Starship Flight 9's METAL SHIELDS to end Ceramic TPS Just BROKE PHYSICS!
"Starship Flight 9's METAL SHIELDS to end Ceramic TPS Just BROKE PHYSICS!
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Starship Flight 9's METAL SHIELDS to end Ceramic TPS Just BROKE PHYSICS!
On Tuesday, May 27th, we set out to witness something truly special—Starship Flight 9 taking to the skies.
This flight marks the third attempt using SpaceX’s Block 2 hardware, which, let’s be honest, had a rough start with two explosive outcomes earlier this year.
But this time? It’s different—and definitely cooler. Let's see it:
Multiple types of metallic heat shield tiles on the same vehicle. This hints that SpaceX is actively experimenting with a range of bold, new ideas.
So, with this all-new design, how close are we to SpaceX’s dream of rapid and full reusability?
Find out everything in today's Techmap episode!
Starship Flight 9's METAL SHIELDS to end Ceramic TPS Just BROKE PHYSICS!
A return to flight for SpaceX’s Starship program could be just a few days away, after the Federal Aviation Administration gave the company the go-ahead.
In a statement published on Thursday, May 22, the regulator said that SpaceX “implemented all corrective actions” in response to the mishap seen during Flight 8 in March. Similarly to Flight 7 back in January, the Ship upper stage failed to complete its first burn following stage separation and broke up over the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“With the Starship vehicle return to flight determination, Starship Flight 9 is authorized for launch,” the FAA said in a statement. “The FAA finds SpaceX meets all of the rigorous safety, environmental and other licensing requirements.”
Talking about the cause of the Flight 8 Starship upper stage anomaly, SpaceX found out that one of the upper stage’s center Raptor engines broke. This caused the rocket’s fuel and oxidizer (the chemicals that make the engine burn) to mix in a way they shouldn’t, which caused a fire or explosion inside the engine. This problem was different from what happened on Flight 7. The fixes they made after Flight 7 worked well, but this new problem was something else.
Starship Flight 9's METAL SHIELDS to end Ceramic TPS Just BROKE PHYSICS!
So, to address the issue, the team is making changes to the engine parts to make them stronger and safer. They will also add new systems to keep the fuel lines cleaner and safer.
Now, sure, making the engines better is a huge deal — no question. But that’s just one piece of the Starship puzzle. If we ever want the upper stage to not only fly but come back home safely and reliably, there's something else that has to work perfectly... and that’s the heatshield.
Think about it: Starship is screaming back into Earth’s atmosphere at over 25 times the speed of sound. The friction creates so much heat — we’re talking thousands of degrees— it could melt steel. And the only thing standing between Starship and a fiery disaster? That thin layer of tiles on its belly.
So yeah, upgrading the engines is great. But if that heatshield doesn’t do its job flawlessly? It’s game over. That’s why SpaceX is obsessed with perfecting it — every tile, every attachment, every single detail. Because when it works... Starship doesn’t just go to space — it comes back, ready to fly again. And that, my friends, is how you build a real spaceship.
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