SN11 Gets Stationed on the Launchpad

Even though it's been less than a week since the SN10 launch, SpaceX is readying up for the SN11 launch. Today, SpaceX moved the SN11 launch prototype onto the launch pad. This means we are one step closer to see the SN11 launch. In the upcoming days and weeks, we will see multiple static fire tests to confirm all the components on the Starship prototype are working. 

SN11 Safely on the Launchpad

SpaceX’s final product will be Starship, which I have talked about before but I will recap it. Starship will take people and payloads to the Moon, and eventually Mars. Starship will also be able to fly below the atmosphere, like a flight from New York to London. Starship is made up of two components: the spaceship called Starship and the rocket known as Super Heavy. The final version of Starship will be powered by six Raptor engines. The Super Heavy will use 30 Raptor engines. This is because Starship will need enough power to launch itself from the Moon and Mars. SpaceX and Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, hope that Starship will be flying people by 2023. It in fact already has a contract for a lunar landing scheduled for that year.

SN11 Being Assembled on the Launchpad

SN10 had a very interesting flight. It, unlike SN8 and SN9, landed properly. During the flight, SN10 used its three raptor engines to reach its maximum altitude. After reaching this height, SN10 started a propellant transfer into the internal header tanks. This happens because SN10 needs to readjust its center of gravity to change its orientation. The reason it changes its orientation and does the flip maneuver is to reduce its speed using air resistance so it doesn’t have to rely on just fuel to safely land. Additionally, it also allows the rocket to slowly glide to the landing is more accurate. To land, SN10 used a combination of its four flaps, two on the nose and two on the bottom, and angling the three raptor engines. This allowed SN10 to make a safe landing. SN10’s landing wasn’t the smoothest landing ever. While in the final ten seconds of attempting to land, one of SN10’s steering flaps caught on fire. This flap continued to burn for sometime even after landing. Then, after it had landed, the rocket blew up.

BN1 Being Assembled at the 
Boca Chica SpaceX Facility

SN11 is hoping to do what SN10 did but without the blowing up part at the ending. SN11 is the last prototype that will match SN8, SN9, and SN10. SN11 stands 165 feet tall and houses three raptor engines. After SN11 will be SN 12. For SN 12, SpaceX is keeping a relatively similar design and will be testing a new altitude. Musk tweeted back in November 2020 that there will be major SN15 and prototypes, meaning that production of the SN15 parts has already started to occur. The last scheduled prototype launch is SN18. With SN11 going to the launchpad, SN15 will start its final assembly process. SpaceX has also started their BN1 assembly, which will be a more completed prototype of Starship

SpaceX has also made a couple of big strides in the last few months. Just recently, they were confirmed for a launch contract in NASA and started to assemble a private crew to board Starship. If Starship works as SpaceX intends it to work, SpaceX could be the leader in not only space travel, but also air travel.

All Planned Starship Prototypes

Sources:

Bergin, written by Chris. “Starship SN11 Arrives at Pad B as SpaceX Plans for the Future.” NASASpaceFlight.com, 8 Mar. 2021, www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/03/starship-sn11-rollout-spacex-plans-future/. 

Bergin, written by Chris. “Starship SN9's Time to Shine - Test Series Targets a New Year's Resolution.” NASASpaceFlight.com, 29 Dec. 2020, www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/12/starship-sn9s-test-series-targets-new-years/. 

Malik, Tariq. “SpaceX Moves Starship SN11 Rocket Prototype to Its Launch Pad.” Space.com, Space, 9 Mar. 2021, www.space.com/spacex-starship-sn11-prototype-launch-pad. 

Pradhan, Arnav. SN10 Readies for Liftoff, Blogger, 26 Feb. 2021, www.arnavpradhan.com/2021/02/sn10-readies-for-liftoff.html. 

Pradhan, Arnav. SN10 Successfully Lands ... Sort Of, Blogger, 4 Mar. 2021, www.arnavpradhan.com/2021/03/sn10-successfully-land-sort-of.html.