By akademiotoelektronik, 27/04/2022

Starship: SpaceX's Super Heavy Booster should fly in 2021

The tests of the upper part indeed got off to a bad start at the end of 2019 with the explosion of the MK1 prototype. It took place during a test aimed at “putting the systems under maximum pressure, so the result was not completely unexpected. There were no injuries, and it's not a serious setback."

In February, the SN1 prototype (Serial Number 1, the new name used by SpaceX) suffered the same setback, then it was the turn of SN3 in April because of a "test configuration error rather than a design or construction. It was not until April and SN4 that the cryogenic test was finally successfully passed... before this prototype also exploded in June during a static firing test.

The first successful take-off came in September with SN5, which reached 150 meters before coming to rest on dry land without incident. A second flight at 150 meters took place a few days later with SN6, something to rejoice Elon Musk: “It turns out that you can fly anything haha”.

In December, after two postponements, including one less than 2 seconds before launch, SN8 took off for a test at high altitude (12.5 km). It performed an in-flight flip as planned, but crashed in a shower of flames due to too high speed on arrival. Elon Musk nevertheless saw it as a success, because many steps had been taken: “Great test. Congratulations to the Starship team! “, he dropped on Twitter.

After a small fall without gravity, SN9 has been installed on the launch pad since December 22, ready to take off.

The two floors in detail

Starship is both the name of the rocket and the second stage (SNx). With 120 meters in height, the final version of the whole will be much more imposing. At the latest news, it will break down as follows:

The Super Heavy Booster first stage

The Starship second stage (like the complete rocket)

The upper part will be available in two versions, Crew and Cargo, different in the interior fittings of the cap. The latter measures 9 meters in diameter and 18 meters high, i.e. a little over 1,100 m³.

The total payload can exceed 100 tons in low Earth orbit. It is therefore considerably more than Falcon Heavy (with three first stages of Falcon 9) which is announced at 63.8 tonnes. SpaceX also claims to be able to deposit 100 tons on the surface of the Moon or Mars, by "refueling" its rocket in space.

These technical characteristics are subject to change, it would not be the first time. As a reminder, when Elon Musk first presented Starship (BFR at the time) in September 2016, the rocket was then 122 meters high and 12 meters wide. A year later, changes were made and it went to 106 and 9 meters respectively. At the end of 2019, it was about 118 and 9 meters, against 120 and 9 meters currently.

The closed club for launchers over 100 tonnes

SpaceX is not alone in wanting to send large payloads into space. NASA is preparing its Space Launch System (or SLS) rocket, which will be capable of carrying up to 130 tonnes into low orbit. As we mentioned recently, China is also on the move with Long March-9 which could also exceed 100 tonnes.

Ariane 6 will not come to play on this terrain (see our magazine #2), with a maximum of 22 tonnes for the A64 version with four lateral boosters. The same goes for the United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy, which weighs "only" 29 tonnes. Remember that the palm is for the moment still held by the "monster" Saturn V which was capable of carrying 140 tons in low orbit. This launcher was in service in the 60s and 70s.

Having a large loading capacity makes it possible to carry more equipment for space exploration, or larger satellites. In the conquest of Mars, for example, it will be necessary to embark crew members, large quantities of freight and equipment, fuel for landing maneuvers on the red planet and the return, etc. Elon Musk has made no secret of his ambition to explore the Solar System with Starship.

First Super Heavy Booster flight approaching

Modularity is an important part of Starship: the Crew version of the second stage could be used for travel on Earth, while the two-stage version will serve for the exploration of other planets.

But we are not there yet, far from it. Only second-stage prototypes have taken off (and exploded) for the moment, with undeniable progress over the year 2020. Asked about the first "hop" (at an altitude of 150 meters) of Super Heavy Booster, Elon Musk announces that he will arrive in "a few months", without further details.

After that ?

It will then be necessary to combine the two pieces to launch a complete Starship rocket into space… and bring it back. According to Elon Musk, “you will have to reach at least SN20 or more to have Starship 1.0”. The first flight should take place in 2021, if all goes well.

Just a few weeks ago, Elon Musk was still planning to send a cargo mission to Mars in 2022, followed by humans in 2024 or 2026 (a launch window opens every two years as a reminder). The Crew version of Starship will be able to transport “up to 100 people to low orbit, the Moon and Mars. This configuration includes private cabins, large common areas, centralized storage, shelters against solar storms and a dedicated area for observation”.

What seemed like a slightly/a lot/completely (cross out as appropriate) crazy dream a few years ago is taking shape more and more. It remains to be seen if the story will end well, or as in a bad TV movie.

This is NOT a real photo.