SpaceX Successfully Launches Fake Satellite on Seventh Starship Test Flight

SpaceX's next Starship test flight will be its most ambitious yet, and for the first time will include a new “Block 2” version with a number of design updates.

What is a starship?

Starship is the most powerful rocket ever flown. SpaceX aims to develop the vehicle into a quickly reusable vehicle that can carry large payloads into orbit, land on Earth, and launch another mission within hours.

It's a bit confusing, but Starship is the name given to both the entire spaceship, which consists of a super heavy booster and the ship it launches, as well as a single ship once separated from the booster.

SpaceX is rapidly iterating on both Super Heavy and Starship, taking a Silicon Valley approach to design that considers regular testing and dramatic failures simply part of the process. However, this will be the first test of the so-called Block 2 Starship upper stage.

What's new in Starship Block 2?

the company says on the website Starship's electronics have been “completely redesigned” and now include more than 30 cameras. It also has 25% more propellant, is 3.1 meters taller, and has repositioned front flaps.

Also included for the first time is an early version of the pin needed to be captured and reused in ground towers. However, SpaceX currently only has one tower that is used to capture boosters, so there will be no attempt to capture Starships for reuse this time. A second tower is under construction.

What does a test flight involve?

SpaceX expects the upper stage to reach space, complete a partial orbit around Earth, safely re-enter the atmosphere, and fall in a controlled manner into the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy's first stage must return to the launch site and be captured by the launch tower's mechazilla or “chopstick” arm. If successful, this will be the second capture.

The launch marks a milestone for SpaceX as it marks the first time Starship hardware will be reused. One of the Super Heavy's 33 Raptor engines was previously used on Starship's fifth test flight. This was the only test to date in which the booster was safely returned, so it was the company's first opportunity to reuse something.

Another first is Starship's deployment of 10 fake Starlink satellites. These mock satellites are comparable in size and weight to the company's upcoming third-generation Internet Beam hardware and will test Starship's ability to safely launch payloads into orbit. Previous Starship flights have never carried a payload. Toy bananas carried on Flight 6.

A number of other smaller tests will be performed during the seventh flight to provide engineers with valuable data. For example, one of the Starship's Raptor engines was scheduled to be reignited in space, and some heat-resistant tiles were removed as a test. Several types of new thermal tiles are also being tested, including those with active cooling capabilities.

When will the launch take place?

SpaceX has not officially announced a launch date, but the company's controversial owner Elon Musk said: Tweet points out the goal of January 10th.

According to several NOTAMs (Notifications to Airmen – Warning Pilots of Unusual or Potentially Hazardous Activities) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration, the launch slot given to the company is mid-January 10th. It starts at 4pm standard time (10pm UK time).

The launch period runs until January 16, giving the company some leeway in the event the launch is postponed due to technical issues or bad weather.

Like all Starship launches, Flight 7 will lift off from SpaceX's property in Boca Chica, Texas, and will be streamed live online.

What happened on previous Starship launches?

During the first test flight on April 20, 2023, three of the 33 engines in the booster stage failed to ignite. The rocket then lost control and self-destructed.

During the second test flight on November 18, 2023, the flight progressed further, gaining enough altitude to separate the booster and upper stage as planned. The booster stage ultimately exploded before reaching the ground, and the upper stage self-destructed before reaching space.

Test Flight 3 on March 14, 2024 was at least partially successful as the upper stage reached space again, but it did not return to Earth unscathed.

The next flight was on June 6, when the upper stage reached an altitude of more than 200 kilometers and flew at speeds of more than 27,000 kilometers per hour. Both the booster and upper stage completed a soft landing at sea.

In Test Flight 5, the superheavy booster dropped onto the launch pad and landed safely on SpaceX's launch tower, known as Mekazilla, supported by “chopsticks.”

During Test Flight 6, Starship reached an altitude of 228 kilometers and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Super Heavy aborted its landing on the launch tower due to a communications failure and instead made a controlled water landing in the Gulf of Mexico.