SpaceX’s SN10 starship might launch as soon as 12th February. The starship has already completed the cryogenic test and the other pre-flight evaluations. The pre-flight testing was completed on 9th February as the company lifted the road-block later that day. Some other tests of the rocket are still pending including the static fire tests that might happen in a day or two. And if those go well and the company gets green light from the FCC, then we can expect the launch to happen timely.
Failure of the SN9 starship
Just like the SN8, the SN9 also ended in a crash. The reason for the crash was an improper landing of the starship. During the SN8 crash, Elon said that it might have been due to the low pressure in the fuel tank of the vehicle. This time around the main reason for the crash was the speed. Reports suggest that the thrusters of the SN10 couldn’t lit up completely during the landing and hence the speed of the landing wasn’t slow enough.
Except for the landing part, the SN9 nailed everything just like the SN8. From the take-off to the belly flop, the SN9 executed everything flawlessly. After the crash, the integration engineer of SpaceS said that they have to again work on the landing a little bit. And maybe the company could do that in the SN10.
SpaceX’s SN10 starship
Just like the SN9, the latest iteration of the company’s starships will be powered by 3 raptor engines. These engines are capable of producing 600 metric tons of thrust. The starship measures 50 metres in height and weighs almost as much as the Falcon Heavy.
If the company wants to launch the Sn10 starship by Friday, then it has to finish several tests before that. This includes the static fire test, flawless wet dress rehearsal test and other minor checks. And even though the company finishes all these tests, the final authorization from the FCC is still pending. It is important for SpaceX to acquire that before the launch. And the previous large explosions of the SN10 and the SN9 makes it even more difficult to acquire licenses.
SpaceX has also violated several rules in the past launches according to the FCC, which also makes it difficult for them to give quick approvals to the company. The FCC claims all this is for the public safety and there is no personal feud between the company and the government organization.
Do you think that the SN10 starship could nail the landing or would end up like the SN8 and SN9? Let us know in the comments below. Also, if you found our content informative, do like and share it with your friends.
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