SpaceX is preparing for the third orbital flight of its giant Starship rocket, scheduled for Thursday, March 14, as announced by the company on X. The event can be followed live online, and we will soon explain how. But first, it’s good to remember what it is and why this test is so important.
Starship is SpaceX’s flagship rocket currently in development. Over 120 meters high, it is designed to take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. It is currently the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, and once it is operational, it will aim to push the boundaries of short-term space travel and lay the groundwork for future colonization.
This rocket consists of two parts. Starship is the reusable top module where the crew and cargo will be housed. Super Heavy is the first stage booster, responsible for the initial thrust needed to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.
Both Starship and Super Heavy are designed to be reusable, greatly reducing the cost of space travel. In parallel, SpaceX is developing a new generation of state-of-the-art Raptor engines, capable of working in space and which will be used in future missions.
Starship is still in development and testing. It has made two orbital flights so far, both with partially successful outcomes. In April 2023, the first flight ended with an intentional explosion after 4 minutes due to the failure of the two stages to undock. In November 2023, the second flight saw a firing of the first stage and a separation of the two modules as scheduled. Unfortunately, a later explosion has been attributed to the discharge of liquid oxygen.
Despite the initial challenges, SpaceX is not giving up and is preparing Starship’s third orbital flight for March 14, 2024. This new attempt will be more ambitious than the previous ones, with goals such as the controlled re-entry of Starship and the re-ignition of a Raptor engine in space. The start of the live broadcast is scheduled at 12.30 pm, while the take-off should take place at 1.00 pm, always according to our time zone. And this time there are some ambitious goals, which we recap below.
Successful combustion of both stages (Super Heavy and Starship).
Opening and closing the Starship cargo door.
Propellant transfer during the inertial flight phase of the upper stage.
First re-ignition of a Raptor engine in space.
Controlled re-entry of Starship with splashdown in the Indian Ocean (new flight path).
Are you ready for this all-important test? Starship’s third orbital flight will be streamed live on SpaceX’s X feed at this link.
