SpaceX is gearing up for a significant test flight of its Starship vehicle, potentially as early as January 10th. This mission marks a crucial step forward, incorporating several key upgrades and aiming for the first successful payload deployment from the Starship/Super Heavy system.
In a January 3rd statement, SpaceX detailed its plans for the seventh Starship/Super Heavy test flight. This flight will be the first of a block upgrade for the Starship upper stage, featuring numerous advancements. “The upcoming flight test will launch a new generation ship with significant upgrades, attempt Starship’s first payload deployment test, fly multiple reentry experiments geared towards ship catch and reuse, and launch and return the Super Heavy booster,” the company announced.
Starship upgrades include modifications to the forward flap design to reduce heating and expanded propellant tanks boasting a 25% increase in volume compared to the previous iteration. The vehicle also features a "complete redesign" of its avionics, incorporating new computers, antennas, and a power distribution system.
Further enhancements target the thermal protection system, using "latest generation" tiles and an underlying layer offering additional protection against damaged or missing tiles. The test will include intentionally removing some tiles to stress test vulnerable areas, and will also evaluate metallic tile options, some with water cooling. These improvements are vital steps towards future flights aiming to land the Starship upper stage back at the launch site.
The Super Heavy booster for this mission will utilize previously flown hardware, including a Raptor engine first used during the fifth Starship/Super Heavy test flight in October. That flight successfully returned and "caught" the booster at the launch site, and SpaceX aims for another successful catch with this upcoming launch.
The Starship upper stage will follow a suborbital trajectory, similar to recent flights, culminating in a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. However, this flight will be unique, as it will undertake its first payload deployment. Ten "Starlink simulators," mirroring the mass and size of next-generation Starlink satellites, will be released. These simulators will not remain in orbit and will reenter on suborbital trajectories.
Deploying what SpaceX refers to as "V3" Starlink satellites is a critical application for Starship once orbital flights commence. “With unparalleled payload capacity and full reusability, Starship will be able to deploy our more advanced V3 Starlink satellites, revolutionizing global connectivity,” SpaceX stated in a recent “2024 Progress Report” on Starlink.
These V3 Starlink satellites, each weighing approximately two tons and designed specifically for Starship launches, will offer one terabit per second of downlink capacity (ten times that of the V2 Mini satellites), and 160 gigabits per second of uplink capacity (24 times that of V2 Mini). Each V3 satellite will also possess almost four terabits per second of backhaul capacity using radiofrequency and laser links.
While SpaceX's statement didn't specify a launch date, airspace restrictions have been published for daily launch opportunities from January 10th to 16th, with most launches scheduled for the late afternoon, except for a morning launch on January 11th.