Hi everybody and welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast.
I'm your host, Will Walden, and today we're going to be talking
about something that's absolutely at this forefront of
space exploration. SpaceX is Starship rocket and
the preparations for its next orbital flight.
Now, some of you may already be aware that SpaceX is waiting for
the Fish and Wildlife Service, the FWS, to give them the green
light for the next launchpad. Now, simultaneously, the company
has filed an application with the FCC for communication
permissions during the upcoming Starship test flight, expected
to commence this coming January. Possibly now, these bureaucratic
steps are routine for SpaceX, but what's really intriguing
here are the technological leaps, including several
upgrades this next test is slated to showcase.
So in today's episode, we'll be talking you through the
specifics of the imminent Starship test flight, including
major changes to the Rockets design and how these upgrades
aim to help this behemoth, the largest and most powerful rocket
to date, reach orbit successfully.
Now the stakes couldn't be higher.
Starship is expected to be the vessel that helps humanity set
foot on Mars and return to our nearest neighbor, the moon.
Now, first on the list of big modification is something that's
an engineering marvel, the concept of hot staging.
Traditionally, rockets execute a stage separation by halting the
main engines on the booster and before the second stage even
fires up. And however, SpaceX plans to
keep Starships engines ignited while it's still essentially
attached to the booster, which we refer to as the Super Heavy.
Now, a former SpaceX mission director speculates this will
give the rocket a payload increase of about 10%, and to
facilitate this, SpaceX has integrated vents and heavy duty
heat Shields at the top of the Super heavy booster.
This ensures that the flames can escape, preventing the rocket
from blowing up mid flight. The method is a bit riskier
since the booster could potentially be damaged, but
sometimes risk is synonymous with advancement.
Now let's pivot for a moment to talk about another angle of the
upcoming Starship test, the focus nature of the FCC
application that SpaceX recently filed.
Unlike other filings, this one is narrower in scope,
specifically seeking approval for communication channels
between the Starship booster and the launch site.
The absence of other elements like the full Starship vehicle
in the application raises some interesting questions.
Could this suggest a series of test runs focusing predominantly
on the booster and the paperwork could hint at SpaceX adopting a
step by step approach, perhaps focusing initial tests at the
first stage before proceeding to comprehensive trials involving
the entire rocket system. This would allow SpaceX to
ensure that each component of this complex machine is in top
shape before the actual orbital flight takes place.
Now, the third major change we're discussing today is the
engines. As we all know, the Raptor
engine is fundamentally more complex than the Merlin engines
that power the Falcon 9. This complexity makes the engine
more susceptible to leaks and therefore SpaceX has taken
significant steps to improve the valves and seals on the Raptor
engines and have seeing the fire suppression systems to manage
any potential accidents and make them more efficient.
Now, with 33 Raptor engines powering the first stage
booster, we're talking about an incredible level of engineering
intricacy. The effort to ensure each of
these engines operates optimally is crucial not just for the
success of the mission, but also for the long term goals that
Starship aims to achieve, including the colonization of
Mars and renewed lunar missions with the Artemis program with
NASA, let's talk about the visual spectacle this Starship
presents. It's not just the world's
largest rocket, but also the one with the most engines on a first
stage booster. When these 33 engines light up
for a flight again, it's a sight to behold, unrivaled by any
current or in development rockets.
Additionally, a hot staging ring will be added to the top of the
first stage booster, ensuring the stage separation is a
success, and this will address the primary failure point of the
last Test in April. And with these numerous
upgrades, we're clearly marching toward a future where space
travel isn't just a feat of engineering, but also a
mesmerizing spectacle. The 2nd Starship test flight
promises not just to correct past mistakes, but to push the
envelope on what is possible in rocket design and engineering.
Now that wraps up today's episode of the Elon Musk
Podcast. Thanks for tuning in to catch up
on the latest about SpaceX and the next Starship orbital test
flight. If you found this episode
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I'll see you in the next one.