The first flight of the starship left a bittersweet taste. On the one hand, that the ship mounted on the rocket Super Heavy successfully taking off was a monumental achievement. However, its explosion before disengaging and reaching Earth orbit has left mixed feelings. For this reason, SpaceX is already working to complete a second test flight as soon as possible.
And that second takeoff could happen faster than expected. This is how he stated bill nelsonNASA administrator, in a hearing before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the United States House of Representatives.
As reported The Wall Street Journalthe official mentioned that SpaceX believes that it could be ready for a new takeoff of the Starship in about 60 days. If it comes to fruition, it would be really impressive.
According to Nelson, the liftoff of the Super Heavy rocket was so violent that it left a hole in the launch pad. “To this day, SpaceX continues to say that it believes it will take at least two months to rebuild the launch pad and, at the same time, about two months to get its second vehicle ready,” explained NASA’s top executive.
For now, SpaceX has neither confirmed nor denied Bill Nelson’s comments. Elon Musk’s aerospace company is working with its engineers to analyze what went wrong during the launch of the first Starship. In addition, you must collaborate with different government agencies to determine the damage that occurred after takeoff.
SpaceX would need at least two months to prepare another launch of the Starship
This week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service reported that the takeoff of the Starship scattered rubble over an area of almost 156 hectares. The blasting of objects included large chunks of cement, metal parts, and stainless steel sheets. In addition, a fire was generated that affected just over 14 hectares. It is worth clarifying that the different lands that were affected belong, in some cases, to SpaceX; while the rest are from the US government.
The destruction of the cement platform is one of the great concerns that SpaceX must address for the next launch of Starship. Elon Musk himself recently acknowledged that they mistakenly believed that Super Heavy engines would erode the surface rather than destroy it. This, because it had resisted correctly during the static ignition tests. However, in these tests only half the power of the engines had been used.
The tycoon also explained that they have been working on a huge water-cooled steel plate to place under the launch structure. However, they did not manage to finish it in time for the first flight of the Starship.
It is important to mention that SpaceX times are not the same as those of the regulators. What does this mean? That even if the company manages to repair the launch pad and have the second vehicle ready in just two months, must first receive Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for takeoff. Therefore, the second test could experience bureaucratic delays.
It remains to be seen how this story progresses. The NASA administrator’s comments about SpaceX’s rush are also relevant, considering that the lunar lander that will return astronauts to the Moon will be based on the Starship.