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Starship Third Flight Test Overview

The third flight test of SpaceX's Starship is scheduled for March 14th with a launch window opening at 7:00 am CT. The test aims to build on previous flights by achieving several ambitious objectives including successful ascent burns of both stages, payload door operations, an in-space propellant transfer demonstration, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine in space, and a controlled reentry targeting the Indian Ocean. This rapid iterative testing approach has been key to SpaceX's innovations and is essential for developing a fully reusable system to carry crew and cargo to orbit and beyond.

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42 views2 pages

Starship Third Flight Test Overview

The third flight test of SpaceX's Starship is scheduled for March 14th with a launch window opening at 7:00 am CT. The test aims to build on previous flights by achieving several ambitious objectives including successful ascent burns of both stages, payload door operations, an in-space propellant transfer demonstration, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine in space, and a controlled reentry targeting the Indian Ocean. This rapid iterative testing approach has been key to SpaceX's innovations and is essential for developing a fully reusable system to carry crew and cargo to orbit and beyond.

Uploaded by

Baatarsukh Bator
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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STARSHIP'S THIRD FLIGHT TEST

The third flight test of Starship is targeted to launch Thursday, March 14. The 110-minute test
window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT.

A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here
and on X @SpaceX. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely
to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates.

Starship’s second flight test achieved a number of major milestones and provided invaluable data to
continue rapidly developing Starship. Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test. They
aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to
maximize learning.

The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a
number of ambitious objectives, including the successful ascent burn of both stages, opening and
closing Starship’s payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast
phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry of Starship. It
will also fly a new trajectory, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This new
flight path enables us to attempt new techniques like in-space engine burns while maximizing public
safety.

This rapid iterative development approach has been the basis for all of SpaceX’s major innovative
advancements, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink. Recursive improvement is essential as we
work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth
orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond.

COUNTDOWN

All times approximate

HR/MIN/SEC EVENT

01:15:00 SpaceX Flight Director conducts poll and verifies GO for propellant load

00:53:00 Ship LOX (liquid oxygen) load underway

00:51:00 Ship fuel (liquid methane) load underway

00:42:00 Booster LOX load underway

00:41:00 Booster fuel load underway

00:19:40 Raptor begins engine chill on booster and ship

00:03:30 Booster propellant load complete

00:02:50 Ship propellant load complete

00:00:30 SpaceX flight director verifies GO for launch

00:00:10 Flame deflector activation

00:00:03 Raptor ignition sequence begins

00:00:00 Excitement guaranteed


FLIGHT TEST TIMELINE

All times are approximate

HR/MIN/SEC EVENT

00:00:02 Liftoff

00:00:52 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)

00:02:42 Booster MECO (most engines cut off)

00:02:44 Hot-staging (Starship Raptor ignition and stage separation)

00:02:55 Booster boostback burn startup

00:03:50 Booster boostback burn shutdown

00:06:36 Booster is transonic

00:06:46 Booster landing burn startup

00:07:04 Booster landing burn shutdown

00:08:35 Starship engine cutoff

00:11:56 Payload door open

00:24:31 Propellant transfer demo

00:28:21 Payload door close

00:40:46 Raptor in-space relight demo

00:49:05 Starship entry

01:02:16 Starship is transonic

01:03:04 Starship is subsonic

01:04:39 An exciting landing!

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