SpaceX has scheduled the next Starship flight for November 19. It will follow the scheme of the previous test with minor changes.
According to the company, the sixth flight should push the limits of Starship’s capabilities and bring it closer to reuse. As in the previous test, which took place on October 13, the super-heavy rocket will be launched from the Starbase test facility in Texas. After separation, the Super Heavy booster will have to return to the launch site, where it will be picked up by the Mechazilla tower.
As for Starship, its flight will follow the same suborbital profile as the previous one. The spacecraft will fly across Africa, after which it will land in the Indian Ocean. One of the main changes is that engineers plan to relight one of the Raptor’s engines. This should demonstrate the possibility of orbital descent in future missions. SpaceX had planned to conduct such a test back during the third test in March, but abandoned it due to technical problems.
SpaceX also plans to test changes to Starship’s heat shielding system. These include both the evaluation of new heat shielding materials and the removal of protective tiles on both sides of the spacecraft in areas being studied for the installation of equipment to catch it by the Mechazilla tower. It is also reported that Starship will fly at a high angle of attack during reentry. This will test the control limits of its wings and provide data on future landing profiles.
Another change is related to the launch time. Previous Starship was launched in the morning and splashed down in the Indian Ocean when it was already dark there. Now, SpaceX has decided to move the launch time to the evening. The 30-minute window to launch Starship will open on November 19 at 5 p.m. Eastern. This will allow the spacecraft to enter the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean in daylight, providing better conditions for visual observations of its return and landing.
After a previous flight, SpaceX engineers made some changes to the rocket’s design. These include additional propulsion redundancy and increased structural strength in unnamed “key areas”. Starting on its seventh flight, Starship will receive significant upgrades including redesigned front wings, larger fuel tanks, latest generation heat shield tiles and secondary layers of protection.
If Starship’s sixth flight actually takes place on November 19, it will be the fastest gap between its two launches (just over five weeks). One reason SpaceX can act so quickly is that the FAA license issued in October for the fifth flight also allows SpaceX to perform a sixth flight.
We previously told you about SpaceX’s plans to conduct a Starship orbital refueling test next year.
Provided by Spacenews
