The latest from SpaceX Starship prototype is a big step closer to launch.
Elon Musk’s company is preparing to launch this vehicle, known as SN10, on a 10-kilometer high test flight from its unit in South Texas in the near future.
And those preparations can really increase now, because SpaceX and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have just completed an investigation of the last flight, a February 2 tour that ended with the SN10’s predecessor, SN9, exploding on landing.
Starship and super heavy: SpaceX Mars Colonizing Vehicles in Images
“The FAA closed the investigation of the crash with the SpaceX Starship SN9 prototype on February 2 today, paving the way for the SN10 test flight, while the FAA is approving license updates,” said an FAA spokesman. on Friday (February 19) in an email statement.
“The FAA oversaw SpaceX’s investigation of the SN9 accident. The SN9 vehicle failed within the limits of the FAA’s safety analysis,” the statement continued. “The unsuccessful landing and explosion did not endanger the public or property. All the wreckage was contained in the designated hazardous area. The FAA approved the final accident report, including probable causes and corrective actions.”
Space.com Collection: $ 26.99 at Magazines Direct
Get ready to explore the wonders of our incredible universe! The “Space.com Collection” is filled with incredible astronomy, incredible discoveries and the latest missions from space agencies around the world. From distant galaxies to the planets, moons and asteroids of our own solar system, you will discover a wealth of facts about the cosmos and learn about new technologies, telescopes and rockets in development that will reveal even more of its secrets. See Offer
SpaceX is developing the Starship to take people and cargo to Mars and other distant destinations. The architecture consists of two reusable elements: a 165-foot-high (50-meter) spacecraft called Starship and a giant rocket known as the Super Heavy.
Both vehicles will be powered by SpaceX’s next-generation Raptor engine. The final ship will have six Raptors and the Super Heavy will have about 30 of them, said Musk.
SpaceX is iterating its way towards the operational spacecraft through a series of increasingly complex prototypes, several of which have already taken off. The SN8 and SN9 vehicles – both with three Raptors, as well as the SN10 – flew about 6 miles in height on December 9, 2020 and February 2, respectively. Both performed well until the end, failing to keep their landings.
These test flights require FAA approval. SpaceX launched SN8 in December although a waiver was denied exceed the maximum public security risk permitted by federal regulations, FAA officials said earlier this month. SpaceX then had to stop all tests on the South Texas site that could affect public safety until it completed an investigation into the incident and took corrective action approved by the FAA.
The resulting delay seemed to irritate Musk, who January 28 Twitter post that “the FAA space division has a fundamentally broken regulatory framework”.
Unsurprisingly, the ambitious Musk has an aggressive schedule scheduled for Starship. He said recently that he wants a prototype to reach Earth orbit this year and that the vehicle must be flying people regularly in 2023.
Mike Wall is the author of “Out there“(Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book on the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.