Starship ready for launch near Boca Chica, Texas
UPI/Alamy Stock Photo
Tomorrow, SpaceX will attempt to launch its most powerful Starship rocket ever for the second time, after flying for five minutes before exploding during a test in April.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is enthusiastic about the success of the rocket, which is a central part of plans to send astronauts to the moon and colonize Mars, but local residents and environmental scientists are also skeptical. One would hope that the experiment would not be successful the second time.It did not fail again after rain blanketed homes in a radius of several kilometers. dust and debris.
What time does Starship launch?
SpaceX is aiming for a 20-minute launch window starting Nov. 18 at 8 a.m. ET (1 p.m. GMT). The launch livestream will begin 30 minutes early at 7:30 a.m. ET (12:30 GMT). The launch was originally scheduled for November 17, but was postponed. Parts replacement was delayedsaid Musk.
The rocket will launch from SpaceX’s Starbase spaceport near Boca Chica, Texas. Nearby residents have been warned to expect heavy thunder.
Where will the starship go?
Starship’s flight plan will be similar to its first launch, assuming it passes pre-flight inspection, and will fly for 90 minutes after liftoff before making a controlled descent and splashing down somewhere off the coast of Hawaii.
SpaceX has said that if the experiment is successful, it intends to use Starship to transport astronauts to the moon and eventually Mars. The 120-meter-tall rocket is fully reusable and can carry up to 100 passengers.
What happened the last time a starship was launched?
Starship was first launched in April. After successfully taking off from the ground and reaching an altitude of about 40 kilometers (40 kilometers), a fire broke out and ground engineers triggered a self-destruct to avoid an uncontrollable descent.
SpaceX later claimed that the failure was caused by a propellant leak in the booster rocket, which shut down Starship’s flight computer.
After the first launch, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced 63 corrective actions that SpaceX must take by the time of its second launch, including “vehicle hardware to prevent leaks and fires, and to improve robustness.” “redesign of the launch pad”). “Incorporate additional reviews into the design process.”
SpaceX now claims the FAA gave it the green light for a relaunch because it has resolved these issues, implemented a new hot stage separation system and thrust control, and made enhancements such as strengthening the launch pad. ing.
What if this launch fails?
Rocket tests often end in explosions, and Musk said he believed there was a good chance of a successful orbital launch. about 60%. SpaceX has accepted these failures (what Musk calls “rapid, uncontrolled disintegration”) as an important part of the design process, but the last Starship explosion drew criticism from environmental groups.
Before the April launch, the FAA concluded there would be “no significant impact” on the surrounding environment and stipulated that SpaceX must monitor local vegetation and wildlife. However, the takeoff destroyed the launch pad, creating a huge cloud of dust and concrete debris that settled into the surrounding environment. tens of kilometersincluding delicate marine habitats.
SpaceX says it has strengthened the launch pad and installed “water-cooled flame deflectors” to reduce the risk of the incident happening again, but that is not guaranteed. If that happens, the FAA would likely begin investigating the launch again and not agree to a third launch until SpaceX can prove the problem won’t happen again.
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