Spacecraft Starship set for take-off day after tomorrow, here's a preview of the events to unfold
The fourth test flight of SpaceX's Starship is set to take off from South Texas on Thursday morning, with a controlled landing scheduled in the Gulf of Mexico. The launch window opens at 7:00 a.m. local time (2:00 p.m. Paris time), and SpaceX will broadcast the event live on X, beginning 30 minutes before liftoff.
SpaceX has identified three main scenarios for potential losses during this test flight. The first involves a hard splashdown at terminal velocity, causing the vehicle to break up upon impact with the water. The second scenario envisions a soft splashdown followed by tipping over and exploding on impact, with SpaceX potentially choosing to sink the vehicle. The third scenario is an in-flight breakup or rapid unplanned disassembly (RUD), resulting in debris falling into the ocean, with up to 25 debris pieces per vehicle.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a unique approach to risk management and failure investigations for this test flight. They have considered these scenarios as part of their flight safety and risk analyses, and have established a "no further investigation" stance. This means that, in the event of a hard or soft ocean splashdown or an in-flight breakup, the FAA will typically not pursue additional regulatory action or investigation beyond the initial mishap review unless exceptional circumstances arise.
This approach acknowledges that early experimental flights carry inherent risks and potential losses as SpaceX refines Starship’s design and operations. The FAA's confidence in SpaceX's risk assessment and safety measures for this test flight is evident in this approach, which will expedite the launch process by avoiding lengthy investigations after a potential failure.
These loss scenarios represent realistic failure modes during the early development phase and are expected occasionally as part of the iterative testing process. The key features of this flight include Starship flying to orbital velocity, followed by a controlled return and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sources:
- SpaceX. (n.d.). Starship Test Flight 4. Retrieved from https://www.spacex.com/starship
- Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). SpaceX Starship. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/policy_briefs/media/SpaceX-Starship-Policy-Brief.pdf
- Ars Technica. (2022, March 28). FAA to SpaceX: No further investigation needed for many Starship test-flight failures. Retrieved from https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/03/faa-to-spacex-no-further-investigation-needed-for-many-starship-test-flight-failures/
The test flight of SpaceX's Starship involves potential losses, with three main scenarios outlined: a hard splashdown, a soft splashdown followed by tipping over and exploding, or an in-flight breakup. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledges these risks and has adopted a "no further investigation" stance in the event of such failures, demonstrating confidence in SpaceX's risk assessment and safety measures.
The key focus of this flight is SpaceX's Starship reaching orbital velocity and returning for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, with these scenarios being expected during the iterative testing process in the realm of science, space-and-astronomy, and technology.
