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Starship SN5 Test Flight Success.
Success! Starship prototype SN5 tank section conducted a successful test flight this morning our time. It was limited to about 150m by the approval but it achieved it's goals and landed on the landing pad upright on its short drop down legs. It will now be taken back to the shipyard in coming days for removal of the Raptor engine for careful examination.
Next flight steps yet to be announced by SpaceX but they have two later versions to choose from. The original plan was to fly a three engine version up to a 20km altitude to test higher speed flight and landing maneuvers from altitude.
As to the question about future build site, it is Boca Chica. They are building a new high bay assembly building right now, which will take the Super Heavy Booster, which is required for Lunar and Mars insertion orbit lifting. The Starship will be able to achieve low Earth orbit with its full engine complement but with limited payload, so test flights mainly. No estimate of Super Heavy Booster assembly start. Super Heavy Booster launch pad is under construction at Boca Chica now.
I am sure the Utube channels monitoring SpaceX at Boca Chica will have SN5 flight test on repeat for the next week or so.
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