SpaceX is actively preparing to launch a second test flight of Starship, building the latest prototype model, and continues to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to obtain launch approval.
Starbase on the Gulf Coast has completed preparations for the second test flight of Starship, which SpaceX hopes to launch soon.
“Starship is fully assembled as the team prepares for the launch rehearsal. We continue to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to obtain launch approval,” SpaceX wrote on Monday on the X social network, which also posted photos of the process of preparing and installing Starship at Starbase.
One step closer to Mars: SpaceX aims for a second Starship test flight.
The US Federal Aviation Administration recently completed its investigation into Starship’s first test flight, which took place on April 20.
The purpose of this flight was to send the upper stage of the Starship around the Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. However, shortly after liftoff, problems occurred and the separation of the two stages failed, and SpaceX deliberately destroyed the prototype over the Gulf of Mexico.
Elon Musk said that the new Starship is ready for launch from a technical point of view – in particular, SpaceX engineers have successfully tested the Raptor engines on both stages.
When fully assembled, Starship stands nearly 122 meters tall. It is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, with much more thrust than NASA’s famous Saturn V moon rocket.
Both Starship stages are designed to be reusable, which Musk believes is the breakthrough needed to make settlement on Mars economically feasible.
