SpaceX has moved the first second-generation Starship spacecraft to the test area. With the serial number Starship 33, it will be the ship launched during the seventh flight of the world’s largest rocket. And although it is difficult to detect them with the naked eye, it comes with important news.
A little context
Starship is a two-stage rocket: the Super Heavy booster, which is responsible for takeoff, and the Starship ship, where the satellites and, later, the astronauts that SpaceX hopes to launch to Mars will go.
SpaceX distinguishes between three generations of Starship. So far, we have only seen first-generation Starships fly: each with iterative design improvements, but with a height of approximately 121 meters, and a payload capacity of around 50 tons, less than that of the Falcon Heavy.
The second generation of Starship, also called Starship v2, Starship 2 or Starship Block 2, maintains the same number of engines (33 in the booster and six in the ship), but doubles the cargo capacity to more than 100 tons, and increases the height of the rocket by about three meters.
Starship Flight 7, scheduled for January or February 2025, marks the debut of a second-generation spacecraft. That is, the upper stage will be Block 2, but the Super Heavy booster will continue to be Block 1. In this case, it is Booster 14, which has just completed a firing test and in a few days will have Ship 33 stacked on top of it again. generation.
As for the third generation Starship, also called Starship v3, Starship 3 or Starship Block 3, it is not expected for a few years, but it promises to be Noah’s ark in the colonization of Mars. With nine engines in the second stage and a massive height of 150 meters, it is designed to offer a load capacity of more than 200 tons.
The news
Returning to Starship 33, it is 1.8 meters higher than previous ships to house larger capacity methane and liquid oxygen tanks. For this same reason, it has a shorter cargo bay, which means it can fit fewer satellites in exchange for being able to launch heavier payloads.
One of the most notable differences is the new front spoilers. Smaller and pointed, they are located higher in the fuselage to reduce the plasma leaks that previous Starships suffered during atmospheric reentry. The flap hinges proved to be the weakest point in the Starship Block 1 airfoils.
Another change that can be perfectly appreciated is the homogeneity of the thermal tiles. The Starship Block 2 has a new shield with improvements in its installation and the secondary ablative material that protects it from heat.
The heat shield is the most problematic component of the ship because never before has one been made so large with the aspiration of being completely and quickly reusable. Although the design remains simple, SpaceX does not rule out having to install a cooling system to improve its resistance to atmospheric reentry.
Images | SpaceX
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