0
0
SpaceX Gears Up for Starship’s Next Test Flight
Just a week after Starship’s third test flight, SpaceX is already preparing for the upcoming mission. The 400-foot-tall (122 meters) Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever constructed, successfully completed its third flight on March 14. The fully reusable two-stage vehicle, consisting of the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy first stage, achieved significant milestones during the test flight launched from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas.
The Starship upper stage reached orbital velocity and remained airborne for approximately 50 minutes before breaking apart during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Meanwhile, the Super Heavy first stage performed well during its boostback burn, although it disintegrated at an altitude of about 1,650 feet (500 m) above the Gulf of Mexico instead of splashing down as planned.
SpaceX is currently analyzing data from the recent flight while focusing on the next mission. The company has already moved the Ship for the upcoming flight to the launch pad at Starbase for static fire tests. Pending the successful completion of these tests and pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for a launch license, Starship could take to the skies again as early as May, as stated by SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell.
SpaceX’s future plans include multiple test flights of Starship this year, aiming for six or more flights if everything goes according to plan, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk. The ultimate goal of the Starship development is to facilitate crewed missions to the moon and Mars, as well as to fulfill a wide range of spaceflight objectives.
NASA has a vested interest in the progress of the Starship project, having selected it as the primary crewed lunar lander for the Artemis moon program. The current timeline envisions Starship landing NASA astronauts on the moon for the first time in September 2026 during the Artemis 3 mission.
Image/Photo credit: source url
