its social media page on X<\/a> (SpaceX CEO Elon Musk\u2019s other company).<\/p>\nHere\u2019s a brief rundown of the series of events we\u2019ll see tomorrow morning. Around two hours prior to launch, SpaceX\u2019s flight director will verify the go ahead for propellant loading. First, the Super Heavy booster will be loaded with liquid oxygen and liquid methane, then the upper stage (the upper stage is also called Starship).<\/p>\n
Around twenty minutes prior to lift-off, Starship\u2019s Raptor engines \u2013 33 on the booster and six on the upper stage \u2013 will begin to chill prior to ignition. Ten seconds before launch, SpaceX will activate its flame deflector, a massive water deluge system that sits beneath the orbital launch mount. That system will flood the base of the rocket with water to absorb noise, deflect some of the vibration and protect the launch infrastructure from the awesome power of the Raptor engines.<\/p>\n
Ignition sequence will start at T-3 seconds. Then\u2026in the words of Musk, \u201cexcitement guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Standing at nearly 400-feet-tall, Starship is the largest rocket ever built. Already, there\u2019s a lot riding on these tests: Starship is booked to take astronauts to the moon in 2025 (as in, two years away) and eventually crew and cargo to Mars. The first orbital flight test back in April ended prematurely when the two rocket stages failed to separate. SpaceX intentionally detonated the vehicle mid-air over the Gulf of Mexico around four minutes after liftoff after it began to tumble uncontrollably back to Earth. Given the first test results, if SpaceX can even just go a little further \u2013 achieve stage separation, or progress even further into the launch \u2013 that would be a huge win.<\/p>\n
SpaceX has introduced a number of upgrades this time around \u2013 including the water deluge system and a new way to execute stage separation called \u201chot staging,\u201d where Starship\u2019s upper stage will actually ignite to push the booster away. These upgrades will also be put to the test.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s ultimate goal for the flight test is to send the Starship upper stage on a journey almost halfway around the globe and land it in the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n