Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads, The Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host Will Walden. SpaceX is preparing for the 7th flight test of its Starship vehicle, officially designated as Starship Flight Test 7, scheduled to launch no earlier than January 10th, 2025 at 4:00 PM CDT from Starbase, Texas.
Now the mission will aim to test critical upgrades while continuing to refine Starship's recovery and reuse systems. Now this flight will also feature the use of Block 2 hardware, which is a significant step that the Starship has developed over the course of many years. Now the upcoming mission will employ booster 14B14 and ship 33 or S33 marking in the first flight of a Block 2 Starship.
This test will follow a sub orbital flight profile similar to earlier tests with Booster 14 attempting a return to launch site catch by the launch towers, chopstick arms and Ship 33 expected to perform a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean now. If successful, this will be the second catch of a Super Heavy booster following progress made
during earlier tests. And the timeline for the mission was confirmed through an advisory released on December 27 of 2024, with a backup launch window extending until about January 15th, 2025, and Elon Musk reaffirmed the primary date via social media on December 30th. Here's some facts for you. November 6, 2024, SpaceX confirmed the use of a Block 2 Starship in this test. Enhancements include redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and advanced thermal protection systems.
November 19th, 2024 Elon Musk announced plans for an final ocean splashdown test after Flight 6. Based on its results, future tests may attempt ship recovery via the launch tower. November 25th, 2024 NASA documentation filed with the FAA suggested a targeted launch window beginning January 11th, 2025, which has been shifted to January 10th and December 3rd of 2024.
The FCC approved communication systems for the mission, which is supporting operations from December 14th, 2024 all the way through June 14th of 2025. December 27th, 2024, The advisory for Flight 7 confirmed the primary launch date of January 10th, 2025, with possible alternative launch times later on in the week. December 30th, 2024. Elon Musk confirmed the net no earlier than launch date via X Now. This mission will test a suite of critical upgrades to the Starship system.
Key improvements include Chip 33 will debut redesigned forward flaps to improve heat shield durability and re entry performance, a larger propellant capacity, and advanced heat shield materials aimed to enhance thermal protection. Engineers will evaluate modular heat shield tiles and metallic alternatives with active cooling features to address previous vulnerabilities. Now a secondary thermal protection layer will be tested as a backup mechanism.
Booster 14 and Ship 33 feature increased propellant capacity, vacuum insulated feed lines and upgraded Raptor engine systems in space. Relight demonstrations similar to those conducted during Flight 6 are also planned. There's new systems that provide increased redundance and real time telemetry capabilities for this flight. The avionics redesign also includes 30 plus cameras and smart batteries capable of managing 2.7 megawatts of power.
Now this is interesting. The mission will release 10 Starlink simulators into a suborbital trajectory to test Starships payload deployment capabilities. That's what I'm most excited about. The FAA emphasized that the mission will proceed only if all safety, environmental, and technical requirements are met.
In its statement, the agency highlighted that they said the FAA continues to increase efficiencies in licensing activities to meet the needs of the commercial space transportation industry while ensuring public safety. Elon Musk and SpaceX have reiterated their commitment to public safety as well, with the boosters return requiring strict health checks along the way before the catch attempt.
Now, if conditions are not favorable or not met, the booster will divert to a controlled landing and a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Sonic booms, also generated during the boosters descent, are expected to have minimal impact on surrounding areas. Now, did you know that reusable spacecraft have a long history, beginning with NASA's SpaceX Shuttle program 1981 to 2011?
While partially reusable, the Shuttle required extensive refurbishment between flights, limiting its cost effectiveness. Also, Space XS Falcon 9 advanced the concept by enabling the first stage to land and be reused with minimal refurbishment. Now, since 2015, Falcon 9 has completed over 250 launches with more than 200 successful
landings. Starship aims to surpass these milestones by achieving complete and full reusability for both the booster and the upper stage, making it the most advanced reusable spacecraft system ever designed.
Now, following Flight 7, SpaceX will aim for further refinements during Flight Test 8, including a potential first attempt to catch the Starship upper stage with the launch tower, and the data collected from these missions will inform plans for orbital crew flights and lunar landings under NASA's Artemis program. Competition in the reusable rocket sector is intensifying, too.
Blue Origins New Glen in China's Long March 8th are being designed with reusability in mind, though both lag behind Starship and testing and operational capabilities and readiness. The 7th Flight Test of Starship marks another important step toward achieving a fully reusable space transportation system. By integrating hardware upgrades and addressing challenges from prior tests, this mission will play a key role in shaping the future of Spacex's Starship and Boca Chica star base Texas.
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