Starship Flight 8: Version 2, Launch 2
"New Year. New Ship. New Lessons"
Starship flight seven ended in what most called a catastrophic failure. A failure so big that it would stunt the entire growth of the Starship Program. So, naturally, SpaceX is targeting to launch flight eight just 46 days after this program-ending failure.
The details of flight seven’s failure were released by SpaceX on Monday, pinning the loss of the upper stage Ship on a “harmonic response several times stronger in flight than had been seen during testing, which lead to increased stress on hardware in the propulsion system”.
Several changes have been made to ensure the highest chance of success on Starship’s eighth flight test, including hardware changes to the fuel feedlines, propellant temperature adjustments, additional vents and a new purge system in the attic section of the Ship.
One of the biggest concerns after the seventh flight test was that the public had potentially been put in danger from falling debris from the ship. SpaceX confirmed in this news release that “All debris came down within the pre-planned Debris Response Area, and no hazardous materials were present in the debris”. Immediately following the RUD, SpaceX reached out to the government of Turks and Caicos and worked with them alongside the government of the United Kingdom to perform recovery and cleanup of debris.
“…The measures put in place ahead of launch demonstrateed their ability to keep the public safe”
SpaceX added at the end of the news release that their approach to Starship testing is not always linear, and putting hardware like this straight into a flight environment is the fastest way to rapidly improve the vehicle.
Up next is Starship’s eighth flight test, currently targeting a No Earlier Than date of March 3rd, with their launch window opening at 5:30 PM CT. The targets for this test flight are almost identical to flight seven, with SpaceX once again trying for a Booster catch, deployment of four Starlink satellite simulators, an in-space Raptor relight, blank tile areas to stress-test potential points of vulnerability, new heat shield options on the vehicle such as a metallic tile, active cooling tile and alternative heat shield materials, new catch fittings on the sides of the upper stage, and a soft Starship splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX once again reiterates that the public’s safety is always their number one priority and that the Booster catch attempt will only go ahead if specific criteria are met. If this criteria is not met, the Booster will divert and perform a soft splashdown in the Gulf off the coast of Starbase, Texas.
Starship flight eight is another opportunity for SpaceX to rapidly test and improve their next-generation rocket that will soon take humans back to the Moon and onwards to Mars.
Make sure to follow Felix here on X for all Starship flight eight news and live posting updates throughout launch day.
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