r/SpaceX Starship SN15 Flight Test No. 1 Discussion & Updates Thread
[](/# MC // section intro)
Welcome to the r/SpaceX Starship SN15 High-Altitude Hop Official Hop Discussion & Updates Thread!
Hi, this is your host team with u/ModeHopper bringing you live updates on this test.
Quick Links
Reddit Stream
r/SpaceX Starship Resources | Starship Development Thread
| Source | Live Video | Source | Live Video | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| r/SpaceX Multistream | LIVE NOW | SpaceX | LIVE | |
| LabPadre | LIVE NOW | SPadre | LIVE NOW | |
| EDA | LIVE NOW | NSF | LIVE NOW |
Starship Serial Number 15 - Hop Test #1
Starship SN15, equipped with three sea-level Raptor engines will attempt a high-altitude hop at SpaceX's development and launch site in Boca Chica, Texas. The flight profile is likely to follow closely previous Starship test flights and SpaceX will be targeting a successful take-off, ascent to apogee, transition to horizontal, descent, engine re-ignition, re-orientation and touchdown.
The vehicle is expected ascend to an altitude of approximately 10km, before moving from a vertical orientation (as on ascent), to horizontal orientation, in which the broadside (+ x) of the vehicle is oriented towards the ground. At this point, Starship will attempt an unpowered return to launch site (RTLS), using its aerodynamic control surfaces (ACS) to adjust its attitude and fly a course back to the landing pad. In the final stages of the descent, all three Raptor engines will ignite to transition the vehicle to a vertical orientation and perform a propulsive landing. The exact launch time may not be known until just a few minutes before launch, and will be preceded by a local siren about 10 minutes ahead of time.
SpaceX is pushing for orbital test flights of the Starship vehicle later this year, and Starship SN15 has numerous significant upgrades over previous flight test vehicles. These upgrades are likely intended to improve the reliability of the propellant systems and Raptor engines, which have been the primary cause of previous failed landing attempts. The vehicle also carries substantially more thermal protection tiles than have been seen on previous prototypes.
| Earliest Available Window | 12:00 UTC (07:00 CDT) 2021-05-05 - 01:00 UTC (20:00 CDT) 2021-05-06 |
|---|---|
| Backup date(s) | 2021-05-06, 2021-05-07 |
| Static fire | Completed 2021-04-27 |
| Flight profile | 10-15 km altitude RTLS^† |
| Propulsion | Raptors SN54, SN61 and SN66 (3 engines) |
| Launch site | Starship Launch Site, Boca Chica TX |
| Landing site | Starship landing pad, Boca Chica TX |
^(† expected or inferred, unconfirmed vehicle assignment)
[](/# MC // section events) [](/# MC // row 3 | | Transition to horizontal |) [](/# MC // row 6 | | Second engine shutdown |)
Timeline
| Time | Update |
|---|---|
| [](/# MC // row 0) 2021-05-05 23:18:21 UTC | Successful test flight and landing for SN15! |
| [](/# MC // row 1) 2021-05-05 22:30:49 UTC | Touchdown |
| [](/# MC // row 2) 2021-05-05 22:30:28 UTC | Re-ignition |
| [](/# MC // row 4) 2021-05-05 22:28:57 UTC | Third engine shutdown |
| [](/# MC // row 5) 2021-05-05 22:28:58 UTC | Apogee |
| [](/# MC // row 7) 2021-05-05 22:26:50 UTC | First engine shutdown |
| [](/# MC // row 8) 2021-05-05 22:24:48 UTC | Liftoff |
| [](/# MC // row 9) 2021-05-05 22:24:42 UTC | Ignition |
| [](/# MC // row 10) 2021-05-05 22:22:13 UTC | T-2:00 mins, John Insprucker is on air. |
| [](/# MC // row 11) 2021-05-05 22:13:20 UTC | Tri-vent, engine chill underway. |
| [](/# MC // row 12) 2021-05-05 22:08:06 UTC | Methane vent, indicates approx T-20 mins. |
| [](/# MC // row 13) 2021-05-05 21:51:39 UTC | Propellant loading. |
| [](/# MC // row 14) 2021-05-05 21:47:17 UTC | SpaceX live |
| [](/# MC // row 15) 2021-05-05 21:40:01 UTC | Tank farm activity, indicates approx T-30 mins |
| [](/# MC // row 16) 2021-05-05 21:15:19 UTC | Recondenser has started, indicates approx. T-50 mins |
| [](/# MC // row 17) 2021-05-05 20:51:25 UTC | Pad clear (again). |
| [](/# MC // row 18) 2021-05-05 20:16:23 UTC | Vehicles heading back to pad, unclear why. They still have 5 hours left in the test window. |
| [](/# MC // row 19) 2021-05-05 19:35:27 UTC | Pad clear. |
| [](/# MC // row 20) 2021-05-05 17:57:08 UTC | Flaps are unchained and Mary has left (not clear if official evac) |
| [](/# MC // row 21) 2021-05-05 15:11:44 UTC | The pad has been cleared, and the beach is being cleared. Awaiting for evacuation notice to confirm the test will proceed. |
| [](/# MC // row 22) 2021-05-05 06:07:41 UTC | New TFR posted for Friday 2021-05-07, TFR and road closure for today still in place. |
| [](/# MC // row 23) 2021-05-04 15:48:37 UTC | Mary reporting no launch today. |
| [](/# MC // row 24) 2021-05-04 14:26:23 UTC | Flaps have been unchained, FTS is armed - all signs so far indicate SpaceX is proceeding toward a test today. Next major indicator is evacuation of Boca Chica village. |
| [](/# MC // row 25) 2021-05-03 12:32:41 UTC | No attempt today, 2021-05-03, next opportunity tomorrow. TFRs in place for 21-05-04 and 21-05-05. |
| [](/# MC // row 26) 2021-05-01 07:52:57 UTC | Saturday 2021-05-01 TFR removed. TFR still in place for 05-02, but flight likely NET 05-03 |
| [](/# MC // row 27) 2021-04-30 17:51:43 UTC | Road closure cancelled, no attempt today. |
| [](/# MC // row 28) 2021-04-30 08:28:36 UTC | All signs so far indicate SpaceX is proceeding toward a test today. They have a few good opportunities for launch, despite inclement weather. |
| [](/# MC // row 29) 2021-04-29 18:14:47 UTC | FAA has authorized flights for SN15, SN16 and SN17. |
| [](/# MC // row 30) 2021-04-29 18:13:45 UTC | FAA inspector due to arrive on site today. |
[](/# MC // section viewing)
[](/# MC // section stats)
[](/# MC // section mission)
[](/# MC // section landing)
[](/# MC // section resources)
Resources
- Starship Development Thread
- NSF Texas Prototype(s) Updates Thread | Most recent
- NSF SN15 Test Campaign Thread | Most recent
- Chris Billington's Starship Development Timeline
- Josh Pine's Starship Flight Opportunities
- Alex Rex's 3D Boca Chica Build Site Map | Launch Site Map | Channel
- Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures (May not be available outside US)
- TFR - NOTAM list
- SpaceX Boca Chica on Facebook
- SpaceX's Starship page
- Elon Starship tweet compilation on NSF | Most Recent
- Starship Test Article Wiki Page
- Starship Users Guide (PDF) Rev. 1.0 March 2020
[](/# MC // section participate)
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[](/# MC // section END)
[](/# MC // let time = 1599155280000) [](/# MC // let launch = null) [](/# MC // let video = z9eoubnO-pE)
Posted Apr 28, 2021, 9:06 PM UTC · edited