By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
SpaceX launched the Starship for the sixth time on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The City of Brownsville reported that United States Presidential Elect Donald Trump’s plane touched down at the Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport Tuesday afternoon, in anticipation of the test flight, which he witnessed from Starbase alongside SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“The Starbase facility has become a focal point for technological progress and a catalyst for local economic development, further cementing Brownsville’s position on the map as a leader in space exploration,” stated Brownsville city officials in response.
Powered by 33 raptor engines, the Starship, Starbase Boca Chica’s reusable 397-foot transportation system designed to “carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” took off from the launchpad at 4:01 p.m. With this launch, Musk continues his goal of expanding “the envelope on ship and booster capabilities” as well as getting closer to bringing the entire Starship system to reusability. SpaceX officials described Starship’s ascent and stage separation as “nominal.” After the Super Heavy Booster transitioned its boost-back burn, it began to return to the launch site. However, according to SpaceX, the catch attempt was aborted following automated health checkups to the launch and catch tower, aka Mechazilla. Therefore, according to SpaceX, after executing a pre-planned divert maneuver, it splash-downed in the Gulf of Mexico, contrasting to the successful booster-catch of the fifth test flight.
SpaceX reports that Starship’s ascent followed its expected trajectory. It reignited a single Raptor engine in space, which, according to SpaceX, proves that Starship will be able to conduct a deorbit burn before starting fully-orbital missions.
SpaceX says Starship’s reentry was also a success, executing a flip, landing burn and soft splash down in the Indian Ocean.
“Data gathered from the multiple thermal protection experiments, as well as the successful flight through subsonic speeds at a more aggressive angle of attack, provides invaluable feedback on flight hardware performing in a flight environment as we aim for eventual ship return and catch,” stated SpaceX officials. “With data and flight learnings as our primary payload, Starship’s sixth flight test once again delivered. Lessons learned will directly make the entire Starship system more reliable as we close in on full and rapid reusability.”
The following day, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Federal Aviation Administration, [FAA], announced the availability of SpaceX’s Revised Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment which includes an analysis of Starship’s upgrades. The FAA slated five public meetings and set the public comment period from now until Jan. 17, 2025.
According to the FAA, Under the 2022 Programmatic Environmental Assessment, SpaceX is currently authorized to conduct up to five annual Starship/Super Heavy orbital launches and landings, and up to 10 annual landings of the Starship vehicle.