Starship flight test 5

Starship flight test 5

Mission type	Flight test
Operator	SpaceX
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Starship Ship 30
Spacecraft type	Starship
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Start of mission
Launch date	NET November 2024
Rocket	Super Heavy (B12)
Launch site	Starbase, OLM-A
SpaceX Starship flight tests

Starship flight test 5 will be the fifth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles planned to be flown are the Ship 30 upper-stage and Booster 12. This fifth flight test is expected to include the first attempted "catch" of the Super Heavy booster using the Orbital Launch Mount tower at the Starbase launch site.

Background

Development prior to launch

During a company all-hands in April 2024, Elon Musk expanded briefly on the goals of flight test 5, stating that the first tower landing could occur, depending on B11's virtual landing performance during the fourth flight test. In June, Musk stated the heatshield tiles on the flight 5 vehicle will be twice as strong along with a new ablative protection layer underneath. The process of removing the old Thermal Protection System began on June 11. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed on June 12 that no mishap investigation would be required prior to flight 5 launch. The communications license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the fifth flight test was applied for with a start date of July 19. Multiple tests occurred with the hydraulic arms on the launch tower in preparation for the booster catch.

Vehicle testing ahead of launch

Design revisions on Ship 30 include a new vent on the liquid methane tank and another vent with a new valve design on the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank. Two arrays of small radio antennas were redesigned and relocated near the payload bay instead of the ship's nosecone, with one array concealed beneath the ship's heat shield.

Static fire testing of Ship 30 occurred in early May in preparation for flight 5. This was the last static fire conducted at the now-demolished Suborbital Pad B, as future tests will use the static fire stand at Massey's Test Site. Booster 12 moved to the launch pad on July 9. The booster performed a spin prime test on July 12; it was the first time a spin prime test was performed since Booster 9 in August 2023. A static fire of Booster 12 was completed on July 15 and Ship 30 static fire was conducted on July 26.

FAA process and environment analysis

In September 2024, SpaceX communicated that the FAA had shifted the flight's launch date from September to November 2024.

In an official statement, SpaceX wrote about issues with the FAA's licensing processes for Starship flight tests. SpaceX first reiterated that they ensured public safety above the success of their own flights and acknowledged that the flight would require the FAA additional time to provide a license because of the unique booster catch attempt.

Still, the company complained in their statement that the FAA was repeatedly distracted by unimportant issues instead of focusing resources on critical safety analysis for the public and the environment. SpaceX mentioned how false or misleading reporting by online detractors or special interest groups, who "had presented poorly constructed science as fact", had led to roadblocks [to SpaceX facilities].

The company complained about false reporting alleging that Starship's flame deflector was polluting the environment without a permit despite SpaceX having a permit under the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The TCEQ, the FAA and the US Fish & Wildlife service evaluated the system and determined it posed no environmental harm. The company stated that the deflector did not spray pollutants into the environment and used drinking water, while samples of outflow water consistently showed negligible traces of contaminants and below standard.

SpaceX had been fined by the EPA. SpaceX said the EPA had issued an administrative order before seeking "a basic understanding of the deflector" or acknowledging the TCEQ permit. SpaceX complained that EPA agreed that the flame deflector did not need to change and only the permit's name had to change.

SpaceX disclosed that biologists had conducted independent biological monitoring for birds near Starbase for 10 years, in a protocol developed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and that the monitoring had not shown any impact to bird populations. The company added that flight 5 would see infrared drone surveillance pre- and post-launch to track bird nesting presence. SpaceX also said they worked with the USFWS experts prior to launches.

SpaceX said that the FAA approved a 60-day consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service over the possible landing of the flight 5's booster into the ocean, while the launch history has mostly expendable boosters and is exempt of such consultation. SpaceX also complained that the FAA is to consult with USFWS for 60-day over rocket sonic booms despite evidence from studies showing that sonic booms have little effect on wildlife and that the FAA and the USFWS had already found no significant impact.

The company wrote of the four open environmental issues driving the launch delay, that they showed "the difficulties launch companies face in the current regulatory environment" to license launches and reentries.

See also

• SpaceX Starship flight tests