Source
NASA, SpaceX Advance Wind Tunnel Tests for Starship Rocket
NASA Ames conducted transonic and supersonic wind tunnel tests on a scale model of SpaceX's Super Heavy Version 3 rocket booster. The testing focuses on understanding aerodynamic forces experienced by the Starship Human Landing System during atmospheric re-entry.
Why it matters
This data improves flight guidance software and structural safety for future crewed lunar landings scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
The details
- Testing used a 1.2% scale model at NASA's Ames Research Center.
- Version 3 includes new Raptor 3 engines and three larger gridfins.
- Supersonic wind tunnel speeds ranged from Mach 1.55 to Mach 2.5.
Show entities and relationshipsHide entities and relationships
In this article
Countries
Companies
Key connections
SpaceX owns Super Heavy
SpaceX manufactures the Super Heavy rocket booster.
SpaceX develops the Raptor 3 rocket engines.
NASA owns Space Shuttle
NASA operated the Space Shuttle program.
Manish Mehta works at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Manish Mehta is discipline lead engineer for the HLS Plume and Aero Environments team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
Jayanta Panda works at NASA Ames Research Center
Jayanta Panda is an unsteady aerodynamics subject matter expert at NASA Ames Research Center.
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is a member of NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center is a field center of NASA.
Show 6 more connectionsShow fewer connections
NASA Ames Research Center uses Wind Tunnel Testing
NASA Ames Research Center conducts transonic and supersonic wind tunnel tests.
Super Heavy is built with Raptor 3
Super Heavy Version 3 incorporates new Raptor 3 rocket engines.
Super Heavy uses Aerodynamics
Super Heavy Version 3 was tested to analyze steady and unsteady aerodynamic forces during re-entry.
NASA Ames Research Center is located in United States
NASA Ames Research Center is located in California, United States.
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is located in United States
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is located in Alabama, United States.
SpaceX is located in United States
SpaceX is headquartered in the United States.
Related events
Wind Tunnel Testing of Super Heavy Version 3 Rocket Booster
Get the weekly recap
The stories like this one, picked and explained — once a week, straight to your inbox.