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Starship flight test 7

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This article is about the seventh flight test of the Starship+Super Heavy vehicle. For other launches of Starship, see List of Starship launches.
Starship flight test 7
Mission typeFlight test
OperatorSpaceX
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftShip 33
Spacecraft typeStarship (Block 2)
Start of mission
Launch dateJanuary 16, 2025, 4:37 pm CST (22:37 UTC)[1]
RocketSuper Heavy (Block 1, B14)
Launch siteStarbase, OLP-A
End of mission
Landing dateSuper Heavy: January 16, 2025, 22:43:54 UTC (4:43:54 pm CDT)
Landing siteSuper Heavy: Starbase, OLP-A

Mission patch

Starship flight test 7 was the seventh flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles flown were Ship 33, the first Block 2 upper stage, and Booster 14, a Block 1 vehicle. After having previously supported Booster 12 during flight 5, engine #314 was reflown on Booster 14.[2] This will likely be the final suborbital test flight of Starship, as ships will need to be placed into low Earth orbit (LEO) to be caught, which was planned to occur on Flight 8.[3]

Flight 7 lifted off from Texas at 22:36 UTC (4:36 pm CST, local time at the launch site) on January 16, 2025.[1] The FAA had granted a launch license covering multiple flights of Starship, including flight 7, on December 17.[4]

Background

Vehicle testing ahead of launch

Ship 33, a Block 2 Starship, flew on flight 7.[5] In October 2024, Ship 33 underwent cryogenic testing.[6] Its counterpart, Booster 14, also underwent cryogenic testing in October.[7][8] Booster 14 rolled out to OLP-1 and conducted a successful spin prime test and static fire in early December.[9] It then returned to the production site for final pre-flight modifications.[10] Ship 33 also underwent a combination of spin prime and static fire tests later in the month.[11][12] On January 10, S33 and B14 performed a wet dress rehearsal.[13]

NASA imaging of Starship

For this launch, NASA plans to use a specially equipped Gulfstream V aircraft (N95NA[14]) to capture images of the Starship's re-entry and peak-heating. The aircraft will be positioned to observe the spacecraft as it emerges over the horizon and splashes down in the eastern Indian Ocean in the early morning hours. To ensure optimal imaging conditions, the aircraft must fly with its exterior and interior lights extinguished. This poses significant safety risks, requiring a waiver from aviation authorities and stringent procedures to prevent other aircraft from entering the flight path.[15]

NASA has requested an expedited waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to commence practice flights over the Gulf of Mexico and Southwest Texas in early December. Subsequently, the aircraft will be flown to Perth, Australia on January 3 for additional practice flights in the actual landing zone, ahead of the targeted Flight Test 7 on January 16, 2025. If the FAA approves the waiver, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority has indicated its willingness to honor the exemption, allowing for both practice flights and the imaging flight during Flight Test 7.[15]

Mission profile

The mission profile for flight test 7 was expected be similar to that of the previous launch, targeting a splashdown in the Indian Ocean while also attempting an in-space engine relight. Additionally, S33 was also expected to deploy ten Starlink "simulators", which will also reenter over the Indian Ocean.[1]

Shortly after Super Heavy was caught, all telemetry was lost from Ship 33, indicating that the vehicle was lost, which was confirmed by a SpaceX engineer a few minutes later.[16] After the official livestream concluded, videos began circulating on Twitter of space debris re-entering the atmosphere over the Turks and Caicos Islands, which was presumed to be the lost vehicle.[17]

Flight timeline

Time Event January 16, 2025
−01:15:00 Flight director conducts a poll and verifies go for propellant loading Success
−00:45:54 Starship oxidizer (liquid oxygen) load start Success
−00:43:00 Starship fuel (liquid methane) load start Success
−00:41:24 Super Heavy fuel (liquid methane) load start Success
−00:35:28 Super Heavy oxidizer (liquid oxygen) load start Success
−00:19:40 Super Heavy and Starship engine chill Success
−00:03:20 Starship propellant load complete Success
−00:02:50 Super Heavy propellant load complete Success
−00:00:30 Flight director verifies go for launch Success
−00:00:10 Flame deflector activation Success
−00:00:03 Super Heavy engine ignition Success
+00:00:02 Liftoff Success
+00:01:02 Throttle down for max q during ascent (moment of peak mechanical stress on the vehicle) Success
+00:02:32 Super Heavy most engines cutoff (MECO) Success
+00:02:40 Starship engine ignition and stage separation (hot-staging) Success
+00:02:46 Super Heavy boostback burn start Success
+00:03:29 Super Heavy boostback burn shutdown Success
+00:03:31 Hot-stage jettison Success
+00:06:26 Super Heavy is transonic —
+00:06:35 Super Heavy landing burn start Success
+00:06:54 Super Heavy landing burn shutdown and catch Success
+00:08:53 Starship engine cutoff (SECO) Failure

At T+8:26 the ship was lost

+00:17:33 Starlink simulator satellites deploy demo —
+00:37:33 Raptor in-space relight demo —
+00:47:25 Starship atmospheric reentry —
+01:03:12 Starship is transonic —
+01:04:25 Starship is subsonic —
+01:06:12 Starship landing flip —
+01:06:18 Starship landing burn —
+01:06:38 Starship splashdown —
Source: SpaceX[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Starship's Seventh Flight Test". SpaceX.com. SpaceX. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  2. ^ Musk, Elon [@elonmusk] (January 2, 2025). "Good observation" (Tweet). Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Starship's Most Daring Flight Yet! | This Week in Spaceflight". YouTube. November 22, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  4. ^ Weber, Ryan (December 19, 2024). "FAA gives Flight 7 the Go Ahead, SpaceX to complete final steps ahead of launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  5. ^ McCrea, Aaron (July 31, 2024). "Successful Static Fire Leads to Final Preparation Before Full Stack". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. ^ New Starship Block 2 Cryo Proof Tested. NASASpaceflight. October 31, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ House, Marcus (October 5, 2024). Good or bad news for Starship Flight 5?, SpaceX Ground Themselves!?, and Vulcan Flight 2 Success!. Retrieved October 5, 2024 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Bergin, Chris (October 9, 2024). "Starship readying for Flight 5 amid future preparations". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  9. ^ SpaceX Tests Booster 14 – Spin Prime. NASASpaceflight. December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Weber, Ryan (December 10, 2024). "Ship 33 prepares for engine testing, Booster 14 Completes Static Fire". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Ship 33 Test Campaign Begins. NASASpaceflight. December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ SpaceX's Starship Prepares for Flight 7: Testing & Expansion at Starbase. NASASpaceflight. December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "Starship Wet Dress Rehearsal ft. The Flame Trench". YouTube. January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  14. ^ "FAA Registry (N95NA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
  15. ^ a b McCrea, Aaron (November 27, 2024). "Starbase continues its rapid pace of advancement after Starship Flight 6". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Wattles, Jackie (January 16, 2025). "SpaceX executes second-ever 'chopsticks' booster catch but Starship spacecraft is lost". CNN. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  17. ^ "Starship Flight 7 breaking up and re-entering over Turks and Caicos". X. January 16, 2025.
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