SpaceX's new rockets continue to be affected by the problem of their thermal insulation pads SpaceX is developing the Starship next generation launch vehicle platform in boccachka, Texas, because it regularly transports the first and second stage rockets to its test platform after building them in its facility called Starbase. Once put into use, the "starship" will become the largest rocket in the world. Whether the thrust or payload capacity is generated, it is a key indicator for SpaceX to send humans to Mars and make humans an interstellar species.
SpaceX is currently waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to complete an environmental review of its Texas facilities. The review has been ongoing since last year, and its completion will be a key step for the company to apply for a launch license from the same regulatory authority.
While waiting for the FAA review, the Rocket Company is busy building its prototypes, some of which will become part of the first orbital test launch of the "starship". If SpaceX is licensed, it may be tested later this year.
The "starship" has two parts. The bottom booster is called super heavy, and the upper spacecraft is also called starship. Last month, SpaceX brought its latest booster prototype booster 7 to its test bench for pressure test. Subsequently, it launched the latest prototype of the Starship "S24", which was launched to the test-bed at the end of May.
However, the trial operation was not completely successful because it successfully repeated the problems that had plagued the upper layer of the Starship before.
As the captured live video of SpaceX's facilities in Texas shows, after being transported to the test-bed, the prototype "S24" of the Starship soon had the problem of its heat insulation tiles falling off. These insulation tiles are installed on the rocket in blocks, and they are an integral part of its mission profile.
The goal of SpaceX is to make the upper level completely reusable, which will be the first time in the aerospace industry. The company has reused the first stage booster of its Falcon 9 rocket, but it must build a new second stage for each mission. Therefore, even if SpaceX reuses the first stage, the second stage will still be an important part of the Falcon mission launch cost.
Unlike the second stage of Falcon 9, which is not designed to transport humans, the upper stage of the Starship will serve as a means of transport for both cargo and crew according to the mission. The heat shield is very important for the survival of the starship, because it will turn itself at an angle, exposing the heat shield to the atmosphere of earth or Mars.
Small errors in this respect will lead to the disintegration of the spacecraft during landing, which may threaten the life safety of the crew. The insulation tiles are hexagonal, and thousands of insulation tiles are installed on the Starship. A video shared by Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, in 2019 shows that they have successfully withstood the high temperature. Musk explained that their hexagonal shape is because it does not provide a straight path for hot gas to accelerate between the gaps. SpaceX manufactures the tiles at a facility in Florida called the bakery.