What to expect from SpaceX’s sixth megarocket test flight

Unleashing a grounds 17 cardinal pounds of thrust astatine launch, nan show of SpaceX’s 120-meter-tall Starship rocket roaring skyward is thing to behold.

The Elon Musk-led spaceflight institution has already performed 5 Starship flights since nan first 1 successful April 2023, pinch each 1 progressively successful. Comprising nan upper-stage Starship spacecraft and nan first-stage Super Heavy booster (collectively known arsenic nan Starship), NASA is readying to usage nan elephantine conveyance for unit and cargo missions to nan moon, Mars, and perchance beyond.

SpaceX is aiming to execute nan adjacent trial formation connected Monday, November 18, and has laid retired its plans for what to expect.

The breathtaking news is that aft successfully “catching” nan Super Heavy booster astatine nan first effort during nan 5th trial past month, SpaceX is readying to effort nan maneuver again utilizing nan aforesaid elephantine mechanical arms connected nan motorboat building astatine nan company’s Starbase installation successful Boca Chica.

“Distinct conveyance and pad criteria must beryllium met anterior to a return and drawback of nan Super Heavy booster, which will require patient systems connected nan booster and building and a last manual bid from nan mission’s Flight Director,” SpaceX explained successful a message connected its website. “If this bid is not sent anterior to nan completion of nan boostback burn, aliases if automated wellness checks show unacceptable conditions pinch Super Heavy aliases nan tower, nan booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing pain and soft splashdown successful nan Gulf of Mexico.”

It added: “We judge nary compromises erstwhile it comes to ensuring nan information of nan nationalist and our team, and nan return will only return spot if conditions are right.”

It said that minutes aft deploying nan Starship spacecraft to orbit, nan Super Heavy booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting successful audible sonic booms successful nan area astir nan landing zone.

Landing nan booster successful this measurement allows SpaceX to quickly refurbish it for consequent flights, enabling it to behaviour launches astatine a overmuch little cost. It’s already proved a akin landing strategy utilizing its workhorse Falcon 9 vehicle, a little powerful rocket whose first stages person been flying aggregate missions — and landing — for years.

As for nan Starship’s precocious stage, SpaceX plans to nonstop it connected nan aforesaid suborbital trajectory arsenic nan 5th formation test, pinch splashdown targeted successful nan Indian Ocean. On a later flight, nan institution wants to drawback nan Starship, too, and truthful nan upcoming formation will see a number of experiments and a somewhat different formation floor plan to supply SpaceX engineers pinch useful information arsenic it prepares for nan challenging maneuver.

“Finally, adjusting nan flight’s motorboat model to nan precocious day astatine Starbase will alteration nan vessel to reenter complete nan Indian Ocean successful daylight, providing amended conditions for ocular observations,” SpaceX said.

There’s plentifulness to look guardant to. SpaceX will live-stream nan sixth trial formation connected its societal media channels connected November 18. The schedule could change, truthful beryllium judge to cheque backmost for updates.