SpaceX Starship SN8 will perform a historical flight test this upcoming week.
SN8 has already performed both the static fire and cryogenic tests. The next test is the flight test. SpaceX has announced the window of November 9th to the 11th for SN8, Starship number eight, 15 kilometer flight aka 9 miles.
(cc: Space Photographer Austin Barnard)
SpaceX is in the process of rapidly building Starships and with each new testing phase adapting new pressures, heights or appendages such as flaps and legs. A nose cone and side flaps have been placed on the SN8 which also has three raptor engines, half of the raptors the final Starship design will sport. Up to this point all previous prototypes doing short hops and static fire tests only had one methalox, methane/ liquid oxygen, fueled raptor engine.
SN8, made of the 304L stainless steel super alloy designed by the SpaceX metallurgical team from SpaceX’s foundry, will try to do a never before used landing technique which basically looks like a belly flop before landing vertically.
The 9 mile flight will be in the troposphere of the atmosphere, just barely touching out if it and into the stratosphere. The troposphere is the most dense of the Earth’s atmosphere and also the area where most weather occurs.
According to the Boca Chica, TX road closures, the soon to make history test flight dates are as given with back-up dates following.
SpaceX is targeting Nov. 9 through Nov. 11 for Starship SN8's flight to 15 kilometers, per the lastest road closures. These windows may also include static fire testing.https://t.co/6u2msVb0b8 pic.twitter.com/TqdvaZSXfT
— Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) November 5, 2020
