Starship spotted from space ahead of crucial test flight
SpaceX's Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, is currently being prepared for its second test flight. The company is waiting for approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In the latest development, an impressive image of the fully stacked rocket, on the orbital launch mount at SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas, has been captured by Maxar Technologies' WorldView-1 satellite. Maxar's official post on X notes that the much-anticipated flight could happen "before" mid-September.
Check out the post by Maxar Technologies
Starship flew for the first time in April this year
The first test flight of the fully stacked Starship occurred on April 20. That flight planned to send the rocket's upper stage partway around Earth, culminating in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. However, that didn't happen. The vehicle experienced several issues, including the failure of its two stages to separate. The upcoming second test flight will share similar objectives as the first one, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk previously said.
Starship could potentially revolutionize spaceflight
Starship is the largest and most powerful launcher ever built. It boasts nearly twice as much thrust at liftoff as NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket which flew Artemis 1. Elon Musk believes that the fully reusable Starship can transform spaceflight. Starship—which comprises the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster—will be able to ferry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, Moon, Mars, and beyond.
FAA is reviewing the mishap report submitted by SpaceX
Before SpaceX can proceed with Starship's second flight, the FAA must grant a license. The FAA is currently reviewing the mishap report that SpaceX filed about the April 20 launch, which caused significant damage to Starbase's orbital launch mount and sent debris flying into the surrounding area. Furthermore, several environmental groups have raised concerns about the environmental damage caused by the rocket launch. The outcome of FAA's review could affect the timeline for Starship's next attempt to demonstrate its capabilities.
