SpaceX has announced a new target date for the eagerly awaited Starship Flight 8. The aerospace giant has slated the eighth test flight for Thursday, March 6, with the launch window commencing at 5:30 p.m. Central Time.
This forthcoming mission comes on the heels of SpaceX's thorough investigation into the loss of the Starship upper stage during the previous Flight 7.
Mission Goals
The mission is set to follow a suborbital path, deploying four Starlink simulators that are designed to disintegrate upon reentry. This event will mark Starship's inaugural payload deployment. Furthermore, a single Raptor engine will be reignited in space, and reentry experiments will be conducted to aid in the future return and capture of the Starship upper stage at the launch site.
The Super Heavy booster will launch, perform a boostback burn, and attempt a catch using the tower's chopsticks. Should any health checks on the booster or tower prove unsatisfactory, or if the Flight Director does not grant final approval, the booster will default to a trajectory for a soft splashdown in the Gulf of America. Residents near the landing zone may hear sonic booms from the returning booster.
Upgrades to Starship and Super Heavy
SpaceX has implemented several enhancements to both the Starship and Super Heavy. The forward flaps on Starship have been redesigned to minimize heat exposure during reentry and to simplify their mechanisms. The propulsion system of the Starship upper stage has been upgraded, boasting a 25% increase in propellant volume to support longer flights.
In an effort to stress-test vulnerable areas, SpaceX has removed several tiles from the Starship. The reentry profile is intentionally crafted to test the structural limits of the upper stage's rear flaps at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure.
The Super Heavy booster now includes upgraded avionics, a more robust flight computer, improved power and network distribution, and integrated smart batteries.