The ambition to infinity [and back]
SpaceX’s latest mixed flight test and why it matters to our journey to Mars
While the technology-laden Nasdaq closed perilously down 2.11%, down 9.75% since the February peak, as Fed Reserve chair Jerome Powell envisaged the potential inflation after reopening, SpaceX experienced the same bittersweet moments on Wednesday when its Starship SN10 “landed in one piece“ and exploded momentarily.
This high-altitude flight test was designed to reach apogee (10 km in altitude), at which height SN10 performed a propellant transition and reoriented itself, a move demonstrated as a “belly flop” maneuver in front of global audiences, before a controlled aerodynamic descent. 7 minutes later, the rocket disassembled in an explosion. Though SpaceX hasn’t disclosed any further investigation result of the disassembly, it might be related to the reconfiguration of the high thrust limit that causes the propellant leakage before launching.
As the latest Starship prototype, SN10 is the most powerful rocket in SpaceX’s portfolio. The long-time champion, Falcon Heavy, which can lift off payload to LEO (low Earth orbit) of 140+ klbs is only a front-runner to the potential record payload to LEO of 220+ klbs (more than 100 tons) from SN10. This heavy-duty payload would allow SpaceX to realize on-orbit refilling and to ship massive equipment to a future base on Mars. Hence, it plays a crucial role in a full-fledging reusable launching system. Worth noting is that the descending part is the second stage of the Starship system, while the first stage booster landed separately on its 6 legs, meaning the individual reusable parts would stay intact even the unexpected accident hits hard. As a private company, SpaceX is free from the burden of reporting financials and short-sightedness from Wall Street, but on the flip side, its finance could be impacted negatively in the long ROI cycle. The advancement of the reusability of Starship we observe in the test can alleviate the financial pressure. Besides, Elon sets to roll out Starlink, a satellite internet constellation service, sooner than later to finance his ambition to Mars.
Instead of being sorry for the accident, audiences are amazed by the landing and explosion combined and cheered Elon and SpaceX’s key efforts on social media in upgrading Starship for future lunar missions and eventual travel to Mars. It would be arguably a beneficial accident, from which engineers can learn apparatus from the log data and bootstrap in the next flight attempt. Beyond the apogee at 15-km or 20-km is very likely set up by SpaceX within the first half of 2021.
Before the crew heading to Mars by 2026, multiple moon mission would be conducted by SpaceX and other major players as Blue Origin and Rocket Lab. Anecdotally, Galileo named the craters on the moon “sea”, thinking they are full of water. But, undoubtedly, our moon serves as a relay station for every future interplanetary voyage and its geological circumstance is an ideal simulation for Mars’ own. On March 2nd, the dearMoon project led by SpaceX announced they are recruiting 8 more crews with Yusaku Maezawa in the first private lunar fly-by mission scheduled in 2023. Serving as a prologue exploration, the mission would support SpaceX in its bottom line, as well as piggybacking the scientific tasks like remote sensing and prospecting. At an unprecedented speed, a fascinating scene of interplanetary travel is unfolding powered by mankind’s space ambition.