Upgraded Starship: Live broadcast of the seventh launch

SpaceX is preparing to carry out its seventh test of the Starship super-heavy rocket. We tell you about the main goals of the upcoming flight and where you can watch it live.

New Starship

The upcoming test is very important for SpaceX. The fact is that it will involve an updated version of Starship. Compared to the previous modification, the spacecraft has “grown” by almost 2 meters. The total height of the Starship and Super Heavy booster bundle is now 123 meters, which is a new record in world rocket science.

Because of the increase in size, Starship can take 25% more fuel (1,500 tons). This makes the spacecraft now capable of launching up to 150 tons of cargo into low Earth orbit in a reusable version.

Starship’s differences from the previous version are not limited to its size. Engineers have made many changes to the design. The spacecraft received new heat shield tiles, fuel supply system, as well as batteries and power units. Starship’s avionics were completely redesigned. The front flaps were reduced in size and moved closer to the nose. The number of cameras aboard Starship has increased to 30. Using the Starlink system, it will be able to transmit high-resolution video and telemetry at speeds of more than 120 Mbps during every phase of its flight.

Main tasks of the seventh Starship flight

Starship’s seventh flight will follow the route practiced during previous tests. The super-heavy rocket will be launched from the Starbase test facility in Texas. After separation, the Super Heavy booster should return to the launch site where it will be picked up by the Mechazilla turret. Starship will be put on a suborbital trajectory. The spacecraft will fly over Africa, after which it will splash down in the Indian Ocean. 

Starship spacecraft (Block 2 version) mounted on Super Heavy booster. Source: SpaceX

Testing the updated Starship is far from the only task of the upcoming trial. The spacecraft’s cargo hold contains ten mock-ups of satellites that will be deployed during the flight. They will fly on the same suborbital trajectory as the spacecraft and burn up in the atmosphere.

Another important task of the flight is to restart one of the Raptor’s engines. What makes this powertrain special is that it has already been to space. The engine was previously on the Super Heavy booster, which was caught by the Mechazilla tower during the fifth test of the super heavy rocket.

Live broadcast of the Starship launch

The Starship launch will be broadcast live by SpaceX on the X social network (formerly Twitter). The 30-minute window for the Starship launch will open on January 16 at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT). 

In addition to the official broadcast, various space bloggers and communities will be hosting their own Youtube broadcasts of the Starship flight.

SpaceX is making very ambitious plans for 2025, aiming for 25 Starship launches. In the course of them, the company intends to put Starship into orbit for the first time, perform orbital refueling, and catch not only the booster but also the spacecraft itself with Mechazilla. The success of these plans will largely depend on the challenge ahead. This will make it more interesting to monitor.

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