SpaceX: Simulation demonstrates ‘Super Heavy’ rocket landing
SpaceX is reportedly rolling-out its Starship SN10 prototype to the Boca Chica launch site, after scrubbing today’s Starship SN9 launch attempt Commentators for the NASASpaceflight expressed shock at the unexpected appearance of SN10.
They are heard saying: “It [SN10] is next to the launch pad, next to Pad A, a nice, fresh clean spot – a clean bed made for SN10.
SN10 is coming out of the high bay
NASASpaceflight commentators
“They don’t need [Liebherr LR1600/2 Crawler Crane] Tankzilla for testing.
“The only thing they use that crane for is lifting fully-assembled Starships and maybe other extremely heavy equipment around the launch site.”
And the NASASpaceflight commentators are heard later adding: “SN10 is coming out of the high bay.
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“SN10 is not in the high bay – it is coming out of the high bay right now.”
The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX had been reportedly readying to test launch its SN9 prototype either yesterday or today (Friday, January 29)
However, shortly before 11am local time, the ‘Temporary Flight Restrictions’ for the day’s Starship launch were suddenly cancelled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
However, the picture today remains a little unclear, with a recent SpaceX site update SN9 will still be tested in the coming few days.
Making no reference to SN10’s surprise appearance today, the statement reads: “As early as Monday, February 1, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 9 (SN9) – the second high-altitude suborbital flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas.
“Similar to the high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8), SN9 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude.
“SN9 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.”
Before the scrub, engineers and technicians had been preparing the vehicle for a launch and local residents were evacuated even a repeat of recent explosion took place.
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Thursday’s launch delay sparked Elon Mucks’s ire because the FAA did not grant final approval for the 6.6 mile (10km) launch attempt.
The SpaceX CEO tweeted: “Unlike its aircraft division, which is fine, the FAA space division has a fundamentally broken regulatory structure.
“Their rules are meant for a handful of expendable launches per year from a few government facilities.
“Under those rules, humanity will never get to Mars.”
SpaceX has in recent years garnered an enviable reputation for achieving what long been considered impossible by the consensus of space scientists.
This has most famously off all included returning reusable rockets to soft landings on Earth instead of ditching such expensive boosters into the ocean, as NASA has done for decades.
SpaceX now routinely lands its Falcon 9 rockets after launch.
And, if as expected, SpaceX can eventually perfect Starship’s cutting-edge tech, Elon Musk’s company will become “critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth,” as the company states on its site.
SpaceX adds: “This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon and travel to Mars and beyond.”
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