NASA’s Letter to FAA Hints at SpaceX’s Upcoming Starship Flight 7 in January

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According to a request from NASA to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), SpaceX’s upcoming Starship Flight 7 is slated for January. This follows the successful launch of Starship Flight 6, which set a record for the fastest turnaround of the world’s largest rocket currently in development. Despite SpaceX opting not to execute the Super Heavy booster tower catch during this test, the booster and upper-stage spacecraft were successfully recovered from the water. The anticipated date for Starship Flight 7 is January 11, 2024, as indicated in the NASA correspondence circulating on social media platform X.

Nasa’s FAA Request for Aircraft Operations During Starship Flight 7

For imaging operations of SpaceX’s Starship, NASA frequently utilizes its WB-57 aircraft, which is equipped with specialized imaging technology. However, the planned splashdown location in the Indian Ocean may render the WB-57’s operational range inadequate, and deploying it from Australia could prove too costly for NASA.

Consequently, NASA has submitted a letter to the FAA requesting permission to conduct imaging calibration flights using a Gulfstream aircraft, designated NASA5, in Texas. NASA’s Chief of Flight Operations, Brett Pugsley, explained that these operations aim to support the upcoming Starship Flight 7 by enabling calibration flights under low-light conditions.

In Pugsley’s FAA request, he emphasizes the need for “lightless operations in United States domestic airspace.”These flights are scheduled to commence over the Gulf of Mexico and Southwest Texas, starting as early as December 7, 2024. This calibration is essential for optimizing the onboard imaging instruments designed to capture data from the upper-stage Starship during its flight.

SpaceX Starship Flight 6 - Raptor Burn — SpaceX’s second stage Starship successfully performs an in-space Raptor engine re-ignition during Flight 6. Image: SpaceX

These sensors will monitor the peak reentry heating experienced by the Starship’s second stage. To ensure accurate measurements, NASA plans to minimize both the internal and external lighting of the NASA5 aircraft for a duration of one hour. Following the calibration, the aircraft is scheduled to depart for Australia on January 3, 2024. NASA5 will then capture crucial reentry and heating data about the Starship one hour post-launch, as it descends towards the eastern Indian Ocean.

The Starship program is pivotal for NASA’s objective of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon through the Artemis initiative. SpaceX serves as the prime contractor for the Human Landing System (HLS), which is designed to facilitate lunar landings with the first astronauts since the Apollo missions. Notably, the HLS is a customized version of the upper-stage Starship, excluding a heat shield as it is not intended for return to Earth.

The upper-stage Starship’s heat shield is one of the largest ever constructed, playing a crucial role in its rapid reusability. Should SpaceX manage a successful splashdown of the second stage during Flight 7, Elon Musk has indicated plans to attempt to catch the rocket using the booster tower in subsequent flights.

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