Home > Information news > SpaceX fuels Starship megarocket again to prep for test flight (photos)

SpaceX fuels Starship megarocket again to prep for test flight (photos)

Release: 2024/05/30 10:38 Reading: 730

Original author:Mike Wall

Original source:https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-second-fueling-test-may-2024

It was the second "wet dress rehearsal" for this Starship vehicle, which could launch in just a week or so.

SpaceX conducts a fueling test with its Starship vehicle on May 28, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX via X)

SpaceX has fueled up its Starship megarocket again, ramping up preparations for the huge vehicle's upcoming test flight.

The operation, known as a wet dress rehearsal (WDR), occurred on Tuesday (May 28) at SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas. The company pumped huge quantities of liquid oxygen and liquid methane into Starship's first and second stages, which are known, respectively, as Super Heavy and Starship (or just "Ship" for short).

"Starship and Super Heavy loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant in a rehearsal ahead of Flight 4. Launch is targeted as early as June 5, pending regulatory approval," SpaceX said today (May 29) in an X post, which also shared photos of the procedure.

It was the second WDR for this Starship vehicle, following one that occurred on May 20.

The tests are part of prelaunch prep for Starship's fourth-ever flight, which, as SpaceX noted in the X post, could launch as soon as June 5. (The company still needs approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for a proposed modification to its Starship launch license, to be clear.)

The first three Starship test flights took place in April 2023, November 2023 and March 14 of this year. The vehicle has performed better on each successive flight. Starship's two stages failed to separate on the debut mission, for example, which ended just four minutes after launch. But flight 3 lasted nearly 50 minutes, concluding when Ship broke apart during its reentry to Earth's atmosphere.

Flight 4's primary goal "is getting through max reentry heating," SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said in a May 20 X post.

When fully stacked, Starship stands nearly 400 feet (122 meters) tall. It's the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, and it's designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. 

SpaceX thinks Starship could transform spaceflight, making Mars settlements and other ambitious exploration feats economically feasible. NASA is a believer in the vehicle, choosing it to be the first crewed lunar lander for its Artemis moon program. 

Starship is currently scheduled to land NASA astronauts on the moon in late 2025 on the Artemis 3 mission, though the vehicle will need to ace quite a few test flights before people climb aboard.


Selected Topics

  • Dogecoin whale activity
    Dogecoin whale activity
    Get the latest insights into Dogecoin whale activities with our comprehensive analysis. Discover trends, patterns, and the impact of these whales on the Dogecoin market. Stay informed with our expert analysis and stay ahead in your cryptocurrency journey.
  • Dogecoin Mining
    Dogecoin Mining
    Dogecoin mining is the process of adding new blocks of transactions to the Dogecoin blockchain. Miners are rewarded with new Dogecoin for their work. This topic provides articles related to Dogecoin mining, including how to mine Dogecoin, the best mining hardware and software, and the profitability of Dogecoin mining.
  • Spacex Starship Launch
    Spacex Starship Launch
    This topic provides articles related to SpaceX Starship launches, including launch dates, mission details, and launch status. Stay up to date on the latest SpaceX Starship launches with this informative and comprehensive resource.
  • King of Memes: Dogecoin
    King of Memes: Dogecoin
    This topic provides articles related to the most popular memes, including "The King of Memes: Dogecoin." Memecoin has become a dominant player in the crypto space. These digital assets are popular for a variety of reasons. They drive the most innovative aspects of blockchain.