By Atoyebi Nike
SpaceX is preparing for the ninth test flight of its giant Starship rocket. The launch is set to begin at 6:30 pm (2330 GMT) from Starbase, Texas. The nearby village recently voted to adopt the same name as the facility.
Starship stands 403 feet (123 meters) tall, making it the most powerful rocket ever built. It is key to Elon Musk’s vision of making humans a multi-planetary species. NASA also plans to use a version of the rocket for its Artemis 3 Moon mission.
The last two test flights failed. The upper stages exploded, scattering debris across the Caribbean and disrupting air travel. This has added pressure on SpaceX to succeed with this flight.
This test marks the first time SpaceX is reusing a Super Heavy booster. However, the company will not attempt to catch it. Instead, the booster will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. The upper stage will try to complete a half-orbit before falling into the Indian Ocean.
For the first time, SpaceX will also deploy a test payload. It includes mock versions of its Starlink satellites, which are expected to burn up during reentry.
SpaceX is known for its fast and risky testing approach. This strategy has helped it become a leader in commercial spaceflight. The company says progress “won’t always come in leaps. The goal is to launch a Mars mission as early as next year.
The FAA has approved the launch, expanding airspace closures to 1,600 nautical miles east of Starbase. It is coordinating with agencies in the UK, Bahamas, Mexico, Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The FAA also gave the green light for SpaceX to increase its launches from five to 25 flights per year. Environmental groups had raised concerns about impacts on sea turtles and coastal birds, but the FAA found no significant risks.
SpaceX has already caught the Super Heavy booster using its robotic tower arms three times. While the catch will not be attempted this time, the test will help refine the system.
If successful, this flight could be a major step toward reusable rockets. It also brings SpaceX closer to launching human missions to Mars.
