Earlier today only a bit over a month since the last Starship flight, SpaceX completed a full-duration booster static fire. With this, they provided multiple angles and videos of the event along with a handful of photos. Now that this static fire is complete, there are only a few more milestones and steps before Flight 5 of Starship.
In theory, based on a few comments from both Musk and the company, this could end up being the first booster to return to the launch site and attempt a catch. Here I will go more in-depth into this morning’s static fire, what else needs to be completed, the upcoming launch, and more.
Flight 5 Booster Static Fire
Earlier today in Boca Chica, SpaceX cleared the launch site and started up all 33 Raptor engines on the next Super Heavy Booster expected to fly. In total, the burn lasted right around 10 seconds from start to finish. Soon after SpaceX tweeted saying, “Full duration static fire of Flight 5 Super Heavy Booster.” This included multiple angles of the same static fire, which provided a great view of the entire event. In regard to the tweet when they mention that it was a full-duration static fire, it doesn’t literally mean full duration as in the time it would be firing during a launch.
The point of the static fire isn’t to have the Raptor engines firing for minutes but instead to primarily test the engine startup, general thrust, and overall health. The full-duration comment from the company simply means they planned for around a 10-second static fire and that’s what happened. On the first aerial view provided, you can see the deluge system already going at full with water spraying out in all 6 directions. Practically right away the booster ignites and the water columns are replaced by flames.
The second angle is a close-up that SpaceX slowed down which helps put into perspective the immense power and heat being created by these Raptor engines. The water-cooled steel plate has now been installed for over half a year and has held up to 3 full launches and a handful of static fires. Based on everything we’ve seen it seems to be in good shape and only requires a handful of work between different tests and launches.
The final video provided by SpaceX is right above the booster and highlights how violent this process is as the camera shakes. After the static fire, in a tweet Musk chipped in and said, “More than double the power of the Saturn V moon rocket!”
With this now complete and successful based on the comments from SpaceX, we are not far away from Flight 5. Usually after a booster static fire some of the next steps include eventually stacking the ship ontop of the booster, then completing a full wet dress rehearsal, and also installing the flight terminations system. As of right now, there isn’t a set date for the actual flight attempt. That being said, based on comments from the company and Elon we can make an educated guess. A current realistic date would likely be around mid to late August. This could definitely change over the next few weeks but SpaceX seems to be on track for an attempt around then.
Earlier this month on the 5th Elon tweeted saying, “Flight 5 in 4 weeks”. With this being posted on the 5th, that would put a launch in early August. Even though Musk is usually pretty ambitious regarding timelines, his confidence that the flight will happen in a relatively short time period is a good overall sign and adds to its credibility.
To add to that, after Integrated Flight Test 1, it took 212 days of work, FAA approval, and preparation until the second launch in November. After that, it only took 117 days to launch a third time after the second attempt. Most recently, SpaceX managed to launch Starship again after only 84 days. A launch sometime in August would follow this pattern at around 60 to 70 days since the last flight. On the other hand, they are also making some pretty significant changes to various hardware and the upper-stage heat shield for example. These things could end up taking some more time and pushing a launch date back. Either way, they seem to be making good progress as a whole and we should know more regarding a launch date over the next few weeks.
A More Complex Mission
Interestingly, as the time between each mission keeps going down, the mission complexity is only going up. The first flight mainly wanted to get Starship in the air. The second was hoping for a successful stage separation. The third wanted to finally reach orbit, and the most recent wanted to reenter the atmosphere and complete a booster landing burn. As for the next flight, SpaceX keeps hinting at a possible booster catch attempt which would be an incredible milestone for the company.
Most recently, on SpaceX’s fourth flight test highlight video, they ended it with somewhat of a teaser. The video cuts to black and then shows the tower and booster coming in for a landing with the text “Flight 5” on screen. Obviously, this isn’t some set-in-stone confirmation but it joins a long list of comments suggesting a catch or at least a possible return to the launch site and or its vicinity on the next launch could happen.
Back in June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the application for Special Temporary Authority (STA). In this report, they are first quoted saying, the STA “is necessary to authorize Starship Test Flight 5 vehicle communications launching from Starbase TX. Application includes a sub-orbital first stage booster and a second stage. Trajectory data will be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.”
More importantly, within the purpose of operation section, they say, “Launch vehicle communications for test flight mission launching from Starbase TX. The first stage booster will either return to the launch site or perform a controlled water landing.” Based on that statement it’s clear that there are still options in the booster’s trajectory and plan however this is a good sign in favor of a catch attempt. Even though these FCC permits are usually quite broad and issued on just about a regular basis, they do partially factor in the company’s plans regarding both the flight profile and even the launch date.
Also, in an interview, Musk said, “I need to regroup with the team and confirm that there aren’t any other known issues, but I think given that the booster came to a precise location, came to a potentially zero velocity landing in the ocean, I think we should probably try to catch it with the tower arms on the next flight.” With this in mind, it comes down to the team’s confidence in the booster’s capability and even the timeline of relevant infrastructure and future Starships. Not far from the main launch tower, a second is under construction. Some think that SpaceX won’t attempt the catch until this second tower is done which likely won’t be until after the next flight. While logical, SpaceX is quite ambitious with its testing and willing to take on some risk.
To counter some of this information, in a presentation held last month, Kathy Leuders, the general manager of Starbase mentioned in regard to a catch attempt on Flight 5 quote “Maybe not this flight.” All things considered, it seems the decision might still not be made as of yet. What’s clear is that we shouldn’t be too confident in the exact flight profile until we get even closer to the actual launch.
On the bright side, thanks to how well the vehicle performed on the last flight, SpaceX has options in terms of what they want to test and attempt next. On Flight 4, the booster comes in at an angle and lights its engines right as it enters the clouds which not only slows but helps orient the booster nearly perfectly vertically. Unfortunately, SpaceX cuts the video back to the onboard footage right as the booster makes contact with the water so we don’t get a view of it bobbing before eventually tipping over. Either way, the initial lead up and engine light showcase some of the exact goals SpaceX had with this mission and landing over the water.
SpaceX stressed before the launch that the fourth flight test turned their focus from achieving orbit to demonstrating the ability to return and reuse Starship and Super Heavy. Specifically, they were quoted saying, “The primary objectives will be executing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster, and achieving a controlled entry of Starship.” With this in mind, the video and comments suggest the booster’s landing attempt was just about perfect.
Focusing back on the video you can see some large flames likely related to the one engine that didn’t successfully relight for the landing burn. However, as designed, the other 12 Raptors were plenty to slow the stage for a soft landing. For reference, this landing process simulates an eventual flight profile that brings the booster back to the launch site and performs that exact burn just above the tower. As it slows down it lowers between the two chopstick arms which then close under the catch points on the booster. SpaceX and Musk later confirmed that the booster landing was very precise which is necessary for future reuse plans.
As for the upper stage, SpaceX is hoping to avoid any flap destruction and keep the entire vehicle in one piece for a soft and controlled touchdown in the ocean. After the last launch, SpaceX was quoted saying, “The fourth flight of Starship made major strides to bring us closer to a rapidly reusable future. Its accomplishments will provide data to drive improvements as we continue rapidly developing Starship into a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
Conclusion
SpaceX is getting very close to another full Starship launch. Just this morning they completed a full-duration booster static fire. As we get closer to the launch, we should hear more about not only its date, but its mission profile. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.