the jargon, what we call a “wet dress rehearsal”. For the Starship, it is a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid methane.
The operation, which is quite sensitive (we are talking about 4,500 tonnes of highly flammable fuel), does not necessarily mean that takeoff will take place in the next few days – there may be some time elapse between this verification and D-day. regarding the very first attempt, we observed a delay of three months.
SpaceX might not need to wait that long. A notification issued by the US Coast Guard raises the prospect of a rocket launch operation precisely in the area where SpaceX operates when it carries out its launch tests. This could take place on November 1 in the vicinity of Boca Chica (Texas).
This notification, issued to inform all sailors to avoid certain areas in the event of falling debris. This type of notification is also found for air traffic, so that planes avoid a more or less large area for safety reasons. The US Coast Guard may update its advice if it turns out that the November 1 date is not the correct one.
A rocket necessary for the conquest of the Moon
Obtaining the green light from the FAA is decisive not only for SpaceX, but also for NASA. The Starship is in fact the transport vehicle that the American space agency has chosen to shuttle between the orbital station around the Moon and the surface of the satellite. This, as part of the Artemis program, which will bring astronauts back there.
It will not be until December 2025 that we will need the Starship to do the taxi – in fact, the ship must come into action with Artemis III, barring a twist that would cause a change in the calendar. In fact, SpaceX only has a little more than two years left to provide an operational and proven rocket, on Earth, but also on the Moon. Not easy.
Subscribe for free to Artificielles, our newsletter on AI, designed by AIs, verified by Numerama!