Starship performs their 6th Test Flight a month after their 5th - and it was.....BANANAS! That's right we are breaking down IFT6, with our (almost) LIVE reaction to the launch! We started recording during Starship's Reentry, so you catch our reaction live to that. It was a great day for data! The Starship team's have pulled off the practically impossible and soft landed both the Super Heavy Booster & Starship. We're not quite sure what survived, but that's space development! The world's most powerful rocket took another big step forward - expect more of these launches soon!

We also share our thoughts on the Space Economy, Lowering the cost to Access Space, Space Progress, and Heat Tile Protection required for the insanity of atmospheric reentry for spacecraft with human crew. We'd love to hear about your reaction to Starship IFT6 - email us at todayinspacepodcast@gmail.com or DM us on social media!

Otter.AI's Summary of the episode:

"The Starship IFT6 test flight successfully lifted off at 5 PM Central Time, with all 33 Raptor engines functioning. The booster performed a boost-back burn and landed offshore due to a tower issue. The starship, carrying a zero-G banana and a Starlink Pez dispenser, re-entered at 26,700 km/h, testing aggressive angles of attack. Despite some flap charring, the landing was soft. The flight marked SpaceX's second successful full lift-off and booster recovery. The test underscored the importance of rapid iteration and data gathering for future human spaceflight missions, including the Artemis III moon landing and potential Mars missions by 2026."

Topics:

Starship IFT6, test flight, Zero G banana, Artemis mission, space economy, reusability, Starlink satellites, hurricane relief, booster recovery, hot stage separation, aggressive reentry, heat distribution, plasma buildup, soft landing, SpaceX achievements

Sources:

Full Starship IFT6 launch https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1857841326542434339
Starship Reentry-Landing clip https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1859010302819684368

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
00:35 Starship IFT6 Test Flight Overview
02:07 Space Economy and Reusability
04:23 Test Flight Breakdown and Success
06:10 Challenges and Future Plans
10:45 Re-Entry and Thermodynamics
14:33 Final Approach and Landing

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Here's to building a fantastic future - and continued progress in Space (and humanity)! 
Spread Love, Spread Science

Alex G. Orphanos

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