Status: 18.11.2023, 04:57 a.m.
By: Tanja Banner
CommentsPrint Share
SpaceX's "Starship" is the largest rocket in the world and is ready for its second launch. Now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also giving the go-ahead.
Update from Thursday, November 16, 2023, 21:50 p.m.: November 17 is no longer the current launch date for SpaceX's "Starship." As Elon Musk announced late Thursday evening on X, the launch will be postponed by one day because a part of the rocket still needs to be replaced. The new launch is scheduled for November 18, with the 20-minute launch window opening at 14 p.m. CET.
Update from Thursday, November 16, 2023, 09:35 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gives SpaceX and Elon Musk the green light: The world's largest rocket, the "Starship", is allowed to take off for the second time. According to SpaceX, the date is scheduled for November 17, 2023, and the time window for the launch is between 14 p.m. and 16 p.m. A livestream is scheduled to start 35 minutes before the start.
SpaceX's "Starship" is about to undergo second test flight
First reported on Wednesday, November 15, 2023: Boca Chica – When the "Starship," SpaceX's new giant rocket, exploded on its maiden flight, Elon Musk promised that the next launch attempt was just months away. Musk is notorious for setting overly optimistic timelines. If there's one constant in his work, it's the fact that SpaceX projects tend to be years behind schedule. But in the case of the second "Starship" launch, Musk could be right.
At least that's what an announcement on the private space company's website suggests. There, SpaceX indicates Friday, November 17, 2023, as the potential date for the second launch of the "Starship". However, the massive rocket can only be launched "if the final approval of the authorities has been obtained." A more precise date has not yet been communicated by SpaceX, but FAA documents indicate that November 17, 18 and 19 have been reserved for a possible "Starship" launch from 14:00 p.m. to 18:20 p.m.
SpaceX is waiting for final approval for "Starship" launch
However, final approval is still missing. Although the responsible regulatory authority FAA has already given the green light for the second "Starship" launch, the approval of the environmental agency Fish and Wildlife Services is still missing. This was called in because the environment was damaged during the first launch of the SpaceX rocket.
| Name: | Starship by SpaceX |
|---|---|
| 1st stage: | Booster (Super Heavy) |
| 2st stage: | Starship |
| Overall depth: | 121 meters |
| Payload: | more than 100 tons (after refueling in Earth orbit) |
| Goals: | e.g. Moon, Mars |
| Source: SpaceX |
SpaceX recently lamented that they were ready to launch – but the FAA was too slow. It remains uncertain whether the launch license will be available by November 17 and whether the "Starship" will then actually be able to make its second launch attempt. However, it is clear that SpaceX wants to provide a livestream from 30 minutes before the launch.
0
Read also
0
Is a white dwarf hurtling towards our solar system? Researchers have new insights
READ
Could one of the 20 supervolcanoes really wipe out humanity?
READ3
Unusual gamma-ray burst: Researchers reveal effects on Earth
READ
Lost Tool Bag Orbits the Earth – Here's How to See It in the Sky
READ
Imminent volcanic eruption in Iceland: Will there be flight cancellations again?
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My Area
After the failed first launch, in which the rocket spun out of control after a few minutes and had to be blown up, the company has made numerous changes to the "Starship" and its launch pad. Among other things, the so-called "staging" was modified, i.e. the way in which and when the rocket stages separate from each other. In addition, the destroyed launch site was better equipped for the second launch.
"Starship" development is closely followed by the industry
The launch of the "Starship" is being followed with great attention in the space industry. Will SpaceX really succeed in triggering another revolution in space travel with the giant rocket? The company has already achieved this with the development of the reusable rocket "Falcon 9". This is now the most reliable rocket on the market and more cost-effective than the competition because parts can be reused multiple times.
The "Starship" consists of two parts, which together bear the name "Starship". However, this is also the name of the upper, second stage of the rocket. It is the spaceship in which humans will later take a seat to fly to the moon or Mars. © IMAGO/SPACEX
The U.S. space agency Nasa is also keeping a close eye on the "Starship". After all, the spacecraft, which sits on the top of the rocket and is also called "Starship", is supposed to take the next humans to the moon. This means that the schedule of the next moon landing - a prestige project of NASA - is closely linked to the schedule of the "Starship".
Nasa wants to use the "Starship" for the next moon landing
"It's important for us that SpaceX can test its rocket," NASA chief Bill Nelson said in a recent interview with the Washington Post, adding, "I expect they will get approval from Fish and Wildlife. I don't know the timetable, but of course a major delay would be of great importance to Nasa."
As with the first launch attempt, the "Starship" is scheduled to launch from SpaceX's Boca Chica site in southern Texas. The rocket is designed to carry the spacecraft almost into Earth orbit. After about one orbit around the Earth, the spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The booster, i.e. the first rocket stage, is also scheduled to splash down, but shortly after launch in the Gulf of Mexico. It remains to be seen whether the launch will succeed this time and whether the "Starship" will achieve all planned goals. In any case, SpaceX promises on its website: "Excitement guaranteed!" (tab)
Machine support was used for this article, written by the editors. The article was carefully reviewed by editor Tanja Banner before publication.