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SpaceX is preparing for a pivotal flight test of its Mars-bound Starship rocket. The next-generation spacecraft is set to launch from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at some point on Wednesday.
Starship SN15’s high-altitude flight test follows four previous attempts that all ended in massive explosions. SpaceX boss Elon Musk said previous issues with the rocket’s Raptor engines have been fixed “six ways to Sunday”, though if it fails to land cleanly there are more Starship prototypes currently under development.
The latest attempt is expected to take place between 12pm and 8pm local time (6pm – 2am BST) on Wednesday, with airspace clearance approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), road closures in place with Cameron County, and marine hazard notices issued.
An official live stream of the launch will be posted here as soon as SpaceX makes it available. Until then we’ll have a stream from NasaSpaceFlight, who have long-distance cameras stationed all around the launch site.
Crowds gather to watch Starship SN15 launch
Visibility may be poor, and conditions may not be ideal, but that hasn’t stopped people from heading down to nearby beaches to watch Starship SN15 fly today.
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 22:16
Starship launch back on track
Launch procedures are back underway in Boca Chica. Launchpad is cleared, again, and things are looking hopeful for a high-altitude flight test today.
SpaceX may not publicly release its schedule for Starship tests, but we do have some idea about the broader timeline.
By piecing together comments and statements from Elon Musk and other SpaceX executives, this is what we can expect over the coming days, months, years and decades:
May 2021: Starship SN15 high-altitude flight test.
July 2021: Starship SN20 or earlier will perform the first ever orbital flight with a super heavy booster attached.
2022: Starship enters production, with Elon Musk hoping to produce up to 100 per year and a fleet size of 1,000+ in the early 2030s.
2023: First commercial flight of Starship. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maeawa bought the first ticket and plans to bring eight members of the public with him on the trip around the moon.
2024: First uncrewed Starship mission to Mars.
2026: First ever crewed Starship mission to Mars.
2050: First self-sustaining colony established on Mars, transforming humanity into a multi-planetary species.
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 22:02
Vehicles returning to Starship launchpad
Uh oh. There’s currently a convoy of vehicles heading back towards the launchpad, including the trailer for the Raptor engines.
This doesn’t necessarily mean the launch has been scrubbed, just that some more work needs to be done.
Just under fiver hours left of the launch window, so still plenty of time to get things fixed in time for a flight test today. We’ll just have to wait some more.
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 21:21
Starship launchpad clear!
It appears that the launchpad is finally clear. Judging by the timetable of previous Starship launches, it will likely be between one and two hours from now before lift-off.
SpaceX doesn’t publicise these tests ahead of time, due to the number of variables that need to line up in order for the launch to get the go-ahead.
Usually SpaceX’s website is updated at about this time, while sometimes Elon Musk gives a clue that a launch is going ahead. We’ll only know for sure when SpaceX posts the official live stream to its YouTube channel, which normally happens a few minutes prior to launch.
Speaking of SpaceX’s previous live streams, this is their footage of Starship SN10, which is so far the closest they’ve come to landing successfully (shortly after this video concluded, Starship SN10 exploded):
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 21:14
SpaceX launchpad for Starship SN15 still not clear
Nearly three hours into the launch window and there remains a single white pickup truck in the launchpad area.
Once the launchpad is clear, there are a number of critical steps that need to be completed before lift-off can take place, including fuelling, venting and engine chilling.
There’s still five hours left of the launch window. There’s also a back-up window for tomorrow, but something would need to go very wrong for that to be needed.
If you’re looking for something to do while we wait, we have a lot of SpaceX and Starship-related content here at The Independent to read and watch. Including the most basic of all: What actually is Starship?
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 20:46
Boca Chica Village evacuated for Starship SN15 launch
Two hours into the launch window opening and the nearby Boca Chica village has been evacuated.
SpaceX issues evacuation notices for local residents in case any bits of exploding rocket cause damage, or even in case a dramatic change in pressure causes windows to break.
There is still activity at the launch pad, so we’ve still got a bit longer to wait, but things are progressing well towards a launch taking place today.
This is what one of those evacuation notices look like, courtesy of @BocaChicaGal:
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 20:07
Starship SN15 upgrades for launch
This would theoretically provide SN15 with high-speed internet access from SpaceX’s vast 1,500-strong satellite constellation.
SpaceX has not publicly stated what the purpose is, though presumably future Starship craft will all come fitted with Starlink dishes to provide broadband internet to the crew onboard.
For Starship SN15, all we know is that SpaceX simply requested requested temporary permission to operate a “single user terminal… on an experimental basis at altitudes not to exceed 12.5km”.
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 19:31
Starship SN15 live stream
SpaceX will be live streaming the Starship SN15 launch on its official YouTube channel and Twitter account, however it will only be posted with a few minutes before lift-off.
We’ll have that stream right here as soon as it’s available, but until then we’ve added the unrivalled live stream from the team at NasaSpaceFlight to the top of this page.
With numerous cameras situated around the launch site in Boca Chica, NasaSpaceFlight’s footage has sometimes offered more insight than even SpaceX’s. This was especially true for the last Starship SN11 launch, which was shrouded in fog. When SpaceX’s stream suddenly cut out, NasaSpaceFlight’s cameras cameras captured bits of falling debris falling from the sky.
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 18:37
SpaceX’s Starship SN15 launch window is open!
The launch window is officially open, and will remain open for the next eight hours.
There are currently still cranes on the launch pad, with workers busy removing the chains from Starship SN15’s flaps, so it’s going to be a while yet before we see any action.
Pad clearance also usually comes after Boca Chica Village has been cleared, which still hasn’t taken place yet. Judging by the timelines of previous Starship launch attempts, SpaceX will take at least two more hours from this point before everything is in place for the flight to go ahead.
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 18:01
How Starship can stick the landing
SpaceX will be hoping for fifth time lucky today, after flight tests of Starship SN8, SN9, SN10 and SN11 all ending in explosions.
Fixes to the Raptor engines have been put in place, as well as improvements to Starship’s Header Tank system, Thrust Puck and avionics. However, future versions of Starship and its rocket boosters could utilise an innovative catching system that involves arms on the launch tower shepherding the falling rocket into a landing position.
It sounds bizarre but Elon Musk has repeatedly stated this as a viable option. It has led to other, more hair-brained ideas, from Starship fans. Some have even gone to the trouble of rendering them as 3D animations:
Anthony Cuthbertson5 May 2021 17:47
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