The largest and most potent launch vehicle ever constructed, SpaceX’s Starship, detonated once more on Saturday during its second test flight. The Elon Musk-led private space company may launch Starship once more as early as next month if they judge the first launch to have been successful.
The hardware for Starship Flight 3 should be “ready to fly” in three to four weeks, according to a message made by Elon Musk on X, the old Twitter.
This indicates that on or around December 20, the rocket and spacecraft should be technically prepared for launch. That being said, there’s no assurance that a launch will take place at that precise moment.
In April, Starship made its maiden flight, but minutes after takeoff, the launch vehicle exploded. The launch on Saturday was rather successful in comparison. Stage separation was accomplished first.
Furthermore, the rocket appeared to be burning at full capacity during the launch on Saturday, even though many of the 33 rocket engines appeared to be malfunctioning during the first launch.
Additionally, during the April flight, Starship destroyed the launchpad and threw debris, including pieces of concrete, all over SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Following the launch last week, the launchpad appeared to be intact.
The Federal Aviation Administration suspended Starship until the business made numerous corrections after wrapping up its inquiry following the initial launch in April. For this reason, the second launch took place about seven months following the first.
The launch last week was only partially unsuccessful. This should theoretically imply that the following launch shouldn’t be delayed by more than seven months. However, it’s unclear how long it will take the FAA to wrap up its inquiry and give SpaceX a new license.