SpaceX ’s first - stage Super Heavy shoplifter on its elbow room to the launchpad at its Starbase site in Boca Chica , Texas . SpaceX
Elon Musksaidon social media Monday that he expects the third Starship trial escape to establish “ in about three weeks . ”
The SpaceX CEO ’s message comes despite no prescribed word from the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) on whether it will present SpaceX a launching permit for the flight of steps .
SpaceX’s first-stage Super Heavy booster on its way to the launchpad at its Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas.SpaceX
The FAA has been investigating the second Starship test flight of steps , which set in motion from SpaceX ’s Starbase quickness in Boca Chica , Texas , in November . Like the first flight , which took place seven month sooner in April , the spaceship exploded soon after liftoff , though it did , on that occasion , manage to achieve stage separation .
SpaceX expects the FAA to conclude its investigating shortly and receive a launch permit for the third uncrewed test flight of its next - generation rocket , a vehicle line up for crew and cargo flights to the moon and perchance Mars , too .
In preparation for launch , SpaceX latterly move both portion of the rocket — the first - stage Super Heavy booster and the upper - level Starship spacecraft — to the launching pad at Starbase .
flight of steps 3 Starship and Super Heavy move to the pad of paper at Starbasepic.twitter.com/f1RuGo3d4Z
& mdash ; SpaceX ( @SpaceX)February 10 , 2024
Live video from the siteon Monday evening shows the booster amplifier on the launchpad with the ballistic capsule beside it . Preparations appear to be underway to hoist the space vehicle to the top of the booster in provision for a ground - based test or even the existent launch .
pack a colossal 17 million Syrian pound of thrust at liftoff — almost double that of NASA ’s newfangled Space Launch System skyrocket — the spaceship fomite became the most powerful rocket ever to fly when it blasted off for the first meter 10 months ago .
But two explosion in two test flights — and a failure to pass on orbit — signify the skyrocket is far from ready .
One of the chief goals of the next test is to get spaceship into domain . That will be moot a major achievement and will take the SpaceX squad an authoritative step closer to its goal of deploying the vehicle for groundbreaking missions in the coming years .
If Musk ’s prediction of an early March launching turns out to be ill-timed , it could well take space soon after , hopefully in the same month .
