SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3

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Starship integrated flight test 3
Video of Starship in flight during IFT-3
Mission typeFlight test
OperatorSpaceX
Mission duration49 minutes, 35 seconds (achieved)[1]
1 hour, 4 minutes, 39 seconds (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftStarship S28, Super Heavy B10
Start of mission
Launch dateMarch 14, 2024, 13:25:00 (2024-03-14UTC13:25) UTC
RocketStarship
Launch siteStarbase
ContractorSpaceX
End of mission
DestroyedMarch 14, 2024, 14:14:35 UTC[1]
Orbital parameters
RegimeSuborbital (achieved)[1]
Transatmospheric Earth orbit (planned)[1]
Periapsis altitude−50 km (−31 mi) (achieved)[1]
50 km (31 mi) (planned)[1]
Apoapsis altitude234 km (145 mi) (achieved)[1]
235 km (146 mi) (planned)[2]
Inclination26.5°[1]
← IFT-2
IFT-4 →
 

SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3 (IFT-3) was the third integrated flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. SpaceX performed the flight test on March 14, 2024.[3][4]

Starship successfully completed a full-duration second stage burn, reaching the intended orbital velocity for the first time, but broke up during re-entry in the atmosphere.[4][5][6]

Background[edit]

Further information: SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 2 § Aftermath

Changes from the previous flight[edit]

After the second test flight in November 2023 ended in the destruction of both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft, 17 significant changes were made to the vehicles, including upgrading the ship to an electric thrust vector control (TVC) system[7][failed verification] (the booster had been upgraded for IFT-2[8]) and delaying the vent of liquid oxygen (LOX) to after Starship engine cutoff (SECO).[7]

SpaceX upgraded the orbital tank farm with additional subcoolers and pumps to increase the propellant flow rate. In addition, two water tanks were removed and scrapped. Steel plates have been added to concrete at the base of the launch tower due to erosion from the engines. A concrete wall has replaced the HESCO barriers previously protecting the tank farm.[9]

Development prior to launch[edit]

The FAA closed its mishap investigation of the IFT-2 launch on February 26, 2024. In the mishap report, SpaceX identified 17 corrective actions, of which ten were for the Starship upper stage and seven for the Super Heavy booster.[10] Booster 10 and S28 conducted their individual static fire tests in late December 2023,[11] and a wet dress rehearsal was performed in early March 2024.[12] On March 5, 2024, SpaceX announced that they were targeting a launch date of March 14, 2024, pending regulatory approval.[13][14] On March 13, 2024, the FAA granted the launch license for IFT-3.[15]

Flight profile[edit]

IFT-3 launched from the SpaceX Starbase facility along the South Texas coast around 8:25 CDT. As with IFT-2, ignition of all 33 booster engines and stage separation were both successful.[16] B10 successfully conducted a boostback burn; however, the planned landing in the Gulf of Mexico was not successful due to multiple engine failures. Following the failures, SpaceX reported that the booster was destroyed at an estimated altitude of approximately 462 metres (1,516 ft).[3] No cause was given for the loss of the booster.

The Starship spacecraft itself reached space and the intended orbital velocity. It then conducted several tests after engine cutoff, including a propellant transfer demo and payload dispenser test. It attempted to re-enter the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, and at an altitude of around 65 km, all telemetry from Ship 28 stopped, indicating a loss of the vehicle.[17][18][4]

Mission timeline[19]
Time Event March 14, 2024
−01:15:00 SpaceX Flight Director conducts a poll and verifies go for propellant loading Success
−00:53:00 Starship oxidizer loading (liquid oxygen) underway Success
−00:51:00 Starship fuel loading (liquid methane) underway Success
−00:42:00 Super Heavy oxidizer loading (liquid oxygen) underway Success
−00:41:00 Super Heavy fuel loading (liquid methane) underway Success
−00:19:40 Booster engine chill Success
−00:03:30 Booster propellant load complete Success
−00:02:50 Ship propellant load complete Success
−00:00:30 SpaceX flight director verifies GO for launch Success
−00:00:10 Flame deflector activation Success
−00:00:03 Booster engine ignition Success
00:00:02 Liftoff Success
00:00:52 Max q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) Success
00:02:42 Booster most engines cutoff (MECO) Success
00:02:44 Starship engine ignition and stage separation (hot-staging) Success
00:02:55 Booster boostback burn startup Success
00:03:50 Booster boostback burn shutdown Success
00:06:36 Booster is transonic Achieved later than planned
00:06:46 Booster landing burn startup 3 of 13 engines relit with 2 failing shortly after
00:07:04 Booster landing burn shutdown Booster destroyed at an altitude of approximately 462 metres (1,516 ft)[3]
00:08:35 Starship engine cutoff (SECO) Success
00:11:56 Payload door open Attempted, result pending data review[20][disputed – discuss]
00:24:31 Propellant transfer demo Success[20]
00:28:21 Payload door close Attempted, result pending data review[20][disputed – discuss]
00:40:46 Raptor in-space relight demo Planned relight not performed "due to vehicle roll rates"[3]
00:49:05 Starship entry Vehicle lost during re-entry at an altitude of 65 km (40 mi)[17]
01:02:16 Starship is transonic —
01:03:04 Starship is subsonic —
01:04:39 Starship splashdown —

Aftermath[edit]

After the launch, SpaceX confirmed that Super Heavy was destroyed at 462 m above sea level over the Gulf of Mexico.[3] The status of the payload door test became one of the focuses of unofficial interpretations of the flight in YouTube and news articles, due to a perceived issue seen from the flight video concerning the payload door. SpaceX's account of the launch states that the payload test had been a success.[3]

Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, said the company was still investigating the data and what went wrong in IFT-3, but that IFT-4 could launch soon, possibly by early May.[21]

NASA chief Bill Nelson praised SpaceX for "a successful test flight". He also stated, "Today we are making great strides through Artemis to return humanity to the Moon - then look onward to Mars." SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk also praised the team and stated "Starship will take humanity to Mars."[22]

On March 14, 2024, the FAA declared that a mishap had occurred involving both the upper stage and booster, triggering the start of a SpaceX-led investigation overseen by the FAA.[23] The agency's associate administrator for commercial space transportation, Kelvin Coleman, said on March 18 that he did not anticipate any major issues that could delay the investigation. Additionally, there was talk for the FAA to begin issuing a "portfolio of launches", authorizing multiple launches rather than a single launch at a time, as part of a broader effort to streamline the launch license process in response to criticism from SpaceX and Congress that the FAA was moving too slow on approving them.[24] The next launch license will likely require modification, but Coleman said the FAA may be able to first complete a public safety determination, finding that there were no flaws in critical safety systems on the March launch that would have endangered the safety of the uninvolved public. If so, “that would decouple the mishap investigation from the license modification, and that means that we could get the license modification done while the mishap investigation is ongoing.”[25] However, both are still needed in order for a launch license to be granted. [26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h McDowell, Jonathan (March 14, 2024). "Jonathan's Space Report No. 831". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "Narrative Description: STA Application No. 2224-EX-ST-2023". Federal Communications Commission. November 8, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Starship's Third Flight Test". SpaceX. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Chang, Kenneth (March 14, 2024). "SpaceX Blazes Forward With Latest Starship Launch". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Sheetz, Michael (March 14, 2024). "SpaceX's Starship notches major flight test milestones, breaks up over Indian Ocean in final moments". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  6. ^ "SpaceX's Starship destroyed on return to Earth at end of third test flight". Theguardian. March 15, 2024. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "SpaceX - Updates". SpaceX. February 26, 2024. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  8. ^ Robinson-Smith, Will (November 4, 2023). "SpaceX poised for 'mid-November' launch of second Starship test flight". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Weber, Ryan (January 25, 2024). "Wet dress rehearsal on the horizon for Starship's third flight". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Davenport, Christian [@wapodavenport] (February 26, 2024). "The FAA has closed the mishap investigation into the second Starship test flight" (Tweet). Retrieved March 7, 2024 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ SpaceX Dual Static fire of Booster 10 and Starship 28 (Video). NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  12. ^ SpaceX Performs Third Attempt of B10/S28 Wet Dress Rehearsal (Video). NASASpaceFlight.com. March 4, 2024. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Berger, Eric (March 6, 2024). "The next Starship mission has a tentative launch date: March 14". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Reisinger, Don (March 7, 2024). "SpaceX Starship Mission 3: How to Watch the March 14 Launch". CNET. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  15. ^ "Commercial Space Transportation License No. VOL 23-129 Rev. 2". Federal Aviation Administration. March 13, 2024. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  16. ^ SpaceX Launches Starship Test Flight #3. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ a b SpaceX Launches Third Starship Flight Test. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Clark, Stephen (March 14, 2024). "SpaceX celebrates major progress on the third flight of Starship". Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "Starship's Third Flight Test". SpaceX. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c Chow, Denise (March 14, 2024). "SpaceX launches Starship rocket into orbit on test flight but loses spacecraft during return to Earth". NBCNews.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  21. ^ "SpaceX planning rapid turnaround for next Starship flight". March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  22. ^ "Despite problems, SpaceX hails progress after third test of Starship rocket". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  23. ^ "FAA Statements on Aviation Accidents and Incidents". FAA. March 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  24. ^ "SpaceX planning rapid turnaround for next Starship flight". March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  25. ^ "FAA: no current plans to tax commercial space launches". SpaceNews. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "Marcia Smith on X: "At media bfg at Space Symp now, FAA/AST's..."". X. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
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