While finalizing the eighth flight of Starship, Spacex has also closing the details of the ninth launch, which could happen shortly after with some of the most ambitious objectives so far.
Eighth flight before expected. Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship Flight 8 is scheduled for this FridayFebruary 28. He has not made any mention, as usual, that the final date of the launch is subject to the regulatory approval of the government.
If Spacex is confident that Starship will take off on Friday is because he hopes to receive the flight license reviewed by then. It is earlier than expected, taking into account that the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States has a Open research on flight 7in which the Starship ship exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, disintegrating near the Turkish and Caicos Islands and causing a small aerial chaos For the rain of metals that followed.
First load deployment. In any case, flight 8 will repeat the objectives of the previous launch, using the Super Heavy Booster 15 and the ship 34 ship for the test, the second that incorporates the Block 2 improvement block.
Two meters higher, the Starship Block 2 It has a greater capacity to store propelants and better performance perspectives in the atmospheric reentry, both for the design changes of its front spoilers and for the numerous improvements of its thermal shield.
In addition to re -expending an engine in the exorbitant space, flight 8 will display load for the first time using the “fish dispenser” mechanism of Starship’s upper bay. These are 10 wooden models that simulate being next -generation Starlink satellites, larger than the Starlink V2 Mini than today the Falcon 9 rocket is able to launch in lots of 23.
A ninth flight even more difficult. Although great news is not expected for flight 8 because Spacex still has to demonstrate the objectives that could not be met on flight 7 for the explosion of the ship, the next, the ninth, will mark a significant leap in the program.
A Special permit application Sent by Spacex to the Federal Communications Commission, the agency that manages the United States radio spectrum, revealed two important things about the company’s plans:
- Starship flight 9 will occur between March 14 and June 30, 2025, as soon as two weeks after flight 8
- Spacex not only hopes to capture the Super Heavy propeller with the arms of the launch tower, as he did on flight 5 and flight 7, he also wants to do the same with the Starship ship for the first time
Double capture or double dip. Although there are not many details about the ninth flight, beyond the communications application for the double landing, Spacex has confirmed that he will use the same procedure he uses with the propeller: If everything goes well, he will try to land in the arms of the tower; But if something does not fit, it will cancel the landing and let the rocket fall into the ocean.
Therefore, during flight 9 we could see, at best, the first double capture (Super Heavy and Starship ship returning, each in their time, to the launch tower) or, in the worst of the Cases, a double ameter with dip and self -control.
It will undoubtedly be the riskiest flight to date: the first one in which the starship will reach orbital speed to return to the launch platform to the southeast of Texas, and the first in which the ship, which suffers much higher temperatures than The propeller on his return could test the capture maneuver with the tower arm as a landing method. The most surprising thing about everything? Which could happen in mid -March.
Image | The Super Heavy Booster 14 and the Starship 33
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