Summary:
SpaceX is gearing up for its first integrated flight test of the Starship and Super Heavy rocket, pending regulatory approval, which is estimated to occur in the third week of April.
“Teams are focused on launch readiness ahead of Starship’s first integrated flight test as soon as next week, pending regulatory approval – no launch rehearsal this week,” said SpaceX on Tuesday afternoon.
The fully reusable transportation system is designed to transport both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The success of this test will provide critical insight into the development of Starship, informing and improving future tests.
SpaceX has already conducted several successful sub-orbital flight tests of the Starship’s upper stage from Starbase, testing the vehicle’s design and demonstrating a controlled flight approach.
The team has also carried out various Super Heavy rocket tests, including the world’s largest simultaneous rocket engine ignition test with 31 Raptor engines. Additionally, they have constructed the world’s tallest rocket launch and catch tower, which will support vehicle integration, launch, and catch of the Super Heavy booster.
The first flight test will not involve a vertical landing of Starship or a catch of the Super Heavy booster. A live webcast of the event will start approximately 45 minutes before liftoff. The schedule is subject to change, so updates will be available through SpaceX’s social media channels.
Flight Test Timeline – Best Case Scenario
The flight test timeline outlines the expected time of significant events that will occur during the Starship and Super Heavy rocket’s first integrated flight test. While the completion of each milestone is not required for a successful test, reaching each one will undoubtedly make for an exciting test.
When the countdown reaches 00:00:00, SpaceX says “excitement guaranteed”.
The significant events on the timeline include Max Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket, which is estimated to occur at 00:00:55. Booster main engine cutoff and stage separation are expected to happen at 00:02:49 and 00:02:52, respectively. At 00:02:57, Starship ignition will occur, followed by booster boostback burn startup at 00:03:11 and booster boostback burn shutdown at 00:04:06.
At 00:07:32, the booster is expected to be transonic, and booster landing burn startup is expected at 00:07:40, followed by booster landing burn shutdown at 00:08:03. Starship engine cutoff is estimated to occur at 00:09:20.
The timeline also includes Starship entry at 01:17:21, Starship transonic at 01:28:43, and Starship splashdown at 01:30:00.
While not required, reaching these milestones will certainly provide critical insight into the development of Starship and the Super Heavy rocket, which will enable SpaceX to further advance the system’s design and increase the probability of success in the future.
