SpaceX’s prototype Starship SN15 successfully completes it's high-altitude test and lands safely.
Nithya Satheesh
SpaceX’s new prototype to Mars and Moon named Starship serial number 15 (SN15) successfully completed its fifth high-altitude flight test on 5th May 2021 from Starbase in Texas.
Just like the previous high-altitude flight test of Starship, SN15 had three Raptor Engines and each of these shutting down before the vehicle reached a particular height - approximately 10 Km in altitude.
Starship prototype descended under active aerodynamic control, accomplished with the help of the four flags, out of which two move independently forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All the flags are controlled by an onboard flight computer to control its altitude during flight and also for helping in landing precisely on the intended location. SN15’s Raptor ignited again as the vehicle performed a landing flip before touching down.
SpaceX’s Starship which includes the spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket together represents a fully developed reusable transportation system which is designed to carry both crew and cargo to the orbit of Earth, Mars and Moon. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle developed till now as it can carry about 100 metric tonnes to the Earth orbit.
Starship will enter Mars atmosphere at a speed of 7.5 km/s and decelerate aerodynamically. The vehicle’s heat shield is designed to withstand multiple entries.
Overview
|
Height |
120 m / 394 ft |
|
Diameter |
9 m /
30 ft |
|
Payload to Leo |
100+ t / 220+ klb |
Starship
Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the system. It has an integrated payload in it which is capable of carrying crew and cargo to orbit of Earth, Mars and Moon.
|
Height |
50 m / 160 f |
|
Diameter |
9 m /
30 ft |
|
Propellant capacity |
1200 t / 2.6 Mlb |
|
Payload Capacity |
100+ t
/ 220+ klb |
Super Heavy Rocket
The first stage of launch system is the super heavy
rocket which has a gross lift off mass over 3 million kg and uses sub-cooled
liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants. The booster will land on its 6
legs on the same launch site itself.
|
Height |
70 m / 230 ft |
|
Diameter |
9 m /
30 ft |
|
Propellant capacity |
3400 t / 6.8 Mlb |
|
Thrust |
72 MN /
16 Mlbf |
Payload
In this, the payload is 9m in diameter and 18 m in
height, thereby making it the largest usable payload volume in the launcher.
|
Payload Volume Height |
18 m / 59 ft |
|
Payload Fairing Diameter |
9 m /
30 ft |
|
Payload Volume |
1100 m3 / 38800ft3 |
|
Useful Mass |
100+ t
/ 220+ klb |
Engine – Raptor
It is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine
that provides power to the system. The testing of Raptor engines began on July
2019.
|
Height |
1.3 m / 4 ft |
|
Diameter |
3.1 m /
10.2 ft |
|
Thrust |
2 MN / 440 klbf |
This designed to deliver satellites and that too at a lower marginal cost per launch, even less than the current Falcon vehicles. Since the payload is largest development launcher till now, Starship can take even space telescopes even larger than the James Webb.
Space Station
Startship can transport both crewn and cargo to and from ISS.
Moon Mission
In order to develop base for the future space exploration, a large amount of cargo is needed for research to moon. This is currently designed to carry these building blocks.
Interplanetary Transport
SpaceX long time goal is building cities on Mars and making a living possible in Mars and that will require delivery of large quantities of cargo and people. Starship uses an in-space propellant to achieve this.