Elon Musk confirms Starship is one step away from launch
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has announced that Starship, which is the most powerful rocket ever built, is ready for launch. SpaceX's latest post on X shows the fully integrated Starship at the launchpad at the company's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. However, the company is still waiting for launch approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Starship rocket comprises a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft which is also called Starship.
Take a look at SpaceX's post
Starship flew for the first time in April
Starship's first-ever integrated test flight happened in April. That flight was supposed to take Starship's upper stage module around the Earth and bring it back with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. However, that didn't happen. Just a few minutes after lift-off, there was a technical issue and the rocket's two stages did not separate as planned. SpaceX then had to send a self-destruct command which resulted in a controlled explosion of the rocket above the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX has made over 1,000 changes since the April flight
Overall, SpaceX is said to have made over 1,000 changes to Starship since the April flight. It now uses "hot staging," which involves firing the engines on Starship's upper stage before it detachs from the booster. This new method has also required the addition of a "vented interstage" and a heat shield atop the Super Heavy booster. The launchpad has also been redone with a water-cooled flame deflector made of steel to handle the heat and pressure from launches.
Concerns loom over the upcoming test flight
For Starship to take off again, the FAA must complete the assessment of the impact of the first flight on the area surrounding the launch site. Environmental groups have raised concerns about the extent of the environmental damage caused by the rocket. Starship has already been roped in for NASA's crewed lunar landing as part of the Artemis 3 mission, which is planned for 2025. Given the timeline, the success of the upcoming flight becomes all the more crucial.
