Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch Flight 8 test of Starship megarocket Tuesday

After investigating loss of Starship early in its seventh flight test, SpaceX implemented several hardware and operational changes to enhance the upper stage's reliability, the company said in a state

SpaceX is set to launch the eighth test flight of its Starship megarocket on Tuesday (5.00 am IST), the company said in a statement.

 

The launch window will open at 5.30 pm CT on Monday (March 3) (Tuesday 5.00 am IST) from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The company will be carrying a live webcast of the event, which will begin about 40 minutes before liftoff. 

 

Elon Musk’s company had earlier targeted Friday (February 28) for Flight 8 of Starship. No reason was given for the delay.

 

The launch vehicle is ready for its eighth orbital mission after a dramatic mid-air explosion over the Caribbean during its previous test earlier this year on January 16. “After completing the investigation into the loss of Starship early on its seventh flight test, several hardware and operational changes have been made to increase reliability of the upper stage,” the company said.

 

According to the company, the upcoming test flight will fly the same suborbital trajectory as previous missions.  ALSO READ: Falling Starlink satellites worry scientists, 120 fell from space in Jan

Objectives of the eighth test flight

The upcoming test flight will focus on Starship’s first payload/ cargo deployment that includes four Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites, as the first exercise of a satellite deploy mission. It will also conduct multiple re-entry experiments geared towards returning the upper stage (which is usually discarded after the rocket propels a spacecraft or satellite into orbit) to the launch site for catch, rather than having it land in a remote ocean or desert location. The flight also includes the launch, return, and catch of the Super Heavy booster.  ALSO READ: SpaceX's Starship explodes in space after launch, forces flights to divert

 

About SpaceX Starship

Considered to be the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, Starship is 403 feet (123 meters) tall, about 165 feet taller than the Qutub Minar in Delhi. It is designed to eventually be a fully reusable transportation system to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon and also plays a crucial role in SpaceX’s Mars mission.