Now that the Federal Aviation Administration has granted SpaceX a license (pdf), the third check flight of its Starship Tremendous Heavy car might happen as quickly as Thursday morning. SpaceX says {that a} 110-minute launch window will open at 7AM CT / 8AM ET / 5AM PT tomorrow, March 14th.
For those who’re planning on watching to see what occurs, we suggest getting up early earlier than the launch simply in case it’s both canceled or, as we’ve seen on earlier makes an attempt, happens on the very starting of the launch window.
In a post on X (which, like SpaceX, is owned by Elon Musk), the FAA mentioned it has “decided SpaceX met all security, environmental, coverage and monetary accountability necessities.” Whereas each of the primary two Starship launches took off and achieved some mission targets, each additionally ended explosively.
The primary one induced vital injury not solely to the launchpad but additionally “left a 385-acre particles subject that flung concrete chunks so far as 2,680 toes from the launchpad and sparked a 3.5-acre hearth.” The FAA supplied a listing of 63 corrective actions for SpaceX to take to handle points similar to leaking propellant earlier than the second try final spring.
For this third launch, SpaceX says it’s focusing on a splashdown within the Indian Ocean as a substitute of aiming for a spot nearer to Hawaii because it did with the earlier makes an attempt, to strive issues like in-space engine burns “whereas maximizing public security.”
The third flight check goals to construct on what we’ve discovered from earlier flights whereas trying a variety of formidable targets, together with the profitable ascent burn of each levels, opening and shutting Starship’s payload door, a propellant switch demonstration throughout the higher stage’s coast part, the primary ever rekindle of a Raptor engine whereas in house, and a managed reentry of Starship. It would additionally fly a brand new trajectory, with Starship focused to splashdown within the Indian Ocean. This new flight path allows us to try new strategies like in-space engine burns whereas maximizing public security.
