SpaceX’s Starship rocket is “ready to fly” after securing the relevant permits for its next launch attempt, Elon Musk has said.
The 120-metre-tall spacecraft, which is the biggest rocket ever built, is set to lift off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Wednesday, in what will be a critical test of the billionaire’s ambitions to colonise Mars.
It will be the fourth major flight test of the Starship rocket, with the last one in March reaching orbit but breaking up upon reentry.
SpaceX completed a wet dress rehearsal last week, which saw the rocket and its booster filled with liquid oxygen and liquid methane – the fuel that will power its launch.
Local road closures are already in place, as well as a marine hazard notice to mariners in the Gulf of Mexico. It is not yet clear whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted a launch licence for the latest attempt, though SpaceX has said on its website that the attempt will take place on Wednesday “pending regulatory approval”.
This information was reproduced by Starlink Team of EDUP from Economic Times.
