Earlier this morning, Elon Musk’s SpaceX shared an update on the development progress and further plans in preparation for the Flight 12 Starship launch.
The following three major components form the current generation Starship V3:
- 1st/lower stage Super Heavy Booster V3
- 2nd/upper stage Starship V3 spacecraft
- Raptor 3 engines
SpaceX has assigned Booster 19 and Ship 39 as the first V3 prototypes for the Flight 12 launch and landing test (IFT-12). This background is important to understand the dynamics of the upcoming Starship launch. It will be the first launch test with a V3 Starship generation (aka Block 3 Starship).
As this is the first V3 Starship, the Raptor 3 engines will also be tested on a flight-intent vehicle. SpaceX fired the Raptor 3 engine for the first time in August of 2024. However, this test was conducted on a single engine at the SpaceX rocket facility in McGregor, Texas.
Related: Raptor 3 Starship engine is lighter, less complicated, yet more powerful and reusable
Yesterday, SpaceX moved Booster 19 out of the High Bay at the production site. The rocket booster is now mounted on Pad 2, which is designed from the ground up to enable Starship V3 launches from Starbase, Texas.
Pad 2 is entirely different from its now-destroyed predecessor, Pad 1, which was used to launch V2 Starship prototypes. SpaceX is rebuilding Pad 1 with the new upgrades and design changes to support Super Heavy V3 mounting.
The new Pad 2 OLM features an updated water deluge system to fight the heat and fire resulting from the massive burn of 33 Raptor 3 engines at liftoff.
According to SpaceX, the Booster 19 Starship V3 rocket is ready to perform prelaunch tests. Last week, SpaceX conducted three consecutive cryogenic pressure-proof tests on the upper stage Starship 39 spacecraft.
Booster 19 has already completed its cryo tests last month. Now, we will soon witness the most epic static fire test. In a static fire test, rocket engines are ignited, but no liftoff happens because the launch mount or test stand holds the rocket in place with large clamps and bolts, etc.
SpaceX confirmed via X that it’s going to test the Raptor 3 engines on a Starship vehicle for the first time in the coming days. Musk’s space company wrote:
Over the coming days, we’ll conduct a series of tests to activate Pad 2 at Starbase, exercise new propellant loading operations, and operate a vehicle with new Raptor 3 engines installed for the first time
The road to Flight 12 launch is going to be very interesting. Stay tuned for constant updates and live coverage on the launch day (no date confirmed as of yet, but SpaceX is eyeing April for the launch).
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