this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2024
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Should they do an orbital test next? Or continue with the previously used 'almost orbit' trajectory that ensures the second stage re-enters safely with no need for a relight?
They should prove relight during these suborbital flights, anything else is just asking to accidentally leave a starship sized chunk of debris in orbit for a few months-years
Though at least they've already proved they can relight during a belly flop.
They have, but the belly flop is not zero-g conditions, though.
Back during Apollo, they relit the lunar transfer stage engines in orbit, and just pointed it so it would escape earth and go into deep space.
This also allowed them to have the stage fueled, without risking a giant explosion if it entered the atmosphere. Because the stage was already in a stable orbit, even if the engine didn’t light, all of the fuel would boil off before it entered the atmosphere.
A suborbital flight would only allow a short term test, whereas the real HLS will be spending many days between relights. Plus, the ship will be entering the atmosphere with a substantial amount of fuel in the tanks, which just seems needlessly dangerous.