SpaceX Found Brilliant Solution for Starship Heatshield Problem!
Just two weeks after the 10th Starship flight, SpaceX is already moving full speed ahead. The company isn’t wasting any time getting ready for the 11th flight of its massive rocket. So, what’s special about the final flight of the Version 2 Starship, and how far along are preparations? Let’s find out.
So first, the big question: When is Flight 11 happening?
The most likely timeline points to October, though no official date has been announced yet. If all goes to plan, Flight 11 will not only keep the momentum going but also set the stage for the debut of a newly upgraded Starship/Super Heavy system coming next year.
With that in mind, this upcoming flight may not push the envelope quite as much as previous ones, instead focusing on refining and validating key systems already in play.
SpaceX Found Brilliant Solution for Starship Heatshield Problem!
For this mission, Starship will follow a suborbital trajectory similar to those used in previous flights. As with past tests, objectives will likely include reigniting a Raptor engine in space, testing payload deployment mechanisms, and conducting a range of reentry experiments. These tests are crucial steps toward one of SpaceX’s most ambitious goals: returning the upper stage to the launch site for a future catch attempt.
There’s been speculation that SpaceX might attempt to deploy real Starlink V3 satellites on this flight instead of using mass simulators. But that might not happen—wouldn’t it make more sense to deploy real Starlink once Starship is going all the way to higher orbit?
SpaceX Found Brilliant Solution for Starship Heatshield Problem!
One potentially significant difference in Flight 11 could be related to heatshield testing. After the last flight, After the previous flight, we learned that the metallic heat shield tiles didn’t perform as well as expected. During the final soft landing, Starship took on a distinctive orange color—almost like SLS. Elon Musk and SpaceX explained that this discoloration was caused by the oxidation of three metal tiles on the side of the ship.
Reentering Earth’s atmosphere subjects the vehicle to extreme heat and an oxygen-rich environment, which can quickly oxidize unprotected metal surfaces. There’s also information that SpaceX won’t be removing tiles from the ship to stress-test it anymore. That makes sense, especially since this is expected to be the final Block 2 vehicle, and the team likely wants the flight to proceed as smoothly and cleanly as possible.
Credit to : Space Zone
