Why the third test flight of a SpaceX rocket is expected around the corner

Never two without three? After the semi-failure (or mixed success) of a previous test flight in November, SpaceX is returning to the launch pad on Thursday, March 14, for a third test of its Starship rocket, hoping it doesn’t end up in a fireball again. . To put this launch and this crucial step into perspective (again) and raise the issues (again), franceinfo explains to you why this machine is so scrutinized and awaits the conquest of space.

Because NASA is counting on starships to return to the moon

Launched in 2022, the ambitious Artemis program led by the American Space Agency (NASA) is on its way. The goal is to send humans back to the moon. But, unlike what was done with the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, the idea is to make it regular and sustainable by establishing a lunar base. “Artemis is NASA’s flagship program for space exploration”.Paul Wohrer, an expert on space issues at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), recommends franceinfo.

For the moment, three phases are planned. Artemis I, the first stage, corresponds to sending the Orion capsule around the Moon, then returning to Earth. It was completed in December 2022. Artemis II should carry four astronauts who will orbit the moon before returning to Earth. In January, this phase was postponed from September 2024 to September 2025. Finally, during Artemis III, astronauts will land on the moon’s south pole. This last phase should happen in 2026 at the earliest.

The SpaceX rocket is of major importance to NASA as it has chosen it to carry astronauts to our natural satellite Earth from 2021. If the first two flights fail, “Major Phases” However the crossing has been made, and there is no doubt that the starship will succeed in flying and coming to rest on Earth without incident, believes Paul Wohrer. The key question is when this will happen.

Because it is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built

At 120 meters high – the equivalent of a thirty-story building – Starship is the tallest rocket ever built. For comparison, Ariane 6, the new European rocket scheduled to make its first flight between mid-June and the end of July, measures 62 meters.

The extraordinary power of the starship, which carries 33 reactors called Raptor, allows it to carry 100 tons of material into low orbit, five times more than Ariane 5. France 2 launched the giant SpaceX rocket on its first test flight in April. 2023.

By managing to reuse elements of its rockets, SpaceX is already ahead of other launchers, noted researcher Paul Wohrer. along with “Incomparable and Unique Capabilities” Starship, Elon Musk’s company, will further widen this gap, he asserts.

The space juggernaut, Starship, is being scrutinized by various powers looking to invest in space: historical players, such as Europe, or newcomers, such as American billionaire Jeff Bezos’ private Blue Origin companies, or countries such as China and India. So the interest is to observe the performance of the device, but also to confirm the clear advance of SpaceX. But if the starship was to fly, “This does not mean that all other launchers will be obsolete”Anger Paul Wohrer.

Because it can make it possible to (further) reduce the cost of space launch

The launcher market has already been completely rocked by SpaceX. By reusing elements, the American company has reduced its costs. Ariane 5 was estimated to cost about 150 million dollars (about 137 million euros) to launch. With SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, whose boosters are reusable, that amount is divided by more than two: about 62 million dollars (about 56.7 million euros).

According to Elon Musk, the Starship launch could cost less than $10 million (about 9.2 million euros). Its estimates, however, should be taken with caution, warns Paul Wohrer, while stressing the fact that the rocket “Very economical because it is completely reusable, with two stages that should be able to return to Earth”. It is still necessary, the expert underlines, that the maintenance and maintenance costs of the various elements comply with the forecasts.

Managing low costs so drastically could allow Elon Musk to successfully complete his long-term project with Starship: making humans the first multi-planetary species. Originally, this XXL rocket was conceived by a billionaire with the aim of colonizing other planets.

So the Moon is just a preliminary step before aiming for Mars. Elon Musk does not hide it, he said that he intends to make it “A self-sufficient city”and development a “Space Culture”.