SpaceX completes Starship 3 wet dress rehearsal with 10 million pounds of propellant

SpaceX today announced that the Starship 3 integrated flight has completed wet dress rehearsal with 10 million pounds of propellant loaded into the Starship system during this test.

The wet dress rehearsal uses gaseous nitrogen to purge the rocket including its umbilical plates and to support other operations. The success of this new test means that the flight is now ready for the orbital launch test.

The next milestone would be to mark a static fire with all of the 33 raptor engines of super heavy boosters firing stacked with Starship spacecraft.

Image Credit: SpaceX

License:

Another important aspect is to acquire a flight license from the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). Last month, the FAA concluded its overseeing of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation off Starship test flight two.

The rocket maker has identified 17 new improvements for both Super Heavy Booster and Starship spacecraft to achieve success in the third attempt.

During the first launch, SpaceX successfully cleared the launch pad but the integrated flight occurred rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD) and blasted off in the air. The second test from November added new milestones including sustainable pad liftoff and first-stage separation.

Afterwards, Starship ignited its engines and took toward the orbit but its booster rocket failed after an internal failure in the propellant chamber.

There have been data and observations made through the second Starship test which could pave the way to mark success in the third flight but an FAA approval is still awaited to confirm a launch date.

(source)