SpaceX Starship orbital test flight It’s been working for months, but it looks like it might finally happen in just over a week. No, we really mean it this time.
On Monday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk books On Twitter Starship could launch during the third week of April. Starship has been declared “ready to launch,” Musk said books In a previous tweet on Sunday. The company completed its final flight readiness test over the weekend, which showed that its massive, heavy-lift rover was ready to fly for the first time, Ars Technica. mentioned.
SpaceX may target April 17 for the spacecraft’s orbital test flight, with back-up dates of April 18-21, according to the FAA. Operations plan consulting. But, as Musk noted in his tweet on Sunday, SpaceX is still awaiting “regulatory approval” in the form of a launch permit from the Federal Aviation Administration. Anonymous sources told Ars Technica that the FAA may award SpaceX its license this week but added that there is no guarantee that will happen.
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Last week, the 394-foot (120-meter) rocket fully stacked on the launch pad at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. “The team is working on launch training next week followed by the first integrated flight test of the Starship — a week later pending regulatory approval,” SpaceX says. He said Thursday on Twitter. During launch rehearsal, which could take place sometime this week, SpaceX engineers will power up the rocket’s first and second stages as if to prepare them for launch, but the rocket’s engine won’t actually ignite.
If it all comes together in time, SpaceX could finally see the Starship rocket fly for the first time. The company has been eagerly awaiting the rocket’s inaugural flight for nearly two years, performing a series of Limited static fire tests of boost engines. In February, the company performed The first large-scale static fire test of the Starship system, announced by SpaceX officials as “last box to check” Before the first orbital launch attempt of the rocket.
During its orbital test flight, the rocket will lift off and the upper stage will perform less than a full orbit around the Earth before re-entering the atmosphere and landing in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
If successful, SpaceX hopes to power up its giant rocket, and deliver it The next generation of Starlink satellites are in orbit. SpaceX also has a $2.89 billion contract with NASA; The plan is to use spacecraft to Humans will land on the moon by late 2025 As part of the space agency’s Artemis 3 mission.
It’s true that Musk canceled Starship test flight launch dates before that ever materializedbut SpaceX seems to have the most In order this time –Save for the desired release license.
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