SpaceX’s gigantic Starship could complete its first orbital test flight around Earth by the end of next week—if Elon Musk’s Twitter feed is to be trusted, that is. The CEO tweeted on Monday that the rocket’s launch is “trending towards near the end of third week of April.”
SpaceX has been preparing for the momentous jaunt for months but appears to be edging closer to liftoff. The company recently announced the fully stacked spacecraft is ready to leave the Starbase at SpaceX’s South Texas facility pending regulatory approval. In fact, the team is reportedly working toward a launch rehearsal this week.
The space-bound behemoth is made up of a spacecraft (the Starship) and a giant booster (the Super Heavy) that is powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor engines. The setup will generate about 16.5 million pounds of thrust upon liftoff and cement the Starship as the most powerful rocket in history.
It is also the tallest rocket ever built. When the Starship and Super Heavy are stacked together, the enormous ship measures 394 feet. It could get even taller, too, stretching by another 33 feet or so, according to a tweet shared by Musk on Saturday. The CEO says the craft’s parts are also reusable to keep costs down to as little as a “few million dollars per flight.”
The inaugural orbit marks an important milestone on SpaceX’s mission to colonize Mars. The Starship is designed to take astronauts and cargo to the Red Planet, the Moon, and beyond. The company yesterday shared a five-minute clip of the prospective missions to Mars and imagined outposts.
The only thing standing in the way is red tape. SpaceX must still get a launch license from the Federal Aviation Authority for the upcoming flight. Things are looking positive, though: The FAA issued a notice on Monday that said the launch could now happen April 17. It also listed backup launches on each subsequent day up until April 22.
Keep your eyes on the skies, folks.
