A SpaceX Starship prototype successfully completed a deorbit burn after several upgrades. The test took place at SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on October 20 and saw all six engines – three Raptor engines and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines – fire up.
As for the upgrades, SpaceX built and tested a hot-stage separation system, which enable Starship’s second stage engines to ignite and push the ship away from the booster. Plus, a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines was engineered with fewer potential points of failure, thus making it significantly more energy efficient than traditional hydraulic systems.
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SpaceX also made significant upgrades to the orbital launch mount and pad system in order to prevent a recurrence of the pad foundation failure observed during the first flight test. These upgrades include significant reinforcements to the pad foundation and the addition of a flame deflector, which SpaceX has successfully tested multiple times,” said a representative.
