NASA, SpaceX Advance Wind Tunnel Tests for Starship Rocket
NASA says it and SpaceX completed new wind tunnel tests on the Super Heavy Version 3 booster planned for the Starship Human Landing System. The tests at NASA Ames examined aerodynamic forces the booster may face during atmospheric re-entry.
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The tests provide aerodynamic data that engineers use in flight-software and structural-load analysis for Super Heavy Version 3. NASA says Version 3 is expected to be the basis for Starship HLS for Artemis III in 2027 and a later crewed lunar landing in 2028.
NASA and SpaceX completed new wind tunnel tests on SpaceX's Super Heavy Version 3 rocket booster. The tests were conducted at NASA's Ames Research Center in California. NASA says the tests focused on aerodynamic forces during re-entry. NASA used a 1.2% scale model in transonic and supersonic wind tunnels. Version 3 of Starship and Super Heavy is expected to be the basis for Starship HLS for Artemis III in 2027 and a later crewed lunar landing in 2028. The tests measured steady and unsteady airflow on Super Heavy surfaces.
Sources & Evidence
Based on one cited source.
Primary source
NASA
