Aug 3, 12:08 PM

SpaceX Targets Mid-August Launch for Starship Flight 10 After Static Fire Tests on Modified Orbital Launch Mount

SpaceX is preparing for the tenth test flight of its Starship launch vehicle, targeting a launch window in mid-August 2025. The flight will use Ship 37 and Booster 16, with a likely suborbital trajectory following the failure of Flight 9. Ship 37 has undergone multiple static fire tests, including a full-duration six-engine static fire on the modified Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) at Starbase, marking the first Starship static fire on this newly modified pad. After completing these tests, Ship 37 was removed from Pad 1 and returned to Mega Bay 2 for final launch preparations. However, following the static fire tests, a Raptor Vacuum engine on Ship 37 was replaced, necessitating additional engine spin prime or static fire tests to verify the replacement. The static fire adapter was reinstalled on Pad 1 to accommodate these tests. SpaceX engineers and technicians have been actively modifying Pad 1 to transition it back to a configuration that can support the full stack with Booster 16 and Ship 37 for the upcoming flight. This preparation comes after the destruction of Pad 1 by the explosion of Ship 36 during a test about a month prior, which led to the rapid construction of a temporary setup for Ship 37's tests. The company continues to work on final launch preparations with the launch expected no earlier than mid-August 2025.

#SpaceX #Starship #Ship 37 #Booster 16 #Orbital Launch Mount #Starbase #Raptor Vacuum #Ship 36

Written with ChatGPT (GPT-4).