Super Heavy B7

Super Heavy
SpaceX Super Heavy Booster 7, on the orbital launch mount at Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas in February 2023
ManufacturerSpaceX
Country of originUnited States
Used onSpaceX Starship
General characteristics
Height71 m (233 ft)
Diameter9 m (30 ft)
Gross mass3,600 t (3,600,000 kg; 7,937,000 lb)
Propellant mass3,400 t (3,400,000 kg; 7,496,000 lb)
Empty mass200 t (200,000 kg; 441,000 lb)
Launch history
StatusIn development
Total launches2
Failed1 (IFT-1)
OtherFailed after staging (IFT-2)[1]
First flightApril 20, 2023 (IFT-1)
Super Heavy
Powered by33 Raptor engines
Maximum thrust7,590 tf (74,400 kN; 16,700,000 lbf)
Specific impulse327 s (3.21 km/s) (sea-level)
PropellantLiquid oxygen / Methane
Large steel cylinder with complex engine mounts and wiring
Underside of a Super Heavy booster prior to engine installation

Super Heavy is the first stage of the SpaceX Starship super heavy-lift launch vehicle, which it composes in combination with the Starship second-stage. As of 2023, Super Heavy prototypes are being flight tested. In April 2023, Super Heavy flew for the first time on the first orbital launch attempt of the Starship rocket.[2]

Manufacturing

The manufacturing process starts with rolls of steel, which are unrolled, cut, and welded along the edge to create a cylinder of 9 m (30 ft) in diameter, 1.829 m (6.00 ft) in height, and 3.97 mm (0.156 in) thick,[3] and around 1600 kg (3,600 lb) in mass.[a]

These "rings" are stacked and welded along their edges to form the outer layer of the rocket. Inside, the methane and oxygen tanks are separated by a common dome,[4] with a large central "downcomer" pipe through the oxygen tank supplying methane to a distribution manifold just above the engines. Before final assembly, grid fins are added to the interstage, and chines are added after stacking the propellant tanks.[5]

After cryogenic testing, engines are installed,[6] followed by the vented interstage.[7][8]

Design

Super Heavy is 71 m (233 ft) tall, 9 m (30 ft) wide,[9] and is composed of four general sections: the engine section, the fuel tank, the oxygen tank, and the vented interstage.[10] Elon Musk has stated that the final design will have a dry mass between 160 t (350,000 lb) and 200 t (440,000 lb), with the tanks weighing 80 t (180,000 lb) and the interstage 20 t (44,000 lb).[10]

Tanks

The propellant tanks on Super Heavy are separated by a common bulkhead, similar to the ones used on the S-II and S-IVB stages on the Saturn V rocket.[11][4] The oxygen tank has four chines attached, which protect the COPVs, CO2 tanks for fire suppression, as well as providing lift during descent.[12]

The booster's tanks were reported as holding 3,600 t (7,900,000 lb) of propellant, consisting of 2,800 t (6,200,000 lb) of liquid oxygen and 800 t (1,800,000 lb) of liquid methane.[b] However, booster prototype capacity is only 3,400 t (7,500,000 lb).[13]

Engines

The engine section supports the 33 raptor engines during flight. The engines are arranged in three concentric rings.[14] The outer ring of 20 engines is of the "Raptor Boost" configuration, which lack gimbal actuators to save weight.[15] Raptor uses a full-flow staged combustion cycle, which has both oxygen and methane-rich turbopumps.[16][17]

Before 2014, only two full-flow staged-combustion rocket engine designs had advanced enough to undergo testing on test stands: the Soviet RD-270 project in the 1960s and the Aerojet Rocketdyne Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator in the mid-2000s.[18]

At full power, all engines produce a collective 75.9 MN (17,100,000 lbf) of thrust.[19] However, Raptor 3 may increase thrust to 90 MN (20,000,000 lbf) at sea level.[20][better source needed]

Interstage

The interstage is also equipped with four electrically actuated grid fins, each with a mass of 3 t (6,600 lb).[21] Adjacent pairs of grid fins are only spaced sixty degrees apart instead of being orthogonal (as is the case on Falcon 9) to provide more authority in the pitch axis.[22] Unlike Falcon 9, the grid fins do not retract and remain extended during ascent.[10] During unpowered flight in the vacuum of space, control authority is provided by cold gas thrusters fed with residual ullage gas.[23][irrelevant citation] The interstage also has protruding hardpoints, located between grid fins, allowing the booster to be lifted or caught by the launch tower.[24]

After the first Starship test flight, all boosters have an additional 1.8 m[3] tall vented interstage to enable hot staging.[25] During Hot Staging, the upper stage fires its engines before separating from the lower stage, instead of after.[26] During this operation, Super Heavy throttles down its engines but does not stop thrusting completely.[26][27] The "hot staging ring" contains a protective dome to shield the top of Super Heavy from the second stage's engines.[25][27] Elon Musk has claimed that this change may result in a 10% increase in the payload to low Earth orbit.[27]

Planned mission profile

Animation of Super Heavy's integration to the launch mount, using mechanical arms.

About one hour and thirty-seven minutes before flight, the super heavy booster begins propellant load.[28] At the T – 19:40 mark, engine chill begins on the booster.[28] This is to protect the engine's turbopumps from thermal shock. At three seconds before a flight, the thirty-three engines startup sequence begins.[28]

A short animation of Super Heavy's landing on Mechanical arms. The planned landing speed is a few times slower.

After liftoff, the engines burn for 169 seconds, at which point 30 of its engines shut off, leaving only three center ones running at 50% thrust.[28] The ship ignites its engines while still attached to the booster and separates, while the booster rotates for the boostback burn. The boostback burn uses the 13 central engines and lasts for 54 seconds.[28] About seven minutes to flight, the engines reignite,[28] and the booster is caught by a pair of mechanical arms.

Development

List of Prototype Boosters
Name First spotted[c] First static fire Maiden flight Decommissioned Construction site Status Flights
BN1[29] September 2020[30] —[31] —[31] 30 March 2021[31] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[32][33] 0
BN3/B3 March 2021[34][35] 19 July 2021[36] — 14 August 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[37] 0
B4 3 July 2021[38] — — 25 March 2022 Boca Chica, Texas Retired at the Rocket Garden[39] 0
B5 19 July 2021[40] — — December 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 0
B7 29 September 2021 9 August 2022[41] 20 April 2023 20 April 2023 Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed in flight 1
B8 6 October 2021[42] — — January 2023 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 0
B9 24 October 2021 6 August 2023 18 November 2023 18 November 2023 Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed after staging[43] 1
B10 3 August 2022 29 December 2023 Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas At Production Site 0
B11 23 February 2023 Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas On Engine Installation Stand 2 in Mega Bay 1 0
B12 May 2023 Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas At Masseys for cryogenic testing 0
B13 2023 Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
B14 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
B15 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
B16 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
  1. ^ This is based on the dimensions of the ring and 304L stainless steel's density of 7.93 g/cm3.[1]
  2. ^ 78% of 3,600 t (7,900,000 lb)[10] is 2,800 t (6,200,000 lb) of liquid oxygen.
  3. ^ The date of the first part for the booster being spotted

Boosters do not have an engine skirt. Without engines, boosters are about 3 meters shorter.[44]

Ground Testing (BN1-BN3/B3)

BN1

BN1 was the first Super-Heavy Booster prototype, a pathfinder that was not intended for flight tests.[45] Sections of the ~70 m (230 ft) tall test article were manufactured throughout the fall.[30] Section stacking began in December 2020.[46] BN1 was fully stacked inside the High Bay on 18 March.[47] On 30 March 2021, BN1 was scrapped.[31]

BN3/B3

BN3 (Booster 3)[48] was used for ground tests. A cryogenic proof test was completed (13 July 2021).[49][50] Booster 3 completed stacking in the High Bay (29 June 2021),[51] and moved to the test pad without engines.[52] Three engines were subsequently added.[53]

A static fire test was conducted on 19 July 2021.[36] BN3/Booster 3 was partially scrapped on 15 August 2021, while the LOX tank remained welded to the Test Stand.[37] The LOX tank was taken off the Test Stand on the 13th January 2022.[54]

Orbital Launches (B4-subsequent)

B4–B6

Booster 4 in the High Bay

Booster 4 first became visible on 3 July 2021. Musk ordered several hundred SpaceX employees at Hawthorne to relocate to Boca Chica to accelerate the development of SN20, BN4, and the Orbital Launch Platform[53] in an attempt to put the Starship system on the pad by 5 August 2021.[55] BN4 was fully stacked on 1 August, with a full complement of 29 engines[56] installed on 2 August 2021. Grid fins were added to support atmospheric reentry testing.

SN20 was stacked on top of Booster 4 on 6 August 2021 for a fitting test, making it the tallest rocket ever fully integrated.[57] Booster 4 was then returned to the High Bay for secondary wiring. On 9 September 2021, Booster 4 came again to the launch site on top of the Orbital Launch mount.[58] B4 completed its first cryogenic proof test (17 December 2021),[59] and a pneumatic proof test (19 December 2021). It underwent another cryogenic proof test and a full-load cryogenic proof test. B4 and Ship 20 were then retired.[50]

Parts for B5 were observed as early as 19 July 2021.[40] Stacking for BN5 completed in November, although on 8 December 2021, B5 was retired alongside SN15 and SN16. It was later scrapped.

B7

See also: SpaceX Starship First Integrated Flight Test

Parts for B7 were first spotted on 29 September 2021. B7 was placed on the orbital launch mount on 31 March 2022. After completing a cryogenic proof test on 4 April 2022, it was placed onto the new booster test stand on 8 April 2022. B7 completed another cryogenic test on 14 April 2022, but the downcomer suffered a failure and ruptured. On 18 April 2022, B7 returned to the production site for repairs. On 5 May 2022, B7 was again placed on the orbital launch mount. B7 then completed two cryogenic tests on 9 and 11 May 2022. It was then returned to the production site and entered the new Mega Bay 1, for repairs and additional equipment, upgraded grid fins and engines, and two more 'chines' or 'strakes' (triangular structures placed on the aft section to aid in aerodynamic control).[60] B7 went through more testing (11 July 2022) where it experienced an anomaly during an attempted 33 engine spin prime test and a detonation occurred underneath the engines.[61] The booster then rolled back to Mega Bay 1.[62] B7 was transported back to the orbital launch pad with 20 outer Raptor engines (August 4 to August 5, 2022)[63] and completed its first single-engine static fire test (August 9, 2022). B7 completed a 20-second static fire (August 11, 2022), the longest static fire on a Starship prototype to date.[64] Following a successful set of tests, it returned to the production site to receive the remaining 13 engines.[65] B7 was lifted back onto the launch mount using the chopsticks catching and lifting system (23 August 2022).[66] It underwent further testing including its 13 inner engines (26 August 2022). B7 completed a multi-engine static fire (31 August 2022).[67] This was followed by multiple spin prime tests,[68][69][70] and a seven-engine static fire on 19 September 2022.[70] B7 again returned to the Mega Bay on 21 September 2022.[71] After upgrades it was again lifted on the launch pad (8 October 2022).[72] Ship 24 was then stacked on top B7 (12 October 2022)[73] and was removed after completing multiple cryogenic load tests.[74][75][76] B7 then completed a spin prime test of multiple engines, (12 November 2022)[77] and afterwards a 14 engine static fire test, (14 November 2022)[78] and finally an 11 engine static fire in an autogenous pressurization test (29 November 2022).[79] On December 9, 2022, B7 rolled back to Mega Bay 1[80] for further shielding. In January 2023, Booster 7 was rolled back to the launch site where it was stacked with Ship 24 on the OLM for partial and full Wet Dress Rehearsals (Jan 23[81]) before Ship 24 was detached and sent to the Rocket Garden for final TPS work. On February 9, 2023, Booster 7 attempted a 10-second duration 33-engine static fire where 31 of the 33 engines successfully fired for the full duration.[82] One of its engines was disabled just before testing, and one engine shutdown prematurely. On April 20, 2023, it was intentionally destroyed in the SpaceX Starship First Integrated Flight Test after losing connection to its engines.

B8

The first part of the booster, the engine thrust puck, was spotted on October 5, 2021. Other parts for B8 were observed on February 3, 2022.[83] The booster was fully stacked on July 8, 2022.[84] It traveled to the launch site on 19 September 2022.[85] Booster 8 was scrapped in January 2023 in favor of Booster 9, and Booster 8's hydraulic power units were placed on Booster 7 along with other parts.[86]

B9

See also: SpaceX Starship Second Integrated Flight Test

The engine thrust puck of the booster was first spotted on October 24, 2021. The vehicle finished stacking in late 2022 and was moved to the OLS cryo station on December 15, 2022. Two cryogenic proof tests were conducted on December 21, 2022, and December 29, 2022, both of which were successful. The booster was rolled back to Mega Bay 1 on January 10, 2023. Among many other upgrades, Booster 9 is the first to feature an electric Thrust vector control (often abbreviated to ETVC) gimbaling system of the raptor engines. This system replaces the hydraulic power units that were used until Booster 8. On July 20, Booster 9 was rolled out to the launch site. Later, on the night of July 20 to July 21, it was lifted onto the Orbital Launch Mount in preparation for its testing campaign.[87] On July 23 Booster 9 performed a cryogenic prof test on the orbital launch mount.[88] This was followed by a Spin Prime on August 4, 2023. On August 6, 2023, Booster 9 fired 29 engines for 2.7 seconds, instead of the planned 33 engines for 5 seconds. It was then moved off of the Orbital Launch Mount and rolled back to Mega Bay 1, where its vented interstage was added on August 16, 2023.[89] B9 was moved back onto the Orbital Launch Mount on August 22, 2023, and underwent another spin prime test the next day.[90] On August 25, 2023, Booster 9 underwent a static fire of all 33 engines, lasting around 6 seconds. Two engines shut off early during the test.[91][92] On September 5, 2023, Ship 25 (S25) was lifted onto B9 for the first time. On September 14, 2023, S25 was removed from B9, followed one week later by the vented interstage. On September 26, 2023, the vented interstage was lifted onto B9, only to be removed on October 9, 2023. It was lifted back onto B9 on October 16, 2023, along with S25.[93] S25 was removed on October 17, 2023, and then lifted back onto B9 on October 20, 2023. On October 22, 2023, B9 underwent two partial cryogenic tests, while S25 was not tested. This was followed by a deluge test, also on October 22, 2023.[94] On October 24, B9 and S25 completed a WDR,[95] which was followed by another deluge test on the same day.[96] On October 26, 2023, S25 was removed from B9, presumably for FTS installation.[97] This was followed by the removal of the vented interstage one day later.[98] The vented interstage was then placed back on B9 on October 28, 2023.[99][100] On November 9, 2023, B9's FTS was installed. On November 10, 2023, S25 was stacked onto B9,[101] and then destacked on November 11, 2023.[102] The vented interstage was removed the next day.[103] On November 15, 2023, the vented interstage was reattached to B9,[104] followed by the stacking of S25 for the Second Integrated Flight Test.[105] Due to a failed grid fin actuator, S25 was destacked on November 16, and restacked on November 17, 2023.[106] The following day, Saturday, November 18, 2023, Booster 9 as well as Ship 25, lifted off with all engines burning at 7:02 am CST. However, following the successful hot-stage separation from S25, it was destroyed after engine failures during the boost back burn.[107]

B10 and subsequent

Grid fins and corrugation on Booster 10's methane tank (right, foreground), March 12, 2023

B10 and B11 are similar to B9, though they also use elliptical domes.[108] B10 was fully stacked in March 2023.[109] In June 2023, B11 was fully stacked, and B12 began assembly.[110] On July 19, 2023, B10 underwent a cryogenic proof test. It was later moved to the rocket garden and was then moved to Mega Bay 1. However, on September 10, 2023, B10 was moved back to Massey's on a Thrust Simulator Stand. A cryogenic test was performed 3 days later.[111] As of September 13, 2023, it is unknown whether the Thrust Simulator was used during the test. It was moved back to Mega Bay 1 on September 20, 2023, for engine and interstage installation. On October 12, 2023, B11 was moved to Massey's test site on a Thrust Simulator Stand, where it was cryo-tested two days later. It was then tested on October 18, 2023. On November 19, 2023, B11 was moved back to Mega Bay 1, presumably for engine and interstage installation.[112] On December 4, 2023, B10 received its vented interstage.[7] On December 5, 2023, B10 was moved to the Rocket Garden,[113] and SpaceX confirmed that B10 would fly IFT-3 shortly after that.[114] On December 11, 2023, B12 was moved onto engine installation 1.[115] On December 18, 2023, B10 was moved to the orbital launch site,[116] followed by a lift onto the OLM the next day.[117] A static fire was attempted on December 21, 2023, however, it was aborted for unknown reasons.[118] On December 28, 2023, B12 was moved onto a Thrust Simulator Stand, before being moved to Masseys for cryogenic testing.[119] On December 29, 2023, B10 conducted a 33 engine static fire test[120][121], followed by it's removal from the OLM on December 30, 2023.[122] On January 2, 2024, B10 was moved back to the Production Site.[123]

Test articles

Super Heavy test articles
Name First spotted Decommissioned Construction site Cur. location Status Tests
TT1 January 2020[124] 10 January 2020[125] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed[125] 1
TT2 January 2020[126] 29 January 2020[127] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed[127] 2
BN2.1[128] 3 June 2021[129] 25 June 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Production Site Retired 2
GSE 4.1 August 2021 18 January 2022 Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed[130] 2
B2.1 October 2021 6 December 2022 Boca Chica, Texas Production Site Retired[citation needed] 3
B6.1 December 2021 May 2023 Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 1
B7.1 2022 Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Massey's Scrapped 6
EDOME 2022 Late October 2022 Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 2
HSLH July 2023 Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Production Site Potentially retired 2[131]
EDOME 2 September 2023 December 2023 2023 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped Scrapped 1

General test articles

Test Tank 1 (TT1) was a subscale test tank consisting of two forward bulkheads connected by a small barrel section. TT1 was used to test new materials and construction methods. On 10 January 2020, TT1 was filled with water and tested for failure as part of an ambient temperature test, reaching a pressure of 7.1 bar (103 psi).[125]

Test Tank 2 (TT2) was another subscale test tank similar to TT1. On 27 January 2020, TT2 underwent an ambient temperature pressure test where it reached a pressure of 7.5 bar (109 psi) before a leak occurred.[132] Two days later, it underwent a cryogenic proof test to destruction, bursting at 8.5 bar (123 psi).[133][127]

GSE 4.1 was first spotted in August 2021, and was the first ground support equipment (GSE) test tank built, made from parts of GSE 4. It underwent a cryogenic proof test (August 23) before it was rolled to Sanchez's site.[134] It was rolled back to the launch site in November 2021. It underwent an apparent cryogenic proof test to failure (January 18), where it burst at an unknown pressure.[135]

EDOME was a test tank created to test flatter domes, possibly used on future Starship prototypes. It was moved to the launch site in July 2022, and then back to the production site the next month, after not undergoing any tests.[136] It was later moved from the production site to the Massey's Test site in late September 2022, where it was damaged during a cryogenic pressure test to failure.[137] After repairs, it was tested to destruction in late October 2022.[138]

EDOME 2 was a test tank which is likely designed to continue testing a flatter dome design. As of October 4, 2023, its official designation is unknown. It was tested once, before being scrapped for unknown reasons.[139]

Super Heavy-based test articles

BN2.1 was rolled out on 3 June 2021[129] for cryogenic tests (8 June)[140] and (17 June).[141]

B2.1 (not BN2.1) survived three cryogenic tests on 1, 2, and 3 December 2021.[142][143]

B6.1 was originally intended to be the third super heavy to launch, but was repurposed as a test tank.[136] In May 2023, it was used to test the modified FTS system, after the FTS on B7 and S24 failed to destroy the vehicle.[144]

B7.1 was first cryogenically proof tested on 28 June 2022,[145] and tested again on 19 July 2022.[146] During a suspected pressurize to failure test two days later, it received minor damage.[147] After repairs, it underwent a fourth cryogenic proof test on July 27, 2022, a fifth on September 1, 2022, and a sixth five days later. It then rolled back to the production site on September 16, 2022.[148] B7.1 was then moved to the Massey's test site in September 2022, and then scrapped in December 2023.[149]

Hot Stage Load Head (HSLH) is a test article designed for verify the structural integrity of the interstage of Super Heavy Boosters 9+.[150] It was transported to the Massey's test site on July 30, 2023,[151] before being loaded onto the Can Crusher testing device.[152] In mid October 2023, it was moved back to the production site, presumably for scrapping.[153]

See also

References

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