SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk, is gearing up for a series of ambitious in-flight tests of its Starship vehicle. These tests are crucial for demonstrating the capabilities required for satellite launches and future moon missions. The company has announced that it is projecting a launch of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle on its third integrated test flight as early as March 14, pending regulatory approvals.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recently concluded its investigation into the second flight, expects to have an updated license ready in time to support the mid-March launch. This upcoming flight will follow a different profile than the previous two attempts. Instead of completing nearly one orbit before reentering and splashing down near Hawaii, the third flight is projected to have a splashdown in the Indian Ocean approximately 65 minutes after liftoff.
One of the new elements added to this mission is the firing of a Raptor engine while in space, a feat that SpaceX has not attempted before. This in-flight test will allow the company to explore new techniques and capabilities while ensuring public safety. Additionally, SpaceX plans to open and close a payload bay door during the mission, which will be used for future launches deploying Starlink satellites.
Another significant milestone for SpaceX is the propellant transfer test that will take place during this flight. With support from a NASA Tipping Point technology demonstration award, the company aims to move propellant from one tank to another within the Starship vehicle. This test is a crucial step towards future missions where one Starship vehicle will transfer methane and liquid oxygen propellants to another Starship in orbit.
The ability to transfer propellants between Starship vehicles is essential for SpaceX’s involvement in NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) program. As part of this program, Starship will serve as a lunar lander, with one vehicle acting as a propellant depot in low Earth orbit. Subsequent flights of “tanker” Starships will refuel the depot, enabling the Starship lunar lander to launch, refuel at the depot, and journey to the moon. According to a SpaceX official, approximately ten refueling flights will be required to support a single HLS mission.
The pace of Starship development has been a topic of concern, particularly in relation to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land humans on the moon by September 2026. Jim Free, NASA associate administrator, expressed his concerns about SpaceX’s ability to launch multiple times in an interview with CBS News. However, he remains optimistic that the first crewed Artemis landing can still occur on schedule, as per the contract with SpaceX.
Despite these concerns, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has highlighted the positive collaboration between NASA and SpaceX on the HLS version of Starship. The panel acknowledged the complexities of the Artemis 3 mission but noted that there is a lot of valuable learning taking place through the flight tests of Starship. This collaboration between SpaceX and NASA is crucial as they work together to evolve and advance space exploration.
As SpaceX prepares for its upcoming in-flight tests of the Starship vehicle, the company continues to push boundaries and pioneer new technologies. These tests not only demonstrate capabilities for satellite launches but also pave the way for future moon missions. With each milestone achieved, SpaceX brings us closer to a new era of space exploration and the realization of ambitious goals such as human landings on the moon.
