After a launch rehearsal this week and awaiting regulatory approval, SpaceX announced last week that it is on track to launch the Starship spacecraft for a first orbital flight test. In a tweet on Monday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that it is ready, with the launch “trending towards near the end of the third week of April.”
The flagship spacecraft that SpaceX has been working on for a very long time is called Starship. It is made to take astronauts and payloads into deep space, including the Moon and, of course, Mars. Most importantly, it is paired with a massive booster known as the Super Heavy to get it off the Earth’s surface. The parts are made to be reused.
Following that, SpaceX released this five-minute, all-CG video of Starship’s Mars missions, complete with refueling and a look at Musk’s concept for an outpost there.
At SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the Starship is fully prepared for testing. Starship had experienced numerous launch delays, including a significant setback last summer when the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) determined that the base’s environs would have some negative effects on the environment.
Yet, presently the entirety of that is left to get Starship and Super Heavy going is a permit from the FAA. “The FAA will make a license determination only after the agency is satisfied SpaceX meets all licensing, safety and other regulatory requirements,” an FAA spokesperson stated in an email.
The Super Heavy may be scheduled for launch on April 17 with backup dates for each day after that until April 22 according to the FAA’s Operations Plan Advisory. According to sources, SpaceX is collaborating closely with the FAA and expects the regulatory body to issue a license in the near future.
SpaceX is just a week away from finally launching the Super Heavy, which has never been done before, if the launch date of April 17 is true. After being launched, it is anticipated that the Super Heavy and Starship will separate, with the Super Heavy heading to the Gulf of Mexico and the Starship going into orbit. The Starship will then vertically land in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii shortly after reentering the atmosphere of Earth.