For the booster, I hope they go for a hover for as long as possible, perhaps steering it around. That would be a nice tower catch simulation.
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SpaceX Starship - IFT-3 - Starbase TX - Pre-Launch Preparations Thread
- Thread starter VIKING26
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A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates.
Starship’s second flight test achieved a number of major milestones and provided invaluable data to continue rapidly developing Starship. Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test. They aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to maximize learning.
The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives, including the successful ascent burn of both stages, opening and closing Starship’s payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry of Starship. It will also fly a new trajectory, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This new flight path enables us to attempt new techniques like in-space engine burns while maximizing public safety.
This rapid iterative development approach has been the basis for all of SpaceX’s major innovative advancements, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink. Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond.
Okay, but when they start attempting a soft water landing — which surely must be IFT-4 or 5 — are they then going to tow the ship somewhere or are they going to scuttle it by activating the FTS?
My point being, why not try for a soft landing during IFT-3? The issue of what to do with the ship at the end of the flight test is always going to be there until they start trying to catch it at Stage Zero, which is not going to be for awhile, I think.
Interesting. I don’t understand it, but it is interesting that they changed the trajectory.
Amazing that they can load the ship and booster tanks so fast, but those times seem to track with what was done during the recent WDR.
Soft landing attempt would be somewhere with more infrastructure available to recover or dispose of the Ship, just like they are doing with the Booster.
For example, fo a full orbit (or many) and ditch in the Gulf.
DAHTcom
Member
Oh man, in my desire to throw shade at the "time changers" I end up going backwards, instead of forwards #SMH
6:30am is much better than 2:30am. Especially if there are spring breakers around the good viewing spots hahah. Thanks for the correction. Now to watch this thread and other accounts on X like a hawk to gauge when I should drive out there
Will there be titanium grid fins on the discarded Super Heavy booster?
Asking for a friend....
Asking for a friend....
COUNTDOWN
All times approximate
HR/MIN/SEC EVENT 01:15:00 SpaceX Flight Director conducts poll and verifies GO for propellant load 00:53:00 Ship LOX (liquid oxygen) load underway 00:51:00 Ship fuel (liquid methane) load underway 00:42:00 Booster LOX load underway 00:41:00 Booster fuel load underway 00:19:40 Raptor begins engine chill on booster and ship 00:03:30 Booster propellant load complete 00:02:50 Ship propellant load complete 00:00:30 SpaceX flight director verifies GO for launch 00:00:10 Flame deflector activation 00:00:03 Raptor ignition sequence begins 00:00:00 Excitement guaranteed 
FLIGHT TEST TIMELINE
All times are approximate
HR/MIN/SEC EVENT 00:00:02 Liftoff 00:00:52 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) 00:02:42 Booster MECO (most engines cut off) 00:02:44 Hot-staging (Starship Raptor ignition and stage separation) 00:02:55 Booster boostback burn startup 00:03:50 Booster boostback burn shutdown 00:06:36 Booster is transonic 00:06:46 Booster landing burn startup 00:07:04 Booster landing burn shutdown 00:08:35 Starship engine cutoff
Why would the booster fly eastwards after the end of boostback phase ? How could it even do that? using just grid fins?
This same question was asked in the previous flight too trajectory too.
The launch is to the east. When the booster separates and rotates (using the CGS) it does the boost back burn to reduce its speed but it is still going east. Then it rotates to prepare for its landing trajectory, does the reentry burn and descends, then the grid fins start working.
Hope I have that right, but maybe not.
Hope I have that right, but maybe not.
Thank you Thats what I thought. That flight path for Booster is just plain wrong.. and silly.
The booster will be pointing west but does the boost back burn actually null out the eastward velocity and then the booster actually moves to the west, or does the boost back burn simply greatly reduce the eastward velocity and then the booster reorients for the reentry burn? I’ve never been clear on that.
The boostback not only cancels the outbound velocity, it introduces some return velocity. All the while, the booster is gaining altitude because the vertical component isn't altered during the boostback. The fact that it is gaining altitude means that it has more time to use that return velocity. So if it's headed back to the launch site at 100 km/h, and it's 100 km out to sea, then if it can take an hour to rise to apogee and then fall to the ground, then it will arrive right at the launch site.
Just Read The Instructions and A Shortfall of Gravitas both operate out of Port Canaveral. Of Course I Still Love You operates out of the Port of Long Beach.
Ah. I see that my post left out, only those that launch from FLA.
I answered the wrong question.
Florida launches are generally east, so the boostback sends them on a return heading, generally west. That's also true of Starbase. It is not true of Vandenberg, where the launches are generally south, so the boostback sends them on a return heading, generally north.
Thanks. I was thinking of ASDS recoveries, but of course for an RTLS there has to be return velocity. And now I understand the same is true for an ASDS, or in the context of the IFT launches, a water landing of the booster.
DAHTcom
Member
Making the assumption for a launch on March 14th, 7am-11am local time, what time would we expect a road closure to begin? I might aim to try to show up a day early to be able to check out all the facilities (from the safety of parking along side the major highway... that dead ends at the beach haha), unless the road is closed to new access days before hand.
Conversely, which might work out better for me with timing, how long until the road is re-opened AFTER the launch? When it reopens is it safe to assume its still blocked for average traffic until cleared/checked for debris/damage/etc?
I'd still prefer to check it all out before the launch for the obvious reasons that I would be able to see S28/B10 stacked from the road, as afterwards they have been destroyed.
Conversely, which might work out better for me with timing, how long until the road is re-opened AFTER the launch? When it reopens is it safe to assume its still blocked for average traffic until cleared/checked for debris/damage/etc?
I'd still prefer to check it all out before the launch for the obvious reasons that I would be able to see S28/B10 stacked from the road, as afterwards they have been destroyed.
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