SpaceX
Check the timelapse video of Starship 3 going full stack
SpaceX is preparing for the Starship test flight 3 as early as this week and it has now put spacecraft on full stack over the super heavy booster.
Footage of the timelapse was shared by X user Felix (@FelixSchlang) and shows chopsticks lifting the Starship spacecraft over the booster stationed on the orbital launch pad.
Today’s SpaceX Starship 28 lift! The Monster is stacked!🔥 pic.twitter.com/IuMTcymf26
— What about it!? (@FelixSchlang) March 10, 2024
Starship is a two-stage integrated flight consisting of a payload Starship spacecraft and a superheavy booster rocket.
The super heavy works as the first stage rocket equipped with a massive number of 33 Raptor engines. The stage uses sub-cooled liquid methane (CH3) and liquid oxygen (LOX) to liftoff the flight.
The booster is 71 meters tall, and 9 meters wide, and has a propellant load capacity of 3,400 tons. During the liftoff, the vehicle generates about 7,590 tf of thrust at sea level.
Starship failed to perform hot-staging and both stages remained integrated and ended in a rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD).
With the second flight test in November, SpaceX cleared the launch pad and also achieved a successful hot staging. However, the rocket’s propellant caught fire.
The Super Heavy is designed to return to the launch pad after stage separation and the station’s chopsticks will catch it similar to what we’ve seen above.
Spacecraft:
Unlike the first test flight, SpaceX marked new progress for Starship spacecraft in the second run. Once separated, the spacecraft not only ignited its engines but also kept on flying for about 6-8 minutes before losing contact with the operator.
Starship has 6 Raptor engines that help the upper stage to carry out the mission into space.
Launch Date:
This full stack suggests that the company is ready for Starship flight test 3 on Thursday, March 14. An FAA license is still pending.