SpaceX fuels Starship V3 with 5,000 tonnes

SpaceX said on May 12 that it had completed a full launch rehearsal for Starship V3 at its Starbase site in South Texas, loading more than 5,000 metric tonnes of propellant into the stacked Starship upper stage and Super Heavy booster ahead of the vehicle’s first flight. The company described the exercise as a wet dress rehearsal conducted during a flight-like countdown, a step that typically takes a launch system through fueling and terminal procedures short of liftoff. The May 12 update came with SpaceX’s formal introduction of Starship V3, which it described as the third generation of Starship and Super Heavy. SpaceX said the new version is powered by Raptor 3 engines and will launch from a newly designed pad at Starbase, with redesigns across the booster, ship and ground systems based on prior flight-test data. (spaceunpacked.com) More than 5,000 metric tonnes of propellant were loaded during the rehearsal, according to SpaceX’s description of the operation and media reports that cited the company’s post. The Register reported that an earlier attempt over the weekend was aborted before propellant loading, and that the successful attempt took place on Monday at the company’s new Pad 2 facility in Texas. (spacex.com) May 19 is the earliest launch date now listed by SpaceX for Starship’s twelfth flight test. On its mission page, the company said the launch window opens at 5:30 p.m. Central time and that the schedule remains subject to change, a standard caution for developmental test flights. Flight 12 will be the debut mission for the next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, SpaceX said. (spaceunpacked.com) The company said the primary goal is to demonstrate redesigned hardware in flight for the first time, including the updated booster, ship, Raptor engine and launch pad systems. The booster will target an offshore landing point in the Gulf of America rather than a return-to-launch-site catch, SpaceX said, because this is the first flight of a significantly redesigned vehicle. (spacex.com) The upper stage is scheduled to attempt several in-space and reentry objectives, including deployment of 22 Starlink simulators, a relight of one Raptor engine in space and tests intended to gather data on heat-shield performance. SpaceX’s May 12 Starship V3 update also outlined design changes to the Super Heavy booster, including a reduction from four grid fins to three larger fins, a redesigned fuel transfer tube for the 33-engine booster and two separated quick-disconnect connection points between pad and vehicle. The company said Starship V3 also includes a clean-sheet propulsion redesign, increased propellant volume and changes to steering and aft-end systems. (spacex.com) Tuesday, May 19, is the next date on SpaceX’s published schedule for the program. The company said a live webcast will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, and Flight 12 will mark the first launch attempt for Starship V3 from the new Starbase pad. (spacex.com 1) (spacex.com 2)