The Starship spacecraft is preparing for a landing in the Indian Ocean, a routine procedure that has been conducted on previous test flights. On these occasions, the spacecraft has been left to sink into the ocean as SpaceX refines its recovery techniques.
During the last test flight in October, Starship successfully landed in the intended position. However, for the upcoming test flight, SpaceX is planning to gather new data and will not necessarily aim to replicate the previous success.
SpaceX engineer Jesse Anderson explained that the spacecraft will be flown at an aggressive angle of attack once its speed drops below the speed of sound. This means that Starship will be flown nose down instead of the usual belly flop orientation during the final descent. This maneuver will push the limits of the flaps' control capabilities and provide valuable flight data.
The flaps mentioned by Anderson are small wings attached to the side of the Starship vehicle. They play a crucial role in managing reentry forces and aiding in slowing down the spacecraft. In a previous test flight, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk likened the flaps to 'skeleton hands' due to the intense stresses experienced during reentry.
Starship is designed to execute a belly flop maneuver during reentry, aligning the spacecraft parallel to the Earth's surface to decelerate, similar to a skydiver descending. For this test flight, SpaceX will attempt a steeper descent path to further push the limits of the spacecraft's capabilities.
Overall, the upcoming test flight of Starship is focused on exploring the boundaries of the spacecraft's performance and gathering essential data to inform future missions and advancements in space travel.
