As early as Tuesday, March 30, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 11 (SN11) – our 4th high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from Starbase in Texas. Equivalent to prior high-altitude flight tests of Starship, SN11 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence just before the car reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN11 will perform a propellant transition to the inner header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.
The Starship prototype will descend under active aerodynamic control, achieved by autonomous movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the automobile. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable exact landing at the planned location. SN11’s Raptor engines will then reignite as the car attempts a landing flip maneuver instantly before touching down on the landing pad next to the launch mount.
A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing ability, compounded with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the sun system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth. This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.
definitely shouldn’t have launched in fog. Makes it a lot more difficult to figure out what happened without exterior views
Aren’t we lucky to be able to print money?
Hey musk, what do you say? How many birds did you kill today!
I have never wanted a private company to succeed so badly. Good job spaceX.
Progress > perfection
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16
Damn fog.
The commentator need more practice. Better still find someone better.
@6:13 …definitely a bit of a fault condition with that raptor on the way up.
I’m kinda OK with this — it would have been sad for the historic first total success of Starship to be shrouded in fog, with no external video shots or anything for the history books.
Давайте хуярьте!