The next phase of testing for the SpaceX Starship vehicle is expected to begin this week. Starship SN3, the latest iteration of Starship test vehicles, has been transported to the launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas, where it is being prepared for a program of tests on the ground and in flight.
(Lead photo by BocaChicaGal for NSF)
The SN3 (Serial Number 3) vehicle incorporates lessons learned from previous vehicles and test articles, and takes advantage of improved manufacturing techniques and expanded facilities at SpaceX’s South Texas launch facility.
The next round of testing is anticipated to begin this week with cryogenic proof testing. These tests will see the vehicle filled with liquid nitrogen at cryogenic temperatures and flight pressures. Prior Starship test vehicles have had their campaigns cut short by failed cryogenic testing, including the last flight vehicle SpaceX rolled to the Boca Chica launch pad, Starship SN1.
SpaceX’s first vehicle in Boca Chica, named Starhopper, was the first Starship test vehicle to fly under power from the Raptor rocket engine. A static fire and a tethered hop test was conducted using Raptor SN2 in April 2019. A second static fire, and two free flights to 18 meters and 150 meters in altitude, were completed in July and August 2019 using Raptor SN6.
Starhopper was then retired in favor of Starship Mk1, which was originally intended to advance the Starship flight test program to higher altitudes. However, SpaceX decided not to fly the Mk1 vehicle, and instead focus on an improved design named Mk3. On November 20, 2019, the Mk1 vehicle completed a destructive cryogenic pressure test that destroyed the vehicle.
SpaceX also built individual test tanks to continue improving manufacturing methods. One tank was tested until destruction on January 10, reaching a pressure of 7.1 bar. This was above the 6 bar pressure required for orbital flight.
A second test tank reached 8.5 bar during a destructive test on January 29. This marked the 1.4 safety factor over the 6 bar orbital flight requirement.
The updated Starship Mk3 design was renamed Starship SN1, and rolled to the launch pad to continue the flight test program. But on February 28, the SN1 vehicle was also destroyed during cryogenic testing.
SpaceX fabricated a test tank designated SN2 to complete further testing. On March 8, the tank was tested successfully at cryogenic temperatures and flight pressures, including simulated engine thrust loads. Unlike other test tanks, the test was not to destruction.
Starship SN3 stacking operations at the Boca Chica assembly building – via BocaChicaGal for NSF
Starship SN3 is the culmination of all of these test articles. The current vehicle was stacked in a new assembly building, beginning in mid-March. The vehicle was rolled to the launch pad and lifted onto the launch mount on March 29. Pending final preparations and checkouts at the pad, cryogenic proof testing should begin in the coming days.
The SN3 vehicle notably features a new internally mounted, deployable leg design, which is visible in photos shared by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Musk noted that the legs will be longer starting with Starship SN4. SN3 does not have a nosecone, nor forward or aft fins. The aerodynamic surfaces are likely unnecessary for the low altitude, low speed test flights planned for Starship SN3.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2020
Following the completion of cryogenic pressure testing, the vehicle will be prepared for those test flights. A single Raptor engine will be installed on Starship SN3. Then, consistent with previous test campaigns, the team will incrementally move towards engine firings and flights.
A static fire test of the engine on SN3 was originally expected no sooner than April 1, but the beach closures which indicated this schedule were cancelled early Tuesday. Closures originally associated with a 150 meter hop test are still scheduled from 9:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time (14:00 to 04:59 UTC) daily from April 6 to April 8. It is possible the static fire test could occur during these closures instead, or that new closures will be scheduled.
The static fire and hop test timeline depends on successful cryogenic testing, engine installation, and fueling tests. The successful Starhopper campaign utilized a similar approach to that expected for SN3. The vehicle will be fueled for a potential static fire, and SpaceX teams will monitor the vehicle’s systems. If the fueling tests are successful, the teams can then continue into a static fire test. If any issues arise during fueling, the teams can take corrective action before another fueling attempt.
Due to the iterative nature of the test campaign, schedule changes and delays are highly likely.
Only after a successful static fire test can Starship SN3 conduct a test flight, expected to be a vertical takeoff, vertical landing flight to 150 meters in altitude. If the SN3 flight test is successful, SpaceX can then conduct more demanding flight tests with the next Starship vehicle, SN4. Hardware for the SN4 vehicle has already been fabricated in Boca Chica.
Starship SN4 hardware at the Boca Chica build site – via BocaChicaGal for NSF
These high altitude flights will likely see a more complete Starship vehicle, consisting of a nosecone and aerodynamic fins, as well as multiple Raptor engines. Previous test plans for high altitude flights called for three Raptor engines rather than one. The high altitude flights would also include the first in-flight re-ignition of a Raptor engine.
Reaching the high altitude flight portion of the Starship test campaign depends on successful prior testing with SN3, as well as cryogenic proof and static fire testing of Starship SN4.
Starship SN3 low altitude flights and SN4 high altitude flights progress towards SpaceX’s goal of an orbital test flight this year. Musk recently noted that he hopes “Starship will have enough flight history to substitute for Dragon for NASA missions,” including the Cargo and Crew Dragon V2 vehicles, and the newly announced Dragon XL cargo spacecraft. The Starship vehicle and associated Super Heavy booster will eventually play a critical role in SpaceX’s overarching Mars colonization goals.
