The SpaceX company, led by Elon Musk, has long been working on the project of the next-generation Starship rocket, which will depend on sending people to Mars in 2024. Earlier tests of the prototype rocket were accompanied by problems. For example, the previous prototype passed fire tests once, and exploded the second time .
Recently, new fire tests were carried out on the improved SN5 prototype, and this time everything went well. The next stage is a test flight to a height of 150 meters. Last year, a similar jump was made by a simplified version of Starship called Starhopper.
Source: SpaceX
Current prototype is full size. The test was carried out with a single Raptor engine connected to the rocket. Immediately after the tests, Musk said that success means the beginning of the second stage with a rocket "jump" 150 meters. This will be the first flight test with a full-size SN5 prototype.
Earlier, Musk said that in an effort to quickly make a workable missile, the company takes risks during testing. That is, the explosion that occurred last time may not be the only one.
SpaceX is really fast. In just 8 months, the company deployed an entire plant in South Texas that creates the Starship structural elements. The company is constantly shortening the implementation period for individual stages, in some cases months turn into weeks.
Source: TechCrunch / Darrell Etherington
The test site is currently hosting elements for several future prototypes, including a new type of alloy. According to company representatives, it is more durable than the alloy that has been used so far. Prototypes with bodies made from this alloy will be tested later this year. The company will send them to flight tests at an altitude of 20 km.
SpaceX now plans to focus on developing the Super Heavy, a rocket capable of sending Starship into Earth orbit.
Starship is a new generation rocket, it will reuse not only the first stage, but also the second, of which the ship is a part. This system will be able to launch about 100 tons of cargo into orbit. The advantages of Starship are not only the large mass of the payload to be launched into orbit, but also the low cost of launching the rocket. Musk says it's even lower than today's Falcon 9s.