SpaceX Will Modify Starship Forward Flaps

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has confirmed what he called a “slight error” in the design of the forward flaps used on the gigantic Starship spacecraft. Starship is a reusable rocket, and the ultimate goal is for Starship and the Super Heavy booster to take humans back to the moon and beyond.

One key design characteristic of Starship is the odd horizontal reentry method it uses. It essentially plummets through the atmosphere on its belly and then flips itself vertically and uses its rocket engines to land safely. One key components to being able to flip vertically are the flaps, and Musk says two of them will get a significant redesign.

Musk noted in the tweet replying to a user asking about the redesign that the new flaps would be slightly further forward, smaller, and more inward. Musk also said that there would be no “funny looking” static aero at the top since static aero is no longer directly in the flow.

It’s unclear at this time when exactly the redesign might happen. Currently, SpaceX is working hard to perform its first orbital flight with the rocket.