SpaceX About To Test Starship MK1
914SpaceX about to test STarship Mk 1.
SpaceX is about to initiate number of ground based tests on Starship Mk 1, in an effort to ready Starship Mk 1 for actual 22km sub-orbital test scheduled for later this month or in December. Starship Mk1 will undergo critical ground test phase, ranging from tank pressurization and propellant loading to the rocket’s first triple-Raptor engine static fire. The ground tests could happen later on today or sometimes this week. However increased in ground activity indicates tests could be hours away.
Over past few weeks, SpaceX’s South Texas team had to deal with really bad winter weather as a result SpaceX faced some delays, I guess this happens when you’re building giant rockets almost entirely out in the elements. Nevertheless, SpaceX’s team continued to progress on the Starship Mark 1 towards its completion. This month alone, SpaceX has (re)installed Starship Mk1’s nose and aft section flaps (this time outfitted with heavy-duty actuator mechanisms), nearly completed the process of routing and integrating the vehicle’s external liquid and gas plumbing, and more or less finished a barebones launch mount. At the same time Starship was moved to the launch pad for testing phase and eventual high fidelity test that could culminate in 22km sub-orbital flight later this year. Could happen this month, but due to weather issues it is now very likely it’ll be just before Christmas. I guess for many fans and observers, this might be great Christmas present.
Activity around Boca Chica has increased somewhat, indicating number of prep works are being carried by the team over @South Texas facility. It is quite evident SpaceX will expand the facility somewhat, perhaps to the detriment of the local residents who perhaps in their sleepy hamlet never thought would see major Spacex company open their shop right in their front yard. That being said, some locals have become a real superstars of the space community across the globe. Boca Chica Girl for example who continually updates us with her visuals of Starship Mk1.
That being said, SpaceX Starship facility @Boca Chica is expected to expand dramatically in coming months and years, this is quite clear, SpaceX will add number of facilities at South Texas base to ensure continued expansion of SpaceX cability, this also includes future Super Heavy Starship, something I plan to talk about in my future video very soon. We have some indications what SpaceX plans to do, Based on official renders/mockups in SpaceX’s updated 2019 launch animation, it could also eventually become the foundation of a much more permanent integration and processing hangar, much like the hangars that SpaceX uses to integrate Falcon 9 and Heavy at its Florida and California launch sites.
It is hard to guess what sort of tests will be conducted this week however According to road closure notices published by Cameron County, SpaceX is expected to begin operations that require road closures as early as November 18th from noon to 8 pm CST, with backups on the 19th and 20th. Another window opens on the 25th at the same time, with backups on the 26th and 27th. This however, doesn’t mean SpaceX will conduct cryogenic ground testing with Starship Mk1 today.
Whenever SpaceX does decide to start Starship Mk1 ground testing, I’ll report on it, however it will be an immensely important milestone for SpaceX and space exploration, the unusual methods SpaceX manufactures high-performance rocket prototype for pennies on the dollar. In simple terms, if Starship Mk1 behaves as planned, commercial spaceflight may never be the same.