SpaceX Starship to fly again in 3 to 4 weeks
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that the colossal Starship rocket will fly again, on its third flight, in about 'three to four weeks.' Starship, which comprises the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft, is the most powerful rocket in the world. Musk shared on X that the required hardware for the upcoming Starship flight is currently in its final production stage. However, the actual liftoff hinges on acquiring a permit from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Starship houses 33 Raptor engines
Towering almost 400 feet, Starship is also the largest rocket ever built. It's nearly 33 feet longer than the Saturn V rocket that took astronauts to the Moon in 1969. The rockets's 33 Raptor engines can generate nearly 17 million pounds of thrust, almost double that of NASA's Space Launch System rocket that flew on Artemis 1 last year. Both of Starship's components are reusable, meaning the key hardware components will be returned to Earth to fly on future missions.
FAA to oversee SpaceX-led investigation
Starship flew for the first time in April this year and its second test flight happened last week. Both flights concluded with an explosion. The FAA then declared that it would supervise a SpaceX-led inquiry into the unsuccessful mission. The goal of the previous two test flights was the same. The upper-stage spacecraft was supposed to fly most of the way around Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. However, that did not happen on either flight.
The second test flight scored crucial milestones
SpaceX considers Starships's second flight successful as it accomplished stage separation and flew longer than its maiden April flight. During Saturday's flight, SpaceX's newly engineered launchpad effectively withstood the Super Heavy booster's enormous thrust. Musk said the pad was in "great condition" following the test. This demonstrated a notable improvement compared to the previous pad, which was destroyed by the immense force from the Raptor engines during April's launch, scattering debris over an extensive area.
SpaceX aims for more frequent test flights
SpaceX ultimately aims to use Starship for crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. However, extensive testing is still required before this can occur and the firm will be hoping to increase the frequency of its test flights. NASA is also dependent on Starship for Artemis 3, expected to launch in 2025. Artemis 3 will land astronauts on the Moon, marking the first crewed lunar landing in over 50 years.
