Starship: The Next Generation of Space Exploration
SpaceX Sets Date for Next Starship Flight
Unblocking Filters and Clogged Valves for Success
Eric Berger - May 24, 2024 6:10 pm UTC
SpaceX's Starship megarocket, the world's largest and most powerful rocket, reached orbital speed for the first time Thursday in a historic third test. At 11:30 p.m. Central time, Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever to fly, lifted off from the coast of South Texas. The ascent was smooth, with the upper Starship stage firing its six Raptor engines for about six minutes to reach orbital speed.
SpaceX has fueled up its Starship megarocket again, ramping up preparations for the huge vehicle's upcoming test flight. The operation, known as a wet dress rehearsal (WDR), began on Tuesday and will culminate in a simulated launch and landing.
SpaceX, Elon Musk's spaceflight company, launched its Starship rocket from the coast of South Texas on Saturday, a mammoth vehicle that could alter the future of space. The flight was the first under SpaceX's new "rapid reusability" approach, a radical departure from the traditional methods of rocket construction and operation.
Even a completely successful launch would have only set up more test flights. The Starship program is highly ambitious, and there are a number of challenges that must be overcome before the rocket can be used for routine flights.
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