SpaceX has postponed the highly anticipated second launch of the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, Starship, by a day due to technical issues. Elon Musk said on X (formerly Twitter) that a part to adjust and stabilize the rocket's two stages during their descent phase, so that they can land in the right place and later be reused, needs to be replaced. "The launch is therefore postponed to Saturday," he concluded. This second test flight will be closely watched by NASA, which is counting on this spacecraft for its missions back to the Moon, after a first attempt that ended in a huge explosion in the spring.
A Fireball
On April 20, Starship lifted off for the first time in its full configuration. But several engines had failed, and SpaceX had purposely detonated the rocket after four minutes. The rocket disintegrated into a fireball and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, sending a cloud of dust over a city several miles away. Within seven months, the launch pad was rebuilt, and a water "deluge" system was installed and tested. These waterspouts spilled when the engines are ignited are intended to attenuate acoustic waves, limiting vibrations.
In the long term, SpaceX plans to use Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, to reach the planet Mars. But first, NASA expects SpaceX to deliver a modified version of the rocket to allow it to land on the Moon as part of its Artemis missions.