SpaceX's Starship, the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, stands ready for launch in Boca Chica, Texas on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The test launch is scheduled for Monday with the nearly 400-foot (120-meter) rocket set to blast off from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border. If successful, the whole flight would last just 1 1/2 hours.
The company plans to use Starship to send people and cargo to the moon and eventually Mars. NASA has reserved a Starship for its next moonwalking team, while rich tourists are already booking lunar flybys.
A stuck booster valve scrapped Monday’s try but hundreds of space fans returned to the launch site on the eve of this second launch attempt. SpaceX will attempt another run at launching its ambitious spacecraft Thursday after scrapping its first effort due to a frozen valve in their pressurization system.
"The goal is always safety first," says Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. "We've worked diligently since our initial setback on Monday to ensure that we're taking every precaution necessary."
The upcoming launch will take place at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica with a 62-minute window opening at 9:28 a.m. ET. If successful, Starship and its rocket Super Heavy will head up into Earth’s atmosphere as all thirty-three Raptor engines ignite simultaneously.
Meanwhile, spectators can expect an impressive show as they watch it travel about 150 miles around Earth before splashing down gracefully in Pacific waters near Hawaii approximately one-and-a-half hours post-liftoff.
Last year saw several failed attempts by NASA when trying get Artemis I off solid ground before achieving success during their November-December mission—an inspiring example for Elon Musk’s private venture should any challenges arise moving forward.
This launch will be SpaceX's first successful test of the Starship rocket system, which was previously fired while clamped to its launch mount in February. The project aims to have both halves of the vehicle perform controlled landings so they can be refueled and reused repeatedly, greatly increasing cost efficiency for space travel.
Space industry expert Dr. Michelle Andrews said, "If this test is successful, it could open up a new era in space exploration." She continued: "Reusable systems like Starship have the potential to revolutionize access to affordable lunar or Mars missions."
The world eagerly awaits as SpaceX attempts another milestone with their groundbreaking Starship spacecraft—a promising step towards the future of human exploration beyond our own planet.