SpaceX is preparing for the tenth flight test of its Starship program. The launch window is set for Tuesday, August 26 at 6:30 pm CT (5 to 6 am India time, August 27). A live stream will be available on SpaceX’s website, X account and X TV app about half an hour before the flight.
This test is taking place at a time when the company has completed the investigation of the failure of the ninth flight and the static fire error of Ship 36. Several technical and operational improvements have been made based on the experience gained from these incidents. The purpose of the upcoming flight is not only to advance the landing capability of the Super Heavy booster but also to try out new technologies for Starship’s payload deployment and return to the atmosphere.
The Super Heavy booster will not return to the launch site this time, but will be dropped in a controlled manner in the Gulf of Mexico. Several different flight experiments will be conducted in it. For example, one of the three central Raptor engines will be turned off during landing to see how effective the backup engine is. The booster will then rest on only two engines and gather data by stabilizing in the air before finally falling into the water. Such efforts will provide practical information for future complex scenarios.
The upper stage of the Starship will also perform several important functions. It will release eight Starlink simulators, which will be similar in size to next-generation satellites. Although they will burn during re-entry, this exercise is an important step towards payload missions. Apart from this, there is a plan to re-ignite a Raptor engine in space, which is part of the preparation for deep space missions.
The re-entry test is the biggest highlight of this mission. For this, some heat shield tiles have been deliberately removed to see how much the structure can withstand the pressure. Also, new metal tiles, one of which has an active cooling system, will also be tested. The catch fittings installed on the vehicle will be thermally and structurally tested and changes made in the design of the tiles will help overcome the problems identified in earlier flights. This re-entry profile will push the flaps to their maximum pressure.
Starship’s tenth flight is based on the same philosophy as the previous ones—not immediate success, but rapid improvement. Every experience, whether an achievement or a failure, contributes to making the next flight even stronger.
