This test flight comes after a trying seven-month stretch for SpaceX, during which four of its Starship prototypes — all part of a new generation of vehicles that debuted in January — were lost in explosive failures.
Today, the company will be seeking a bit of redemption, aiming to improve upon the prior missions by getting the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket booster to lift off safely before conducting controlled landings in the ocean.
SpaceX says it has made adjustments to the vehicle that will fly today in the hopes it will avoid the fate of its recent predecessors. But either way, the company is expecting to soon retire this version of Starship as it looks to build an even larger version of the craft.
The goal today — as SpaceX always states is the aim for Starship test flights — is to gather data, pushing the vehicle to its limits to determine what is and isn’t possible. The company is not necessarily looking for perfection.
Here’s a quick look at what’s ahead:
An hour and 15 minutes before launch, SpaceX will conduct a “go/no-go” poll, confirming whether it will move forward with today’s launch attempt.
About an hour before takeoff, SpaceX will begin loading up the Starship spacecraft with propellant.
On a couple recent missions, SpaceX has had to hold the countdown clock with less than a minute left as the company troubleshoots issues. That could happen again. And when just 30 seconds are left on the countdown clock, launch controllers will give the final “go” for launch.
After launch, the Super Heavy booster will fire for roughly 2 ½ minutes, burning through most of its fuel, before breaking away from the Starship spacecraft.
Super Heavy will turn around and carry out some experimental tests during a landing burn designed to steer it toward a controlled splashdown off the coast of Texas, expected about six minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff.
The Starship spacecraft will meanwhile burn its engine for another few minutes before beginning to coast.
About 18 ½ minutes after takeoff, Starship will attempt to deploy eight satellite “simulators.”
Nearly 40 minutes into the mission, SpaceX will attempt to relight one of Starship’s engines mid-flight.
At the end of its flight path, about an hour after takeoff, the Starship spacecraft will attempt to safely reenter Earth’s atmosphere and make a controlled practice landing over the Indian Ocean.