Published 12:12 IST, April 13th 2021
SpaceX clears launch pad after Starship SN15's launch failure; to undergo 'bigger tests'
SpaceX has cleared its suborbital South Texas launch pad before the testing of Starship SN15, that has been upgraded as compared to its predecessors.
SpaceX has cleared its suborbital South Texas launch pad after SN11 had failed on it. It has cleared the way for the Starship SN15 to go through a series of big tests. SN15 has been fitted with "hundreds" of upgrades as compared to its predecessors SN8, SN9, SN10 and SN11. The Starship SN15’s upgrades likely began before the failures of the SN8, SN9, S10 and SN11. SpaceX has launched four Starships before SN15 but none of them has survived their test flights.
Starship SN15 fitted with upgrades
The 50-metre (165 ft) tall spacecraft and upper stage prototype have developed a coating of frost as its extremely cold cargo quite literally freezes the humid South Texas air onto its steel skin. Outfitted with “hundreds” of upgrades relative to late full-size predecessors SN8, SN9, SN10, and SN11, there’s a chance that SN15 holds the key to SpaceX’s first completely successful high-altitude Starship launch and landing. Although last month Starship SN10 managed to land in one piece but minutes after touchdown, it exploded.
The other three starships managed to reach nominal 10-12.5 km successfully. They averaged more than six minutes of controlled flight and restarted one of three Raptor engines without facing any issue. The Starship SN9 can be blamed for the failure of one of two Raptor engines to properly ignite. Starship SN8 faced an issue seconds away before its touchdown. The advanced pressurization system of SN8 starved its Raptor engines of fuel.
On March 30, Starship SN11, the fourth prototype, was launched at 6:30 pm IST, carried to an altitude of 32,000 ft before exploding at Boca Chica. Many spectators were witnessing the launch live but five minutes into the video, the stream froze and only resumed by the time SN11 had crashed into the launch pad. Many couldn't clearly make out what went wrong.
(Image Credits: Unsplash)
Updated 12:12 IST, April 13th 2021