On March 14 at 8:25 a.m. CT, SpaceX achieved a crucial milestone by launching the third integrated flight test of its Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage from the Starbase orbital launch pad. This test signifies significant progress towards providing NASA with a Starship HLS for its Artemis missions, marking an important step in advancing human space exploration.

NASA Artemis Mission Moves Forward Following SpaceX Starship Test Success

 NASA's Artemis mission, aimed at returning humans to the Moon, has taken a significant step forward in collaboration with SpaceX. The partnership focuses on developing SpaceX's Starship human landing system (HLS) for upcoming Artemis missions. These missions plan to land astronauts near the Moon's South Pole during Artemis III and Artemis IV, marking a crucial phase in humanity's journey back to the lunar surface.

On March 14, SpaceX achieved a major milestone by conducting the third integrated flight test of its Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. This test, conducted from SpaceX's Starbase orbital launch pad, signifies a significant leap towards providing NASA with a fully functional Starship HLS for its Artemis missions.

The Super Heavy booster, powered by 33 Raptor engines fueled by super-cooled liquid methane and liquid oxygen, lifted off at 8:25 a.m. CDT, with the Starship stacked on top. During the flight, Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster using a hot-staging technique, firing its six Raptor engines before separation approximately three minutes into the flight. This successful test marked the third flight of the integrated Super Heavy-Starship system, showcasing SpaceX's progress in developing advanced space technologies.

Lisa Watson-Morgan, HLS Program Manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, emphasized the importance of these flight tests in advancing the development of Starship HLS. She highlighted that each test allows SpaceX and NASA to gather crucial data for future mission systems development, contributing significantly to the success of Artemis lunar landing missions.

One of the key achievements of this test was the successful transfer of thousands of pounds of cryogenic propellant between internal tanks during Starship's coast phase. This milestone, part of NASA’s Space Technology Missions Directorate 2020 Tipping Point awards, is crucial for future missions that require handling cryogenic fluids in space. The NASA-SpaceX team is currently analyzing the flight data to evaluate the success of this propellant transfer demonstration, which is vital for solving the challenges associated with using cryogenic fluids during deep space missions.

Engineers involved in the project are particularly interested in studying how super-cooled propellant behaves within the tanks during engine shutdown and its impact on Starship's stability in orbit. This analysis will provide valuable insights into optimizing propellant transfer efficiency and ensuring the Raptor engines receive the necessary propellant conditions for restart in orbit.

Jeremy Kenny, project manager of NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio, emphasized the significance of developing and maturing cryogenic propellant storage and transfer technologies for future science and exploration missions. These advancements are crucial not only for lunar missions but also for future Mars expeditions and deeper space exploration endeavors.

NASA's Artemis campaign aims to achieve several milestones, including landing the first woman, first person of color, and the first international partner astronaut on the Moon's surface. This initiative also lays the groundwork for future human expeditions to Mars. Commercial human landing systems, like the Starship HLS developed in collaboration with SpaceX, are integral to these deep space exploration endeavors, along with other key components such as the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits, rovers, exploration ground systems, and the Gateway space station.

The successful integration test of SpaceX's Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage marks a significant step forward in advancing human exploration beyond Earth's orbit. These achievements pave the way for future missions that will expand our understanding of space and enable humans to explore and inhabit distant celestial bodies.

Storing and transferring cryogenic propellant in orbit has never been attempted on this scale before,” said Jeremy Kenny, project manager, NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio at Marshall. “But this is a game-changing technology that must be developed and matured for science and exploration missions at the Moon, Mars, and those that will venture even deeper into our solar system.

Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface and prepare for human expeditions to Mars. Commercial human landing systems are critical to deep space exploration, along with the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, advanced spacesuits and rovers, exploration ground systems, and the Gateway space station.