The Flight Profile of Starship’s First Integrated Flight Test
After years of development, manufacturing, and testing, SpaceX is officially ready for the first integrated test flight of Starship. Currently, the test is trending towards the third week of April, pending regulatory approval. In the past, we have seen exciting flights with the Straship upper stage, but nothing close to what’s expected to happen in possibly just weeks.
This brings up the question however of what exactly does the flight profile look like and what can we expect to see on the day of launch? Between information provided by SpaceX, public documents, and other sources, we have a very good idea of when and where important events are going to happen. All of which play a significant role in Starship’s performance and whether or not the mission is successful.
Being the first launch of this rocket, a lot could go wrong. This being said, SpaceX has been working day and night for quite a while now preparing for this specific moment. Here I will go more in-depth into the flight profile of Starship’s first launch, the goal of this test, what to expect in the coming days, and more.
Flight Profile
Right now it seems like all of the stars are aligning regarding this test flight. Just yesterday SpaceX tweeted saying, “Teams are focused on launch readiness ahead of Starship’s first integrated flight test as soon as next week, pending regulatory approval – no launch rehearsal this week” This combined with a host of other physical progress and news suggests that we truly are weeks if not days away.
On the day of launch, main operations will begin two hours before liftoff with the SpaceX Flight Director conducting a poll and verifying go for propellant load. Just 21 minutes later, Booster LOX (liquid oxygen) will begin loading into the first stage. At the same time, the Booster Fuel load (liquid methane) will also start flowing to the booster. 1 hour and 22 minutes prior to launch and SpaceX will begin loading liquid methane into the upper stage. 5 minutes later and this process will begin with the liquid oxygen. This process will continue over the next hour approximately until the rocket is full of propellant.
Next, with just 16 minutes and 40 seconds left on the clock, the Raptor begins engine chill down on the booster. Over the next 15 minutes, SpaceX continues to thoroughly monitor everything going on and make sure the rocket is ready. With just 40 seconds left before liftoff, the fluid interfaces begin their ventdown sequence. At T – 8 seconds all of the Super Heavy booster Raptor engine startup sequences begin. Finally, as the clock hits 0, Starship lifts off and soon clears the tower. At this point in time, anything could happen, however, SpaceX has a best case scenario plan.
Assuming Starship clears the tower, it will continue to accelerate and gain altitude. Just 55 seconds after liftoff and the rocket will reach Max q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket. For the next 2 minutes, Super Heavy will continue to fire its engines and accelerate Starship into position. 2 minutes and 49 seconds in and the Booster main engine cutoff occurs. Three seconds later and Super Heavy separates from Starship. For the next 5 seconds, the two stages will separate before Starship ignites its vacuum optimized engines. Next, the booster boostback startup burn commences 3 minutes and 11 seconds after liftoff. For the next whole minute, this burn continues until T + 4 minutes and 6 seconds. For the next couple of minutes, the booster will fall back toward Earth picking up a significant amount of speed. At T + 7 minutes and 40 seconds, the booster landing burn startup occurs. This burn lasts for the next 31 seconds before its cutoff and the booster falls into the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico.
At T + 9 minutes and 20 seconds, Starship cuts off its engines. For the next hour and 8 minutes, the upper stage will be in its coast phase. This is until T + 1 hour and 17 minutes when Starship begins to enter the atmosphere. 11 minutes after the start of reentry and the vehicle is transonic. Finally, a full 1 and a half hours after liftoff, and the Starship upper stage is expected to splash down in the pacific ocean. This is the exact flight profile assuming everything goes perfectly. Obviously, a lot could go wrong on this initial test flight. Either way, one thing is guaranteed, it’s going to be very entertaining.
Historic Test
This will be the first flight test of a fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket, a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond. SpaceX was quoted saying, “With a test such as this, success is measured by how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances the development of Starship.”
To date, the SpaceX team has completed multiple sub-orbital flight tests of Starship’s upper stage from Starbase, successfully demonstrating an unprecedented approach to controlled flight. These flight tests helped validate the vehicle’s design, proving Starship can fly through the subsonic phase of entry before re-lighting its engines and flipping itself to a vertical configuration for landing. While it’s been a while since we’ve seen Starship fly, it’s for good reason. For one, with the addition of Super Heavy, the stakes got much higher. Ideally, SpaceX is not very interested in losing the 33 Raptors powering the booster. There also has been a bunch of work on Stage 0. Stage 0 is the main infrastructure supporting Starship’s launch and landing plans. This includes the orbital launch mount, tower, and more. Even though the wait has been long, it should be more than worth it.
In addition to the testing of Starship’s upper stage, the team has conducted numerous tests of the Super Heavy rocket, which include the increasingly complex static fires that led to a full-duration 31 Raptor engine test – the largest number of simultaneous rocket engine ignitions in history. The team has also constructed the world’s tallest rocket launch and catch tower. At 146 meters, or nearly 500 feet tall, the launch and catch tower is designed to support vehicle integration, launch, and catch of the Super Heavy rocket booster.
As for the mission, SpaceX said that “A live webcast of the flight test will begin ~45 minutes before liftoff. As is the case with all developmental testing, this schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our social media channels for updates.” They also pointed out, “As we venture into new territory, we continue to appreciate all of the support and encouragement we have received from those who share our vision of a future where humanity is out exploring among the stars!”
In an Operations Plan Advisory document by the FAA, which is used to support flight planning, the agency lists a first launch date of April 17 for the Starship flight, with backup dates of April 18 through 21. In this case, all the dates have the same window from 8 to 11:05 a.m. Eastern. It was reported that “Those plans are dependent on both the technical readiness of the vehicle as well as the issuance of a launch license from the FAA. Both SpaceX and Musk noted those schedules were pending “regulatory approval,” and the FAA said the inclusion of the Starship dates on its planning documents did not imply a launch license has been issued.
Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable. At the top, you have Starship, the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the Starship system. The vehicle offers an integrated payload section and is capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Starship is also capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less. You also have the Super Heavy Booster providing the majority of thrust and power.
However, the backbone of the Starship system is the Raptor engines. The Raptor engine is a reusable methane-oxygen staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship system and has twice the thrust of the Falcon 9 Merlin engine. Starship will be powered by six engines, three Raptor engines, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for use in the vacuum of space. Super Heavy will be powered by 33 Raptor engines, with 13 in the center and the remaining 20 around the perimeter of the booster’s aft end. Raptor Vacuum (RVac) is a similar design to the Raptor engine, but features a larger exhaust section and a larger expansion nozzle to maximize the engine’s efficiency in space.
To add on to everything, not long ago NASA announced it had modified its contract with SpaceX to further develop the Starship human landing system. Initially selected to develop a lunar lander capable of carrying astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission, SpaceX will now support a second human landing demonstration as part of NASA’s Artemis IV mission. Additionally, SpaceX will demonstrate Starship’s capability to dock with Gateway, a small space station that will orbit the Moon in efforts to support both lunar and deep-space exploration, accommodate four crew members, and deliver more supplies, equipment, and science payloads that are needed for extensive surface exploration. All of which we can hope to see in the coming years.
Conclusion
SpaceX is closer than ever to the first full Starship launch. Right now the company is confident that the launch could happen in around one week. With the expectation of regulatory approval, everything is in place for this maiden flight. We will have to wait and see how it progresses and the impact it has on the space industry.