SpaceX Starship's Eighth Flight Test

The eighth flight test of Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Thursday, 6 March, after postponement on Monday. The launch window will open at 5:30 p.m. CT.

After looking into what happened with Starship's loss on its seventh test flight, they have made some changes to the hardware and how they operate to make the upper stage more reliable.

The next flight is going to follow the same suborbital path as the last one but this time it's aiming to hit some new goals. SpaceX is talking about deploying Starship’s first payload and running a bunch of reentry tests to bring the upper stage back to the launch site for a catch. Plus, they're planning to launch, return, and catch the Super Heavy booster as well.

The last flight test showed off some major upgrades to Starship's upper stage, aimed at boosting reliability and performance throughout the flight. The forward flaps on Starship got a makeover to cut down on heat exposure during reentry, and the mechanisms and protective tiles were simplified. The propulsion system got a revamp too, with a 25% bump in propellant volume compared to earlier versions, which means better performance and the chance to tackle longer missions. Plus, the vehicle's avionics got a total overhaul, adding more features and backup systems for tricky missions like transferring propellant and returning the ship to the launch site.

During the test flight, Starship is going to release four Starlink simulators, which are about the same size as the next-gen Starlink satellites. This is their first go at a satellite deployment mission. These simulators will follow the same suborbital path as Starship and are expected to burn up when they re-enter. They're also planning to fire up one Raptor engine again while in space.

The flight test is all about trying out different experiments to help Starship's upper stage make it back to the launch site. They've taken off a bunch of tiles from Starship to see how the more vulnerable spots hold up. They're also testing a few different metal tile options, including one with active cooling, to find better ways to protect Starship during reentry. On the sides, they've added non-structural versions of Starship’s catch fittings to see how they handle the heat, and they've smoothed out a section of the tile line to fix hot spots they noticed during the sixth flight test.

The reentry path is designed to test the rear flaps when the pressure peaks. They're also trying out some radar sensors again on the launch and catch tower's chopsticks to improve how they measure the distance to a returning vehicle. This Super Heavy booster comes with upgraded tech, like a beefed-up flight computer, better power and network systems, and smart batteries.

Before the Super Heavy booster can come back and be caught, certain conditions for the vehicle and pad need to be just right. This means everything on the booster and tower has to be working well, and the mission's Flight Director has to give a final manual go-ahead. If this go-ahead isn't given before the boost backburn finishes, or if the automated checks show any issues with the Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will automatically head for a soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico (America). SpaceX is adamant that it is all about keeping everyone safe, so they will only bring the booster back if everything checks out perfectly.

When the booster comes back, it'll slow down from supersonic speeds, so sonic booms will be heard around the landing area. Usually, the only thing people nearby will notice is a quick, thunder-like noise. How loud it sounds depends on things like the weather and how far you are from where it lands.

SpaceX reminds us that developmental testing is inherently unpredictable. However, by frequently placing flight hardware in a flight environment, they can rapidly learn and implement design modifications as they work towards making Starship a fully and quickly reusable vehicle.