SpaceX targets Tuesday for 10th flight test of Starship

STARBASE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — SpaceX is now scheduled to attempt the 10th flight test of Starship on Tuesday, according to a news release.

According to SpaceX's website, the launch window for Starship opens at 6:30 p.m. Central Time.

The company had canceled its previously scheduled flight test for Monday due to the weather.

During the 10th launch, the Super Heavy Booster will attempt several flight experiments while on flight to an offshore landing point in the Gulf and will not return to the launch site for a catch. According to SpaceX, the primary goal for the booster will be focused on its landing burn and engine configurations.

LabPadre Space Channel’s Louis Balderas told ValleyCentral that as the booster is coming in for landing, SpaceX will be performing some “extreme maneuvers” and “high angles of attack” to see how the booster reacts with the atmosphere as it descends. Additionally, they will be testing its grid fins and want to use fewer engines as it is coming in for “the burn landing” to test how many engines they can lose, to see how well it lands with minimal engine power.

Balderas added that not much has changed on the ship. However, numerous internal configurations have changed from inside the Starship. For example, pressurization lines and other tests are conducted to determine how the vehicle will withstand re-entry heat, following previous testing that revealed some fuel leakage, among other internal changes.

ValleyCentral will livestream the launch in this article and on ValleyCentral+.