NASA SpaceX Complete Super Heavy Wind Tunnel Tests for Artemis

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and SpaceX have concluded a critical series of wind tunnel tests on a scale model of the Super Heavy Version 3 rocket booster, gathering aerodynamic data that will inform flight software and structural load parameters for upcoming lunar missions. The agency formally announced the completion of the late 2025 testing at the Ames Research Center in California on July 31, 2026.

Detailed in a July 31 press release, the testing utilized a 1.2% scale model of the Super Heavy booster to simulate the extreme aerodynamic forces encountered during atmospheric re-entry. The resulting data is a prerequisite for the Starship Human Landing System (HLS), which will serve as the test article for the Artemis III demonstration mission in 2027 and a subsequent crewed lunar landing targeted for 2028.

Aerodynamic testing and structural updates

The evaluations took place in the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames, subjecting the 1.2% scale model to a wide range of airspeeds. Engineers blasted the model with air ranging from Mach 0.2 to Mach 1.4 in the transonic wind tunnel, and from Mach 1.55 to Mach 2.5 in the supersonic wind tunnel.

The testing focused on the updated Super Heavy Version 3 architecture. The first-stage booster is powered by 33 Raptor 3 rocket engines and features a revised aerodynamic control system. SpaceX has reduced the number of gridfins on the booster from four to three, while increasing the size of each remaining gridfin by 50%.

Jayanta Panda, Unsteady Aerodynamics Subject Matter Expert at NASA Ames Research Center, explained the dual focus of the evaluations.

“When a rocket, or an airplane, flies through air at high speed, it’s subjected to steady aerodynamic forces and moments, and unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments. An example of a steady aerodynamic force would be when air smoothly flows over the surface of the rocket as it ascends. An unsteady aerodynamic force would be air ‘buffeting,’ or hitting, certain areas the rocket at less predictable times and potentially causing vibrations.”

The data collected directly influences the vehicle’s operational safety and reusability. Manish Mehta, Discipline Lead Engineer for the HLS Plume and Aero Environments team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, stated that the steady force data helps predict atmospheric reactions during re-entry, allowing flight software to effectively guide the rocket. The unsteady pressure data provides engineers with an understanding of the re-entry environment, which serves as a primary input for software that analyzes structural loads on the booster.

Artemis III mission evolution

The wind tunnel results arrive as NASA and SpaceX refine the operational profile for the Starship HLS. On July 15, 2026, NASA outlined that Artemis III will function as a low Earth orbit demonstration mission. During this flight, SpaceX will utilize a test article based on the Starship Version 3 architecture to practice rendezvous and docking procedures with the Orion spacecraft.

Flight testing of the physical hardware is also underway. According to reporting by Aviation Week, SpaceX launched Starship Flight 13 on July 24, 2026. The suborbital test flight of the Starship Version 3 vehicle successfully completed a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

NASA is leveraging decades of aerodynamic research to accelerate the Starship HLS certification process. Mehta noted that the agency is utilizing its broad experience base from conducting wind tunnel tests for the Space Shuttle, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and the Orion spacecraft to efficiently analyze the Super Heavy Version 3 data. He added that similar testing at the Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel previously resulted in adding strakes to the SLS for Artemis II.

AirPro News analysis

We view the completion of these wind tunnel tests as a necessary step in validating the Starship Version 3 architecture for human spaceflight. The shift to a three-gridfin design on the Super Heavy booster represents a significant aerodynamic departure from earlier iterations, making empirical data from the Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel essential for safe booster recovery and reuse.

Furthermore, NASA’s recent decision to pivot Artemis III to a low Earth orbit demonstration mission underscores the technical hurdles remaining before a crewed lunar landing can occur in 2028. By testing the Starship HLS in Earth orbit first, NASA and SpaceX are mitigating risk and allowing time for the flight software and structural load models to be validated by both wind tunnel data and real-world flight tests like Starship Flight 13. While the 2028 lunar landing target remains highly compressed, the alignment of ground-based aerodynamic testing with concurrent orbital flight tests demonstrates a maturing development pipeline for the HLS program.

Sources: NASA Press Release