SpaceX
Yesterday, space aficionados everywhere received the long-awaited news that the Federal Aviation Administration finally granted SpaceX official authorization to proceed with the launch of its Starship Super Heavy rocket on a much-anticipated test flight, now known as the Starship Flight Test, as soon as next Monday, April 17!
The launch license—which will be good for five years—enables Starship Super Heavy to embark on a flight that will end with Booster 7 splashing down 30 to 35 kilometers (19 to 22 miles) off the coast of Texas, and Starship Serial No. 24 reaching an altitude of 235 kilometers (146 miles) before it reenters Earth's atmosphere and splashes down into the Pacific Ocean 225 kilometers (140 miles) north of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. This should take place 90 minutes after liftoff...which is currently scheduled to occur as early as 7 AM, Central Daylight Time (5 AM, Pacific Daylight Time), on Monday.
If the Starship Flight Test is successful, this will bring SpaceX further down the path to having its Human Landing System ready for NASA's Artemis 3 Moon landing mission—currently targeted for a 2025 launch. Starship's success brings NASA closer to sending Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface, and eventually a crewed journey to Mars!
Stay tuned.
SpaceX
SpaceX
SpaceX
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