BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 SpaceX is moving closer to the next major test of its Starship Super Heavy rocket.<\/p>\n
The company has already completed a static fire test ahead of Starship Flight 13, a key milestone as SpaceX works to demonstrate more advanced capabilities for the massive spacecraft. Dr. Don Platt, an aerospace expert with Florida Tech, says reaching an operational orbital status is critical for SpaceX\u2019s future plans, including potential Starship launches from Florida\u2019s Space Coast.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting to an orbital operational status here this year is extremely important, not only for their goals and for things like moving Starship launches to Florida, but then also for the Artemis III program for next year as well,\u201d Platt said. Artemis III is planned as a crewed test mission in low Earth orbit that will demonstrate critical systems needed for future lunar exploration, including rendezvous, docking, and transfer operations with commercial lunar landers.<\/p>\n
Dr. Don Platt says proving Starship can operate in space for extended periods of time will be an important step toward those future missions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far, we\u2019ve had test flights that are essentially getting up to the altitude of space, but then, for the most part, coming right back into the Indian Ocean, so not making a full orbit around the Earth,\u201d Platt said. He says SpaceX still needs to demonstrate how Starship performs during orbital operations, including restarting engines while in space, a capability that will be necessary for future deep-space missions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings like relighting engines in space is not something that\u2019s that simple,\u201d Platt said.<\/p>\n
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