Subj : Ship 25 confirmed as push for Summer replay of Starship test flight To : All From : NasaSpaceFlight Date : Mon May 29 2023 19:15:09 Ship 25 confirmed as push for Summer replay of Starship test flight Date: Mon, 29 May 2023 15:19:44 +0000 Description: With the maiden launch of Starship still fresh in the mind, the follow-up flight is The post Ship 25 confirmed as push for Summer replay of Starship test flight appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com . FULL STORY ====================================================================== With the maiden launch of Starship still fresh in the mind, the follow-up flight is set to be just a few months away this time with the upgraded Booster 9, and the surprising partnership with Ship 25. While the latter doesnt sport upgrades already employed on sister ships at the Production Site, the next test will be focused mostly on first stage flight with the booster. Ship 25 is now at the launch site and awaiting a six-engine Static Fire test, with Elon Musk noting the pad modifications should be complete in a month, ahead of another month of testing before the next test flight. See Also SpaceX Starship Section L2 SpaceX/Starship Section Click here to Join L2 The flight of Booster 7 and Ship 24 came after over a month of pad flow, albeit including numerous rollbacks for additional modifications. The next campaign will be completed in relatively short order even with a few months of pad modifications required after Booster 7 dug a crater and fired up a rock tornado during its launch . The reduction of the pad flow will be a theme for Starship, with the rapidly and fully reusable tag holding the ambition of launching on a daily basis from the same pad in future years. In the interim, SpaceX is aiming to avoid the flying concrete of the maiden launch by installing a water-cooled steel plate and deluge system under the Orbital Launch Mount. Preparation for its installation has been ongoing over recent weeks at the launch site, ahead of the steel plates being transported in a timeframe of around a month, per Musk. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1662263704262680577 That timeline was provided in a Twitter update that amplified SpaceXs highlights video of the test flight, with Musk adding that once the modifications to the pad are complete, a month of pad testing would follow. That testing would include tests with the modifications at the pad, Booster 9 s integration on the OLM, potentially several cryo proofing and Static Fires tests, and the full-stack integration of the Ship 25. Ship 25 has already undergone cryo proofing at the Masseys test site and will next conduct a six-engine Static Fire test at the suborbital launch site. The latter is now confirmed as flying with Booster 9, following Musks earlier note that a decision was yet to be made during his last Twitter Spaces. Weve not made a final decision on the Ship. Thats why I was referring to Booster 9, but I was somewhat I did not mention the Ship number, Musk said a few weeks ago, intimating that the next flight past the major objectives of Booster 9s first stage flight would be focused on re-entry with the ship. So, I think well put a ship on that gives us that capability. But we havent decided exactly what ship number it should be. ** Click here for Starship News Articles ** The focus on Ship performance during re-entry appeared to point towards using Ship 28 or Ship 29, both of which have the latest Thermal Protection System (TPS) installations and like Booster 9 onwards Electric TVC (Thrust Vector Control) systems. Ship 28 and Ship 29 in the High Bay. Opting for Ship 25 likely points to the obvious focus on achieving additional goals with the first stage element of the test flight. A successful first stage ascent, without major pad damage, through to staging with Ship would be a major step up on the first test flight. SpaceX could then move to the newer Ships for the following flights as the test regime presses through to the goal of operational flights. SpaceX certainly doesnt lack vehicles waiting in the wings, with Booster sections up to B15 and Ship sections up to S34 spotted at the Production Site .. Booster 10 was recently moved to the Rocket Garden, likely just to make space in the Mega Bay. To cater to this production cadence, SpaceX is reconfiguring the Production Site, removing old buildings, and preparing for the addition of High Bay capacity. New Bay begins assembly near the Mega Bay A new bay is being assembled near the Mega Bay, with the recently arrived LR11000 crane set to help after arriving from Roberts Road. The latter is SpaceXs production site at the Kennedy Space Center, which is planned to have its own Mega Bay, but has yet to begin assembly. It is likely that SpaceX will focus on production at Starbase before shipping vehicles to KSC, as previously confirmed as the initial flow path by Musk. The Starbase Production Sites layout changes will continue into next year, with old structures such as the Windbreak which was used to work on Nosecones and Payload Sections demolished on Sunday, making way for new facilities to be built in the area. https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1662993345487028224 The long production tents are also set to be demolished in the future, allowing for the Starfactory to be expanded in its footprint. The Mid Bay is also set to be removed when the High Bay capacity is increased over time. L2 Members gain full sets (large amounts) of hi-res daily photos from our photographers. Super High-Quality metal prints are also available in our store . For live updates, follow NASASpaceFlights Twitter account and the NSF Starship Forum Sections . ** Support NSFs YouTube channel by subscribing and/or joining here ** Grab some cool gear along with the ability to support our content: https://shop.nasaspaceflight.com/ (Lead Image: Starship doing somersaults. Credit: Max Evans for NSF/L2) The post Ship 25 confirmed as push for Summer replay of Starship test flight appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com . ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/05/ship-25-confirmed-replay-starship-flig ht/ --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Science News (1337:1/100) .