Washington (AFP) – Elon Musk has been making headlines for mass layoffs and funding cuts at US federal agencies under his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. But on Monday, his towering Starship rocket will return to the spotlight with its next test flight. The world’s biggest and most powerful launch vehicle is set for its eighth orbital mission, following a dramatic mid-air explosion over the Caribbean during its last trial. A launch window opens at 5:30 pm (2330 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, with the company carrying a live webcast of the event.
Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall — about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — Starship is designed to eventually be fully reusable and plays a crucial role in Musk and SpaceX’s vision of colonizing Mars. Meanwhile, NASA is awaiting a modified version of the rocket for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded Starship after its previous flight on January 16 ended with the upper stage disintegrating in a fiery cascade over the Turks and Caicos Islands, prompting cleanup efforts for fallen debris. On Friday, the FAA said Starship could return to flight before it finalizes its review of SpaceX’s “mishap investigation.” During Joe Biden’s presidency, Musk frequently accused the FAA of excessive scrutiny over SpaceX’s safety and environmental concerns. Now, as one of President Donald Trump’s closest advisors, the world’s richest person faces allegations of wielding undue influence over regulatory agencies overseeing his companies.
For the upcoming flight, SpaceX has introduced numerous upgrades to the upper-stage spacecraft, enhancing its reliability and performance. The mission, expected to last just over an hour, includes another attempt to catch the booster stage using the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms — a feat SpaceX has successfully executed twice, including in the last flight. Additionally, the company will deploy Starlink simulators designed to mimic next-generation Starlink satellites, which will burn up upon atmospheric re-entry.
Eventually, SpaceX aims to recover the upper stage as well, but for now, it is targeting an ocean splashdown off the west coast of Australia, as in previous flights. Before Starship’s ambitious goals of space exploration can be realized, SpaceX must prove the rocket is flightworthy and safe for crewed missions. The company also needs to demonstrate complex in-orbit refueling — using other Starships as fuel tankers — to enable long-distance space travel.
© 2024 AFP
