After having spent a busy week launching payloads for the U.S. government and private customers, SpaceX is keeping up the pace with its Starship testing activities in Boca Chica, Texas. While SpaceX had to wait for months between its first and second Starship tests last year, the time between the third and second tests is less since it has made the required changes to the pad and secured approval from the relevant government agencies. Now, within days after it shipped its Starship booster and ship for the third test flight to the launch pad, SpaceX kicked off activities at the pad by loading the vehicles with fuel before ending the loading early and opening nearby roadblocks.

在花了一周忙碌的時間為美國政府和私人客戶發射有效載荷後，SpaceX 正在德克薩斯州博卡奇卡緊跟其星艦測試活動的步伐。雖然SpaceX 去年的第一次和第二次Starship 測試之間需要等待數月，但第三次和第二次測試之間的時間更短，因為它已經對發射台進行了所需的更改並獲得了相關政府機構的批准。現在，在將其「星艦」助推器和第三次試飛飛船運送到發射台後的幾天內，SpaceX 開始在發射台上進行活動，為車輛裝載燃料，然後提前結束裝載並打開附近的路障。

SpaceX Loads Up Ship And Booster With Fuel As It Preps Starship For Third Test Flight

While SpaceX doesn't share its Starship test schedule or details on social media before the tests take place, the timelines can often be gauged by the road closures ordered by the authorities in Boca Chica. Since fueling Starship, the world's largest rocket, is a dangerous operation, during some tests and rehearsals, SpaceX closes the roads adjacent to its facilities before any tests.

SpaceX 為太空船和助推器裝載燃料，為星際飛船第三次試飛做準備雖然SpaceX 在測試開始前不會在社交媒體上分享其星際飛船測試時間表或細節，但時間表通常可以根據當局下令的道路封閉來衡量在博卡奇卡。由於為世界上最大的火箭「星艦」加油是一項危險的操作，因此在一些測試和排練期間，SpaceX 在任何測試之前都會關閉其設施附近的道路。

Such closures were planned for today, and after the roads were closed, SpaceX started to load its Starship Super Heavy booster and ship with propellant. Contrary to its general procedures, SpaceX appeared to load the ship with fuel earlier than it does in the timeline today, according to footage from local media. The tests took place in a cloud launch site reminiscent of SpaceX's launches on the West Coast in California that often see the Falcon 9 cut through the clouds before making its way to space.

此類關閉計劃於今天進行，道路關閉後，SpaceX 開始為其 Starship Super Heavy 助推器和飛船裝載推進劑。根據當地媒體報道，與一般程序相反，SpaceX 似乎比今天的時間表更早為飛船裝載燃料。這些測試在雲發射場進行，讓人想起 SpaceX 在加州西海岸的發射，獵鷹 9 號火箭在進入太空之前經常穿過雲層。

The Starship Super Heavy during its static fire test in December 2023. Image: Elon Musk/X

2023 年 12 月，超重型星艦正在進行靜態火災測試。圖片來源：Elon Musk/X

Before it can be confident in launching a rocket that's hundreds of feet tall into orbit, SpaceX conducts multiple tests on the site. These include static fire tests, tanking tests, wet dress rehearsals and water deluge system tests among a litany of others. The static fires test the rocket's engines to weed out any potential anomalies before launch, and tanking tests are an equally important part of the campaign since they help ensure that a vehicle can sustain the pressures needed to fill it up with thousands of gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid methane.

在有信心將數百英尺高的火箭送入軌道之前，SpaceX 在現場進行了多次測試。其中包括靜態火災測試、水箱測試、濕裝排練和水淋系統測試等一系列測試。靜態點火測試火箭的發動機，以在發射前消除任何潛在的異常情況，而儲罐測試也是該活動中同樣重要的一部分，因為它們有助於確保火箭能夠承受充滿數千加侖液氧所需的壓力和液態甲烷。

Today's tests appeared to test the tanks, and since Starship is made of steel, the characteristic frosting was soon visible on the rocket's first and second stages soon after the roadblocks were in place. However, the test itself was brief, as SpaceX proceeded to depressurize its vehicle which indicated that the test would not be a full wet dress rehearsal.

今天的測試似乎是為了測試坦克，由於星際飛船是由鋼製成的，在路障就位後不久，火箭的第一級和第二級很快就可以看到獨特的結霜。然而，測試本身很短，因為 SpaceX 開始對其車輛進行減壓，這表明測試不會是一次完整的濕裝彩排。

As of now, it appears that today's tests are over, and since Monday is a federal holiday, SpaceX will have to wait for some days before it can close the roads again and resume activities. A full wet dress rehearsal was unlikely, but considering SpaceX's rapid pace with Starship development, nothing can be said with absolute certainty.

截至目前，今天的測試似乎已經結束，而且由於週一是聯邦假日，SpaceX 還需要等待幾天才能再次封閉道路並恢復活動。全面的彩排不太可能，但考慮到 SpaceX 星艦開發的快速步伐，沒有什麼可以絕對確定地說。

As for the next Starship test's launch date, so far it appears that the test can take place next month. Given the nature of spaceflight and the fact that Starship is nevertheless still under development, it is possible for the test to slip into April.

至於下一次Starship測試的啟動日期，目前看來測試可能會在下個月進行。考慮到太空飛行的性質以及 Starship 仍處於開發階段這一事實，測試有可能推遲到四月。