Update on Starship SN11 as SpaceX moves to static fire

The sun rises in front of Starship SN10 before its test flight in early March. Starship SN11 could fly as early as Friday, pending a successful static fire test. Credit: Nicholas D’Alessandro / Spaceflight Insider

Production of SpaceX Starship continues, while SN11 is now undergoing the static firing phase of the Raptor engine.

The company continues its fast cadence and test flow while Starship SN11 was rolled to the launch platform in SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas on March 7, 2021. It came days after SN10’s hard but successful landing (and the subsequent explosion about ten minutes later).

Remains of the aftermath of the flight were still on the runway when SN11 arrived at Road B and completed environmental and cryogen-resistant testing in the following days.

After the usual weekend getaway, a first static fire attempt was made on Monday, March 15, but it was apparently an abortion after lighting with a long howl from the engines and a quick push on a non-rated test. indicate.

Another attempt is possible in the coming days, pending a concomitant closure of the road. The results of the static fire could already pave the way for a flight on Friday or Saturday, as indicated by the temporary flight restrictions that were currently valid with this letter. However, these dates are subject to change, as usual with the new Starship program.

Federal Aviation Administration approval was also granted all for flight and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk himself recently posted on Twitter that Starship SN11 will soon be ready to fly. All eyes are now on the next static fire.

A summary of the flight of Starship SN10. Video courtesy of SpaceX

Tagged: Main Stories SpaceX Starship Starship SN10 Starship SN11

Nicholas D’Alessandro

Nicholas D’Alessandro was born and bred in Southwest Florida. The seeds of his interest in Space Exploration were planted when the sonic surge of the Shuttle upon his return through his orphanage would resonate even throughout the country; the knowledge that a real spaceship goes overboard and can have the effect was fascinating to him. A middle school outing to the Kennedy Space Center boosted the fascination, and with an added interest in the booming edge of car technology and Teslas, it was the story of Elon Musk’s road to Cape Canaveral with SpaceX that finally left Nicholas moved to the Space Coast and, after joining Spaceflight Insider in 2020, began documenting the advent of commercial spaceflight.