Status: 16.01.2024, 11:29 a.m.
By: Tanja Banner
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When SpaceX's giant rocket "Starship" launches, NASA also takes a close look. Now we have the first details about the third test flight.
Hawthorne – In April and November 2023, the private US space company SpaceX tested the new heavy-lift rocket "Starship". Both tests were closely watched by the industry and, above all, by the US space agency Nasa – and both ended in an explosion. Since the test in November 2023, experts have been waiting for the third launch attempt of what is currently the largest rocket. Now a SpaceX employee has revealed when the "Starship" will launch for the third time.
At a telephone press conference on Tuesday (9 January), Jessica Jensen, vice president of customer operations and integration at SpaceX, gave details, reports the specialist portal space.com. According to the report, the company is already seeking a license for the third launch of the "Starship". "In terms of hardware, we want to be ready in January," Jensen said.
FAA Must Approve Third 'Starship' Launch
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must approve the launch. Last year, a SpaceX employee publicly complained that the government was too slow and therefore "we may have a big industry problem coming our way." Currently, according to Jensen, SpaceX is working on the final corrections required by the FAA after the second "Starship" flight. "We expect the license to be granted in February. So it looks like flight three will take place in February of this year," Jensen continued.
SpaceX's "Starship" is to be used to colonize Mars in the distant future – a long-standing vision of SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The upper stage of the "Starship" will also be used as a lunar module for NASA's next moon landing. The date for this moon landing has just been postponed by a year – among other things, because the "Starship" is not yet developed far enough.
SpaceX's giant rocket "Starship" needs to be refueled in orbit
An important maneuver that the "Starship" must successfully complete before the moon landing is a refueling of the upper stage of the rocket (the planned lunar module) in orbit. This is needed to provide the lunar module with enough fuel to lift off from the moon. However, on the third test flight of the "Starship", the maneuver is not yet to be carried out, according to the SpaceX employee. A first test in orbit will not take place until a later flight.
SpaceX's "Starship" took off for its second test flight in November 2023. (Archive image) © IMAGO/JOE MARINO
It is not yet known what the exact targets for the third "Starship" test flight will be and on what date the huge rocket will take off. However, it is safe to assume that SpaceX will once again show the test flight in the livestream. As soon as the FAA license is obtained, the company will certainly share details. (tab)