SpaceX has conducted critical ground tests ahead of the first orbital launch of its super-heavy rocket Starship. On September 24, at the launch site in southern Texas, experts conducted a “wet rehearsal” (WDR), a complete launch preparation cycle for refueling the rocket without starting the engine. The successful completion of the procedure allows the company to continue preparations for the test flight scheduled for September 28.
Image source: SpaceX
During the “wet rehearsal”, engineers check the operation of all major systems before launch: refueling lines, liquid oxygen and liquid methane tanks, control software, countdown operating sequences and the interaction of the ground complex with the rocket. The system being tested consists of a 124-meter-long two-stage system – the Super Heavy Booster 21 accelerator and the Starship Ship 41. Previously, SpaceX also conducted a fire test on the first stage, igniting all 33 Raptor engines at the same time.
Flight 14, Test Flight 14, will be the first time Starship has placed its upper stage in Earth orbit. In previous tests, the ship only conducted suborbital flights for about an hour. This time, the ship will launch 26 new-generation Starlink V3 satellites into orbit, then complete about six orbits around the Earth and conduct a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Chile. The first stage of the Super Heavy rocket should also splash down in the Gulf of Mexico after separation.
While the current flight is still a test flight, it is an important milestone in the development of SpaceX’s fully reusable Starship transportation system. In the future, the company plans to return the two sections of the rocket to the launch pad, use a tower manipulator to pick them up in the air, and use the ship for Artemis moon missions, cargo transportation and future expeditions to Mars. The first orbital flight should demonstrate the effectiveness of new heat shields, engines, stage separation systems and reuse technologies that serve as the basis for starship design efforts.
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