Elon Musk suggested that Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy could be retired when Starship flies reliably several times a week.
The goal is to free up engineering and production resources to focus on the new launch system.
SpaceX is preparing the 14th flight of Starship for September 22, with 26 V3 Starlink satellites on board
Elon Musk suggested that Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy could be retired when Starship flies reliably several times a week.
The goal is to free up engineering and production resources to focus on the new launch system.
In flight 13, conducted in July, the upper stage did not reach orbit but completed a controlled flight to a simulated landing in the Indian Ocean.
The spacecraft even remained intact after capsizing in the water. SpaceX was able to recover it and slowly transport it to its facilities in Texas.
The analysis of that unit allowed for new changes to the thermal shield of Starship before the next launch.
The Super Heavy will not be caught during this flight. SpaceX made new modifications after the issues recorded in the last tests.
In flight 13, the booster had difficulties reigniting its engines correctly after separating from the upper stage.
For mission number 14, SpaceX incorporated “several modifications” of hardware and software to address issues detected during the previous flight.
SpaceX is preparing the 14th test flight of Starship for September 22, with a central goal: to reach Earth orbit.
The company of Elon Musk also plans to deploy 26 V3 Starlink satellites, in a key mission for the development of the enormous rocket.
The launch of Starship is scheduled for September 22. It will be SpaceX's first attempt to place the upper stage of Starship into Earth orbit.
The goal represents an important step in the development of the vehicle.
During the flight, SpaceX plans to deploy the first group of third-generation Starlink V3 satellites.
The mission involves putting into orbit 26 satellites intended to join the network of approximately 10,000 internet satellites.
If the deployment is successful, it will be the first launch of Starship that generates revenue for SpaceX's launch division.
The development of Starship has cost billions of dollars and is part of a broader strategy by SpaceX to renew its launch system.