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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