Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, revealed that a major SpaceX Starship Super Heavy rocket launch test will now take place later this month rather than this week.
Starship is envisioned by SpaceX as a completely reusable transportation system capable of transporting humans and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon, Mars, and beyond. The rocket is set to launch from SpaceX’s Starbase facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, in the company’s maiden launch of its fully stacked 394-foot (120-meter) tall Starship rocket system. Completely stacked indicates that all of its components are in place, with the higher stage resting atop the booster.
“Starship launch trending towards near the end of third week of April,” Musk wrote on Twitter a day after stating that it was ready for launch and “awaiting regulatory approval.”
The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) filed a planning notice on 4 April stating that the launch’s primary expected date was Monday, but backup options were Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Last week, Musk stated that Starship will be ready to launch this week.
The FAA issued an amended notification on Monday, stating that the launch might now take place on April 17.
SpaceX still needs an FAA launch permit for what is scheduled to be its maiden orbital flight test from Boca Chica. One major impediment remains: completing a federal environmental compliance evaluation.
The Starship rocket system is made up of a Starship rocket atop a “Super Heavy” first stage booster powered by 33 rocket motors. The Starship second stage will be launched into space, where it will complete a full circle of Earth before reentering the atmosphere and splashing down off the coast of Hawaii. The Super Heavy booster would also be expected to land near the launch location in Texas.
