As I write these words, SpaceX is planning to launch the 12th Starship mission today.
SpaceX's Starship Version 3 is finally about to make its debut with a suborbital launch from Starbase, Texas.
The mission, dubbed Starship Flight 12, is the 12th test flight of SpaceX's integrated Starship-Super Heavy rocket, but the first flight of this new generation of the launch vehicle.
Because of all the changes and upgrades made to both stages of the two-stage rocket, SpaceX will not attempt to catch either the Starship upper stage (Ship 39) or the Super Heavy booster (Booster 19).
There's so much information to absorb, I couldn't summarize it in a brief blog post. Therefore, here's a 15-minute video describing how we got to today's launch, and what the company expects from it.
Here's wishing success to SpaceX, and to the entire team involved in this project.
Peter
6 comments:
6:30pm eastern time.
SpaceX move d the launch to tomorrow the 21st. They are going to do a Wet Dress Rehearsal today. Better sure than sorry.
Weather permitting. If it doesn't go on Thursday it probably has to slip to next week as there are restrictions on closing the nearby beach during holiday weekends.
If all goes well, then Flight 13 may result in an orbital flight and a return of the upper stage. They need that so they can start the process of improving it like they've done on the booster. The ultimate goal is 'rapid re-usability' and that can't happen until they see what needs fixing on that upper stage.
I've been following this for a long time. While we focus on the rocket, and the goal of getting back an upper stage and re-using it, there is a lot that we don't appreciate regarding that the launch pads are much more involved and complex, and that there is now a factory that builds these behemoths.
Reasonably certain it's slated for tomorrow, the 21st. But either way, very excited to watch!
Notice that SpaceX delays are measured in hours or a day.
NASA and ULA measured in years.
Blue measured in half decades and counting.
1730 local for us. Looking forward to it! Build, test, build works!!!
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