What Is SpaceX Starship Stage 0 & Why Is It So Important?
Starship is a rocket that consists of two main stages. This includes the upper stage called Starship and the booster named Super Heavy. Together they are meant to be one of the biggest and most powerful rockets in the world. However, you may have heard of the term stage 0 and wondered either what it was or the importance in relation to Starship.
Starship stage 0 is all the ground equipment necessary for a Starship launch. This includes a long list of items such as the launch mount, launch tower, flame diverter, GSE tanks, and more. Each of these structures and equipment is needed for a safe and successful launch of Starship.
With all the focus on Starship, it can be easy to look past all of the different ground equipment. However, this equipment is often just as complex and important to SpaceX. A lot of these items will be put through immense stress when a full Starship launch happens. Additionally, this equipment will need to be capable of many Starship launches in the future.
What Parts Make Up Stage 0?
Stage 0 consists of practically all the necessary equipment for a Starship launch that is not Starship itself. For this reason, there is actually a very long list of items. However, I want to cover some of the most popular equipment that is regularly mentioned. One of the first items in this list would be the launch tower itself. The Starbase launch tower stands at 146m (480ft) tall. SpaceX set up the base of the tower and started stacking large segments of the tower around May of 2021. The tower is made up of 8 segments in total stacked on top of a concrete base. Prior to stacking SpaceX worked on each segment to help speed up the process.
Once they started stacking the segments it only took a few months before all of them were in place. The next important piece is the launch mount. This mount is around 20m tall and is made up of 6 large legs. At the top SpaceX installed a launch table to complete the orbital launch mount. Then there is the flame diverter. So far there is no flame diverter at all under the launch mount but one is expected due to Starship’s power at launch. Finally, there are the GSE tanks. These are 8 large tanks responsible for holding different liquids including liquid methane, oxygen, and water. Each tank has a similar construction to a Starship and is placed on a concrete mount. The tanks are then covered with a large white cryo shell to help lower temperatures. SpaceX has been constructing these tanks for quite a while and just recently finished installing and covering the last tank with a cryo shell.
What Is The Importance Of Each Part?
Launch Tower – The launch tower at Starbase is necessary for a Starship launch for multiple reasons. Starting with the first of filling the rocket with propellant. Once Starship is placed on top of the mount it gets connected to the tower and filled with propellant. With Starship standing at 120m tall the launch tower helps fill not only the first but also the second stage with propellant. The tower also ensures Starship is stable and in place prior to a launch.
Towards the top of the tower is a very large QD arm. This stands for quick disconnect arm. This arm is responsible for filling the rocket with propellant and also keeping it in place. SpaceX has installed a large claw at the end of it meant to hold the rocket in place. Right as the engines light during liftoff the arm quickly retracts and gets out of the way. Another important part of the launch tower that is unique to Starship is the catching mechanism. Named Mechazilla the catching mechanism consists of two large metal arms meant to catch Super Heavy and Starship. They are connected to the launch tower and are capable of opening and closing and moving up and down.
Launch Mount – Another crucial part is the launch mount itself. With future Super Heavy models meant to have over 30 Raptor engines, it will need to be extremely strong. The launch mount will hold Starship off the ground and allow the rocket to take off without damaging itself. If a full Starship were to take off on the ground it would likely completely destroy the booster and explode. The mount gives the thrust of the engines some space from the ground. As I mentioned before the mount also has to be very sturdy. This mount has to hold the weight of a full Starship, survive the thrust produced at launch, and be reused consistently for future launches. Finally, the mount will also help keep Starship steady prior to launch.
Flame Diverter – Right under the launch mount will be the flame diverter. The flame diverter as the name suggests diverts the flames of a rocket. Specifically, they often section off and ramp the flames into multiple different directions. A large amount of water is also usually sprayed to keep the flames down as much as possible. This will be very important at Starbase for multiple reasons. The first is Starship’s power. With over 30 Raptor engines Super Heavy will produce a massive amount of power and flames at liftoff. The second is the launch mounts proximity to the tower and other stage 0 equipment like the GSE tanks. To ensure that liftoff does not cause damage to any of these pieces of equipment a flame diverter will help control and redirect the flames.
GSE Tanks – The last piece of stage 0 equipment that is crucial for a Starship launch is the GSE tanks. GSE stands for ground support equipment. These 8 tanks hold all the propellant needed for a full Starship launch. With Starship being one of the biggest and most powerful rockets in the world it requires a lot of propellants. These large tanks will hold and transfer liquid methane and oxygen into the rocket. A portion of the tanks will also be used for water to help with the launch. These tanks will consistently be filled and will have to make sure that the propellant is chilled and ready for Starship.
The Complexity Of Stage 0
Stage 0 is a big group of complex equipment and technology that is necessary for a Starship launch. However, this equipment has not been easy for SpaceX to create. Starship is very different from a lot of other rockets. For this reason, stage 0 has to be different as well. The hardest part is developing this equipment to not only survive and support the biggest and most powerful rocket but ensure it can do it again and again. Whether you are looking at the launch tower size, the catching arms, or the GSE tanks, each is completely unique to fit Starship’s needs. Even with this added complexity, SpaceX has managed to finish almost all the necessary parts in a short period of time.
Conclusion
Stage 0 is the backbone of Starship launches. Without it, Starship would not be able to take off or even land. Stage 0 consists of all the equipment necessary for a safe and successful Starship launch. Some of the main features include the launch tower, launch mount, GSE tanks, and a flame diverter. Each of these parts provides unique and needed benefits for Starship. The construction process of stage 0 is complex and is not done just yet. However, SpaceX has managed to innovate and build the necessary equipment in a timely manner. With the first orbital test flight just around the corner, we are likely to see all this equipment in use for the first time ever.