Image Source: Twitter
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s billionaire CEO, announced in a tweet on Saturday that the company may try a Starship rocket system launch next month.
While replying to a user’s tweet on Starship, he said, “If remaining tests go well, we will attempt a Starship launch next month.”
Musk stated in January that there was a “serious chance” of launching Starship in late February and that a launch attempt in March was quite plausible.
Since last year, SpaceX has been attempting to launch its massive Starship into orbit for the first time, a critical demonstration trip in its quest to send NASA astronauts to the moon.
The Starship will be the biggest spaceship capable of transporting humans from Earth to space destinations (the International Space Station is larger, but it was assembled in space).
It will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown, capable of transporting 100 tonnes of payload into low-Earth orbit.
The Starship system consists of two components: the Starship spaceship (which carries the crew and cargo) and the Super Heavy rocket. The rocket component will boost Starship to a height of 65 kilometres before separating and landing safely on Earth.
The top starship component will then utilise its own engines to propel itself into orbit.
Several short test flights of the system’s starship element have been conducted with varying degrees of effectiveness. However, the forthcoming mission will be the first time the entire system is used to reach space as a unit.
This maiden orbital mission was supposed to launch in September 2022; however, it has been postponed many times.
