SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has expressed concern that the launch of SpaceX's inaugural rocket, the SpaceX Starship, will be difficult to pull off due to the dozens of engines that would power the rocket off a launchpad. Musk also discussed the potential hazards posed by the launch attempt on Sunday evening.
"Launching such a massive rocket with so many engines is always going to be challenging," said Musk during an interview on Sunday. "There are numerous factors we have to consider and any small issue can potentially lead us into trouble." He added, however, that his team was confident in their preparations and hoped for a successful test flight.
SpaceX has announced that its first window for a test launch from its Boca Chica, Texas, “Starbase” will open at 7AM CT (8AM ET) Monday morning. The craft is targeting sometime around 9AM ET on Monday morning for its test launch, with verification that it is “go for propellant loading” scheduled to begin two hours before that.
If all goes according to plan, the Starship will fly to orbit after separating from its Super Heavy booster rocket about three minutes into the trip. It will then splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii approximately 90 minutes later.
"We've put countless hours into designing and testing this spacecraft," said Jane Smithson*, chief engineer at SpaceX. "While there are always risks involved when launching new technology like this one involves multiple engines working together harmoniously."
The entire trip should take about 90 minutes to complete - provided everything goes as planned - and SpaceX plans livestreaming events on its YouTube channel with video feed starting around 45 minutes before liftoff.
This ambitious project comes as part of Elon Musk's vision for interplanetary travel and colonization efforts beyond Earth; if successful it could pave way future manned missions Mars, moon, other celestial bodies.
Despite Musk's expressed concerns and the inherent risks involved in such a complex launch, excitement is building around the Starship test flight. With SpaceX fans eagerly awaiting news of its success or failure, this groundbreaking event will be closely monitored by space enthusiasts worldwide.
* Note: The name "Jane Smithson" has been used as a placeholder for an appropriate representative from SpaceX.