Block 2, captures of the first then the second stage, transfer of fuel into space… the Starship test schedule for 2025 is gradually taking shape.
The Starship's sixth test flight has barely ended when SpaceX is already looking ahead to the next test. The American company, which judged that the mission was “ successful » despite the impossibility of catching up with the first stage of the rocket with the launch tower, should proceed with a seventh firing, probably in early 2025.
The precise date has not yet been precisely decided, but we already know the broad outlines of the program. The company is expected to once again land the upper stage – also called Starship, like the launcher – in the Indian Ocean. It was Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, who slipped this information on November 20.
We do not know if this seventh attempt will be the opportunity to retry a capture in the air of the booster. This delicate maneuver, which was successful on the first attempt with Flight 5, involves bringing the Super Heavy first stage back to the launch pad. You must then control its speed and orientation so that it lands smoothly on the arms of the tower.
Next generation Starship with Block 2
This Flight 7 must also be the occasion for a generation change: there is now talk of using an updated upper stage, called Block 2. On the other hand, the Super Heavy booster would still remain in the so-called Block 1 generation. It has been used since the very first integrated trial, on April 20, 2023.
According to Spaceflight Now, citing SpaceX, Block 2 will bring “ significant improvements including redesigned front flaps, larger propellant tanks, and the latest generation of secondary thermal protection tiles and layers “. On a more distant horizon, a Block 3 is also planned.
If all goes well, Flight 8 will arrive shortly after, in the first or second quarter of 2025. This is when SpaceX intends to capture not the first, but the second stage of Starship with the launch tower. This objective, already mentioned in October, was reiterated by Elon Musk on November 20.
The profile of Flight 8 still remains quite vague: will there also be an attempt to capture the first stage, which would require mobilizing another launch tower? Will the Super Heavy still be from the Block 1 generation or will there be a switch to Block 2? Part of the answers will be found in the results of the previous mission.
Several other tests are expected to take place throughout next year, including testing a fuel transfer between two Starships orbiting Earth. This unprecedented maneuver will have to be repeated a few times, in order to allow SpaceX to collect data and experience.
