SpaceX's Starship set for sixth test flight on November 18
SpaceX is gearing up for its sixth Starship launch, slated for November 18. The upcoming mission could also see another attempt at catching the Super Heavy Booster, depending on conditions. This comes after the fifth flight test's incredible feat of the Super Heavy Booster being successfully caught by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms.
Near-miss incident in previous Starship flight
SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk revealed a near-miss incident during the fifth flight test. He shared audio from a video game session where it was revealed that the SpaceX team was "one second" away from triggering an abort due to a sensor issue. This could have led to the rocket crashing into the ground, but thankfully, that scenario was avoided.
Upgrades for 6th Starship flight test
In light of the near-miss incident, SpaceX has implemented a number of hardware changes for the sixth flight test. These include more redundancy for the booster propulsion systems and greater structural strength. The software controls and commit criteria for the booster's launch and return have also been modified, with the intention of avoiding similar incidents in future missions.
Contingency plans for Super Heavy booster catch
SpaceX plans to attempt another catch of the Super Heavy Booster during the upcoming flight. However, if conditions aren't favorable, the final decision will be made by the flight director who can manually command a different course. In such a case, the booster would default to a trajectory leading it to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship's sub-orbital trajectory and new tests
The Starship will take a sub-orbital trajectory with a controlled entry planned, leading to a targeted splashdown in the Indian Ocean. For the first time, a single Raptor engine will be ignited for an in-space burn to demonstrate the system's capability of performing a de-orbit burn for orbital missions. New secondary thermal protection materials will also be tested during this flight.
Launch time and future plans for Starship
The launch is scheduled for 4:00pm local Texas time, with a 30-minute window. This will ensure that the Starship reenters over the Indian Ocean during the day, making it easier to see. SpaceX has already secured a license for this flight test but has bigger plans for future flights as it hopes to achieve rapid launch cadence and full reuse of both Super Heavy Booster and Ship portions of the Starship system.
