SpaceX conducted a new flight test of its Super Heavy rocket and Starship prototypes, launched from its base in Boca Chica, Texas. This is the fifth test involving the entire system of Elon Musk’s company which is supposed to revolutionize space travel with an unprecedented transport capacity and being totally reusable. They are advanced prototypes with the Super Heavy identified as Booster 12 and the Starship identified as Starship 30 or Ship30 or simply S30.
Each test leads to new changes to the vehicles’ systems, and this was also true after the fourth test conducted on June 6, 2024. The scheduled breakthrough was in the test of the system called Mechazilla, the structure attached to the launch pad that also has the purpose of capturing the Super Heavy when it returns after launching the Starship.
After the good results for the Super Heavy obtained in the fourth test, SpaceX intended to return Booster 12 to the base instead of splashing down. It was necessary for everything to go well in the launch and perform a controlled return with the necessary precision. The Super Heavy was designed to brake to a virtual stop at a few meters of altitude, where it must be captured by the structure that was called Mechazilla.
The launch went well, with all of the Super Heavy Booster 12’s engines firing. The separation of Starship 30 also worked perfectly. Everything that was needed to authorize the return maneuver to base was accomplished, so the reentry test was conducted, successfully ending with the capture by Mechazilla almost seven minutes after launch.
Starship 30 completed its mission by regularly entering orbit and then re-entering the atmosphere, once again for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. In the previous test, Starship 29 splashed down with good precision despite being half-destroyed by the tremendous friction suffered during reentry. One purpose of these flights is to test the Starship brutally to improve its design after each test. Starship 30 has a heat shield that was significantly modified thanks to the data collected in the previous test.
The splashdown of Starship 30 was successful with the prototype remaining intact, correctly conducting the maneuvers necessary for a controlled reentry, and splashing down in the designated area. About 66 minutes after launch, the fifth test was successfully completed. The reentry took place in an area where it was night, so you could see little but everything seems to have gone well.
Now for SpaceX the analysis phase of the collected data begins. This test was a great success, so Elon Musk could decide to continue with the next step and test the propellant transfer in orbit, a necessary operation in the collaboration with NASA for the Moon missions.
