2023-04-23 12:07:11
The Starship’s first test flight, this Thursday, April 20, ended with an explosion more than three minutes after takeoff. Everything is not yet ready and there will be new attempts in the coming months. In the meantime, the first successful flight, simulations show in detail what it will look like.
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[EN VIDÉO] SpaceX: replay of the successful flight of the Starship SN15 prototype Watch the SN15 prototype of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft fly at altitude. The machine went…
Before taking off, you have to go through the pre-flight stages. The countdown starts at T-2 hours. At this time, the flight director supervises a review of the launch parameters before giving his feufeu green for filling in ergolergol : first the Super Heavy booster, then the StarshipStarship. In the last quarter of an hour, several hydraulic tests are made and the booster motors are cooled.
Animation of a typical Starship flight. The test flight will be different: no landing is planned. The purpose of this flight is above all to collect data. © SpaceX
The flight begins at T-8 seconds, with the ignition of the 33 Raptors engines. They provide a thrust of 7,575 tons! After 55 seconds, we pass the course of the Max-Q. This is the moment when the aerodynamic stresses on the launcher are greatest, one of the most critical moments in flight. At 2 minutes and 52 seconds after liftoff, the Super Heavy finished its job. He separates from the Starship.
The Super Heavy is supposed to become reusable. Ultimately, it must land on the launch pad. For the test flight, SpaceX logically chose safety and will try to simulate landing off the coast. Once separated from the Starship, it will perform a flip maneuver (commonly done during Falcon flights). Then he will control his descent through theatmosphereatmosphere using guide panels (fine grids), then it will turn on some of its engines to stabilize itself above the water, before landing.
T+2 minutes and 57 seconds: Starship ignition. Its engines will blow for 6 minutes and 17 seconds. It will continue its route in free fall for more than 70 minutes on a suborbital trajectory. One hour and seventeen minutes after takeoff, the Starship will begin its atmospheric reentry, protected from the heat of friction by roof tilesroof tiles covering an entire face. Its descent will end at T+90 minutes with a “crash” in the ocean.
Make sure the take-off is working properly
No recovery is planned for this flight. The goal is above all to see if everything works during the take-off phases. This is what interests NASA, which has selected the Starship as a lunar lander. This is especially the first test for the Super Heavy. The main goal of SpaceX with this flight is above all that it does not explode on the takeoff launch pad. Other tests will follow for the rest.
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